Beginners modding - Peugeot 307
Discussion
ɢoing after an Mɢ Zʀ now, ɴOT a 307 ----------------------
Hiya!
So I will be picking up one of these beauties as my 2nd motor and wanted some suggestions of some basic mods that I can do for the car that are inexpensive.
Here is a list of some suggestions made so far that I plan to work on:
~ gearbox oil
~ short ram intake
~ headlight bulb upgrade
~ pedal set
~ custom seat covers
~ aftermarket exhaust
~ new spark plugs
~ new brake discs + pads
~ tire set
~ aftermarket steering wheel w/ airbag
~ wheel nut
~ engine oil flush/change
I now realise a lot of you are seasoned drivers, that have acquired tastes of cars. To that end, most of you won't think much of my car choice, nor the sort of mods I'm after. I'm not really looking to pick another car, I'm quite set on the idea of a 307.
More importantly, I'm only 21, and I know I will regret spending the money down the line, but that's a mistake I want to make - I don't want to have not had that experience!
Edited by jay44 on Tuesday 10th February 16:45
Edited by jay44 on Wednesday 11th February 03:47
Edited by jay44 on Thursday 19th February 19:37
Harding91 said:
Speaking from experience, if you're doing it to gain experience in playing with cars, dont, buy a cheap s
tter and work on it if you have room, otherwise you'll end up making a perfectly good car worse more than likely.
Otherwise, all the money you'd use modding it, save, and put it towards your next more fun car. Will be worth it
Oh I'm not worried about wrecking the car, I don't expect a penny for resell after I buy it. 100% I'm trying to learn more about cars, but that's the car I'm gonna buy anyway so might aswell play with it. I'm only driving it when I'm here in summer and a month in winter when I'm home from unitter and work on it if you have room, otherwise you'll end up making a perfectly good car worse more than likely.Otherwise, all the money you'd use modding it, save, and put it towards your next more fun car. Will be worth it
Got a lot of people to reply to, so bare with me!
First and foremost: what the actual fk? I've put a lot of time ant thought into deciding that the 307 is the car for me for many reasons, mostly bang-for buck related though - and I'm not interested in people telling me "what I should've done" that isn't the pretext to this thread. I get people bash others on the net, but there is no point saying "oh I wouldn't do this" when no one, to be frank, asked you what you would do.
(rant over)
I am not looking to get a return on the cash I put in. This will be my 2nd car, after letting my '04 hyundai getz go. This car is only intended to last me until Winter 2016/17 at which point I will be in my year in industry and will have saved a large sum of money to go towards a much nicer car - to which I've made another thread and decided on. But that's a chat for a different thread! I will only be driving this car in winter, and when I'm not abroad in summer, so I doubt I'll clock more than 2k miles on it. When buying this car, I expect to get nothing back for resell, so I know full well the mods won't help and my cash is going to waste. I'm not going to be spending hundreds, I'd say my cap will be about £300 for some cheap small mods, maybe £500 it's not fixed, time will tell
REPLIES:
Aesthetically just get Osram bulbs. Your money for other things would be better spent on decent quality tyres and brakes.
Just speaking from a been there, driven a 90bhp hatch for a year, scenario.- love this suggestion for induction kit / air intake! I had only read about cold air intakes before this and didn't know about short ram. As far as I can see, they're cheaper and more ideal. The extra horses I clock from the mod are secondary, I'm after the noise.
I plan on getting the aftermarket steering wheel that has a built in airbag, for the design.
Although I've made a bit of a bad impression from the sort of mods I was initially after, I 100% think brake discs, pads and a new set of tires is a good shout. And seeing as how I like a bit of speed, it's the responsible thing to do, considering. Thank you especially for taking the time to write all of that, I will inquire and read up on what I didn't know from the rest, so time not wasted!
Young petrolhead, excited about his new motor and wants to tweak it a bit?
Most of us have been there, done that and can understand exactly where he's coming from.- ^^^ he gets it. Why would ɪ waste peoples time posting a pointless threadʔ
ɪ'm not going to waste time replying to people with negative st to say, ɪ'm asking for help and advice, no need to be bashed for that because ɪ have a different taste (or lack thereof har har) to you
First and foremost: what the actual f
k? I've put a lot of time ant thought into deciding that the 307 is the car for me for many reasons, mostly bang-for buck related though - and I'm not interested in people telling me "what I should've done" that isn't the pretext to this thread. I get people bash others on the net, but there is no point saying "oh I wouldn't do this" when no one, to be frank, asked you what you would do.(rant over)
I am not looking to get a return on the cash I put in. This will be my 2nd car, after letting my '04 hyundai getz go. This car is only intended to last me until Winter 2016/17 at which point I will be in my year in industry and will have saved a large sum of money to go towards a much nicer car - to which I've made another thread and decided on. But that's a chat for a different thread! I will only be driving this car in winter, and when I'm not abroad in summer, so I doubt I'll clock more than 2k miles on it. When buying this car, I expect to get nothing back for resell, so I know full well the mods won't help and my cash is going to waste. I'm not going to be spending hundreds, I'd say my cap will be about £300 for some cheap small mods, maybe £500 it's not fixed, time will tell
REPLIES:
North3rn Monk3y said:
Sound system - better speakers from halfords etc
Interior - 1/2 leather from a better spec 307 - try eBay
Steering wheel - dont bother. If you remove the airbag it wont go through the MOT.
