Hey Guys,
I just wanted to ask a simple question. If you had the choice between a FD and a Clio 200......which would you choose?
I know it sounds strange to post this on a rotary website but i feel i\'ve come to a cross road in my life and im not sure what to do.
At the moment i own a FD, before i had the FD i had a Clio 200 (Unfortunately i didnt get rid of it through choice) now that things are better i feel torn between the two.
I\'ve been thinking about them both alot recently and if you\'ll endulge my rambles i\'ll let you know what im thinking.
The FD is a car i\'ve wanted for years, i love it to peices. however there are downsides. like no one in my area will work on them. They\'re quite hard to keep maintained (for me anyways) there are only two seats (ish). But there are good points about it, very good looking, Only has two seats (i know thats in bad points but means i cant be used as a taxi) its bloody quick and there are a million and one things you can do to change it.
The Clio sport 200 was a car i didnt choose initially. I test drove VXR\'s ,Type R\'s,VW\'s,Audi\'s etc. However the Clio was the one i fell in love with (strange as i said id never own a french car) It was fun fast and i could fit 5 people in (taxi time) However there was pretty much nothing i could do to improve the power. I know that Jamsport are researching superchargers for them and K-tec had a turbo for it but the best power upgrade is to replace the engine with the 2L turbo from the Megane.
The only other difference its making for me is Economy. I\'d really like to use which ever to get back and forth to work. 30 mile round trip. I know the Clio is slightly better in fuel. Tax i think is roughly the same because y FD is an import and it was registered as a 2.6 and not a 1.3 :(
So if you had the choice which would you chose?
Spend £10K on a new car or spend that money on the FD you already own?
I say 10k because i had the Alien green and would not want any other colour. however renault have stopped doing that colour because it was unpopular. So i\'d have to track down a second hand car.
cheers
Mike
If you are looking for some performance and a bit more space, sell both and get a Nissan Skyline R33 GTS
Quote from: m1tch;823321If you are looking for some performance and a bit more space, sell both and get a Nissan Skyline R33 GTS
Yeah you can also drive in bus lanes and :censored::censored::censored::censored: :Grrr
Quote from: m1tch;823321sell both and get a Nissan Skyline R33 GTS
Go and shoot yourself Mitch with that advice :flamed
The most ugly f******ing car on this good earth the R33 GTS, its like saying to a guy dump the model girl (FD) and dump the cute petit firecracker girl (Clio) and go out with the Trannie weight lifter look a like lol
LMFAO! Blitzboy that was funny
I\'m afraid its between those two cars only tho lol I really dont like Skylines. My Mate has a GTR which i like but i dont want to be like him HA
200s look horrendous. I also wouldn\'t let K-Tec near it at all with a turbo. Join cliosport and you\'ll see nobody really trusts them.
How old are you? The clio 200 comes across as a young lads car where as the FD is much more grown up and tweaked can be better than... Well everything.
They are both are at either end of the scale. FDs are great but you can\'t throw them around like a fwd car. If I drove my fd like I do my focus I would crash for sure
Perhaps look at getting a Cosmo if you are wanting more space then?
Wow, i dont think i have ever seen such a thread when it comes to choosing between 2 cars! They are worlds apart, front wheel drive hatch, to rwd coupe! Usually its, rx7 and s2000 or other such jdm car!
I am afraid to say there is nothing inspiring what so ever about a Clio and dont think you make any comparison!
The only Clio that would interested me is the V6, i know its not the best to drive but at least its nice to look at and is rwd!
As for being able to take a troop of friends, lol, who are you buying the car for :)
Well im 26 so hence the jump to a higher powered car.
Im a member of cliosport as i\'ve had the clio 200 previously
A 200 is a young lads car i just really enjoyed driving it. Its a car you either love or hate if im honest.
I only make the comparison because they are the only two cars out at the moment that i like. Well......in my price range :p lol
I really dont like the clio V6, its a big engine for only marginal more power than the 200.
