Modified Car Renault 5 GT Turbo
Modified Car Renault 5 GT Turbo
Car Specifications & InformationCAR REF NUMBER: CAR MAKE & CAR MODEL: EXTERIOR MODS: INTERIOR MODS: ICE (In Car Entertainment, Audio & Security): ENGINE MODS: SUSPENSION MODS: WHEELS: TIRES / TYRES: BRAKE CONVERSION: OTHER INFO:
old skoolthe 80’s were hideous; unemployment was rife, the recession wide sweeping and the fashion, well a bit of a joke really but if one thing could make you nostalgic it’s the renault 5 gt turbo still going strong today, they’re famous for their boxy looks and temperamental head gaskets hence the five turbo was a bit of a controversial choice for owner chris miller. the aircraft component technician had heard the rumours about their tendency to blow but still decided he would take his chances if he could find a decent model knocking around somewhere. fate had obviously come in to play the day he mentioned his desire for a five to his old man. being a bit of a fan himself, his dad spied a tidy little gt turbo in the paper the very next day. his mum was also pretty enthusiast for chris to get one as she used to own a spanking new phase one edition in pearl white. but who’d have thought that chris could restore his model to a state that was better than when it left the factory? it has to be said though that this 22-year-old from scotland’s west coast had no intention of going down the modifying route. it all started with a trip to the local bodyshop where he had asked for it to be re-sprayed in the standard tungsten grey. it wasn’t long until the guys that were working on it gave him a call; they had other ideas in mind. due to a large rust hole in the driver’s rear three quarter panel it seemed that the r5 would need more than a paint job. in fact practically all the panels had to be replaced aside from the bonnet and doors; but it wasn’t all bad news. fortunately chris’ brother was a panel beater so he could put his skills to good use smoothing over the bonnet, boot and doors. chris’ girlfriend also had a bit of an eye for design and she was the one who spotted the k-tec rear bumper that now adorns its back end. by now chris was really in the swing of modifying. elbows deep in seven litres of stonechip and three litres of sealer, he decided he would do the honours of patching things up a bit. he never wanted to detract from the original looks of the five though; the car’s quirky shape was all part of the initial appeal to chris. this is the reason why he opted for the a&j front bumper; he felt that it was a more subtle and complimentary styling touch rather than being all out crazy. the saxo spoiler however was a bit in your face at first, as chris admits but since slicing off an inch and a half from the width it no longer resembles a pram. the door mirrors are also quite eye-catching but for all the right reasons. these resonate a californian look and also relied on the handiwork of chris himself who screwed them on to the back plates from a renault 5 van. while the car was still in the bodyshop chris was also experimenting with base coats for the different flip paints. the inspiration came from the alfa nuvola blue which has really breathed life in to it. despite all the sealing seriously compromising his chances of a quarter-mile time it can certainly draw in a crowd. back in 2004 chris was commended for ‘best bodywork’ at national day. earlier that year he’d also picked up the title of ‘best renault’ at the french car show which was a bit of a buzz to say the least. in line with all the sprucing up also came a few tweaks to the chassis. first he lowered it on 16” ace 192’s but he soon wondered whether they could really cut it in the concours. as soon as the 17” kahn rsv’s went on though he knew they were just right. the ride height had been slammed by 35mm using the spax psx adjustable kind. the black plastic strut caps were also exchanged for chrome ones from gt tuning. chrome was also the choice for the strut brace and rear boot strut brace which has tamed any body roll quite considerably. strangely enough although the 17” rims kind of perch on the tarmc they actually make it easier to go over speed bumps. before the front bumper used to rub as it was quite low but since the kahn’s we’re fitted chris has had no worries. by now you must be itching to know what this immaculate looking gt turbo is like off the line but i’m afraid you’ll be left wondering for a while. you see despite the five offering up a perfect powerplant for manipulating, chris has resisted the urge for any radical upgrades. it’s built as a show car primarily and he has no plans of rocking up to santapod to race it just yet. that said, he is currently working on a few performance modifications so we shall have to see where that leads. right now though you can take a peruse under the bonnet and it’s a lustre you won’t forget, all that chrome and brilliant blue is enough to dazzle you. while the car was in the bodyshop which was a period of nearly a year, chris was capitalising on time by sourcing all the parts for the engine bay. the net, chris discovered was a whole new realm of opportunity and parts were often cheaper too. all the gt tuning items were sourced from the renault turbo owners club and the intercooler was an e-bay buy originally made for a 2wd cosworth. according to chris the intercooler has made a real difference to performance and even though its front mounted he’s had no dramas with the carburettor freezing over, thankfully. obviously it’s pretty handy to have an engineers experience and paying a lot of attention to detail. 2004 was also the year that chris’ r5 won ‘best engine bay’ at crail which only inspired him to continue his slog for perfection. the interior had certainly seen better days when chris got the car and although he quite liked the dash he wanted to modernise it a bit. fitting a new dash was a nightmare task but it’s one of chris’ favourite mods. it’s borrowed from a 16v clio as is the steering column and the dials are colour coded in stainless steel. again all the fiddling around and fabricating new mounts was down to the brains of this scottish technician. fitting the bottom section was easy according to chris but the top took some precision re-shaping. sure enough it was enough to win him ‘most unique mod’ awarded by the renault turbo owners club and he was presented with a lightened and balanced flywheel. another rather innovative look is the carbon fibre door cards although without the handles chris is still trying to get used to shutting them without getting his fingers caught. there’s still work to be done on the interior but of course money will always be a constraint. the ice is also awaiting completion but chris has made a good start. first off he got rid of the rear seats as he knew the 17” rims wouldn’t really allow for passengers in the back. in their place he’s put jbl 6x9s with a 12” sub, these are enclosed in an mdf board which has been retrimmed in alcantara. it was a bit tricky to fix it down but after a bit of head scratching he decided that he could run the harness straps through the custom bass ports. soon he hopes to mount the ice under a perspex panel which he is also planning to have custom made. all in all the project has been a real success, all be it an expensive one. the transformation from a sullen looking rust bucket to a pristine show winner has got to give you something to smile about. so far the engine hasn’t blown up and the r5 is ticking over rather nicely. it still retains its old skool appeal though now it’s got an extra dimension which is both unique and of the moment. |
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