Noise - as mementioned, consider an induction kit for cheapness. Before getting an exhaust, make sure you are sure. I've known people that have regretted it as a poor cheap system can be very boomy and horrible to drive day to day.
Interior - 1/2 leather from a better spec 307 - try eBay
Steering wheel - dont bother. If you remove the airbag it wont go through the MOT.
Noise - as mementioned, consider an induction kit for cheapness. Before getting an exhaust, make sure you are sure. I've known people that have regretted it as a poor cheap system can be very boomy and horrible to drive day to day.
Oceans said:
jay44 said:
1.4L - 90bhp
If you're after an improvement on noise, just (if you must) get a short ram eBay intake. Don't (IMO) bother with the exhaust.Aesthetically just get Osram bulbs. Your money for other things would be better spent on decent quality tyres and brakes.
Just speaking from a been there, driven a 90bhp hatch for a year, scenario.
I plan on getting the aftermarket steering wheel that has a built in airbag, for the design.
Steven_RW said:
First cars are great fun. I did loads of work on mine and lots of little mods. Some that I look back and cringe about very much, others that I thought were quite worthwhile. Either way I wouldn’t have changed the journey at all. Not everyone on pistonheads thinks similar about such progression through their driving years, so expect a mixed bag of replies. Best advice is not to try and argue with anyone as they will have had more years of experience arguing and it usually gets out of hand.
Anyway, all in all it was a great fun experience tinkering with the car, whether that was from the aspect of learning how to service it properly and why that is important (change your oil, the air filter, the pollen filter, the oil filter, spark plugs, cam belt, aux belt and so on), to carrying out what seemed to be good modifications but in time you learn some were and others were not…
List of mods I did in the first while (to my mk4 escort estate, 1.3 Overhead valve, 59bhp car, which had been smoked in for it’s 90,000mile life)
1. Removed cylinder head and de-coked it, ground in valves, replaced all gaskets, belts and all the servicing items I mentioned above etc. This was a good bit of work, bringing it to fresh and standard and a great way to learn about an engine). Maybe a bit trickier to do on a modern car and maybe note quite so necessary. Either way you learn loads about it. Usually breaking a few items on the way
2. Learn how to clean it inside and out. I had to shampoo the seats and so on as it stank of cigarettes
3. I put VERY low lowering springs on it. This made me think it “looked cool” as it was clearly a bit unusual looking but the standard dampers/shock absorbers, could not handle working with such low springs so they were wrecked in a couple of thousand miles
4. I put a K&N replacement panel filter in the air box (pointless).
5. I messed around with the cold air feed leading to the airfilter. It was an older car so it had a carburettor not fuel injection, so I disconnected the part throttle hot airfeed trying to ensure it got as much cold air as possible (colder air = thicker air = possibly more power). This seemed to go fine till one cold day on the a74 on way down to England the carb iced up and the car lost all power. Amusing learn
6. I replaced the ruined new standard dampers with a proper spax lowering kit with 4 springs and dampers. This was a good mod and the adjustability that came with it, taught me a bit about handling.
7. I stripped the car out completely and added two sparco bucket seats and willans 4 point 3” harnesses. Being strapped down to the car really helped with feeling how the car was moving around and was a great mod. The stripping out added novelty but made the car much louder and colder inside. Amusing but possibly not that clever. The seats were ace though
8. Replaced the standard 13” wheels which had 155 dunlop tyres with 15” 195 yokohama tyres on Compomotive MO wheels. This was a good mod. Probably heavier than the standard wheels by quite some margin but great for looks and some extra traction.
9. I then replaced the standard front brakes with a set of 4 piston calipers and 308mm cross drill n grooved discs on alloy bells. This gave the car loads of strong bite on the brakes and I realised at that point that good brakes were such a confidence booster that really helped you make faster progress. As of that day, I always like having really good brakes and if the car needs modifying in that dept, I go for it. In some cases you need to also upgrade the rear brakes to keep the balance of the braking sensible. Sometimes you can make adjustments to the standard system that add some compensation for extra strong front brakes
10. Amusingly the lack of bhp with that engine and the lack of worthwhile modifications (it was based on the 1.1l engine so really not worth any modifying at all) meant I started getting more extreme with the weight reduction. I recall cross drilling the window winding handles and laughing at the time about how bad and pointless a modification that was and I still agree.
