Am I backwards

[J8TRO]

Right, I'm not good at getting my opinion across shortly / quickly but will try.

Whilst I love 5's, I understand numbers are limited and with time cars and parts will dwindle, Making running and maintaining them more expensive and possibly time consuming. People currently use the 5 shell and put in 16v engines, 172 engines and even Cossie lumps which I totally admire, but for me, I still love the C1J and it's relative simpleness. No ECU's, no fault codes, just a bang and smoke to tell you something is wrong.

Looking at mk2 Clio’s for a friend, I have noticed a number of cars for sale, relatively cheap with blown engines etc, and a recent thread of Gttnutters white 172 is all I need to convince me that when or if my 5 is no longer suitable for my needs (and by that I mean I feel guilty / worried about nailing round a track and would rather use it for just shows etc because of its rarity / value) I will not hesitate to buy a decent, younger, small Renault shell and bung a C1J in the front.

My reason is simple, I’m no mechanic, but will give things ago and with the friends local to me from this club, there is nothing we cant do between us on a C1J for little cost (yes I do kind of contradict my self about rarity of parts but I’d hope C1J's will still be available rather than a C1J and a 5 with all the required parts)

I know some of you will think this is backwards, as a C1J is old tech, and it is limited compared to modern engines, but it’s the lag and other characteristics that I love.

Imagine, a mint looking 172, rasping around a track with the distinctive 5 sound. Plus the fact I think to build such a car would be relatively cheap.

How many projects are there where most of the cost is repairing, chassis, body work, rust etc. with a decent shell, which is much easier to find (take your pick!) this is simply not needed.

Am I the only one to think this way or do others share my opinion. Just wondered?

[Ricardo]

Toyed with the idea myself actually, to think you can get 180ft/lbs torque at 18psi which is bags more than the 172.

Me and Mart actually did a C1J conversion in a Renault 19 16V Chamade, with the above figures

[HULK]

I know exactly where you are coming from the C1J engine is for some reason the most compulsive block to play with, there are just hundreds of pipes, performance componants, bolt on goodies that can constantly be changed, swapped around, modified, shortened, infact everytime the bonnet gets opened i cant help sorting something else or changing a part etc.

Saying that the engines are mega dated now, and they will never be made to be bullet proof like a honda v-tec block for example

[J8TRO]

Yeah, I understand they are not as reliable as a modern engine, but for the same reason, I love messing.

You just can't do as much on a modern engine without spending mega bucks (by comparison) and you need to plug new engines into computers which just goes right over my head. yeah, I'd probably have to repair a CJ1 countless times compared to a v-tec, but I wouldn't need to worry about a CAT, or mapping etc.

Oh, I am presuming a C1J would go into a Mk2 clio?

[Ricardo]

The engine may be dated technology wise but if looked after, fuelling/cooling is A ok then there's no reason they should last. I never had any problems with mine. I know people on another forum knocked us for dropping a 40 year old push rod lump in instead of the 16V unit but when we finished it and put it on the rollers it was different then went well.

I mean they drop a C1J into the Renault 11, how much does that weigh?

[Kris M]

Toyed with the idea myself actually, to think you can get 180ft/lbs torque at 18psi which is bags more than the 172.

Me and Mart actually did a C1J conversion in a Renault 19 16V Chamade, with the above figures

Rikky, what ever happened to the old chamade ??? i cant remember ?

[Gttnutter]

Good idea if you ask me, infact thinking back I remember seeing a couple of years ago a Clio with a c1j fitted on eBay or somewhere, I'm sure it was in the mk2 shape if not the older shape with the different lights up front.

