Clio conversion advice.

[Dan O'Neill]

Im fighting a losing battle with my 5 GT Turbo so I had a think about it had a chat with my dad and the result is that next weekend we are stripping the 5 of all the parts required for the clio conversion, Ive had a good read though the clio article and all seems fine my question is could it be any clio mk1, mk2 petrol or diesel its just that the article is written about a mk1 1.4 RT model. Thanks.

[Dan O'Neill]

Also will R5 GTT lowering springs fit or would it be easier to swap the front legs over?

[Markey Mark (BD)]

Yeah you can use any base model cio to do the conversion but if your starting with a smaller engine clio (i:e 1.2) then you will have to swap fuel pumps unlike a 16v where you can use the original.

No you can't swap the suspension over from a 5 to a clio as there different, can't rememeber if the springs are the same but to be honest i would personally fit some springs for a clio.

[Dan O'Neill]

Ok thanks for that, it just widens the scope for when I start looking to buy a clio. If I get a smaller engined clio with drums could I fit my rear beam off the 5 onto the clio so that I have discs on the rear, Cheers

[Markey Mark (BD)]

No the clio runs a wider track then the 5 so won't be able to swap the beam over. If you dismanlte both beams you may find you could swap the hubs over so to convert it to disc but i can't be certain on this as i haven't done that yet.

[Dan O'Neill]

ok thanks for your help, have you done the conversion before?

[dangerous dave]

look for a 1.8 16v as its got the wider arches and looks nicer as a starting point.. pretty cheap if you find one needing mot etc..:)

[Dan O'Neill]

Yeah it will have to be cheap as I dont have any money, but I need to replace the 5 or otherwise ill start playing with the ST and I dont wanna do that. do you know where to look apart from autotrader and pistonheads?

[Matt Cole]

Whats wrong with the 5??

[Dan O'Neill]

Whats wrong with the 5??

Rusty windscreen surround, rusty rear bumper hangers, rusty rear arches and where I had it all boiyard when I first got it all the standard bodykit needs painting and the rear quaters are filled with filler coz I had the rear lights smoothed over, my plan was to get it back to standard but it will take to long and a lot of money so I decided to save for a soild clio and make that a GT turbo.

[Matt Cole]

So not too much then?! Another (rare) gt down the pan. Clios are ten a penny mate and if your going to all that trouble of engine swaps i would just find a clio 16v and turbo the fr engine. More reliable useable power. Sell the gt on to someone that may restore it back to its former glory!!

[Markey Mark (BD)]

ok thanks for your help, have you done the conversion before?

Yes mate, done it twice now once on an RT and the other recently on a 16v Clio.

[Dan O'Neill]

So not too much then?! Another (rare) gt down the pan. Clios are ten a penny mate and if your going to all that trouble of engine swaps i would just find a clio 16v and turbo the fr engine. More reliable useable power. Sell the gt on to someone that may restore it back to its former glory!!

Im gonna take all the parts that I need and then offer the rest to a guy that lives just round the corner to my dads who rebuilds 5's or if anyone in the club wants to collect the remains, but it is pink! so whoever has it will have to give it a full paint job as i had the engine bay and most of the inside painted aswell. I love it to bits but its just taking too long and im getting frustrated by not having a renault turbo on the road.

[TURBO'D CLIO]

It will fit any mk1 clio mate, but as some one said really you would want to buy a mk1 rsi clio 1.8 8v or a 1.8 16v one with the bonnet bulge and wider wings...

Personaly id go for one of those as u dont need to sawp brakes or pumps as it has disc's all round and a higher flow pump.. But like i said you can use any clio..

I fitted a volvo turbo engine into my mk2 clio, the volvo turbo was a good upgrade to the gt turbo lump and fitted a treat into a r5 with very little to change... :agree:

[Dan O'Neill]

It will fit any mk1 clio mate, but as some one said really you would want to buy a mk1 rsi clio 1.8 8v or a 1.8 16v one with the bonnet bulge and wider wings...

Personaly id go for one of those as u dont need to sawp brakes or pumps as it has disc's all round and a higher flow pump.. But like i said you can use any clio..

I fitted a volvo turbo engine into my mk2 clio, the volvo turbo was a good upgrade to the gt turbo lump and fitted a treat into a r5 with very little to change... :agree:

Yeah as soon as ive stripped the 5 my target is a 1.8 16v on about Mreg try and find one that needs a clutch and/or a bit of mechanical work for quite cheap gotta save up some money.