11. Adding better speakers In the standard location added a slightly richer sound to the stereo and well worth doing
I am not sure if you will take anything away from the above post, however, to try and sum up… you can attempt to learn from other peoples mistakes when it comes to cars, however, half the fun is getting involved yourself, making your own decisions, not letting others point of view force you to conform to their version of what is sensible and just enjoy the experience. Most of us look back at our first cars and even with all the heartache and nightmares they gave, we remember the fond memories of learning about our passion for cars that remains with us to this day.
Get in there and give it ago. Stay safe and good luck.
Steven_RW
- solid post mate. Yeah I want to make mistakes, otherwise how will I learn? I want to put money into the car and later learn 'this' was a mistake or 'that' was a mistake. For point 4) I wanted to get a short ram intake (suggested by another user above) after googling them, they can be relatively inexpensive compared to a cold air intake. Definitely liking the idea of a small sound system, and the brakes and tires.Anyway, all in all it was a great fun experience tinkering with the car, whether that was from the aspect of learning how to service it properly and why that is important (change your oil, the air filter, the pollen filter, the oil filter, spark plugs, cam belt, aux belt and so on), to carrying out what seemed to be good modifications but in time you learn some were and others were not…
List of mods I did in the first while (to my mk4 escort estate, 1.3 Overhead valve, 59bhp car, which had been smoked in for it’s 90,000mile life)
1. Removed cylinder head and de-coked it, ground in valves, replaced all gaskets, belts and all the servicing items I mentioned above etc. This was a good bit of work, bringing it to fresh and standard and a great way to learn about an engine). Maybe a bit trickier to do on a modern car and maybe note quite so necessary. Either way you learn loads about it. Usually breaking a few items on the way
2. Learn how to clean it inside and out. I had to shampoo the seats and so on as it stank of cigarettes
3. I put VERY low lowering springs on it. This made me think it “looked cool” as it was clearly a bit unusual looking but the standard dampers/shock absorbers, could not handle working with such low springs so they were wrecked in a couple of thousand miles
4. I put a K&N replacement panel filter in the air box (pointless).
5. I messed around with the cold air feed leading to the airfilter. It was an older car so it had a carburettor not fuel injection, so I disconnected the part throttle hot airfeed trying to ensure it got as much cold air as possible (colder air = thicker air = possibly more power). This seemed to go fine till one cold day on the a74 on way down to England the carb iced up and the car lost all power. Amusing learn
6. I replaced the ruined new standard dampers with a proper spax lowering kit with 4 springs and dampers. This was a good mod and the adjustability that came with it, taught me a bit about handling.
7. I stripped the car out completely and added two sparco bucket seats and willans 4 point 3” harnesses. Being strapped down to the car really helped with feeling how the car was moving around and was a great mod. The stripping out added novelty but made the car much louder and colder inside. Amusing but possibly not that clever. The seats were ace though
8. Replaced the standard 13” wheels which had 155 dunlop tyres with 15” 195 yokohama tyres on Compomotive MO wheels. This was a good mod. Probably heavier than the standard wheels by quite some margin but great for looks and some extra traction.
9. I then replaced the standard front brakes with a set of 4 piston calipers and 308mm cross drill n grooved discs on alloy bells. This gave the car loads of strong bite on the brakes and I realised at that point that good brakes were such a confidence booster that really helped you make faster progress. As of that day, I always like having really good brakes and if the car needs modifying in that dept, I go for it. In some cases you need to also upgrade the rear brakes to keep the balance of the braking sensible. Sometimes you can make adjustments to the standard system that add some compensation for extra strong front brakes
10. Amusingly the lack of bhp with that engine and the lack of worthwhile modifications (it was based on the 1.1l engine so really not worth any modifying at all) meant I started getting more extreme with the weight reduction. I recall cross drilling the window winding handles and laughing at the time about how bad and pointless a modification that was and I still agree.
11. Adding better speakers In the standard location added a slightly richer sound to the stereo and well worth doing
I am not sure if you will take anything away from the above post, however, to try and sum up… you can attempt to learn from other peoples mistakes when it comes to cars, however, half the fun is getting involved yourself, making your own decisions, not letting others point of view force you to conform to their version of what is sensible and just enjoy the experience. Most of us look back at our first cars and even with all the heartache and nightmares they gave, we remember the fond memories of learning about our passion for cars that remains with us to this day.
Get in there and give it ago. Stay safe and good luck.
Steven_RW
Although I've made a bit of a bad impression from the sort of mods I was initially after, I 100% think brake discs, pads and a new set of tires is a good shout. And seeing as how I like a bit of speed, it's the responsible thing to do, considering. Thank you especially for taking the time to write all of that, I will inquire and read up on what I didn't know from the rest, so time not wasted!
monthefish said:
OP - ignore all of the miserable old gits! 
(except R_U_Local - good advice that. If you can become a better driver, you'll be faster and safer, and it's always good to see an average car driven well, i.e. briskly 'making progress' without affecting other road users).
