Renault life.

[Brigsy]

Updates

Had a few spare hours this week so done a bit to the kangoo.

The aquablasted cam cover was looking a mess with xcp and muck all over it. Give it some brake cleaner and a rag, and coated with acf50 for now whilst weather is mild.

Not perfect but much better than it was. Hard to keep it clean as its no garage queen.

Whilst there i decided to change the thermostat. The needle mostly sits on 3nd mark on the temp gauge on the 200 clocks and moves a little but around 80deg on the obd so assumed maybe a little bit weak. Anyway i had a new meg 250 83deg gates stat in stock so decided to stick it in. Battery out and removed the current stat noting it was an 89 deg one, i thought it had an 83deg one in but must have been wrong.

Batt tray and associated bullshit removed for acccess.

Stuck the 83deg one in and sent it as the r26 and Trophy run it with no issues. Test run reveals this was not a good idea. The cooling system on this is really good/mega airflow to rad. The coolant temps dropped to 72deg on cruise and oil temps to suit, oem water temp gauge between mark 2/3 on the 200 clocks. Cooler running than last thermostat.

Anyway straight home, ripped out the new stat, refitted old one and back up to 3rd mark and 80deg again. Basically a couple of hours work for fuckall, win some and lose some eh!!

Washed it Friday am as was looking a bit unloved with a roadtrip planned for Sat to Grimsby. 260 mile round trip for car parts obviously.

 

Stopped at Donny services for a piss which was pretty shite.

 

Loads of 6 gear cruising. Spotted a focus mk1 saloon, not seen one for ages.

More 6 gear cruising and 3" exhaust drone.

Parts acquired. 4x rims with no tyres fit perfectly

 

As seen in the news 24 thread i done a bit of car cleaning Friday morning.

Blue dci got some loving. Washed and ceracoated the trims. Not bad for 203k

 

Orange dci had a clean up. This needs a post on its own to be fair. Had it almost ten years and saved from the scrapyard £80 gumtree buy. Ive daily driven it, used it as a van and took it round the Nurburgring. Mega reliable 162k on the clock.

Also another one that has been here a few years 13 i think? The mrs ph1 meg 225. This got me into the meganes, ive trackdayed it on loads of uk circuits. Its been to the nurburgring and had a minor armco interface in it smashing the original front bumper but luckily nothing else.

Its had all the good r26 bits fitted, full leather recaros, r26 lsd gearbox. A few engine mods, 306hp mapped by EfiParts. After nurburgring incident i refurbished all the suspension and got the front end painted, and its had light use since. Its in mega condition for a 2004 car and drives tight as fcuk, 70k on the clock and 2nd owner.

Its hardly moved over last couple of years but recomissioned it in may. New michelin pilotsport 5 tyres, full service etc. Not used it much but took it out yesterday.

Its worthy of its own thread alone but id be here all day.

Thanks for reading!!

[Brigsy]

Done a bit yesterday.

Ceracoated the scuttle panel and wiper arms on the blue dci, missed this the other day as its fiddly and couldnt be arsed. 

Before

After. Night and day difference.

Ceracote trim wipes are really the dogs bollox for faded plastics. Super easy to apply and goes off in an hr.

I done the Kangoo bumpers and my front door on the house a year ago. Its a black composite door that the south facing sun had faded fuck out of after 10 years, an application of ceracote wipe brought it back to as new condition. Both still look fresh as a year later, it really is a permanent solution.

With this win, i finished off the catch tank install on the 182 Trophy. When i built it i only had an alloy protein beaker spare so boshed it on last min. 3 years later and a load of piss ripping off everybody i thought it might be worth sorting.

Protein beaker done the job tbf.

Ive upgraded to a 2ltr Ralloy catch tank. Space is a premium in this engine bay and no decent locations. Ive mounted it in the inner wing where the carbon canister used to live once upon a time and its hidden behind the arch liner. Not ideal location but engine doesnt breathe a drop, and if it fills a 2ltr catch tank we have big problems. I can vac pump it out from inner arch easy enough.

Catch tank now lives behind arch liner.

