1987 Peugeot 309 GTi (that I've not actually seen yet)...
Discussion
Well, I have no pictures yet, but a while ago here on PH they ran a 'spotted' article with a nice shiny looking 309 GTi for sale. Now, a cherry red 309 GTi was my dream car when I was 17. I had a lowly 309 GE with a 1.1 Simca engine making a massive 55 bhp at the time and I often dreamed of owning a full fat GTi in the same colour. Alas, at the time, a lack of cash and being unable to afford the insurance scuppered such dreams.
However, fast forward 15 years and the below article appeared on these very pages. I saw the car, got really excited and agreed to buy it over the phone, unseen, untested and without even haggling...
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Now, some people will tell you this probably isn't the best way to buy a car, especially as I live in Aberdeen and the car is in Devon. I spoke to a friend of mine (a fellow PHer) who lives down near Plymouth and he agreed to meet the owner to collect the car for me.
So in a no way dodgy at all meeting in a car park at Exeter airport (in the dark) the owner turned up to meet my slightly large and scary looking friend who agreed to pay cash for the car there and then. Except he didn't have time to go to the bank to collect the money I'd transferred to him and in a flash of kind hearted trust (or maybe fear) he was put on the phone to me and I ended up doing another transfer directly into the guys bank account online. So the young man handed over the keys, and went home with absolutely no idea if he had actually received any money or not for his car...
The car was taken back to my mates house where it has been used sporadically. I am flying down tomorrow for beers in Plymouth then I plan to leave early Sunday to drive the 600 odd miles back to Aberdeen.
Obviously, the big question is: Will the car make it? I have no idea to be honest. It's had a good going over this week, it runs well, doesn't overheat though there are a few issues which include - a bit of rust here and there, some dings, a stuck passenger door, non working sunroof and cracked driving and fog lights.
I plan to take a few piccies of the journey there and back and if you are interested I will add them here with a little blog to tell the tale.
After all, what is the worst that can happen...?
However, fast forward 15 years and the below article appeared on these very pages. I saw the car, got really excited and agreed to buy it over the phone, unseen, untested and without even haggling...
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Now, some people will tell you this probably isn't the best way to buy a car, especially as I live in Aberdeen and the car is in Devon. I spoke to a friend of mine (a fellow PHer) who lives down near Plymouth and he agreed to meet the owner to collect the car for me.
So in a no way dodgy at all meeting in a car park at Exeter airport (in the dark) the owner turned up to meet my slightly large and scary looking friend who agreed to pay cash for the car there and then. Except he didn't have time to go to the bank to collect the money I'd transferred to him and in a flash of kind hearted trust (or maybe fear) he was put on the phone to me and I ended up doing another transfer directly into the guys bank account online. So the young man handed over the keys, and went home with absolutely no idea if he had actually received any money or not for his car...
The car was taken back to my mates house where it has been used sporadically. I am flying down tomorrow for beers in Plymouth then I plan to leave early Sunday to drive the 600 odd miles back to Aberdeen.
Obviously, the big question is: Will the car make it? I have no idea to be honest. It's had a good going over this week, it runs well, doesn't overheat though there are a few issues which include - a bit of rust here and there, some dings, a stuck passenger door, non working sunroof and cracked driving and fog lights.
I plan to take a few piccies of the journey there and back and if you are interested I will add them here with a little blog to tell the tale.
After all, what is the worst that can happen...?
Matt Bird said:
Good luck! So please to see a Spotted I wrote lead to such a fantastic story, really hope it's a good one. Enjoy your journey, look forward to the updates.
Cheers Matt. I will get to see the car soon, I am pretty excited!I will get round to putting some pictures up soon.
Morning all!
You'll be pleased to hear that it was a completely uneventful drive up.
Friday was cold and miserable in Aberdeen. I had the pleasure of Flybe and got to ride in two Dash 8 Q400s:
The weather was better in Manchester:
And by the time I got to 'Exeter International', it was bright and sunny.
