Ginge !

just thinking out loud at the min but wondering if there is any comon faults with the early ones as i prefer the bumper/headlamps on them and thinking its gonna be a much better runabout which i can also use as a ring trip car if the impreza dont get done in time and also looks sort of ok

anyway is there anything to consider when looking at them

Dicko&Vacant

iTrader: (3)

Try get one that's had a recent timing belt kit, aux belt kit and preferably a dephaser pulley if not your looking at around 1k to do it all. Other then that i think there pretty reliable tbh

zetec-Sam

iTrader: (2)

Boxes let go if been mistreated. iirc, 3rd is normally first to go...

left hooker

think the most common fault is its french

Ginge !

is that for the parts or including labour, ive got one or 2 connections in the car trade for work being done if needed but if thats parts,,,, fook that off

Dicko&Vacant

iTrader: (3)

That would be parts and labour make, but a lot of people dont like working on them for some reason,iirc you get 7hrs or so to do a timing belt lol

Oranoco

Mate of mine broke a few engine mounts on his wifes cup. Bloody good fun that thing.

Ginge !

what that include travel time to and from work aswell as discussing top gear and read the kids a bedtime story

CaftDunt

Get yourself a 172 Cup. It doesn't have aircon so it means that you can get belts done on that for around Ł300/Ł350 + another Ł170 for the dephaser "if" it's rattly.

CaftDunt

Sorry just read that you prefer the Phase 1 shape. Still belts shouldn't cost a grand to do.

jamie's

fan belt tensioners(cunt of a job to do, just no space)
engine mounts(all but especialy the rear box mount)
wheel bearings(just usual clio)
driveshafts(again just usual clio)
interiors dont realy wear well, but you get what you pay for there
anti roll bushes wear fast but at least they're cheap and easy changed
best thing to do to them is polly bush the front end, realy tightens them up

xr2i_babe

id highly recommend them, i had an x reg, did 40 - 50k in it, most reliable car ive ever owned! only probs i ever had were i snapped an engine mounth which i changed my self and cost me a 5er from a scrap yard and clutch. she went well too! 191bhp and she was cammed and remapped heres some pics of mine...

Tank Mike

I absolutly adore my one! I think its fucking awesome!

I do lots and lots of work on these and have got the cambelt down to about 3 1/2 hours.

everyone seems to say about the de-phaser pully but i havent come across a rattley one yet, and i must of done at least 30 belts.

this is the best state of play to get the car in to do the belt ive found.



Just rip the front off!

Ive done loads of track days in mine. I brought it on 115,000 miles and its now on 130,000 and every one of tho's miles has been abuse! Ive just had to fit a set of vibra technics engine mounts.

As long as your not lanching it off the limiter spinning the wheels and slamming the gears in as fast as possable then you shouldnt have any problems with the box or shafts at all! I would do a box oil change tho.

As said make sure the aux belt and tentioner have been changed, if the bent of tentior fails, 9 times out of 10 it causes the timing belt to fail. Can't remeber excatly why but ive done heads on 3 of them now that bent all the valves due to the aux belt failing. I know one of the reasons is the belt wrapps itself round the crank and as its undoled it spins, knocing the timeing out. I have also seen the cambelt fully shred when a aux belt tentioners failed. could see what that happend tho but apparnetly its common.

I can honnestly say without knowing your background that it will be one of the most fun cars you've ever driven.

I would also look into a re-map as, as standard the revs got to 5k and then go nuts, when mine with an evolutions re-map comes in at 4500 and pulls much harder.

Ginge !

I LOVE that blue clio. also mike i looked at yours when i went to daves when i went to the ring last year and years ago was taken out in one by Davecos4x4 the first time i went to the ring and been begging JC to sell the car but he wants too much for it as it needs a respray.... but sooo wanted one and now as i need a car and my impreza aint been done yet im thinking of buying a clio as a daily hack and if its not done in time i got a ring car read for abuse

i aint ever driven one yet but fuck me i loved going out in JC's one ( though it might be cause sharick is just a fucking animal behind the wheel )

i may be getting a company car soon so dont wanna buy another car for no reason,,,, but a clio means i can leave it parked up at work and not worry about it,,,, considering they are only 1500 quid to buy too

ps: any ideas of the cost to change a cambelt if i get the parts