My Meganes

This is my garage queen 2006 RenaultSport Megane 225. The car was ordered in October 2005 with the addition of Xenon headlights and climate control. It was only ever a weekend car but has only been used in the dry and now only in the summer. The car has only covered 3,250 miles so really is as new. Most people think it's a strange car to preserve but after a few years of ownership and minimal driving I couldn't part with it....




























As you can see I'm very much into detailing and keeping the car as perfect as I can. It's currently covered in a dry garage and protected by a couple of layers of Dodo Juice Supernatural.

The second Megane is a 2005 RenaultSport Megane 225 Trophy. I only bought this last week although I have known this car from new. I was looking to replace my Clio 172 which I use as my day to day car with something bigger and more refined, so with prices of the 225s pretty low I went on the hunt. Just so happened to ask my mate Nick if he still had his Trophy as I know he looks after his cars. It turned out that after he'd owned the car, his dad had it and then finally his brother, who'd put it up for sale 2 days before.

So I ended up buying the Trophy, it has 40,000 miles on the clock, the most OCD car history I've seen other than my own Megane's!! Serviced yearly regardless of mileage, cambelt etc all done.





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The Trophy has a handful of modifications, a K-Tec re-map, Forge dump valve and Samco hoses. Cosmetically it has some custom RenaultSport decals on the sides and a carbon wrapped bonnet.

Haven't got any better pictures just yet as the weather has been pants but I am itching to give the car a proper once over, clean, polish, wax and in the summer hopefully clay the car properly. More pictures to come.... J

 

Naith the Inferno has the OEM tail lights fitted now. I didn't actually mind the black ones as went with the wheels and black contrasts the orange nicely but they were pants quality by comparison.

So whilst I was swapping the tail lights back the year before last I decided to clean up behind them too! lol

Well a little bit, as I say it has about 3,250 on the clock now so not a lot of driving. Has been serviced properly and has a replacement cambelt and water pump. No point preserving it and skimping on the maintenance.

 

Thing is I'm sure yours is in cracking condition but it's easy to be critical of your own car as you spot all the imperfections!

 

Thanks guys, it's nice for it to be appreciated as most people think I'm mental let alone buying another haha.

 

Personally I prefer the look of the black wheels although easy enough to refurb should I choose to go completely stock.

Have the original headunit and changer kept save indoors so again easy to go totally OEM.

The graphics on the Trophy, I don't actually mind. The wrapped bonnet means the paint is protected, same goes for the graphics down the side. May take em off at the moment but I don't mind modifications that are easy to change back and don't affect the car.

I'd like to think it's fairly unique in terms of how well cared for and how low the mileage is. Maybe in terms of it being a Phase I 225 at least. I think the original 225 gets somewhat overlooked and overshadowed by the Phase II models, especially the R26.

 

Well I finally got a break (just) in the weather to at least give the interior a going over.


Although the interior is 99.9% mint the footwells really needed a good vacuum, plus the car came with a brand new set of OEM matts which I wasn't going to fit until the footwells were spotless.


Out comes the Karcher vacuum and the footwells came up perfect.





Plastics all wiped down with some Autoglym Rubber & Vinyl care.





Also gave the leather a once over with some Autoglym Leather Care and fitted the matts. Although they're under some clear floor protectors from Halfords now!





Also, how did Renault manage to make the genuine carbon fibre on the dash and door handles look fake??? haha

 

The Inferno is a bit crazy but I'm glad I've kept it and preserved it.

Funny thing is the owner of the Trophy was telling me all these selling points such as how it was only hand cleaned with Autoglym products etc. If only he'd seen how I keep my other 225!! lol

Either way though, I'm pleased with how the inside of the Trophy has come up. Didn't need much really just a good vacuum.

 

Thank you mate, it is my baby haha.

Finally cleaned the Trophy today and got some proper pictures.

























Cant wait for some proper sunshine to get some shots of the Nimbus paintwork.

 

Well only a tiny update on the Trophy today, I received a replacement gear knob insert from Rob R26r on here (thanks again) which I have fitted. Although it's flat rather than domed I rather like it and it certainly looks loads better.

One worn knob (never a good thing!!)





And a bewildered little Roxie (my little girl) waiting for a spin in the new car! haha

 

Cheers mate. No worries on the PM, whenever you get a chance.

 

Thanks Ben, I've been lucky with the inferno that I've never really had to use it daily so it's been easy to keep clean from new. Engine bay has always been cleaned during the usual wash routine, same as door hinges etc. It's not seen rain that I can recall or been used in winter so it has had an easy life haha.

I'm hoping I can get the Trophy up to a similar level as although it's got 40k on the clock, it's certainly almost mint. Engine bay is the next task on that one. For now though a slight update on it. Replaced all the interior bulbs with 20 LED bulbs, pure white and a shed load brighter.

 

Very quick update, had a trip to the Renault parts dept and picked up some necessities.


Fully synthetic oil, oil filter and some flat blade wipers for the Phase II Megane 225.





Off with the old skool wipers...





and on with the new...

 

Yeah it's all in the detail and making the car mine.

Have had a quote for having the engine cover hydro dipped but don't know what finish.

 

Few updated pictures of the Trophy, since the sun was shining and the car was cleaned just the other day. Colour comes out nicely in the sun, not just boring old silver. J

 

Yeah they side decals will be going when I get round to it.

 

I just picked that lot up from Renault as it works out a similar price to using Opie Oils but using the OEM recommendation.

 

I did give your 225 a good look over at the weekend, for a car with 100k on the clock it was looking great!!!

Best colour too

 

Well as some of you may have seen I've been having nightmares removing the wrap on my Trophy's bonnet so after hours of trying, much frustration and this....





In the end the car was taken to my usual body shop who did a great job although even they had fun removing it. Thinners and scraping were the order of the day, then stripped back to bare metal and repainted. I asked if they could keep the bonnet on the car as to not affect the painted parts under the bonnet which they did.



Looks a shed load fresher now and the finish on the paint is really good. The bumper actually looks darker than the new paint but it does against the wings anyway and as far as I know it's original.

 

To be honest I don't know which bits have been painted and which haven't.
Bonnet had been painted in the middle but not aware the front end has and I know full well the car hasn't been in any accidents.

That said I know the panels on my old 172 that has and hadn't been painted and they were slightly different if you looked very closely.

 

I'm in two minds on that idea purely because I like the exclusivity of inferno but I do love the colour in itself.

Not sure how it would look on the current range of cars. Think it would suit the Clio 200 better than the Megane.

Same as it always looked better on a 225 than a 183.