Introducing the Swedish-French Combo (Renault Clio Mk2)

[Palm]

Hello!

Got my first car about a month ago, a 2003 Renault Clio Mk2 1.2L 16v (139.000km on the clock). The engine is rated at a not so breathtaking 75 horsepower. But since the Clio with this engine, myself and a full tank of petrol only weighs in at 1010 kg it is still reasonably quick and above all fuel efficient.

Contrary to most 19 year olds who try to make their car go faster, I try to make it burn less fuel and as such I don't exactly drive like a racer. When I got the car I managed to average just about 0,52 l/10km or 45 mpg (trip odometer reading when fueling up) on the motorway (55-60 mph) on a full tank. This was without any mods and with slightly under-inflated tires (around 26 psi). I have now done a few mods.

Current mods:
#Tire pressure up to 41 psi front and 36 psi back.
#Lower and middle grill blockage.
#Headlight seams blocked.
#Front underbelly panel (unfortunately I couldn't cover more due to the engine mount being in the way as well as the gearbox cover). The undercarriage seems reasonably flat other than that.
#Installed an OBD2-reader and a Galaxy Tab to be able to monitor fuel consumption etc. in addition to being able to listen to mp3's etc.
#Started coasting in neutral when not stopping so as not to lose speed due to engine braking.

I am curious to see the fuel consumption now when I have done these mods.


Planned mods:
#Remove back seats (at least for long trips).
#Something to direct the airflow away from hitting the front of the tires.
#Flat plastic hubcaps directly on the steel rims.
#Perhaps a panel over the back wheel well

[user removed]

You can post pictures after you have made 5 thread entries.

Welcome aboard.

regards
Mech

[NachtRitter]

A wikipedia image for your viewing pleasure until Palm can post his own:


Seems like an excellent platform for great fuel economy!

[Palm]

Originally Posted by NachtRitter

A wikipedia image for your viewing pleasure until Palm can post his own:

Seems like an excellent platform for great fuel economy!

Thank you for the picture! (That's one post down).

[MetroMPG]

Welcome, Palm!

I added a pic to your first post... you may be able to add attachments, just not inline images.

That list is a good beginning for your mods.

[Palm]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Welcome, Palm!

I added a pic to your first post... you may be able to add attachments, just not inline images.

That list is a good beginning for your mods.

Thank you!

I'd like to ask a question regarding tire pressure. How much pressure can I safely put in the tires to keep the grip reasonably good? The tires are stubbed winter tires. The weight of the car is 565kg on the front axle and 365kg on the rear without a driver. Renault recommends 29 psi front 28 psi back, although I sense that this is excessively low.

[MetroMPG]

Check the manual, and you may find a second, higher set of pressures specified for traveling at sustained high speed (or with a full load). That will give you an idea of what range the manufacturer considers reasonable.

Nobody can really give you a specific answer for your question, because it depends on your road conditions & driving style.

But most people will agree that the manufacturer suggests pressures that are a compromise of comfort/handling/economy. Many people here just add a bit of pressure, little by little, to get a sense of how it changes the equation.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

My dad once had a pre-facelift Clio II with the Brazilian 1.0L 8-valve engine. Apart from that 59hp engine, that was actually not a bad car, but had been very mistreated by the previous owner. Anyway it's sure a good base for an ecomodding project.

[Palm]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

But most people will agree that the manufacturer suggests pressures that are a compromise of comfort/handling/economy. Many people here just add a bit of pressure, little by little, to get a sense of how it changes the equation.

Yes, I figured. Thank you.

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

My dad once had a pre-facelift Clio II with the Brazilian 1.0L 8-valve engine. Apart from that 59hp engine, that was actually not a bad car, but had been very mistreated by the previous owner. Anyway it's sure a good base for an ecomodding project.

Interesting about a Brazilian version, I did not know you had them over there.



Working on a kammback design on a free Clio 3d model I found on the net.









Any suggestions about the optimum angles and side tapering etc.? It's a bit difficult to see I guess because the real car has a steeper slope on the roof. The dimensions of the 3d model are a bit wrong.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Palm

Interesting about a Brazilian version, I did not know you had them over there.

And it's still available brand-new in the Mercosur, altough it got another mild restyling locally. But the 1.0L engines (now with 16 valves) are exclusive to Brazil because of lower taxes, in other markets the 1.2L 16V engine is the base engine.