Pug 205 advice please.
Discussion
Jamiexr2 said:
Hi,hoping to buy a 1.9 GTI soon and was hoping you lot could advise of any specific horrors to look out for, if any?
Specific horrors, no. Horrors, oh yes, lots..... Just about everything really.Look at lots of examples (which isn't easy these days as they get fewer and farther between). Try and find one with the best shell you can. Mechanical stuff is mostly straightforward to put right. look out for rot in the inner front arches, behind the headlight areas, back of the engine bay below the master cylinder, lift up the back seats check for rust under there and lastly, the rear quarter panels have a habit of trapping water and rotting out too.
Rear suspension is pricey to fix (torsion bar beam set ups mostly well worn by now) Injection system can be finickety to get right, smokey engine could indicate worn bores or valve guides.
You'd do as well to have a look at http://www.205gtidrivers.com/ and the forum from there. There's a huge amount of knowledge on there, although you may struggle to register for the forum.
Stick with it though....I love mine to bits, rattly old money-swallowing heap that it is!
Jamiexr2 said:
Hi,hoping to buy a 1.9 GTI soon and was hoping you lot could advise of any specific horrors to look out for, if any?
As above really, check out the 205 GTI drivers forum, it's got heaps of info and lots of people on there ready to help.Main thing is to get on with a good shell as everything else is pretty simple - the rest of it really depends on what your plans are, but expect to spend a lot of time and money keeping it running - but when it is running expect a big grin on your face - until it goes bang again!
buy on condition not engine size for god's sake, there's only 15bhp in it! many would argue the 1.6 is more fun anyway. I went for a very good condition 1.6 and certainly don't regret it!
take your time, there are hundreds of heaps out there.
rust: they're quite good actually, reg nos' F,G,H tend to be the best for some reason. look at the base of the C pillar, rear boot floor underneath and the front wings.
it's safe to assume most rear beams are screwed by now, unless the one you are looking at has been properly refurbed (i'd insist on picture personally). Avoid any with any camber on the back as they will be properly gone, give them a good bounce to check for binding, if you do these checks then you can be sure that the beam will last a while anyway.
everything else is standard 'buying old car' stuff...worn bushes, check the engine (make sure you can start it from stone cold...they hunt around a bit when cold but are generally OK when warm), check the suspension etc etc.
oh yeah, and go on 205gtidrivers.com and have a good read.
take your time, there are hundreds of heaps out there.
rust: they're quite good actually, reg nos' F,G,H tend to be the best for some reason. look at the base of the C pillar, rear boot floor underneath and the front wings.
it's safe to assume most rear beams are screwed by now, unless the one you are looking at has been properly refurbed (i'd insist on picture personally). Avoid any with any camber on the back as they will be properly gone, give them a good bounce to check for binding, if you do these checks then you can be sure that the beam will last a while anyway.
everything else is standard 'buying old car' stuff...worn bushes, check the engine (make sure you can start it from stone cold...they hunt around a bit when cold but are generally OK when warm), check the suspension etc etc.
oh yeah, and go on 205gtidrivers.com and have a good read.
davey sprocket said:
Rear suspension is pricey to fix
I beg to differ. I've just had my entire rear suspension replaced, refurbed beam with brand new bearings and seals, 306 Rallye shocks, new mounts - £250 for the beam, £30 for the shocks...when fitting I opted to get new rear discs and pads as well, and new handbrake cables - total cost of £480.I am always pleasantly surprised by the price of parts for my 205. When I first bought the car 5 years ago it needed an entire brake overhaul. I went for loads of upgrades like Mintex 1144 pads all round, a 406 master cylinder, braided lines, grooved and vented discs etc. and the total cost including fitting was a whisker over £400. Amazing value in my opinion.
I guess stuff does go wrong with them, but it's quite cheap to fix. Bodywork is the major headache as it's so thin, easier to replace the panel than fix a dent...
HereBeMonsters said:
davey sprocket said:
Rear suspension is pricey to fix
I beg to differ. I've just had my entire rear suspension replaced, refurbed beam with brand new bearings and seals, 306 Rallye shocks, new mounts - £250 for the beam, £30 for the shocks...when fitting I opted to get new rear discs and pads as well, and new handbrake cables - total cost of £480.I am always pleasantly surprised by the price of parts for my 205. When I first bought the car 5 years ago it needed an entire brake overhaul. I went for loads of upgrades like Mintex 1144 pads all round, a 406 master cylinder, braided lines, grooved and vented discs etc. and the total cost including fitting was a whisker over £400. Amazing value in my opinion.
I guess stuff does go wrong with them, but it's quite cheap to fix. Bodywork is the major headache as it's so thin, easier to replace the panel than fix a dent...
HereBeMonsters said:
If you discount the brake parts and fitting it comes in at under £400 for an entire rear suspension replacement. Hardly pricey!
It is when you consider the price of the car and the price of other parts! But yes, in the greater scheme of things it's cheap.Bodywork is expensive to fix, mechanicals are cheap and easy. So always look for the straightest, most rust free shell as a starting point.
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