Spent Friday night drinking in Plymouth, it ended up being quite a heavy one and we rolled back in at around 4:30 in the morning. The taxi driver had to stop en route to ask us where we were going as we had both fallen asleep in the car...
Quiet night Saturday and I left Ivybridge at 7:45 yesterday morning. I was a little apprehensive to be honest, but filled up, put some air in the tyres and ended up cruising all the way at .8 to .85 leptons.
Just before I left:
I did a pit stop half way up in Lancaster for some dinner at my folks house. The radio could only pick up Radio 1 for some reason so I thought I would try the cassette player. I went upstairs and dug out one of my boxes to get some, err, decent music...
I pulled out of the drive after a nice Sunday roast, stuck a tape in, and it turns out the original Phillips tape deck is knackered, so it was back to bloody Radio 1...
I got home just after 7pm and the little French hatch didn't miss a beat all the way up.
Mechanically it seems pretty sorted, except for a blowing down pipe and it doesn't like idling when cold. I've also got to fit a new throttle cable or check the return spring on the pedal as it doesn't return smoothly meaning it bounces around in traffic a bit.
To be honest, body work wise it is a bit of a pup. It's going to need a full respray, some new metal in the sill ends and where the tail gate spoiler has rubbed through the paint, it isn't horrific and could be worse. I didn't have time to check under the rear seats, hopefully it will be fine!
The sunroof is completely jammed and it looks like I will have to take it apart to try and fix it and the passenger door will not open at all. Unless I can 'break' into the passenger side to open it the only way to fix it will be to cut into the door car to get to the latch. It looks like the rod from the handle and interior pull handle has come off the lock. Before I damage anything I want to make sure I can get a good set of replacement door cars! Has anybody had this problem?
The interior is also a bit grim, lots of animal hair and the velour looks like it has been scratched at and its very baggy. I'm going to to and source a replacement interior, again, does anybody know of one?
I ended up driving 623 miles and averaged 34 mpg, which now makes the little Pug my most economical car!
So that's it then! It'll be a fun project and once the bodywork (as long as the underneath is OK) and interior are sorted it will look spot on.
I will take some better pictures on a proper camera when I get home, first job tonight is to get the interior out and try and clean it. then tomorrow it will be throttle cable and exhaust...
You'll be pleased to hear that it was a completely uneventful drive up.
Friday was cold and miserable in Aberdeen. I had the pleasure of Flybe and got to ride in two Dash 8 Q400s:
The weather was better in Manchester:
And by the time I got to 'Exeter International', it was bright and sunny.
Spent Friday night drinking in Plymouth, it ended up being quite a heavy one and we rolled back in at around 4:30 in the morning. The taxi driver had to stop en route to ask us where we were going as we had both fallen asleep in the car...
Quiet night Saturday and I left Ivybridge at 7:45 yesterday morning. I was a little apprehensive to be honest, but filled up, put some air in the tyres and ended up cruising all the way at .8 to .85 leptons.
Just before I left:
I did a pit stop half way up in Lancaster for some dinner at my folks house. The radio could only pick up Radio 1 for some reason so I thought I would try the cassette player. I went upstairs and dug out one of my boxes to get some, err, decent music...
I pulled out of the drive after a nice Sunday roast, stuck a tape in, and it turns out the original Phillips tape deck is knackered, so it was back to bloody Radio 1...
I got home just after 7pm and the little French hatch didn't miss a beat all the way up.
Mechanically it seems pretty sorted, except for a blowing down pipe and it doesn't like idling when cold. I've also got to fit a new throttle cable or check the return spring on the pedal as it doesn't return smoothly meaning it bounces around in traffic a bit.
To be honest, body work wise it is a bit of a pup. It's going to need a full respray, some new metal in the sill ends and where the tail gate spoiler has rubbed through the paint, it isn't horrific and could be worse. I didn't have time to check under the rear seats, hopefully it will be fine!