Yeah i know what you mean. All my mates told me Rx7\'s were S***T but i love them. I was told by one to throw my FD away and buy a proper car like a supra. I nearly smacked him for that.
i truely do love the Rx7 and nothing beats it in its class. hence why im looking at 2 different classes
Dont discount the Supra imho, they are a very nice car, nothing like an FD to drive, but solid, quick ish, 4 usable seats an super reliable. The looks are probably closer to the FD than anything else from that JDM, by that i mean, they look pretty good :) They twin turbos seem to hold their money quite well too :)
Only other thing i would consider is an Evo 5/6.
I used to have 106 GTI\'s (2) and 2 of my mates have the newer shape 200 (one is a cup edition) but I look at them and I just think that\'s it\'s a small boys toy. I only have a stock FC and I\'m sure that they\'d probably be very even in a straight line, but in style, potential and cult status they don\'t match up. I guess it\'s personal preference but if I were looking at hatches I\'d be considering a civic type r, a Mazda 3 MPS or if looking at the European market I\'d be checking out corsa vxr or a golf/scirocco gti (or R(32)) depending on your budget.
But if could afford an fd I\'d be buying a crappy daily and using the fd when ever the weather is good ;)
Quote from: Mikey22;823364Yeah i know what you mean. All my mates told me Rx7\'s were S***T but i love them. I was told by one to throw my FD away and buy a proper car like a supra. I nearly smacked him for that.
i truely do love the Rx7 and nothing beats it in its class. hence why im looking at 2 different classes
like yourself, i\'m a Scottish, die- hard rotary enthusiasm and road/race proved rotary engine mechanic.
Won many races and people still called my car a tihs why? they\'re not interesting... bar none. even i did win the championship three times.
Trying to eduction people,to show them how\'s good the rotary engine is but they\'re still not even care about!
listen to your mates and they\'re probley right. (too long for me to explained why)
End of the day, better to buy a BMW for the peace of mind.
If I had 10k to spend and I didn\'t want an FD I think this would be what I would go for.
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3861126.htm
I\'m in the same predicament keep my fd or buy a Astra vxr with a min 300bhp and quaffe diff essential
This solely comes down to what\'s more important to you in a car. If you want an everyday, chauffeur,good mpg forget the FD altogether, like a few posts above the Mazda 3 mps is a lovely car. But if ur torn between the FD and clio... You just have to decide what\'s more important.ive tried having an rx7 as a daily driver and it don\'t work. Then again I\'ve tried having a daily driver only and it don\'t fulfill my passion of driving.
I think no matter what u choose, an FD should always be in the driveway ;)
Quote from: TiddlesRX7;823407If I had 10k to spend and I didn\'t want an FD I think this would be what I would go for.
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3861126.htm
This is all; Ade has hit the nail on the head.
See this is the thing......I dont like big cars.....So the Monaro is out for me i\'m afraid.
The FD Ticks all the boxes, i love the shape even standard, its small (compared to other sports coupes like the Supra etc) Its fast and if i\'m honest i like something unique, and it dont come more unique than a rotary.
I know its not recommended as a daily driver but i seriously would use one. I just wouldnt mod the hell out of it.
I have a Clio DCI at this moment in time. Its my daily runner. I must admit its actually quite good, econmical as hell with 60+ MPG and £20 a year tax!!! However my GF will soon be passing her test and this car is becoming hers for a while (until she gets her swift she wants) hence why i\'m making a decision. I just want to enjoy my drive to work, i want something fun.
Ok my GF would kill me for saying this as she thinks im sad lol but when i got home last night i pulled in the driveway and there sits my FD. Before i even turned off the engine of the clio dci i had made up my mind.......FD!!!! Everytime i see it im just like.....OMG i own an FD!!!! its so gorgeous!!! Even with all the problems it gives me every time i look at it i get a smile on my face......and thats before i drive it lol.