If you want to modify your car, go and enjoy yourself. You know you won't get the money back, but it's good fun making a car more personal to you.
- So happy someone can see where I'm coming from...(except R_U_Local - good advice that. If you can become a better driver, you'll be faster and safer, and it's always good to see an average car driven well, i.e. briskly 'making progress' without affecting other road users).
If you want to modify your car, go and enjoy yourself. You know you won't get the money back, but it's good fun making a car more personal to you.
wolfy1988 said:
Asking Pistonheads how to modify a 307, is like asking Mumsnet 'How to beat the wife without bruising', its never gonna go your way....
Mansilla said:
If you want to make a 307 stand out, how about making it the absolute best it can be while remaining standard? Make it spotlessly clean, learn to machine polish it so it looks better than new. Fix every even tiny cosmetic fault. Get all the little dents fixed. Get all obsessive about water beading. Get the exhaust tip gleaming. Before long you will be joining Detailing World and having long conversations about the exact products to use.
It would stand out to me, anyway.
- Solid point! I noticed with my last motor, a little care and attention goes a long way. Especially a good scrub and wax. Thank you for reminding meIt would stand out to me, anyway.
TheJimi said:
scarble said:
*sigh*
I hope Op is a troll.
Why?I hope Op is a troll.
Young petrolhead, excited about his new motor and wants to tweak it a bit?
Most of us have been there, done that and can understand exactly where he's coming from.
ɪ'm not going to waste time replying to people with negative s
t to say, ɪ'm asking for help and advice, no need to be bashed for that because ɪ have a different taste (or lack thereof har har) to youVaud said:
jay44 said:
I will only be driving this car in winter, and when I'm not abroad in summer, so I doubt I'll clock more than 2k miles on it. When buying this car, I expect to get nothing back for resell, so I know full well the mods won't help and my cash is going to waste. I'm not going to be spending hundreds, I'd say my cap will be about £300 for some cheap small mods, maybe £500 it's not fixed, time will tell
2k miles. So let's say 50 hrs at 40mph average. So £10 an hour in mods.I wouldn't bother. If it's winter, then a good set of tyres, a service and a decent valet and save your cash; make more back on the car (modding it will cost you more in insurance and reduced resale)
What mods could give you £10 an hour of pleasure on a 1.4 4pot?
I'm not knocking mods, just your man maths. Save it for a car you will do decent mileage in and get the benefit.
Craikeybaby said:
I was beginning to think the OP was a troll, fair play for coming back.
How did you come to the conclusion that a Peugeot 307 is your best bet? My colleague had one and it was a complete POS, it regularly had electrical issued. So if you want to learn to fix them it is a good choice.
The way I see it is that mods can make sense on a car that you are planning to keep for a long time, but not as much on s temporary car, you will be hit by the cost 3 times, to purchase the parts, on insurance and on resale.
The post about upgrading the nut behind the wheel is a valid one, I'm not saying you're a bad driver, or even that you should join the IAM, something like the Caterham Experience etc would be both fun and improve your driving for when you have your new car.
- I like the shape of the hatchback, probably the most important factor for me when choosing a car: if I like the way it looks. As for the rest; it was a 85+bhp motor with leg room and 5doors. That's it. Parts are easy enough to get hold of and there wasn't really much more to it than that.How did you come to the conclusion that a Peugeot 307 is your best bet? My colleague had one and it was a complete POS, it regularly had electrical issued. So if you want to learn to fix them it is a good choice.
The way I see it is that mods can make sense on a car that you are planning to keep for a long time, but not as much on s temporary car, you will be hit by the cost 3 times, to purchase the parts, on insurance and on resale.
The post about upgrading the nut behind the wheel is a valid one, I'm not saying you're a bad driver, or even that you should join the IAM, something like the Caterham Experience etc would be both fun and improve your driving for when you have your new car.
I'm doing the mods because I want to, not because it makes sense. As for the wheel nut: how can one nut make a difference, and how much so?
thatdude said:
One thing I recommend is servicing the calipers properly and trying some differant brake pads.
For the calipers, pump the piston(s?) out until clean shiny metal is showing. Clean everything off with brake cleaner, get it all nice and clean, then smear around some red-rubber grease (vegetable-based grease, not petroleum-based grease...petrol-based will swell seals and cause them to fail). Squeeze back in the piston with waterpump pliers, and when you put things back use copper-slip or similar anti-seize compoouond on metal-metal contact surfaces. Such a service will help stop calipers from sticking and seizing (I use this method on my motorbike, where the calipers are quite exposed to weather and elements...since doing it that way ive not had a problem).
Purge through some clean brake fluid, might want a vacum device for sucking through new fluid, makes life easier.
I also recommend changing the gearbox oil; if anything this is nice for the gearbox internals. I changed the oi on my honda civic gearbox...firstly, it was low on volumne (as far as I am aware it was the factory fill) and secondly there was a noticable differance in shifting quality (for the better) with new fluid filled to the correct level.