The sunroof is completely jammed and it looks like I will have to take it apart to try and fix it and the passenger door will not open at all. Unless I can 'break' into the passenger side to open it the only way to fix it will be to cut into the door car to get to the latch. It looks like the rod from the handle and interior pull handle has come off the lock. Before I damage anything I want to make sure I can get a good set of replacement door cars! Has anybody had this problem?
The interior is also a bit grim, lots of animal hair and the velour looks like it has been scratched at and its very baggy. I'm going to to and source a replacement interior, again, does anybody know of one?
I ended up driving 623 miles and averaged 34 mpg, which now makes the little Pug my most economical car!
So that's it then! It'll be a fun project and once the bodywork (as long as the underneath is OK) and interior are sorted it will look spot on.
I will take some better pictures on a proper camera when I get home, first job tonight is to get the interior out and try and clean it. then tomorrow it will be throttle cable and exhaust...
petrolsniffer said:
Excellent good to see it was an enjoyable trip and 34mpg isn't bad!
I bet the aston won't be driven now
I've actually put the Aston up for sale! It may seem a bit odd, but it's a beautiful car, fast and makes a wonderful noise, but I just don't like leaving it anywhere, plus a convertible in Aberdeen seems a little pointless. I'll be 'investing' some money from the sale in this little 309.I bet the aston won't be driven now
Yes, I must be mental...
I took a few pics today, mainly to send to the paint place so they can come up with a rough estimate.
The best badge in the world!:
General Pugness:
Bit of an 'entertainment' issue:
It has air horns!:
Almost all of the lights work:
I've already bought some trim for it, I have a new bonnet, doors and O/S/F wing on order. I am hunting for a new interior, a set of vacuum pipes and a full sun roof cartridge.
At least it keeps me out of trouble...
The best badge in the world!:
General Pugness:
Bit of an 'entertainment' issue:
It has air horns!:
Almost all of the lights work:
I've already bought some trim for it, I have a new bonnet, doors and O/S/F wing on order. I am hunting for a new interior, a set of vacuum pipes and a full sun roof cartridge.
At least it keeps me out of trouble...
I haven't updated this thread in a while.
Anyway, I have been busy beavering away and buying parts. I now have a full set of very original driving and fog lamps, a full set of ultra rare Peugeot fog and driving lamp covers. A full vacuum system to fix the sunroof (which due to a cracked vacuum reservoir won't seal properly) and a bunch of interior trim bits to fix some of the broken and aged parts.
I still can't get the passenger door open as I need to get through the door card (which is in fairly good nick). To be honest it has been a real pain in the backside but I am taking the car down to the body shop next week and they will 'break in' and get it open. The passenger door appears to be full of filler anyway so it will be replaced with a nice second and one (along with the bonnet and nearside front wing).
I gave it wash this week too. In the sunshine and if you stand a good distance away and squint, it doesn't look like a bad car!
I can't wait to get it painted and have the wheels refurbished - pictures are on their way...
Anyway, I have been busy beavering away and buying parts. I now have a full set of very original driving and fog lamps, a full set of ultra rare Peugeot fog and driving lamp covers. A full vacuum system to fix the sunroof (which due to a cracked vacuum reservoir won't seal properly) and a bunch of interior trim bits to fix some of the broken and aged parts.
I still can't get the passenger door open as I need to get through the door card (which is in fairly good nick). To be honest it has been a real pain in the backside but I am taking the car down to the body shop next week and they will 'break in' and get it open. The passenger door appears to be full of filler anyway so it will be replaced with a nice second and one (along with the bonnet and nearside front wing).
I gave it wash this week too. In the sunshine and if you stand a good distance away and squint, it doesn't look like a bad car!
I can't wait to get it painted and have the wheels refurbished - pictures are on their way...
Cheers for the kind words, I washed the car the other week and it really improved it! The bright sunshine helped too as it masks all the scars on the bodywork...
