- 4,602
- The Netherlands
- GTP_PASM
Hi GTP Folk!
If you are, like me, a real car guy; then you've come to the right place. Of course preferences differ, but that's the beauty of it as well. You get to exchange opinions about stuff, maybe even get a great idea from someone. Or you get inspired by what someone else has bought or done to their car.
I've owned my BMW E30 for almost 6 years now. It has been quite the experience. What a car for it's age it is. Mine came imported from Switzerland, by a company who are specialized in E30's. It's not faultless, but it hangs on for it's 33 year old age. And it powered me through my first lap of the Nürburgring Nordschleife. Lately, the maintenance is stacking up, especially things I can not take care of myself like the sills are starting to go. The fun I have driving it was becoming less, so I started to look for a replacement last March.
After a bit of a brainstorm, I came up with a list. It had to be something sporty again. Practicality was not needed. I was on a budget though. So that landed me with a few of these:
I also drove the R56 Cooper and R56 Cooper S. The Cooper felt like a really grown up car, a mini BMW in a way, not a surprise when it is exactly that. Nothing too exciting in terms of engine delivery, overall it's just a steady package with a bit of a sporty side. The Cooper S was excellent in every way, but a bit out of my initial price range.
This got me to thinking about my budget. If I was considering a Mini Cooper S R56, then there's one car I've always admired in the hot hatch segment: the Renault Clio RS 197. It got great press when it launched and even more so with the Cup suspension. So I wanted to see what all the fuss was about.
I then test drove a red 2006 Clio 197 and I knew I had found the right kind of car. Luckily I had done my research and I knew the weak spots to look out for. Unfortunately, the red one had a terrible resonance in the exhaust at 2500 rpm, and it had the infamous crunch on third gear. That indicates that the synchromesh is starting to fail. There were more minor defects and the car was already quite high mileage. The red Clio was not the one for me.
What followed was a period of watching the internet for good cars. I couldn't quite find the right one in the Netherlands, so I also kept an eye on Belgian and German sites. I was doing more research into the spec of the 197 and the differences with the 200. Personally I hate the look of the 200, but it was more widely available with a Cup chassis. So the search was for a 197 with the Cup chassis. I also found out about the limited edition R27 F1 Team. Packed with all the right goodies as standard, especially the Recaro seats, it was my preference. On the other hand I wouldn't disregard a neat looking non-R27. I spotted a white R27 in Germany, but it was sold the day before I was supposed to have a look at it. Back to the drawing board.
A few weeks went by, I was still hoping to find one before the end of Summer. Then the Nimbus Grey R27 popped up. The ad listed a nice list of regular maintenance and some tasteful parts. The owner made the right noises, so I was convinced this could be a good one. When I went down to have a look, did a test drive, I was sold! The negatives about the car were the leaky AC condenser and some wear marks on the driver seat and steering wheel. Nearly all Clios I've seen have those wear marks when they have done more than 100.000 km, so I wasn't too worried. Managed to get a bit off the asking price and drove it home two days later, on German export plates.
What a brilliant little car! It really hurt that the process of getting it registered in the Netherlands took almost two weeks. I only got to drive it once in that period, to go through the check-up of the Dutch equivalent of the DMV / DVLA. Last Wednesday I finally received my license plates, the wait was over!
After a bit of a brainstorm, I came up with a list. It had to be something sporty again. Practicality was not needed. I was on a budget though. So that landed me with a few of these:
- Mini Cooper (S) R50 2004-2006
- Mini Cooper (S) R56 2007-2008
- Toyota Celica 1.8 VVTi 1999-2005
- Suzuki Swift Sport 2006-2010
- Ford Fiesta ST 2004-2008
- Renault Twingo RS 133 2008-2009
I also drove the R56 Cooper and R56 Cooper S. The Cooper felt like a really grown up car, a mini BMW in a way, not a surprise when it is exactly that. Nothing too exciting in terms of engine delivery, overall it's just a steady package with a bit of a sporty side. The Cooper S was excellent in every way, but a bit out of my initial price range.
This got me to thinking about my budget. If I was considering a Mini Cooper S R56, then there's one car I've always admired in the hot hatch segment: the Renault Clio RS 197. It got great press when it launched and even more so with the Cup suspension. So I wanted to see what all the fuss was about.
I then test drove a red 2006 Clio 197 and I knew I had found the right kind of car. Luckily I had done my research and I knew the weak spots to look out for. Unfortunately, the red one had a terrible resonance in the exhaust at 2500 rpm, and it had the infamous crunch on third gear. That indicates that the synchromesh is starting to fail. There were more minor defects and the car was already quite high mileage. The red Clio was not the one for me.
What followed was a period of watching the internet for good cars. I couldn't quite find the right one in the Netherlands, so I also kept an eye on Belgian and German sites. I was doing more research into the spec of the 197 and the differences with the 200. Personally I hate the look of the 200, but it was more widely available with a Cup chassis. So the search was for a 197 with the Cup chassis. I also found out about the limited edition R27 F1 Team. Packed with all the right goodies as standard, especially the Recaro seats, it was my preference. On the other hand I wouldn't disregard a neat looking non-R27. I spotted a white R27 in Germany, but it was sold the day before I was supposed to have a look at it. Back to the drawing board.
A few weeks went by, I was still hoping to find one before the end of Summer. Then the Nimbus Grey R27 popped up. The ad listed a nice list of regular maintenance and some tasteful parts. The owner made the right noises, so I was convinced this could be a good one. When I went down to have a look, did a test drive, I was sold! The negatives about the car were the leaky AC condenser and some wear marks on the driver seat and steering wheel. Nearly all Clios I've seen have those wear marks when they have done more than 100.000 km, so I wasn't too worried. Managed to get a bit off the asking price and drove it home two days later, on German export plates.
What a brilliant little car! It really hurt that the process of getting it registered in the Netherlands took almost two weeks. I only got to drive it once in that period, to go through the check-up of the Dutch equivalent of the DMV / DVLA. Last Wednesday I finally received my license plates, the wait was over!
Fun - Renault Clio RS 197 R27 F1 Team "Pluto"
Specs
Body Style - 3-door hatchback
Engine - F4R830 1998 cc I4
Power - 197 PS / 145 kW @ 7250 rpm
Torque - 215 Nm @ 5550 rpm
Transmission - 6 speed manual TL4-024
Drivetrain - Front-engine, Front-wheel drive
Weight - 1235 kg
Brakes - Front: 312 mm vented Brembo 4-piston, Rear: 300 mm single piston sliding caliper
Tires - Front and Rear: 215/45 R17
Trackday set: Yokohama Advan Neova AD08RS on OEM 197 Anthracite wheels
Street and Winter set: Michelin CrossClimate+ on OEM Renault Laguna Silverstone wheels
0-100 km/h Sprint - 6,9 sec
Top Speed - 223 km/h
Built - Sept 2008
Mileage - 198.000 km
Mods
Front Brake Pads - Street: Ferodo DS Performance - Track: Ferodo DS 1.11
Middle and Rear Exhaust Silencer - Fox Sport Exhaust
Top Torsion Engine Mount - Powerflex
Bottom Gearbox Torque Link Mount - Vibra-Techics
Plans / To Do
Repair ACNew Xenon bulbsFront brake calipersReplace timing belt, upgraded conrod bolts, big end bearings and front hub bearingsRetrim seat bolsterRetrim steering wheelBuy dedicated track front brake pads
Daily - BMW E90 330iA High Executive
Specs
Body Style - 4-door sedan
Engine - N53B30A 2996 cc I6
Power - 272 PS / 200 kW @ 6700 rpm
Torque - 320 Nm @ 2750 rpm
Transmission - 6 speed automatic ZF GA6HP19Z
Drivetrain - Front-engine, Rear-wheel drive
Weight - 1470 kg
Brakes - Front: 348 mm vented single piston sliding caliper, Rear: 336 mm vented single piston sliding caliper
Summer wheels: Bridgestone Potenza RE050A RFT - Front: 225/45 R17, Rear: 255/40R17
Winter wheels: Goodyear UltraGrip RFT - Front: 225/45 R17
0-100 km/h Sprint - 6,3 sec
Top Speed - 250 km/h
Built - Nov 2007
Mileage - 233.000 km
Options: M-Sport suspension, Sport seats, foldable tow bar, iDrive Professional, Cupholders (yes, those where not standard )
Plans / To Do
Solve misfires - new sparkplugs and coilsReplace rear dampersFix oil heat exchanger oil leakReplace faulty angel eye bulb - LED bulbs fittedGeneral service - Engine oil+filter, cabin filterRenew oil, filter and seals of transmissionReplace rear wheel bearingsand parking brake shoes- Replace engine and transmission mounts
New rear tyres and alignment- Diagnose and fix running on 5 cylinders
- Summer rim refurb
Sold - BMW 318i E30 sedan
Specs
Body Style - 4-door sedan
Engine - M10 1766 cc I4
Power - 105 PS / 77 kW @ 5800 rpm
Torque - 145 Nm @ 4500 rpm
Transmission - 5 speed manual Getrag 240
Drivetrain - Front-engine, Rear-wheel drive
Weight - 1022 kg
Brakes - Front: 260 mm single piston sliding caliper, Rear: Drum brakes
Tires - Front and Rear: 195/55 R15 Dunlop Sport BluResponse
0-100 km/h Sprint - 11,2 sec
Top Speed - 185 km/h
Built - Aug 1984
Mileage - 198.000 km
Mods
Springs - 40 mm lowering springs
1. First detail and photos
2. Maintenance - Cabin & Air filter, spark plugs
3. Set of winter wheels acquired
4. Inspection and Cleaning - "Winter" wheels mounted, wheel well and scuttle clean
5. Accessories - Chrome style blinkers fitted
6. Trackdays - TT Circuit Assen 24 Feb 2018
- Photoshoot around town
7. Trackdays - NUUUUURB
8. Trackdays - The Ring and TT Circuit, brakes overhaul
9. New daily!
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