Trackday Clio Williams 3

This part of the website is dedicated to the all time classic Renault Clio Williams 3 we are converting into a trackday racing car to take to its (now) local circuit - Brands Hatch in Kent. It is a 1995 model in Monaco Blue - The only Williams in Monaco Blue, the Williams 1 and 2 was finished in 449 Blue. We are waiting to hear back from Renault regarding any further history on this car and will update as we go along.

The story begins.......... I wanted a trackday car and always had a passion for Renault Clio's, The project was also to be kept under £1000 (excluding trackday tyres - R888's of course). In November 2009 I started looking for a Renault Clio 1.8 16v, I placed wanted adverts on the net and scrambled through ebay. I knew that with such a low budget it may be tight to find the 'right' car.

I found a 449 blue Clio 1.8 16v on ebay for £250 and bought it. I started working on the 1.8 16v, getting it stripped out and lightened. I thought one day I will make a Williams out of you, and placed another ad looking for Williams parts. Then one cold December morning I get a text from a wanted advert I placed reading 'Clio williams 3, starts and drives, no mot or tax, £650'. Now you must be think the same as me, I am going to bite your arm off!

A long story short, me and a friend drove to South Wales (from Kent) that night, arrived in Cardiff at midnight and brought the Williams 3 back to London, £650 later....... It was in pretty good condition, only one of the rear arches was rotten, but for £650 it was a result, and the guy I bought it of was one of a kind - A real gent, will be keeping in touch with him. The good thing is I got another colleage that works here at RustSolutions to buy my 1.8 16v for what I paid for it and he will be joining me a trackdays and we will be getting both Clio's in the same 'RustSolutions' and 'Jenolite' livery - Its all off to a good start!

The Clio Williams 3 is now ready and waiting for me to start working on it. The Clio Williams will be stripped, bucket seats fitted and a roll cage in the near future. The budget of £1000 still remains so we now have a wopping £350 to spend! I can see this going over budget as the clutch is slipping already.

The Williams 3 is fairly standard, running a standard F7R 2.0 16v engine and the JC5 gearbox. It has a K&N induction filter, straight through Scorpion exhaust and I was told it was chipped. Considering the clutch is slipping it is a pocket rocket and lives up to its name.

I will be preparing and painting the underside or the car, inner arches, wishbones, subframe, etc. This may be done in situ or I may remove the parts and do it properly. The truth is if I start to strip it fully this year I will probley go right to town, spend a small fortune and not get it to a track this year. In reality I want to get it to trackdays this year so it will be done as and when time avails. The intention is to get to a trackday around March 2010.

We will be using all our own products including Jenolite, Re-Paint ACE primers & paints and others throughout the whole process of restoring the car. We will be adding pictures at different stages and explaining how we did things. The only time a I want a different paint is when it has to be in the exact metallic Monaco Blue, around that rusty arch for example.

As well as trackdays I will be setting up a weekend run to the Nurburgring in Germany around mid 2010, all welcome! If you are interested let me know, the more the cheaper I should be able to arrange the ferry crossing and accomodation. There is talk of a good campsite with excellent facilities on route to Nurburgring so that may also be a good option that will be cost effective and fun for everyone! One other place I really want to visit this year is the Goodwood race circuit as I love that place! Click the link to see us at the Goodwood Revival over the last two years. Still yet to make it to there Festival of Speed weekend, this year maybe?

This page will be updated as we go along and also with details of the Germany run to follow.

If you own a Clio Williams or are looking for a source of information I personally recommend:

If you want to get in touch with me, email Dan on:

Williams@RustSolutions.co.uk