Anyway, the car has now gone. I drove it down to the restorers yesterday and it should be finished around March or April time (in time for Spring!). The car is going to be stripped, undergo a full respray, suspension and brake rebuild and have the engine and gearbox inspected and any work carried out as required. I am really excited to be honest!
Greg (the chap I have been dealing with) has promised me regular updates and pictures so I will update as they come through to me.
Some pictures of the washed car.
The damaged wing stands out lovely.
It doesn't actually look that bad in this picture!
A very eighties drive!
Anyway, the car has now gone. I drove it down to the restorers yesterday and it should be finished around March or April time (in time for Spring!). The car is going to be stripped, undergo a full respray, suspension and brake rebuild and have the engine and gearbox inspected and any work carried out as required. I am really excited to be honest!
Greg (the chap I have been dealing with) has promised me regular updates and pictures so I will update as they come through to me.
Some pictures of the washed car.
The damaged wing stands out lovely.
It doesn't actually look that bad in this picture!
A very eighties drive!
C. Grimsley said:
Could I ask the sort of money it will cost to have it restored or freshened up?
Carl
Hi Carl. Honestly, I'm not sure! I've had a good look underneath and poked around with a screwdriver to make sure there is not serious rot, but until it's taken to bits we won't be 100% certain it isn't hiding anything nasty.Carl
Realistically, it'll be a couple of grand (I hope it isn't much more as the OH will go spare!), hopefully no more than three once the engine and suspension have been sorted.
I'll let you know when I get the bill!
miniman said:
If you get the numberplates remade (looks like they could do with it) do make sure to get the old font
Very jealous. I think I'd want a phase 2 for the rather less horrid interior. My phase 1 SRi was delightful beige velour and beige plastic
I've already been looking for some old style plates!Very jealous. I think I'd want a phase 2 for the rather less horrid interior. My phase 1 SRi was delightful beige velour and beige plastic
I have to agree, the later cars had a less 'plastic' dash, but there seems to be so few of the early cars around (and this one is a fairly early car) that I just had to save it!
Winnit said:
The Pug's lovely and all but that Merc is something else!!! Any more pictures of it?
Cheers Winnit, I love the Merc! It is actually my daily driver and is currently filthy. I need to get it washed and polished again this weekend. There are a few pictures and some info on it on this thread:http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
rossub said:
bob1179 said:
rossub said:
Was that Merc parked at ARI a few times in the Summer/Autumn?
I spotted a mint one that looked exactly like that. Really noticably special
Yep, that was probably me! I've been there quite a few times since September.I spotted a mint one that looked exactly like that. Really noticably special
It's been a while since I updated this thread.
The car is now being worked on, Greg (the chap at the bodyshop) called me up today to say that things are moving along. The body is actually fairly solid however the sill end one one side needs cutting out and replacing and there are some issues around the front panel.
They have had to modify the wing that came with the car as this was for a later model as the indicator hole was in the wrong place, they also finally got the passenger door open, this was down to a broken mechanism.
All the glass is out and the car is being taken back to bare metal in most areas. The rear beam is going to be rebuilt and we are looking for a new interior as the one I have is quite baggy. Then it will be onto the the engine, overhauling the head and giving it a full health check to make sure everything is OK and also look at the crappy idle.
Anyway, some piccies:
The car is now being worked on, Greg (the chap at the bodyshop) called me up today to say that things are moving along. The body is actually fairly solid however the sill end one one side needs cutting out and replacing and there are some issues around the front panel.
They have had to modify the wing that came with the car as this was for a later model as the indicator hole was in the wrong place, they also finally got the passenger door open, this was down to a broken mechanism.
All the glass is out and the car is being taken back to bare metal in most areas. The rear beam is going to be rebuilt and we are looking for a new interior as the one I have is quite baggy. Then it will be onto the the engine, overhauling the head and giving it a full health check to make sure everything is OK and also look at the crappy idle.
Anyway, some piccies:
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