Mate you want a daily Fd? If so, ensure that all the supporting parts of the engine are in good condition and once in two months, get it checked over by a reputable specialist-I was gonna say by Jaydee or Blitzboy or Carl at Hayward Rotary and if you are near Manchester side then WGT. There is a guy on here who drives his FD daily and so far he has driven it for over 50k miles without any issues.
These things are simply awesome, they just require little bit of TLC and the rest will assure you long lasting nicely running FD.
My two pence :)
Cheers
Syed
I have access to a ramp and tools so i know i can take care of general service items such as Filter/oil changes and any minor work that needs doing. So TLC it\'ll get in bundles lol
For a daily driver i would certainly remove the oil metering pump and start using premix. Most of us wise ones use premix anyway, but for this you\'ll need a decat obviously.
I used my FD for 4yrs as my sole car, put around 30k on the clock in that time. Only things that went wrong was the clutch went (happens on all cars) and due to some dodgy wiring (by the previous owner) the fuel pump died (easy fix tho). I changed the oil and plugs every 3000 miles, coolant once a year before summer and kept her topped up with v-power. Was the best 4yrs of motoring of my life.
Well i have a shell station 6 miles away and like i say i have access to tools and a ramp. With the miles id be doing i\'d need to do an oil and spark plug change every 5 months.......easy!
Ok, so let me see if i got this one...
you are trying to choose between
a jdm supercar from the 90s who require you to love the car and keep the maintanance schedule as any old supercar needs
or
a french :censored::censored::censored::censored:box....
IS there really something to ponder about?
Seriously, EVERY time I have agreed to do some mechanical work on a french car, I have ended up in total utter rage-mode.
Look at it like this, have the french EVER produced something mechanically sound and sturdy(yes i know there are a few exceptions, weirdly enough)? Look at the french lifestyle. Relaxed, continental, wine and food loving, know how to dress... French people know food... they are wine masters... The average french ladys clothes budget, 40% of it go to underwear....
^^ THIS is what they are good at.
The cars? Dear lord...! Electrical faults up to yeehaa.. and the french mentality on things is, that they dont want to do it "the normal way", they want to do it THEIR way...! I mean SERIOUSLY..!!!
The last french car i changed brakes(pads and discs) on... "hmmm, the rest of the world uses bolts on the calipers... lets use torx".. and further.. "the rest of the world uses bolts with full bolthead length... lets use bolts with half bolthead length".. YES, PERFECT IDEA WHEN THE CAR IS USED ON ROADS WITH SALT ON EM! If you are even a mm off the perfect 90 angle on that wrench, you pull the socket off and rounds the head... and you have a nightmare ahead of ya....
I pulled the top of an old pug 505 turbo once, cracked alu head... rearwheel drive, so directional mounted engine.. easy as pie.... no....
"hmmm, the rest of the world mounts the engine straight up and down(yes, a few exceptions, bmw and merc, but the tilt degree is marginal so no problem)... Lets tilt it like 30 degrees!!!!!!" So, after unplugging all wires, plugs and sensors... and sensors on the sensors... and sensors sensoring the sensors sensor(you see where this is going), i pulled the inlet manifold, a breeze... then the exhaust...
undid 6 out of 8 exhaust manifold bolts.. the last two was nudged in SO tightly between the manifold and the turbo, that i had to unbolt the turbo...
so, did the 3 bolts on the turbo, but wait... the last and 4th bolt, was unreachable with just about anything cause the downpipe was in the way...
SO, i loosened the 4 bolts on turbo->downpipe, and tried to pull the downpipe off, BUT that thing wouldnt come off, cause THE ENGINE WAS TILTED SO MUCH THAT IT HIT THE FRONT FRAME OF THE CAR WHEN BOLTED TO THE REST OF THE EXHAUST....
So, i had to undo the whole damn exaust all the way back, and OFFCOURSE the downpipe was slid into the midpipe with a long "pipe extender", so i had to unbolt EVERYTHING to lower exhaust... to get downpipe off...to get to the turbo bolt...to get to the manifold bolts.... RAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The french made a V8 once in the earlier years...