[Ricardo]

IIRC there's a Clio mk2 with a Volvo lump fitted, i can't see any reason why a C1J won't.... There'll be bags of room upfront for a decent FMIC without hacking the crossmember. I reckon it'll sound decent with the good ol C1J burble

[Spooky]

IIRC there's a Clio mk2 with a Volvo lump fitted, i can't see any reason why a C1J won't.... There'll be bags of room upfront for a decent FMIC without hacking the crossmember. I reckon it'll sound decent with the good ol C1J burble

i want my c1j back

[Ricardo]

i want my c1j back

If anyone wants a complete running F4R unit with ancillaries

[Adey aka Ewok]

The engine may be dated technology wise but if looked after, fuelling/cooling is A ok then there's no reason they should last. I never had any problems with mine. I know people on another forum knocked us for dropping a 40 year old push rod lump in instead of the 16V unit but when we finished it and put it on the rollers it was different then went well.

I mean they drop a C1J into the Renault 11, how much does that weigh?

Only 915kgs fully loaded ;-p

[Rob@Backyardracing]

Scoffs done this such conversion about 4 years ago to a black clio, remember an issue with clocks (apart from speedo) am unsure ....

[J8TRO]

NO NO NO NO NO..........your all stealing my idea..........I hate you all

[Ricardo]

NO NO NO NO NO..........your all stealing my idea..........I hate you all

I've got the Clio, not the C1J

[Spooky]

If anyone wants a complete running F4R unit with ancillaries

Yea, I wont need it...Adey can have it off me for the 11T ...

[J8TRO]

I've got the Clio, not the C1J

I know, it's easier and cheaper to get a C1J though than a whole Clio!

[Mart]

C1J FTW

[Ricardo]

I know, it's easier and cheaper to get a C1J though than a whole Clio!

I was trying to work out if selling my complete unit, engine, ancillaries, rad, the job lot would fund a C1J etc

[Spooky]

ric mate...that would easily do it!!!

[Mart]

Toyed with the idea myself actually, to think you can get 180ft/lbs torque at 18psi which is bags more than the 172.

Me and Mart actually did a C1J conversion in a Renault 19 16V Chamade, with the above figures

What a hero car. Should've never outed it mate

[Scoff]

Scoffs done this such conversion about 4 years ago to a black clio, remember an issue with clocks (apart from speedo) am unsure ....

Yeah, main issue was the engine he'd chosen

Joking aside, it converted up OK, but took a lot of work and the end result was less than impressive. He'd been used to a spirited 1.4 EFI N/A, and went to a low compression 8v 1.4 carb fed. The extra weight of the car made it pretty horrible to drive off boost. Power steering had to go, none of the OE clocks could be made to work, removing the ECU caused numerous problems including preventing the ABS from working, and it needed a load of custom engine mounts because the original clio engine used inner-arch mounts, which could not be fitted upto the C1J.

[Ricardo]

What a hero car. Should've never outed it mate

I know, i know

[J8TRO]

Yeah, main issue was the engine he'd chosen

Joking aside, it converted up OK, but took a lot of work and the end result was less than impressive. He'd been used to a spirited 1.4 EFI N/A, and went to a low compression 8v 1.4 carb fed. The extra weight of the car made it pretty horrible to drive off boost. Power steering had to go, none of the OE clocks could be made to work, removing the ECU caused numerous problems including preventing the ABS from working, and it needed a load of custom engine mounts because the original clio engine used inner-arch mounts, which could not be fitted upto the C1J.

This is a little disheartening! Although I was thinking of it being track inspired, i.e. as little weight as possible. I imagine no power steering is a little rubbish, how bad is it on a Clio? v-heavy? who needs ABS

Any pics Scoff?...........anyway, don't you hate the C1J with a passion! your against me

[Scoff]

anyway, don't you hate the C1J with a passion! your against me

aii, like you wouldn't believe, but I'm not into pissing on other people's passion, I was there once not that long ago!

No pics sadly, they were probably on the old forum. It looked quite pretty, and mechanically it was fine, but when you're drilling the dashboard of a 2003 plate clio to fit a bloody choke control, you can't help but think to yourself: "what the hell am I doing ?!"

I'd say as long as you don't mind forcing in some GTT clocks, and having no pas, and you don't mind fudging about with engine mounts, then crack on. If you can keep the weight down then I'm sure it'll go just fine too

[J8TRO]

From this to this in a couple of sentences, thanks Scoff