The time has finally come to sell our Clio 172; my partner has owned the car for seven years, used as her daily driver. In our ownership the car has never let us down, it has been looked after by myself and Diamond Motors when any mechanical work has been required. At the end of 2012 the vehicle was getting close to its second timing belt change, the car was dropped off with Mick @ Diamond motors who carried out the below work: - Timing belt kit. - Auxillary belt kit. - Dephaser pulley. - Cam seals. - Cam cover removal, clean and re-seal. - Thermostat replacement. - Oil + filter change - Type D coolant. The engine oil and filter have been changed every 6k miles / 6 months (in line with my Megane r26). I noticed the vehicle does loose a little bit of oil between services, I traced this to a slight leak on the sump gasket, a very common problem on the F4R motor, however a new genuine Renault sump gasket will be included in the sale. The car drives and pulls smoothly to 7,500rpm with no smoke / vibrations or un-associated noises. When the car reached 102k miles we decided to give it a full suspension refresh, as it had lost the ‘Renaultsport’ feeling… the suspension and steering had lost their sharpness, the following components where installed: - Genuine Clio 172 cup shock absorbers, all round. - Genuine Clio 172 cup springs (not cheap!), all round. - Genuine Clio 172 updated top mounts, with larger collar and nut. - Genuine inner track control arms. - Genuine track rod ends. - Genuine steering rack bushes. - Powerflex dogbone mount insert (purple). - 4 x Michelin Pilot Sport 3 tyres. The car was Hunter aligned and drives absolutely perfect, I forgot how good the cars drive on fresh OEM suspension. We’ve added a few subtle modifications over the years: - ‘MK1’ K-tec stealth exhaust, 2.5” DIA, but isn’t much louder than an OEM exhaust. - Pipercross panel filter. - RS Tuner 98RON remap. At the start of this year Mick @ Diamond Motors replaced the auxiliary belt kit and fitted new headlight washers, the belts won’t need touching for another 2yrs. Unfortunately, with most cars of this age it does have a number of blemishes in the paint work… The front bumper has a 3” long scuff where a carpark curb made contact (photographed) and the drivers side door has chipped on the edge. There is a tiny rust spot appearing on the passenger side rear arch, we’ve had a quote from a body shop of £150-£170 to correct this is blend in. Also included in the sale are the original engine cover, genuine sump gasket and new rear number plate light housing. If you are looking for a fun car, which you can jump in and drive with minimal fuss and maintenance you don’t need to look any further. The vehicle is currently SORN (due to new tax regulations) and the MOT has expired, but I am confident it will fly through an MOT, this has been taken into consideration of the price. The vehicle is located just outside Chesterfield, Derbyshire (S42). Viewings are available weekdays after 17:00 and weekends. Any questions drop me a PM. Regards, Kieran