"hmmm, the world mostly have the ignotion plugs aboooout 10-15 degrees of the piston angle... LETS DO 90!!!!"
So, the result was, that when you were to change plugs on that engine, you had to lower the engine a fe wcm, cause no tool was able to manage the angle. no pipe long enough to fit a wrench on without hitting engine block, and you couldnt slide in an extender cause it got jammed between ignition hole and THE FRAME...
Just look at some french cars today..!!! You have to remove the whole damn front bumper to change the damn lightbulbs...!!! SERIOUSLY, WTF?!?!?!?
Go rx7, you wont regret it, even with the FDs "weird hickups", mainly caused by poor maintanance schedules.. :)
I hate french cars SO much, that it is one of the points on the criteria list if I find a potential girlfriend... NO..FRENCH...CAR!!!!
Wow i think if my mind wasnt already made up this story would have sold it. That was great!
I do know what you mean, on my clio 200 i had to remove the head lamp to change the bulb, things were very very tightly packed in.
I used to be like you, i hated french cars, but i must admit they do know how to make one that feels good to drive.......just S**T at the rest of it.
Any advice on a Swift? lol Not me......thats what my GF wants
LOL, i can totally relate to the torx caliper bolts. I once changed some brake pads on the mrs 106 1.1. Bloody calipers had these crappy torx female head bolts on them, so they\'re easy to round off and you have to have a perfect 90degree angle to avoid rounding them off. Sounds easy but even though i had the proper tools, i still managed to round it off so i ended up getting a whole hub carrier with caliper attached from the breakers yard. Took me a week to get it sorted.
Another job was the clutch cable on the same car. Took me a friggin hour to change it because it was so tight in the bulkhead and at a hard to reach place. I also had to change one of the doors. The door from the scrappy didn\'t fit my car properley, it was all out of alignment after hours of messing about. It says a lot about the fd when a simple shopping cart of a car is more difficult to work on than a complicated for it\'s time fd. Ok, not everything is an easy job on an fd, but most of it\'s just like any other jap car of it\'s age.
Went to the nurburgring with a bunch of lads. 2 fd\'s, 2 serria cossies, golf gt-tdi, old civic, a pug 205gti and a pug 309gti. Guess which car gave the most trouble? The 309gti. He spent 1000\'s doing it up, after market ecu, willwood brakes but pushing only 190ish bhp, it was a mint looking car but the head gasket kept going. Just imagine how he felt driving all over to the ring, breaking down on the way and only being able to go one slow lap on the ring, whilst i did 14 laps in the fd after doing a diy engine rebuild on it.
My mate was so impressed with how easy it was to rebuild the rotary motor and how well it ran on the ring, he literally immediately sold his 309 and bought a beast of an FC. Sadly, he crashed it because he couldn\'t handle the power hehe
An fd can be made uber reliable with the right attention. A good map, good electical system, good cooling and a good working knowledge of the car from the owner will see it lasting a long time.
Hi, odd first post but here goes, despite some of the hate on here the clio is a cracker of a car on the cup chassis, not a great driving position but fun none the less, but if you get another one, you will get fed up again soon & it will feel old like you\'ve had I\'d forever.
If I were you I would be looking at a Honda Integra Type-R, DC2 or DC5 (much more car than the civic). More fun and just a chuckable, 4/5 seats, far more reliable, LSD and just as driver focused without RX7 running costs. I did 64k miles in one for just over 5 years with 3-5 track days a year and only the clutch slave cylinder went, cost about £75 I think!
Good luck!
Xav
i run 2 cars i have my fd for the summer which i use every day between say april and september and an 02 vectra sri 150 for winter, just a thought for yourself
Well i dont mind using the clio dci during the winter. however i do want to run the rex during the good weather.......well......who doesnt?