[Markey Mark (BD)]

If you do find a 16v model mate i'll have the engine out of it if you want to sell it, i'm after one for my clio as it's seen better days

[Dan O'Neill]

If you do find a 16v model mate i'll have the engine out of it if you want to sell it, i'm after one for my clio as it's seen better days

Yeah im up for that, it may take a while for me to get one as im so skint i will have to put a bit of money away each month, Im hoping to get one for about £800? is that about right for one on a m reg which needs some mechanical work/ MoT

[TURBO'D CLIO]

Bloody easyly mate, christ £800 will see you a good one for sure....

Be careful on the age, if the clio is m reg then it will have to be cat tested at the mot, im not sure the renault 5 has a lamda sensor as most of them where exempt from cat test due to the age of them.. How ever i don't know for sure so i could stand corrected on that one..

All cars after 1993 (k reg) need to be cat tested.. :agree:

[Markey Mark (BD)]

I picked my M-reg car up for £350, just needed a few bits doing to it but would be idael for a conversion.

The laws on having a cat apply to the age of the engine i believe, if the engine is from a car that is before 92 then you don't have to worry about a cat. I've done a few conversion like this (95 corsa with 89 astra 2.0l engine for example) and they didn't need the cats fitted

[TURBO'D CLIO]

Hmm, well i've just passed my mot course and i was tought that all cars after 1993 have to be cat tested to meet legal limits...
I'll be interested in finding out more on this as i put my 1991 volvo lump into a s reg clio, if i can get away with out a cat test then id be well happy, but i'm pretty sure it has to be cat tested...

[Markey Mark (BD)]

I may be wrong mate but only going on previous conversions i've done, maybe my mot block is being nice to me:D;)

To me if, for example, a C1J was fitted in a 5 then it won't need a cat test but when its fitted to a late clio it needing a cat test doesn't sound right to me as its the same engine in whatever shell it may be, the emmission's wouldn't be any different.

Only my take on it though, see if you can find out the proper law in it mate;)

[Tiny Tim]

I was always under the impression the test is carried out regarding the age of the vehicle, so in cases of engine swaps, the shell/chassis.

[Markey Mark (BD)]

I was always under the impression the test is carried out regarding the age of the vehicle, so in cases of engine swaps, the shell/chassis.

I think i may look into this as a few conversions i've done haven't been cat tested, maybve they should have and should have cats on.

[Bigfoot]

I got told its by age of vehicle as well. else technically my 5 should have a cat fitted.

[Markey Mark (BD)]

I got told its by age of vehicle as well. else technically my 5 should have a cat fitted.

Yeah thats true mate, i must admit i'm not entirely sure on it at all my mot bloke it prob being nice and letting them through for me:D

[TURBO'D CLIO]

Hmm

I'm interested because if i can get my clio though on just a idle test ill be happy saves fitting a cat to it and looseing 10 bhp lol..

I was always tought to cat test every car after 1993 - but my mate has a l reg cavalier with a old v6 init and it's never been cat tested in it's life even thou it's l reg, claims it's the age of the engine not the car :confused:

I'd like a deffo answer on this - could make my conversion alot easier, i would ring up the minestry man and ask him but after he just passed me on my exam he might look at me funny and think i should already know this lol....

[Dan O'Neill]

Im an MoT tester and my mate is a VOSA inspector and we had this disscusson about the age of car and engine ( a newer car with an older engine would be tested due to the regulations of the year but the emissions get tested on the regulations of the year of the engine as long as you can prove the engine is as old as you say it is.

[TURBO'D CLIO]

So my clio was a s reg 1998 model, but the engine is from a 1990 480 on a g reg, so would that mean no cat test... :confused:

[Dan O'Neill]

So my clio was a s reg 1998 model, but the engine is from a 1990 480 on a g reg, so would that mean no cat test... :confused:

Thats right no cat test just a idle test and the C.O limit for that is 3.50%

[TURBO'D CLIO]

So how could i prove this when i take it in for a mot, i have the log book of the volvo, is that good enuf.. :confused:

[Dan O'Neill]

So how could i prove this when i take it in for a mot, i have the log book of the volvo, is that good enuf.. :confused:
My mate who works for VOSA told me when I do my clio that there is a section in your V5 logbook to fill in about engine details, when your finished with the volvo I guess you will be scrapping it which means the logbook will be destroyed aswell so that proof wont exist so just fill in the clio's logbook with the new engine number then send it off

[Clio GTT]

I've done the conversion a couple of times now, easy with the right bits.

Gimme a shout if you need any help :agree: