Londondan's car projects - Clio Dimma

[londondan86]

Well I have been a bit quiet on the forum over the last few month, mainly due to working a 9 to 5, trying to finish and run a supercharged monster and co-running a small business on the side to top up wages.

I have been buying accident damaged, spares/repairs or classics in need of TLC to make some cash. The first few have not been that exciting, 2010 twingo, mondeo, combo van, etc. Then this little beauty!!!

Its a 1994 renault clio dimma!! Genuine model as verified by dimma themselves (just up the road from me in Runcorn)

We won it on ebay for a very reasonable price due to a typo fail (dimmer??? ) The engine is the 1.8 16V 135bhp with 80k on the clock, big folder of reciepts but the body work was a mess, a failed respray had left runs on the doors, bubbles on the bumper and a really poor finish.

When we picked it up:
[attachment=16874]

[attachment=16875]

And the next day:

[attachment=16876]

The decision was made to respray the entire car so the strip down began. Not sure how well the picture shows it but look at the water on the inside of the roof lining!!

[attachment=16877]

[attachment=16878]

[attachment=16879]

Unfortunately during the prep work we started to find the clios weak points - rust. Both of the bottoms of the A pillars were completely rotted through, the bottoms of both doors were ruined as was the bottom of the boot. Replacement doors and boot would be needed. At least this meant we cold use a bit of one of the doors to repair the rusty panels There was also an issue on both sides at the top of the C pillar where the fiberglass kit is bonded to the shell where cracks had started to show, this meant getting handy with the grinder and cutting it all out and filling it all again

[attachment=16880]

[attachment=16881]

[attachment=16882]

[attachment=16883]


Hit the picture limit, more to follow

---

Masked up, prepping for paint:

[attachment=16884]

[attachment=16885]

Welded A Pillars repaired along with lots of filler everywhere!!

[attachment=16886]

[attachment=16887]

[attachment=16888]

Primer goes on:

[attachment=16889]

[attachment=16890]

[attachment=16891]

And first coats of red

[attachment=16892]

[attachment=16893]

Picture limit again

[londondan86]

Rolled out of the garage on the freshly powder coated wheels

[attachment=16894]

[attachment=16895]

[attachment=16896]

Bonnet, door and rear bumper prep

[attachment=16897]

[attachment=16898]

[attachment=16899]

Rear bumper, lights and interior back in

[attachment=16900]

For some reason my phone has not save the pics from last weekend but the ddors are now back on the car. The car has also been mostly had the lacquer sanded back and cut with G3 for a finish. The front bumper has been started woth the filler and the boot has also been started.

Hope this makes for interesting reading/viewing anyway

[Niall]

Wow fair play mate that's going to look great when it's done. What's the plan with it? Keeping it or selling on once restored?

[ozonehostile]

That's all kinds of win!

Clio valver engine is a real nice piece of engineering too, fair play for saving it

[londondan86]

Cheers guys! Its being done to sell unfortunately, would love to keep it but quite a lot has been spent so far so need to get cash back in

Engine note is lovely, although very tappy at the moment so that will need to be looked at when we get there.

[ginge191]

How nice!

You putting original lights and mirrors back on or keeping aftermarket bits?

[londondan86]

Mirrors will go on ebay to whichever chav wants them but the lights are staying but I will include a set of originals with the car should the Morettes not be to the new owners taste. Personally I think they suit the car though

---

Oh and the single wiper conversion is gone and has been replaced with standard. It didnt fit properly anyway. Keeping the steering wheel too for now but not made a final decision on it yet.

[Eeyore]

Great work mate. how much did you pay for it in the first place?

[londondan86]

Cheers mate. Not sure I really want to state the price I paid but once finished the bill for restoration will be into a good few thousands as everything which is no good has been replaced, the sunroof for example didn't work as the motor had rusted up so 50 quid later a good one was sourced, all the speakers and stereo was missing so a good sony xplod system was bought, these little amounts quickly add up

[ozonehostile]

Ah, Renault and their love of sunroofs lol. I guess this particular model is one of the lucky ones that hasn't creased on the roof around the edges?

Credit to the handling though if the car bends it's own shell before letting go on a corner haha

[londondan86]

^ I think the sunroof is structural though in that sense, the metal is so thin, you have to be so careful when sanding that you don't bend it!

[cjm_harris]

Great little project mate, and nice little business to have.

I'd love to do a bit of resto work, but time, space and funds dont allow it

Look forward to seeing this finished!

[londondan86]

Great little project mate, and nice little business to have.

I'd love to do a bit of resto work, but time, space and funds dont allow it

Look forward to seeing this finished!

Cheers mate. Should be some more time spent on it at the weekend so will get some more pics then!