Ordered a longer length of an10 breather hose to run to it from cam cover to catch tank in one continuous length. Took 2 attempts as i was rushing the first time and cut the hose an inch too short. Measure twice and cut once and all that bullshit i used to preach as a joiner by trade went out the window so it cost me twice 😂Anyway got there eventually.

Done.

 

Next job was to dig the newly purchased wheels out of the Kangoo from Saturdays roadtrip. Sexy megane trophy-r speedline turinis in 19" flavour off a low mileage car so in mint nick. A nice oem replacement for the current 19" diamond cut steeve alloys. I dont hate the current ones but these should look much better.

Trophy-r wheels.

 

 

With the kangoo empty, i proceeded to fill the smallest van in the world full of 4x 18" wheels and 4x 18" tyres. 

On its arse.

The Ar1 semi slick tyres were getting low on the r26 track wheels so got them swapped for fresh ones. They prob had another day in them but cant be arsed chancing my arm and ending up with no tyres left half way through a trackday. Next one booked is Spa Francorchamps so be wise to fit new. 

Cleaned them up when i got back..were in a right state after Anglesey. Loads of rubber pickup and brake dust.

Scrubbed up.

Fresh Ar1.

Bagged up and back on wheel stand until next time.

Ran out of time to do anything else. Next weekend will hopefully get the new wheels fitted on the 250.

Thanks for reading!!

[SunnySouth]

On 10/08/2025 at 09:31, Brigsy said:

Updates

Had a few spare hours this week so done a bit to the kangoo.

The aquablasted cam cover was looking a mess with xcp and muck all over it. Give it some brake cleaner and a rag, and coated with acf50 for now whilst weather is mild.

Not perfect but much better than it was. Hard to keep it clean as its no garage queen.

Whilst there i decided to change the thermostat. The needle mostly sits on 3nd mark on the temp gauge on the 200 clocks and moves a little but around 80deg on the obd so assumed maybe a little bit weak. Anyway i had a new meg 250 83deg gates stat in stock so decided to stick it in. Battery out and removed the current stat noting it was an 89 deg one, i thought it had an 83deg one in but must have been wrong.

Batt tray and associated bullshit removed for acccess.

Stuck the 83deg one in and sent it as the r26 and Trophy run it with no issues. Test run reveals this was not a good idea. The cooling system on this is really good/mega airflow to rad. The coolant temps dropped to 72deg on cruise and oil temps to suit, oem water temp gauge between mark 2/3 on the 200 clocks. Cooler running than last thermostat.

Anyway straight home, ripped out the new stat, refitted old one and back up to 3rd mark and 80deg again. Basically a couple of hours work for fuckall, win some and lose some eh!!

Washed it Friday am as was looking a bit unloved with a roadtrip planned for Sat to Grimsby. 260 mile round trip for car parts obviously.

 

Stopped at Donny services for a piss which was pretty shite.

 

Loads of 6 gear cruising. Spotted a focus mk1 saloon, not seen one for ages.

More 6 gear cruising and 3" exhaust drone.

Parts acquired. 4x rims with no tyres fit perfectly

 

As seen in the news 24 thread i done a bit of car cleaning Friday morning.

Blue dci got some loving. Washed and ceracoated the trims. Not bad for 203k

 

Orange dci had a clean up. This needs a post on its own to be fair. Had it almost ten years and saved from the scrapyard £80 gumtree buy. Ive daily driven it, used it as a van and took it round the Nurburgring. Mega reliable 162k on the clock.

Also another one that has been here a few years 13 i think? The mrs ph1 meg 225. This got me into the meganes, ive trackdayed it on loads of uk circuits. Its been to the nurburgring and had a minor armco interface in it smashing the original front bumper but luckily nothing else.

Its had all the good r26 bits fitted, full leather recaros, r26 lsd gearbox. A few engine mods, 306hp mapped by EfiParts. After nurburgring incident i refurbished all the suspension and got the front end painted, and its had light use since. Its in mega condition for a 2004 car and drives tight as fcuk, 70k on the clock and 2nd owner.

Its hardly moved over last couple of years but recomissioned it in may. New michelin pilotsport 5 tyres, full service etc. Not used it much but took it out yesterday.

Its worthy of its own thread alone but id be here all day.

Thanks for reading!!

Absolutely superb fleet there!