apple3337 Posted 18, June 2015 Report Share Posted 18, June 2015 (edited) Can't say too much but there is a story brewing...!! More next week... Edited 18, June 2015 by apple3337 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nathanb Posted 22, June 2015 Report Share Posted 22, June 2015 I call dibs on your Clio It's 'next week' now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apple3337 Posted 22, June 2015 Author Report Share Posted 22, June 2015 (edited) Yes it is next week! It's kind of a long story so I'll write it up tonight....gonna keep you waiting.... Good news though! (Well not for you if you are eyeing off my Clio). Edited 22, June 2015 by apple3337 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apple3337 Posted 22, June 2015 Author Report Share Posted 22, June 2015 (edited) Oh boy, this story just got longer today...anyway. For those you like a good yarn here goes. I bought my Clio last year with the intention of teaching my daughter (she goes on L's in October) in it. In the meantime I've been using my Ford Focus as a daily. The Ford finally sold on the weekend after 10 months on carsales! The last few months I've been thinking "do I really want to have a learner drive my Clio". Answer - no. My nerves can't stand it. So I'm thinking "when the Ford sells I'll get a cheap runaround for learning". We have an auto Pajero but we decide that she will start off in a manual. As it turns out I've been watching that cheap Clio 197 in QLD on Gumtree for 8500 (now sold). I even talked to them about it. I was also watching a black 197 Clio in Vic on carsales. I run it by my wife who says "what about a simple car like a Corolla". The prices for those are 10K of the same age and klm as the black 197. Well what do you buy a Corolla or a Clio? Ummmm. The owner of the black 197 is a member here (nice guy). In the end I decided the QLD one was just too hard and I made an offer on the black one. Somehow we agreed on a price we were both happy with subject to inspection. So we met this morning at Auto Paris to check it out. Now funnily enough this same car I nearly bought last year but I just missed out on it. It's a nice example. So I get the call from AP and it's all good. Very nice car they reckon. It's just that the timing belt done last year was lined up with liquid paper marks. For those in the know, it means they did not use the "proper" tools to do it and we decided to double check the timing belt which would take a couple of hours. In the meantime the seller agreed to knock off $250 to cover it. The seller is in a rush to catch a plane, I pay him and it's a done deal. YAY I say. Well, I get the call later on today. The timing belt install is no good (it was done elsewhere). The tension is wrong and the water pump leaks! Wow, repair bills already and I haven't even driven the car yet! LOL. Thankfully my wife is used to me stuffing things up and she just laughs it off!! She's a keeper for sure. So now I am the kind of proud owner of another Clio that will share daily duties with mine and will be a learner/first car for my daughter, who somehow absorbed a love of cars from me. She rode shotgun with me last November on a drive day and loved it. I'll have to get some pics of the two beasties on the weekend and post them up. Fun times! *Forehead slap* Edited 22, June 2015 by apple3337 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krappy Posted 22, June 2015 Report Share Posted 22, June 2015 Congrats on the new purchase! Be interesting to know where the belts were done last time... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apple3337 Posted 22, June 2015 Author Report Share Posted 22, June 2015 I know but don't want to say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nathanb Posted 22, June 2015 Report Share Posted 22, June 2015 Mind sending me a PM re:belts? It's close to my heart / engine. Congratulations on the purchase!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apple3337 Posted 24, June 2015 Author Report Share Posted 24, June 2015 Picked up the black beastie tonight (Clio 197)....complete with a new timing belt and new oil. First impressions...the steering felt a lot lighter and not quite so direct. On centre it was almost numb but felt a lot better loaded up. Tyres are Bridgstone Potenza 002's. I'll drive it the next few days, but first impressions are that the Clio 3 200 I have is a very different car, which surprises me a bit. I have a funny feeling that with the 200 the Dieppe team really got that car well and truly sorted. I'll post up some more thoughts after the weekend, but overall it's a great pick up and looks terrific. Very happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Numbnut Posted 24, June 2015 Report Share Posted 24, June 2015 The 200 has a quicker steering rack and the torque delivery from down low is lacking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wade Posted 24, June 2015 Report Share Posted 24, June 2015 Also stiffer suspension from memory Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No152 Posted 24, June 2015 Report Share Posted 24, June 2015 Well done apple3337, your daughter will love learning to drive in that! Congrats and enjoy, both the car and the experience of watching your daughter master a motor vehicle... That last bit is priceless.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apple3337 Posted 27, June 2015 Author Report Share Posted 27, June 2015 (edited) I've had a few days driving the 197 around and I'm loving it. Not quite as sharp as the 200 but very close. So the main differences are: 1/ The seats. Recaros are amazing! It's a shame my 197 doesn't have them!(edit: actually for a daily driver the standard seats are really good! Nice and easy to get in and out of). 2/ Under throttle it's not quite as perky but it's close. 