[Matt-Rallye]

If you need any clio valver spares give me a shout

Glad too see someone saving a dimma! i remember that car from circa 2006ish on clio16valver.co.uk when it was in scotland, orginally all the dimmas were 1.4's, few lads off the forum trekked to scotland and dropped a valver lump in for the lad who promptly sold it

[londondan86]

If you need any clio valver spares give me a shout

Glad too see someone saving a dimma! i remember that car from circa 2006ish on clio16valver.co.uk when it was in scotland, orginally all the dimmas were 1.4's, few lads off the forum trekked to scotland and dropped a valver lump in for the lad who promptly sold it

Interesting bit of info there mate, cheers. Strange as it is in the tax band for a 1.8 not 1.4?

[Piggy]

That's all kinds of win!

QFT!

[Matt-Rallye]

If you need any clio valver spares give me a shout

Glad too see someone saving a dimma! i remember that car from circa 2006ish on clio16valver.co.uk when it was in scotland, orginally all the dimmas were 1.4's, few lads off the forum trekked to scotland and dropped a valver lump in for the lad who promptly sold it

Interesting bit of info there mate, cheers. Strange as it is in the tax band for a 1.8 not 1.4?

Im 99% sure it was this particular one, unfortunately i cant check as there was a server shift or something in 2010 and the complete forum was lost definately worth signing up on there though as someone will recognise it!!

Also if its been sat for a while without being run the hydraulic tappets will be tappy as hell for around an hour before they sort themselves out always despise the first start of a fresh F7p / F7r

[londondan86]

Well if it did start out as a 1.4 the conversion was done properly as it included all the extra dials, bonnet, disc axle, etc.
Good to know about the hydraulic lifters, it will be fully serviced yet anyway.

[7057sam]

Looks epic

Do you plan on keeping it or selling it on?

[londondan86]

Looks epic

Do you plan on keeping it or selling it on?

Cheers mate! As said above, can't afford to keep it so will be sold on.

[Matt-Rallye]

Well if it did start out as a 1.4 the conversion was done properly as it included all the extra dials, bonnet, disc axle, etc.
Good to know about the hydraulic lifters, it will be fully serviced yet anyway.

Conversion was done by Gareth Rawbone and Aaron Surgey, both of them masters with renault, especially the mk1 clio valver And all dimmas came with a valver bonnet, IF this is the one im thinking of they used a 1.8 8v RSi rear beam too keep the orignal dimma rear wheels at the right offset

Im very jealous though! one day i can hopefully afford a clio dimma too just keep in the shed and occasionally make love too

[londondan86]

Haha! It is bloody gorgeous! And with the level of restoration that we've done it will go for many years yet!! I will join up to a couple of clio forums when it's time to sell. With a car like this it will be a die hard collector that will be wanting to pay for it so eBay is a bit pointless (although I may put in on a classified to draw interest)

[londondan86]

Been back down at the car today, not got any work done but took a couple of pictures. The camera doesn't show the finish well enogh but it shines up bloody well. Can't rate G3 cutting compound enough, makes T-cut look like pound-land car shampoo!!

Back end, boot is still full of various bits of interior trim!

[attachment=16974]

Rear quarter down to the front on the drivers side

[attachment=16975]

Rear quarter again, trying to show the shine Its not even been polished yet!

[attachment=16976]

Passenger side, started the rub down here, front wing done, rear quarter done, still need to do the door, sill and side skirt.

[attachment=16977]

And a quick shot of the valver engine. Engine bay is a complete mess at the moment but all in good time!

[attachment=16978]

[ally406]

Great work mate! If you need any specialist Renault help, speak to these guys, they seem to be near you: http://www.birchdown.com/

[ginge191]

That engine same engine as Williams ??

[Matt-Rallye]

That engine same engine as Williams ??

Very similar, this is an f7p 1.8 16v whereas the williams uses a longer stroke f7r block hence the 1.8 being rev happy and the 2.0 having more torque much like 306's

Also farcela g3 is the shizzle!! Get it mopped and a few coats of carnuba wax on there and that naples red will look stunning

[londondan86]

Mini update

Spent a few hours on it this weekend. Had another look at how bad the front bumper is despite having a first blast with the filler. We then swiftly put it away and decided we'll do it last

[attachment=17113]

Instead we rolled the car out and buffed the other side, the door, the roof and both sets of fins. Now it really is starting to look good

[attachment=17114]

[attachment=17115]

[attachment=17116]

[attachment=17117]

[attachment=17118]

Going to need to get a seal for the aerial too as this one is perished

[attachment=17119]

Bonnet, boot and spoiler next

Also looking at a hose kit like this to make the engine bay look a bit fresher, opinions?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/silicone-radia...1c234cd484

[silverzx]

Firstly, do you do all the spraying yourselves? In that garage!?

Secondly, you could of chose a better colour!

[londondan86]

1. Yep all done ourselves. The garage is no reflection of the finish as you can see

2. Colour is original so that's what we stuck with. If I was choosing the car from new it wouldn't be red but hey!