Might want to think about different tyres (do your research) and potentially differant shocks for an improved ride (also be aware of knackered bushes)
- thank you for the suggestion, like the gearbox part, that sounds like a good shout. The rest sounds a bit too detailed for a car nooby though, but will have a read about it regardless, cheers!For the calipers, pump the piston(s?) out until clean shiny metal is showing. Clean everything off with brake cleaner, get it all nice and clean, then smear around some red-rubber grease (vegetable-based grease, not petroleum-based grease...petrol-based will swell seals and cause them to fail). Squeeze back in the piston with waterpump pliers, and when you put things back use copper-slip or similar anti-seize compoouond on metal-metal contact surfaces. Such a service will help stop calipers from sticking and seizing (I use this method on my motorbike, where the calipers are quite exposed to weather and elements...since doing it that way ive not had a problem).
Purge through some clean brake fluid, might want a vacum device for sucking through new fluid, makes life easier.
I also recommend changing the gearbox oil; if anything this is nice for the gearbox internals. I changed the oi on my honda civic gearbox...firstly, it was low on volumne (as far as I am aware it was the factory fill) and secondly there was a noticable differance in shifting quality (for the better) with new fluid filled to the correct level.
Might want to think about different tyres (do your research) and potentially differant shocks for an improved ride (also be aware of knackered bushes)
KM666 said:
Sounds like a perfect chance to do everything you want to do and experiment a bit dont hold back while you're inclined to mod most stuff is easily reversible anyway. I regret never slamming a car. Yeah its chav and ruins the handling but I always wimped out claiming all sorts to justify lowering springs and mild upgrade shocks. Do the big exhaust and enjoy every second of the shamelessness of it all. I used to love pulling into my old works car park, dodgy wheels, fogs on with illegal coloured half lights pumping hardcore for the full chav factor. For me all it lead to was talking to other guys at work about cars. It was a happy coincidence that most of the guys my age there ran vauxhalls. I've got what I did listed in the my garage section with most stuff priced up in the blog too. Although most of the stuff I did was maintainance and repairs I did get a fair amount of cheap mods done.
-*******Edited by KM666 on Monday 9th February 19:06
- ******
Mr2Mike said:
KM666 said:
I used to love pulling into my old works car park, dodgy wheels, fogs on with illegal coloured half lights pumping hardcore for the full chav factor.
Don't worry, lots of people make themselves look like utter tts when they were younger. You'll grow out of it, hopefully.Yazar said:
OP- Is it to impress the girls in the Friday night cruise at McDonalds?
Honest question as not sure if this is a pimping up the 307 for 'coolness' or for actual mods. If the latter then better suspension to reduce bodyroll would be the first thing, if the former than get your large exhaust and banging stereo.
Either case, drive safely.
I'm gonna disregard the first bit, old man.Honest question as not sure if this is a pimping up the 307 for 'coolness' or for actual mods. If the latter then better suspension to reduce bodyroll would be the first thing, if the former than get your large exhaust and banging stereo.
Either case, drive safely.
The mods aren't for 'coolness' as I said before, this work is for me, not for anyone else. I couldn't care less what others think of the mod ideas I'm after. A mod is a mod to me. Some are more visible, some are performance, some are wiser moves. Yes there's sometimes overlap and many more types that I'm not gonna go into, but at the end of the day - work done on a car by means of changing out a part is a mod. And I have a set of mods I'm after
I really and truly did not expect this thread to be met with such negativity and hostility. Whilst I fully anticipated stupid questions like the previous post and mcdonalds, I expected a good 90% of the posts to be supportive and suggestive.
If you aren't here to help, just leave it out? I get most of the PH community thinks it a s*** idea. Great, you've made your point, don't need to post more about it.
- added to original post for new posters
If you aren't here to help, just leave it out? I get most of the PH community thinks it a s*** idea. Great, you've made your point, don't need to post more about it.
- added to original post for new posters
BritishRacinGrin said:
You have no obligation to give my opinion any credence but this is an open forum for opinions and guess what, you're going to get opinions.
-fair point, I've amended my original post. Was just reacting to the overload of negativity, that's all.Edited by BritishRacinGrin on Tuesday 10th February 05:39
RenOHH said:
Of all the options out there, why a 307?!
You can't polish this turd. Well you can, but it'll still be a turd.
- I really like the design (I'm a very picky person in that sense)You can't polish this turd. Well you can, but it'll still be a turd.
- It's a 1.4 with 85+ bhp (first and previous car was a 1.1 getz, had 65 I think, piece of s***)
- 5 seats, 5 doors and plenty of space
- Cheap insurance
- Parts are cheap enough and easy enough to come by
The rest doesn't really bother me
Bennet said:
Make sure you keep a link to this thread and re-read it in a couple of years' time.
Your OP doesn't make it clear if you've actually bought a 307 yet or not. If there's still any chance of rescuing you from this folly, consider an MG ZR. 1.4, 105 hp. A "+" model will have skirts and 17" wheels. A good car for learning about handling and steering feel and still just about looks good.
I know I'm the noob here, but this made me laugh!Your OP doesn't make it clear if you've actually bought a 307 yet or not. If there's still any chance of rescuing you from this folly, consider an MG ZR. 1.4, 105 hp. A "+" model will have skirts and 17" wheels. A good car for learning about handling and steering feel and still just about looks good.
Edited by Bennet on Tuesday 10th February 09:26
My brother told me to stay well away from MG ZR's and I trust his word blindly. He's very familiar with motors, and for him to say no is enough for me to not even consider. After reading up myself a few months back when it was a considered option, I read up that the car is extremely susceptible to a blown head gasket, which has horrible secondary effects to a motor. I really like the car personally, but I've not heard a good word about them
monthefish said:
RenOHH said:
Of all the options out there, why a 307?!
You can't polish this turd. Well you can, but it'll still be a turd.
May I politely suggest you get a better car yourself before being so rude about others' cars.You can't polish this turd. Well you can, but it'll still be a turd.
Kj159 said:
OP, go for it. If you want to put scoops on the bonnet and 20 inch chrome wheels on your car then do it. You seem not to give a flying toss what others think, and I like that. Whether or not you will regret spending this money is a different matter, cross that bridge when you come to it imo.
I'm with you on wanting to piss about with what others consider a POS, I'm a teenager on his first car. Its a W reg polo with a puny 60hp, but its my pride and joy. I have recently started doing small mods to my car that I'm sure most of the dinosaurs on here would disagree with, but I don't care. If I ever see a slammed 307 covered in bells and whistles, I will make sure to give a toot of my pathetically feminine horn and a wave from my *POS* car. Embrace the petrolhead within!!
Drive safe and good luck
*best car to ever grace this planet with its presence*
(new to forums in general, not sure what POS is?) I'm with you on wanting to piss about with what others consider a POS, I'm a teenager on his first car. Its a W reg polo with a puny 60hp, but its my pride and joy. I have recently started doing small mods to my car that I'm sure most of the dinosaurs on here would disagree with, but I don't care. If I ever see a slammed 307 covered in bells and whistles, I will make sure to give a toot of my pathetically feminine horn and a wave from my *POS* car. Embrace the petrolhead within!!
Drive safe and good luck
*best car to ever grace this planet with its presence*
cheers in general though! it's part of life to look back on
Lots of people to reply to since my last post and will reply to each of you when I have a laptop handy (probably tomorrow), but rest assured I've read it all and taken it on board so thank you all!
Some things that are fresh on my mind from my last post that people have replied to:
Okay I am now seeing that bashing my choice of car has legitimate reason now - due to faults and failures. I wasn't so concerned when it was just a 'senior citizens opinion'. I also know when to admit when I am wrong and when to heed advice and seek help.
There are many people that suggest the ZR.I am really interested to know more about the car! I know head gaskets are a big issue, how can I make sure to buy a solid motor, what should I look for specifically? What should I repair/replace as soon as I buy it?
I'm very open to the suggestion of changing motors, despite what I said earlier (since valid points have been raised,not just independent opinion). MG ZR really catches my eye,and that was always the most important thing to me.
Someone else posted about blindly following my brother? As this was important to me, I thought I'd specify on a personal level, as this is a forum. I trust him without hesitation, without doubt. May not be the most intelligent thing to do from 3rd person, but that's just our relationship
Some things that are fresh on my mind from my last post that people have replied to:
Okay I am now seeing that bashing my choice of car has legitimate reason now - due to faults and failures. I wasn't so concerned when it was just a 'senior citizens opinion'. I also know when to admit when I am wrong and when to heed advice and seek help.
There are many people that suggest the ZR.I am really interested to know more about the car! I know head gaskets are a big issue, how can I make sure to buy a solid motor, what should I look for specifically? What should I repair/replace as soon as I buy it?
I'm very open to the suggestion of changing motors, despite what I said earlier (since valid points have been raised,not just independent opinion). MG ZR really catches my eye,and that was always the most important thing to me.
Someone else posted about blindly following my brother? As this was important to me, I thought I'd specify on a personal level, as this is a forum. I trust him without hesitation, without doubt. May not be the most intelligent thing to do from 3rd person, but that's just our relationship
So I have been without internet for about 2 weeks, or so. Kinda had a house fire and had to move out so I think that warrants a decent excuse to be 'ignoring' this thread!
Long awaited replies:
I'd recommend doing all brakes, discs and pads. Maybe you don't need new discs, but as you say, having done a set you'll know how to change brake discs in the future, so consider that money spent on your "lesson". Maybe even get a kit and rebuild the calipers.