3/ The 200 steering is it's strongest point. Whatever they did to it....it's great! The 197 is let down a little here. 4/ The 197 rides a bit softer round town but not much. 5/ The 200 wheel adjusts for reach. It would be nice to pull the 197 wheel a bit closer. I found the original sales receipt. It was sold on Aug 9 2008 for.......wait for it.....$41,500!!! Here are a few pics: Edited 22, July 2015 by apple3337 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deb Posted 27, June 2015 Report Share Posted 27, June 2015 Very nice, congrats on the new family member Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moosey Posted 27, June 2015 Report Share Posted 27, June 2015 Nice pickup mate. With regard to the timing belt, can't imagine that anyone who regularly deals with RS's would not be using the correct tools to do the job. Interested to hear your thoughts when we catch up next. Which one will you bring to the Nationals this year??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Safetyman Posted 30, June 2015 Report Share Posted 30, June 2015 Well done mate! Your daughter must be over the moon too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apple3337 Posted 30, June 2015 Author Report Share Posted 30, June 2015 She doesn't know about it yet. This Thursday she gets back after 5 months in Ottawa (year 10). It will be a nice surprise when she sees it in the driveway! Hopefully it will cheer her up. She didn't want to come home she had such a good time! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apple3337 Posted 4, December 2015 Author Report Share Posted 4, December 2015 (edited) Thread revival time! Ever done something on impulse and never quite knew why? Well I kinda did that thing where you see a car on carsales on the other side of the country and start thinking "hmmmmmm". To cut a long story short, here is the latest addition to the family all the way from Perth. How can you say "no" to a low klm white 200 with free delivery to your house? As luck would have it, tonight I just sold the black 197 to a nice local chap who is a Renault covert thanks to my test drive with him The white one arrived this afternoon! That leaves a nice garage with 2 x Clio 200's! I ain't gonna miss cleaning that black one though. I'll give the white one a going over with the RO and she'll come up a treat. Oh one more thing.......try explaining all that to your wife. Edited 4, December 2015 by apple3337 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deb Posted 4, December 2015 Report Share Posted 4, December 2015 Love your work! They look so good together. I've also fallen prey to the call of free delivery during a late night online shopping session, but I've never had a car show up on my doorstep (yet) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pricey Posted 4, December 2015 Report Share Posted 4, December 2015 Congrats on the new addition! Black rims on a white car always looks good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No152 Posted 4, December 2015 Report Share Posted 4, December 2015 Loving reading this thread.... I feel completely normal.... Hahaha Nice work. Enjoy all the less cleaning with the white. Extra time for all sorts if things', like looking for Clios in Tasmania.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apple3337 Posted 4, December 2015 Author Report Share Posted 4, December 2015 I've also fallen prey to the call of free delivery during a late night online shopping session, but I've never had a car show up on my doorstep (yet) It's the second time i bought a car from Perth. My R27 was the same. It's exciting and terrifying at the same time. Congrats on the new addition! Black rims on a white car always looks good! Actually the rims are silver, the same as the red one. Thanks for your comments. Now about that FRB one on carsales.......how I'd love to get the three colours of the French flag in my driveway...soooo tempting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloudy Posted 4, December 2015 Report Share Posted 4, December 2015 gosh the white on the 200s looks fantastic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nathanb Posted 8, December 2015 Report Share Posted 8, December 2015 WTF Andrew, stahp! ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... (Don't, get the FRB one...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R182 Posted 8, December 2015 Report Share Posted 8, December 2015 ha ... you must be the talk of your neighborhood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apple3337 Posted 8, December 2015 Author Report Share Posted 8, December 2015 WTF Andrew, stahp! (Don't, get the FRB one...) Can you the blue one? I NEED to get a photo of the red, white and blue together! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R182 Posted 8, December 2015 Report Share Posted 8, December 2015 Can you the blue one? I NEED to get a photo of the red, white and blue together! Good idea! You currently have the flag of Yemen, which isn't quite the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apple3337 Posted 8, December 2015 Author Report Share Posted 8, December 2015 Good idea! You currently have the flag of Yemen, which isn't quite the same. Does that make me a terrorist? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R182 Posted 8, December 2015 Report Share Posted 8, December 2015 Does that make me a terrorist? No ... but if you continue to hoard Clio III's you may fall into the 'dictator' category. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
333 Posted 8, December 2015 Report Share Posted 8, December 2015 Loved the story, and I totally get it, and so I read it out to my wife but she doesn't get it. Mind you this is on the back of me telling her today, after placing an order for a new fully optioned VW Golf R wagon earlier this week, that I should buy a donor car for my Clio 172 as it would be cheaper than fixing it to get it back on the track, whilst still not placing my 225 on carsales yet despite my wife's protests!! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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