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Firstly I`d like to start with this:
http://www.midlandcamerasupport.com/...cs/10001/6.jpg
nice.
Secondly, AndyC, RichT and anyone else - I need advice on what to look for when buying a 205 GTI. My wife`s mechanic had got an e-reg 1.9 for sale with a rebuilt engine. Paint work looked nice a swirly but I only saw it in the dark. Anything particular I should be looking for? Any idea on price?
Cheers
Paul
AFAIk the guy that owns that carin the pic is on both the Peugeot websites myself and Andy use.
www.psooc.com and http://forum.205gtidrivers.com/
User name Spikey Richie? and is also for sale!
On to your 1.9 your looking at - great advice on both of the above sites mores o here http://www.205gtidrivers.com/
Things to look at mainly.
Blue smoke on start up, valve stem seals.
Shot rear beam, very common look for inward sitting camber on the rear wheels.
Rust in inner wings, under the battery, in the inner door shuts wher they meet the sills.
Bad cold starting irractic idle. Supplementary air device (SAD) and Air flow meter.
Any accident damge lots of these have been in the hedge - backwards normaly!
Sunroofs cars some times leak or seize closed.
As for price they start at anything from 400 odd quid up. Whats the milegae?
What Rich said - all I`d add is to look for corrosion around the rear quarters, where the sill meets the panel - rear beam will almost certainly need rebuilding if it`s not been done BUT there is a guy on the 205 forum who can refurb them for not much - my 1.9 beam cost me £300.
And don`t buy a black one - absolute sods to keep looking good!
There`s another one for sale there at the moment as it goes - red with a lot of uprated gear but some damage to driver`s side rear 1/4 - £450 from memory.
Have you got an insurance quote? they can be expensive to insure.
front fog lamps always rust,while youre down at the front of the car check the front spoiler around the towing eye its prone to cracking/breaking.
Gear lever gaiter splits after 100k
Check the spare wheel is in the cradle below the rear boot as I know several 205 GTI owners who`ve had there spare nicked.
Front slam panel in engine bay should be black or grey depending which factory it was made in,if its body colour its probably had a ding`
Check for seam sealant at the top of the front wings in the engine bay,again they didnt have this from the factory, if it has its been pranged.
Buy the best one you can afford,I would go for a 1.9 as if you get the1,6 you`ll always be hankering after the more powerful car,look at a few to get a `feel` for them,take a mechanic with you if poss or get an AA or RAC inspection,get a HPI check( this is essential)
I personaly wouldnt buy a modified car unless they were easily reverted mods (no big wheels or carlos fandango bodykits)
Do buy a quickshift for the gearstick when you get one it tranforms the gear change and get a decent (thatcham approved alarm)
I never found insurance on any of my Peugeot Gti`s *that* bad apart from my 309 Goodwood they wouldnt insure me on until I turned 20, and then only TPFT on a limited edition car of 398!
Slam panels also came in a biege/cream colour to.
As for the 1.6/1.9 thing drive both, they are very differnt cars, the 1.9 lazy and torquey but the longer stroke makes it less eager to rev then the nice square 1.6 lump, that loves revs, but needs to be. Some say the 1.6 handles better also, never done enough miles in a nice 1.6 to comment myself. 1.9 brakes are lots better.
As for modified cars yeah stay away from anything that has been altered body wise, look for sleepers with a nice Mi16 under there!
If it`s any help, I was at Silverstone with the 205 last week (driving Porsches, DB7`s etc....) and the 3 instructors there, all pro racing drivers, all said the 1.6 was in their opinion the better driver`s car as it loves to rev - and on a twisty country road, I doubt there`d be a whole lot in it. The 1.9 is better (i.e. less thrashy) at higher revs (i.e. motorway speed) but that IMHO isn`t really the point of these cars anyway.
I think I should have drive in yours Andy!
It`s a deal mate - providing I can have a go in the Clio....
Sounds fair to me!
cheers guys.
Slight typo on my part in my first post, it`s a 1.6! DOH!
Don`t know about mileage but I read up on rear beams recently and was amazed.......
Same arguements go around with Golf GTI`s - 8v vs 16v. I`ve always prefered the 8v as it`s much torquier (sp?).
I`ll let you know what`s it`s like next time.
Cheers
Paul
Paul,
If you want someone to come with you, just shout. Although I`m not exactly a top mechanic I do know what to look out for and I`m local - just let me know if I can help.
Andy
Cheers Andy. The car`s in Devon BTW!
I really am losing the plot, it IS a 1.9! Mileage = 90k and it`s up for £900 in Autotrader this week. Might try and get down there this weekend.......