Similarly, a full service on the engine. Cam belt, valve clearances, fluids and filters change. New plugs. Leads and coils if these fandangly new modern cars still have 'em.
Find every little niggle and fix it properly. Electric window packs up? Whip that door card off! Odd rattle? Track that fker down!
If you want to lower the car, get and fit some proper coilovers, don't chop the springs like some ape. Oh, and change the bushes while you're at it. In fact, change the bushes anyway.
Can you get a slippy diff for these? Oh, and get proper tyres on it!
These are all things you can learn and then transfer that knowledge to other cars. Also, treat every fault as an opportunity to buy another tool!
Whatever you want to do cosmetically (wheels, stereo, intake system, etc) is up to you but you can't go wrong with getting a good handle on the basics first.
Oh, and have fun!- This post was an absolute pleasure to read!
Firstly, I appreciate how respectful you were; given you disagree with my car of choice, and still continued to pass on quality advice. I like the idea of completely reworking the brakes, discs and pads - as I will be driving stupidly fast, they will (hopefully) be the thing that saves my life.
[Does anyone have an estimate on how much those parts with labour would cost approximately for an MG ZR?]
Yeah I would spring for a LSD, but they cost way too much for the sort of price range of parts I'm after.
Your attitude to fixing things (electric windows point) - like it very much, that's how I plan to treat my future pride and joy!
Is Heineken your favourite beer, and wallpaper paste your favourite food?Is wallpaper paste not your favorite food?! :O
Yeah need to invest in a good set of tools, thanks for the suggestion. The axle stand is a wicked idea, saw the suggestion on a video someone sent me when they were working on a car and hadn't seen one before, just a jack.
Long awaited replies:
BritishRacinGrin said:
A Getz apparently has 65bhp and weighs 1,000kg, so 65bhp/ton.
The 307 has 90 and weighs 1,250kg, so 72bhp/ton.
Taking the example of the MG ZR, 101bhp and 1,135kg- 89bhp/ton.
You will not increase the bhp of the 307 with an exhaust and an induction kit, only the noise.
- yeah it's for the noise, I'm a fan of it. It's nothing to do with whether or not extra horses can be made. I like the relatively slow acceleration time compared to bigger engine cars. It's like all the fun goes away if you get to your target speed in no time at all? For me at least, anywayThe 307 has 90 and weighs 1,250kg, so 72bhp/ton.
Taking the example of the MG ZR, 101bhp and 1,135kg- 89bhp/ton.
You will not increase the bhp of the 307 with an exhaust and an induction kit, only the noise.
crofty1984 said:
jay44 said:
-It's not about the money it will cost p/hr - you're looking at this from completely the wrong angle. It's something I want to do, that is justification enough for me. Who cares if it's a waste, it isn't your money?
Good for you. I have to admit I'm in the "you picked the wrong base car" camp, but that's done now so there you go.I'd recommend doing all brakes, discs and pads. Maybe you don't need new discs, but as you say, having done a set you'll know how to change brake discs in the future, so consider that money spent on your "lesson". Maybe even get a kit and rebuild the calipers.
Similarly, a full service on the engine. Cam belt, valve clearances, fluids and filters change. New plugs. Leads and coils if these fandangly new modern cars still have 'em.
Find every little niggle and fix it properly. Electric window packs up? Whip that door card off! Odd rattle? Track that f
ker down!If you want to lower the car, get and fit some proper coilovers, don't chop the springs like some ape. Oh, and change the bushes while you're at it. In fact, change the bushes anyway.
Can you get a slippy diff for these? Oh, and get proper tyres on it!
These are all things you can learn and then transfer that knowledge to other cars. Also, treat every fault as an opportunity to buy another tool!
Whatever you want to do cosmetically (wheels, stereo, intake system, etc) is up to you but you can't go wrong with getting a good handle on the basics first.
Oh, and have fun!
Firstly, I appreciate how respectful you were; given you disagree with my car of choice, and still continued to pass on quality advice. I like the idea of completely reworking the brakes, discs and pads - as I will be driving stupidly fast, they will (hopefully) be the thing that saves my life.
[Does anyone have an estimate on how much those parts with labour would cost approximately for an MG ZR?]
Yeah I would spring for a LSD, but they cost way too much for the sort of price range of parts I'm after.
Your attitude to fixing things (electric windows point) - like it very much, that's how I plan to treat my future pride and joy!
McFarnsworth said:
jay44 said:
- I really like the design (I'm a very picky person in that sense)
And yet you end up with a 307?Is Heineken your favourite beer, and wallpaper paste your favourite food?
billy939 said:
Get a 306 instead? 
Why not spend the money on an ICE setup? At least then you could take most of it away with you for your next car?
My friend had a 307 1.4 as his first car and traded it in for a Saxo Vtr which was much better, my old Saxo that I sold him though!
Good tyres, Good brakes, Eibach springs, keep it very clean, de-badge it, Osram bulbs, K & N induction?
