Hi all, thought I would start a thread on my new purchase, more as a record for myself than anything else. I'd had the idea for a megane for the past 1.5 - 2 years but needed to aquire the funds first! So I kept an eye out for what sort of spec I wanted and what sort of budget I needed. I decided It needed to be a cup for the LSD, needed the leather recaros, something sub 70k miles but wasn't too bothered about the colour. I saw this and decided it was exactly what I was looking for so drove up to Oxford way with my dad and picked this up on 05/07/23. It's a cup, Leather recaros, 50k miles and the most history and paperwork I've ever seen with a car. I'll paste the ad below so I have somewhere to reference it from. 'Mileage 49k (may rise slightly before sale) Extensive full service history Folder with roughly 60+ pages of previous mot’s, invoices and parts receipts in date order Second folder with original handover documents, handbooks, RS tuner with original map, tracker documents MOT until December 2023 - never failed in the last 10 years! Always ran on Shell V-power HPI clear 2 key cards Cup, Lux & Visibility packs Leather CS recaros RS monitor Arkamys sound system Optional emergency spare wheel 19” Steev alloys Keyless entry and start Auto lights & wipers Cruise control Automatic dual zone climate control Service history: 10/05/2010 - 939 miles Oil change 16/04/2011 - 5807 miles Oil change 16/08/2012 - 9497 miles Oil change, Cabin filter 22/08/2013 - 12981 miles Oil change and Air filter 04/02/2014 - 16812 miles Oil change 14/08/2014 - 19137 miles Oil change and Spark plugs (gapped to .65mm) 26/03/2015 - 21590 miles Oil change 06/04/2016 - 26675 miles Oil change 15/11/2018 - 32024 miles Oil change and Cambelt kit, Waterpump, Aux kit 16/01/2020 - 35791 miles Oil change, Spark plugs, Brake fluid, Gearbox oil 07/10/2020 - 40340 miles Oil change 04/01/2021 - Aux belt kit 25/08/2021 - 46143 miles Oil change, Cabin filter 20/08/2022 - 48372 miles Oil change 09/06/2023 - 49235 miles Oil change Specification Engine, Gearbox and Exhaust: RS tuning package fitted in 2011 compromising of Milltek cat-back exhaust, forge intercooler and remap - approximately 315hp (no printout) Yuasa battery fitted 2020 Hel braided clutch damper delete line ProPerfekt recirculation valve Ramair cone filter (OE Airbox and filter will be included in sale) Powerflex upper engine mount insert Genuine lower engine mount 2023 New backbox mikalor clamps 2023 Brakes: Hel braided brake lines all round Rear discs and pads 2020 Front discs and Performance friction pads 2020 Rear to front brake pipes replaced due to rubbing on fuel lines Suspension and Steering: Dizdar upper and lower ball joints fitted 2020 Anti rotation links 2020 H&R lowering springs Exterior: Michelin pilot sport 4S all round with approx 6+mm tread LED reverse light bulbs LED number plate bulbs Gloss black badges Black anodised door latch covers Maxton spoiler extension Universal rubber front splitter Matt black sun strip TPI Polarised wheel bolts inc locking bolts 2 Stage machine polish and Gtechniq CSL & EXOv2 ceramic coating in 2021 Interior: Genuine RS weighted gear knob Alcantara diamond stitch door inserts Alcantara gearstick and handbrake gaiters Alcantara armrest cover Gloss black interior handles Genuine RS floor mats Genuine plastic boot liner' I had a Clio 182 trophy before this and currently share a mk3 Clio 200 track car with my dad, long thread here on 197.net, so I'm familiar with Renaultsports. So far its been very smooth ownership and have been pleasantly surprised by how comfortable and livable it is in comparison to what I'm used to! The first thing I did was take the diamond cut steev wheels to be refurbed at Rolling Rims in Dunmow (they just about fit in the clio). They had no kerb marks or dings and were in decent condition but had some laquer peel so I wanted to get that sorted. I wasn't sure about the wheels when I saw them on the car initially but they've grown on me already and I've decided I like them already. I also gave the brakes a good bleed as they felt a bit spongy and a lot of air came out so problem solved hopefully! I also gave the headlights a quick polish as they were super cloudy at the top. I was pleasantly surprised by how easy they are to get off in comparison to the clios which need the whole bumper taking off! They came out much better but I may give them a proper sand down at some point as they're not perfect. I also noticed the chrome exhaust surround was looking a bit tatty so I got a carbon one from Ktec and replaced that which looks much better IMO. Once I got the wheels back I ceramic coated them with some Gtechniq C5 wheel armour and had a deep clean whilst the wheels were off. Cleaned out the arches, de-tarred and got some all purpose dressing on them to bring them back to life which worked surprisingly well. After having a proper wash I also took off the scuttle panel and cleaned out all the mud and crap underneath it and gave that a coat of Gtechniq C4 trim restorer as well as the splitter which was quite faded. I also topped up the screenwash and quickly worked out why there was none in there in the first place as it started dripping out immediately. I pulled the bumper off and found the leak was in one of the lines going to what I assume would be the headlight washers? But I have blanks so as I was fairly sure that pump wasn't used, I took off the lines and looped a bit of spare line between the two outputs on the pump to stop the leak for now. I'll find the part number for the line and fix it properly at some point but it's sorted for the time being. There are a few small things I want to sort out: - A visit to Engine dynamics to look at the map as there's no print out - I want to change out the brake pads to something different as I'm not a fan of the EBC RP-X pads that are in there currently - A new rear parking sensor as its peeling - A steering wheel re-trim as its a bit worn - Maybe a different intake setup as its just a cone filter on some silicon hose out the OEM intake hose, Not sure if something like the Ktec setup is any better? - Pick up some spare wheels with semi slicks for the occasional evening session on track - Maybe some spacers to fill out the arches a bit better? But overall very pleased with my purchase! Mainly just want to keep it well maintained and enjoy it. Hopefully I'll remember to keep this updated!
Car looks great Ethan! I’m over on clio197.net too and always look forward to the updates from the track Clio so will keep an eye on this! I’ve just back in to a Meg and bought a white 265, they’re excellent cars and I’m sure you’ll have a lot of fun in it! It’s not as active as the Clio forum on here but keep the updates coming, it might give me some inspiration for mine!
Thanks! Very different to what I'm used to but I'm enjoying it. I failed miserably to keep my trophy thread updated so hopefully this will be different
Small update, I spent the last few days installing my Pioneer AVH-Z7200DAB headunit, I had it in my 182 and really got used to having apple carplay so was struggling to live without it in the meg! I needed a connects2 adapter to keep the steering wheel controls, ISO adapter between the stock loom and headunit, single DIN fascia, a few extra cables and also I also bought a Pioneer TS-WX130EA under seat sub. The car already had a sub installed in the boot but it was broken so all the wiring was already in place for it. I was worried about the fold out screen hitting the gearknob and the climate control panel but It fits perfectly! The RS monitor is still fully functional which was a priority, steering wheel controls all work and sub fires up as well. I've got a moderate hearing loss so not the best person to ask about sound quality but it sounds like a pretty decent improvement to me. It took longer than expected but glad its in now, its hard to live without apple carplay once you get used to it.
Nice looking car! Very similar looking to mine pre-facelift! Something just looks right on the Meganes.
Thanks! You need to get some photos up on your thread! I’m not 100% sold on the looks but its still growing on me
Haha! I know what you mean. But for what essentially is a glorified French shopping cart, it's quite a sleek looking thing I find. Sadly the car is not really with me, but the more I look at it, the more I like the looks. Or it might just be anticipation of driving the bloody thing!
Looks a great example with decent mileage. Mine is very similar spec with a few modifications, slightly higher mileage with 72k. Great cars, I hardly use mine though
The car ticked over 50,000 miles the other day on the way back from a week in the peak district. About 10 hours or so of driving and no issues to report. I'm still surprised by how comfortable it is whilst still being fun on B roads! I also picked up a set of tibors on my way home to use as a set of track wheels, I had seen a lot of the cup wheels for sale (for much cheaper) but I'm not a massive fan of how they look. I'll probably get these refurbed at some point as they're a bit battered. I'm tempted to go for something a bit more lairy compared to the usual satin black. One pair have a set of R888Rs and the other have some sort of pirrelli semi slick I've not seen before? I couldn't find a tyre name on them anywhere, oddly they're 265 width which seems excessively wide to me. I'll keep an eye out on the facebook pages for some tyres though as these look pretty finished.
Tibors are great, go red and be lairy Those tyres look similar to Avons zzr, never seen a Pirelli with that kind of pattern. My slicks are a 265 and they scrub quite a bit but then im too low, need to raise it up a bit. Just changed them for some 245 slicks to stop this from happening. Had to replace my arch liners in the end.
Yeah I've no idea what they are, they say Pirelli and 'for competition use only' That looks good with the other red bits on there! I've not seen tibors in any colour other than red or black. I'm a sucker for gold wheels which is what I've got on my clio, so I'm tempted to go for that.
A few months on... I picked up some used tyres for the track wheels, a pair of MRFs and a pair of Pirelli Pzero Trofeo Rs in the standard 235/40/18 size. Not used Trofeo Rs before so interested to try them out. Just need to get them fitted to the tibors at some point before the first track day, which will probably be after a suspension refresh next year some time. I also ordered and fitted a PMS stud and nut kit as well as a set of PMS 20mm spacers for the front and rear, managed to get a pair second hand which saved some cash! I think it looks so much better, proper fills out the arches, how it should have come IMO! Stud and nut kit is also a must for me now as it makes getting wheels on and off 100 times easier. In more recent news my MOT was due at the start of December, I gave it a quick check over a week before and found a bit of play in the drop links and track rod ends so I put in an order and changed them out for some fresh ones. I gave them a liberal coating of ACF-50 whilst I was there to hopefully make any future maintenance easier. I also swapped out the rear carriers which Alex at AW Motorworks kindly lent me as I didn't have any spare and didn't want to have the car off the road for an undefined amount of time while getting refurbed. I bought a pair of slightly tatty front brembos cheap and have a spare set of rear callipers from the Clio so am hoping to send all of these off to Max at MSCustom Engineering in the next week or so to have some shiny new brakes as they're currently looking a bit scabby. Once I get them back I've got some PBS ProRace pads to try out as well as some Mr Pink Pins to make pad changes and general maintenance much easier. I then took a quick trip to TyreSmart in Witham to get the alignment sorted, I must admit I was a bit surprised by the lack of camber at the front even for a standard car, some Compbrake adjustable top mounts are on the list when I do the suspension refresh! Then came the MOT today and it went straight through with no advisories which is always pleasant. I'm hoping I can keep up the trend of passing with no advisories as this car has the best history of any I've owned so far! 100% pass rate and one advisory for the front disks back in 2019. The car is due a timing belt by September next year but I will probably get booked in with Alex sooner rather than later as it'd be nice to get that out of the way. Once that's sorted I'll go ahead with the suspension refresh I mentioned, I've already got a spreadsheet filled with links for parts and prices... Sad I know I'm still loving the car, such a massive upgrade for me in every way over the 182 I had previously! Its not going anywhere!
I've been taking advantage of my Christmas to get a few jobs done on the megane. I got my full set of refurbed callipers from MSCustom engineering back, which turned out great as expected. Highly recommended. As I mentioned before, I picked up some PBS ProRace pads and some Mr Pink pins so got them all fitted and bled but forgot to get any decent photos so here's a dusty one after bedding the pads in. I was also fortunate enough to receive some much needed new rear cup dampers for christmas so got them fitted at the same time and gave them a coating of ACF50 to hopefully stop them going so crusty. You can tell the old ones were finished by the comparison picture with the new one... this was after compressing them I also finally got around to fitting a Genuine Renault sharkfin aerial I got for my birthday back in July, It was a bit of a pain taking apart the whole rear interior but got there and back together in the end. I did it mainly for looks but I do now have DAB radio stations available now, not that I was missing them anyway. I've booked in to AWMotorworks for the end of January for a Timing belt/Major service and I also asked him to drill out the top mounts in preparation for some adjustable top mounts. I'm eyeing up a track day at Snetterton on the 17th of Feb so will need to get some tyres swapped around in case its a dry day!
I picked up the car up today from Alex at AW Motorworks after dropping it off for a major service at the start of the week, it ended up being a slightly more expensive bill than initially expected... but very glad its all sorted now. After dropping it off Alex had a check over the car and found the gearbox was a bit noisy and worked out it had the common bearing failure issue so I added a gearbox rebuild to his to do list which included all new seals, bearings and fresh oil. Of course if the gearbox was coming out it made sense to go for a new clutch kit, slave cylinder and flywheel. This was done alongside a full major service so: Oil, Oil filter, cabin filter, fuel filter, spark plugs, cambelt, aux belt, water pump and coolant. I also asked Alex to take a look at the brakes as they've been the weak point of the car since I bought it, I'd tried bleeding a lot of fluid through but couldn't get a decent pedal no matter how much I tried. Alex worked his magic, got a decent pedal and then flushed through some castrol srf fluid. They now feel how I expected them to feel in the first place and I've got way more confidence in the car! Once again highly recommend AW Motorworks if you're anywhere near the south east, been using him for the last few years and the communication, quality of work and knowledge of these cars is second to none. The car is back to full health and prepared for a track day at snetterton on the 17th of Feb!
Predictably I've failed to keep this updated. The trackday at Snetterton on 17/02 went well! This was with a few other renaults from the 197.net forum as well as my dad in our 200. I was pretty happy with how well it drove despite being on standard suspension/geometry and only had two issues towards the end of the day, those being a loose TRE nut and one of the last few sessions the sidewall cracked on one of the mrfs. I ended up going quicker in the clio somehow I managed to design and print a Go Pro mount for the recaro harness hole so I could get some on track footage. Since then it had been back on daily duties until last week when I got started with new suspension and a PMS decat, Pt2 next
Since the car came with an invoice from RS Tuning for a remap but no printout I had wanted to get it on the dyno again. I figured if I was doing that I might as well fit a decat for a more free flowing exhaust (and more noise), and since that required removing some suspension parts I decided I might as well do that all at once too. I put in an order with PMS for the decat as I'd read it was pretty important to get one with all the supporting mounts and bracket as ones without can cause issues with studs/nuts in the turbo coming loose. Also as I've never been disappointed with the quality of PMS parts. I also put in an order for genuine Renault: Shocks, top mounts, anti rotation links, wishbones, TRW drop links as well as any nuts and bolts needed. I'd booked a long weekend for my birthday and had hoped to get it all done in 4 days which I should've known wouldn't happen. I started by pulling scuttle panels off, hubs out, driveshaft out, to try and get as much access to the standard cat as possible. After struggling for ages with rusty fittings on the exhaust I ended up just dropping the subframe to give me even more access. Once I'd manoeuvred the oe cat out I noticed annoyingly that one of the threads in the turbo was messed up and I couldn't get a tap in there so ended up pulling off the hot side and sorting it off the car. Once I'd tapped the hole and refitted the hot side the decat was fitted with some new inconel studs and locking nuts from Bofi racing as well as new exhaust and turbo gaskets. I was glad to see everything was fitting up nicely. I was also surprised to see the size restriction on the oe cat compared to the decat, way bigger now! After that I moved onto suspension, the pinch bolt holding the shocks in the hubs were siezed so after a lot of heat and banging i eventually got them out, I had predicted this would happen so had already bought new nuts and bolts luckily. The shocks came out of the hubs reasonably easily to my surprise. However, I had real issues with getting spring compressors on the H&R springs for some reason, I got them off the old dampers but couldn't for the life of me get them compressed enough to go onto the new ones so I ended up just buying a big hydraulic one which worked pretty well. Cleaned up H&R spring and new shocks, dust covers and top mounts assembled into the hubs with the dogs approval. I had considered getting some adjustable top mounts but eventually decided I didn't want to drill out the car so have stuck with oe for now, apparently PMS are working on developing adjustable top mounts that won't require the mounts to be opened up so will swap to those when they come out. Also took the opportunity to do an engine oil and filter and gearbox oil change despite the car only doing a few thousand miles since the last one. struggled a bit getting the subframe back on but eventually got it all back together, lowered it back down and took it for a test drive. Sounds much angrier now and suspension feels nice and smooth!
Today I took a quick trip to AW Motorworks to pick up an oil vapour pipe I'd managed to snap after leaning across it and while I was there Alex was waiting on someone else to arrive so quickly sorted my alignment for me which I was grateful for. It wasn't too far out but I was happy to see the camber up to a bit over a degree from barely half a degree before I did the suspension work Next step is now the remap at engine dynamics, hopefully that goes smoothly.