I personally wouldn't spend too much on it, however that is the list of things I would expect you to go for and not be disappointed with it afterwards
-What is an ICE setup? A quick google didn't provide many answers, but looks like a sound system? Already ordred a K&N filter and Osram nightbreakers Why not spend the money on an ICE setup? At least then you could take most of it away with you for your next car?
My friend had a 307 1.4 as his first car and traded it in for a Saxo Vtr which was much better, my old Saxo that I sold him though!
Good tyres, Good brakes, Eibach springs, keep it very clean, de-badge it, Osram bulbs, K & N induction?
I personally wouldn't spend too much on it, however that is the list of things I would expect you to go for and not be disappointed with it afterwards
pablo said:
I thin kthe issue is the interpretation of the word "modifications", to some its a legacy from a previous generation where the mechanics of the car were more accessible and you would take an existing part and improve it through your own skill and effort such as head porting etc.
-Yeah, I wasn't aware of the difference, but servicing the car is also important to meAphex said:
This first:
https://www.google.co.uk/shopping/product/48626344...
Advice: Never rely solely on a jack, always use an axle stand. People are squishy.
Get on an owners forum and go nuts buying parts, sure you'll lose money but you'll most likely be enjoying yourself.
And as for not expecting the reaction you've got, I can honestly say nearly everyone that read your first post was expecting what happened. Just gotta accept PH is like that.
-Haha this guy ^^https://www.google.co.uk/shopping/product/48626344...
Advice: Never rely solely on a jack, always use an axle stand. People are squishy.
Get on an owners forum and go nuts buying parts, sure you'll lose money but you'll most likely be enjoying yourself.
And as for not expecting the reaction you've got, I can honestly say nearly everyone that read your first post was expecting what happened. Just gotta accept PH is like that.
Yeah need to invest in a good set of tools, thanks for the suggestion. The axle stand is a wicked idea, saw the suggestion on a video someone sent me when they were working on a car and hadn't seen one before, just a jack.
- *
pablo said:
If I recall the vast majority of head gasket failures were on the 1.8 and not the 1.4, the k series was designed as a 1400cc and the failures appeaer to be as a result of the increased bore and stroke. Head gasket change, cylinder head skim and ancillaries etc on an 1800cc ZR will be about £500-600. There is a wealth of info out there on the K series engines as they were in the Elise S1 too.
If you did want a ZR but wanted some increased reliability, You could put a different engine in it, the T-series is a popular conversion and was in various Rovers including the 220 turbo and the 400/600 series and arent known to suffer from head gasket issues.
- An engine replacement is serious money and labour costs when I'm only paying about £1.2k for the motor!.If you did want a ZR but wanted some increased reliability, You could put a different engine in it, the T-series is a popular conversion and was in various Rovers including the 220 turbo and the 400/600 series and arent known to suffer from head gasket issues.
R2T2 said:
The 307 is a bad place to start, if you want to modify a car, go forced induction.
Although not a fan of then, a Golf GTI/Seat Ibiza FR would be a better tuning prospect than a Peugeot because it's turbocharged.
You can remap it, put a bigger intercooler in it, uprate the turbo, fit a Limited Slip Diff, upgrade the diverter valve so it actually sounds like a turbocharged car. (think 90's jap choo!) You can then move on to upgrading the wheels AND tyres, suspension, brakes, exhaust and any other little mods you want to do (Well I would do the brakes and suspension work first, in fact I already have on mine)
Then you'll have a seriously quick, (if done right) sleeper type car that would keep up with the modern day hot hatches.
Total build cost? about 5-6k.
You can do/not do as you wish.
- Please read the above quote too, no point spending that much on parts when the car isn't even a quarter the priceAlthough not a fan of then, a Golf GTI/Seat Ibiza FR would be a better tuning prospect than a Peugeot because it's turbocharged.
You can remap it, put a bigger intercooler in it, uprate the turbo, fit a Limited Slip Diff, upgrade the diverter valve so it actually sounds like a turbocharged car. (think 90's jap choo!) You can then move on to upgrading the wheels AND tyres, suspension, brakes, exhaust and any other little mods you want to do (Well I would do the brakes and suspension work first, in fact I already have on mine)
Then you'll have a seriously quick, (if done right) sleeper type car that would keep up with the modern day hot hatches.
Total build cost? about 5-6k.
You can do/not do as you wish.
dazwalsh said:
Ignore the vast majority of the hate OP, I had a 307 as my first car and its a perfectly good way of getting A-B. It certainly has a reputation of being unreliable but its more niggles than huge bills, and you will have mild temptations of driving into a wall to remove its stupid ugly gurning face, but other than that its not half bad. Inside is pretty nice and still modern enough to not look that dated.
- Don't worry, they don't get to me! Ciid said:
I would choose a Megane Coupé I phase 2. Very nice chassis, engine and looks.
- we have VERY different taste in cars..Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff