RE: Tell me I'm wrong: Peugeot 205 GTI

[Kettmark]

I did about 300 miles in mine last year too! I've owned 5 205 GTI's + a 309 GTI over the past 22 years. The fact that 4 of the 5 205's were 1.6's & the 1 I've kept since 1996 is a 1.9 tells everyone here all you need to know..

[_dobbo_]

bungle said:

Did send you an email a few days ago, but if you didn't get it for any reason then let me know! (I never trust the PM system).

No probs I did get the email - the plan is to get the car out of the garage this weekend, sort out a couple of bits and get some more up to date details/pics sorted - I'll be in touch next week probably.

[HereBeMonsters]

one-point-nine said:

I've had over 10 205 GTIs in the last 16 years. Never owned a 1.6. Only ever a 1.9. Probably says it all for me.

Excuse for a gratuitous shot of my 1FM :-)

The 1FM is the only 205 I would ever swap mine for, barring a mint Euro Rallye, perhaps...

Or a road going T16!

[Bosker]

The GTI 1.9 was a hoot, I remember first time I went past a Cossie, I don't know if I was more surprised than the Cossie driver. Superchip sorted out the lumpy town manners for me and still miss the lift off oversteer

[s m]

HereBeMonsters said:

BT52 said:

I don't actually recall any review at the time claiming that the 1.6 was better or "sweeter".

I don't remember seeing anything recently claiming that either. Everyone I know always wants the 1.9, and I have to convince them that these days a decent 1.6 is a much better buy than a ropey 1.9.

Says the guy who bought a ropey 1.9, and has spent the last 7 years running uphill through treacle to get it nice again.

Here's what Autocar reckoned about the 1.9 in '87

[stewartcampbell]

HighwayStar said:

Appreciated as you've peddle the Uno and a 205 and told it fairly much as it was. Nikolai just rocks up with a one sided statement.
Leading up to getting my 1.9 I had my short list... Uno Turbo, 5 GT Turbo, XR2i... The ford fell by the wayside pretty quickly. The Fiat was more fragile than the Pug. The 5 was lovely but as Performance Car put it was a car to have access to but not to own and stalled when hot because the fuel vapourised in the card or something like that. Wonderful drive though but the 1.9 was a beast with a touch of class. No it wasn't built like a VW but not many cared, they outsold golfs all day long!
Incidentally the rally world were upset with Peugeot because the 205 T16 was a purpose built rally car, then turned into a road car. The others picked the most suitable car from the range and the motorsport department did the rest.

Edited by HighwayStar on Thursday 24th May 23:42

As far as i was aware the rs200 was the only purpose built rally car then turned into a road car, the peugeot t16 and lancia s4 were both built from the ground up as rally cars but they still were loosely based on the road cars where as the rs200 was a rally car first and a road car second.

[Guy R Baker]

Owned both when new, and 1.9 was - without question - the better car. In my all-time top ten drives.
Shame about the interior trim build quality though!

[r1ch]

Guy R Baker said:

Owned both when new, and 1.9 was - without question - the better car. In my all-time top ten drives.
Shame about the interior trim build quality though!

I think if the 205 GTI had a real solid interior build quality it would lose a bit of its charm.

[edwheels]

I owned a 1.9GTI back in 1993. I also drove a borrowed 1.6GTI a few times. Agree, the 1.9 was bit less forgiving - especially the drivetrain and seemed a bit more temperamental somehow - mine was really fussy on petrol brands - unleaded vs super-unleaded and so on..... but it was a much more exciting car, I loved it! Really that was the whole point of it - the acceleration was incredible. It was a car that you needed time with to master, but all the better for it. On a damp road I seem to remember you could provoke wheelspin in 1st, then 2nd and then 3rd gear when going for it!

Also, the interior was quite nice - if a bit brittle - at the time, electric windows and half leather seemed like sheer luxury.

[drakart]

Chris: are you enjoying my old car at the moment?

[Chris Harris]

drakart said:

Chris: are you enjoying my old car at the moment?

Perhaps...

[RichB]

Back in the day I owned both a 1.6 and then a 1.9 bought from new. Both thoroughly enjoyable but I found the 1.9 more so. Regarding the interior I never found it particularly weak. Indeed I used both cars to transport my mad Irish Setter around and it stood up to him pretty well. I did look after them mind you and cleaned it out most weekends. Certainly the 1.9 is one of the cars I'd have retained in my collection if I could have done at the time...

[drakart]

I love that car. It was such a hard decision to sell it. I'd be happy to show you how to drive it properly

[HighwayStar]

stewartcampbell said:

HighwayStar said:

Appreciated as you've peddle the Uno and a 205 and told it fairly much as it was. Nikolai just rocks up with a one sided statement.
Leading up to getting my 1.9 I had my short list... Uno Turbo, 5 GT Turbo, XR2i... The ford fell by the wayside pretty quickly. The Fiat was more fragile than the Pug. The 5 was lovely but as Performance Car put it was a car to have access to but not to own and stalled when hot because the fuel vapourised in the card or something like that. Wonderful drive though but the 1.9 was a beast with a touch of class. No it wasn't built like a VW but not many cared, they outsold golfs all day long!
Incidentally the rally world were upset with Peugeot because the 205 T16 was a purpose built rally car, then turned into a road car. The others picked the most suitable car from the range and the motorsport department did the rest.

Edited by HighwayStar on Thursday 24th May 23:42

As far as i was aware the rs200 was the only purpose built rally car then turned into a road car, the peugeot t16 and lancia s4 were both built from the ground up as rally cars but they still were loosely based on the road cars where as the rs200 was a rally car first and a road car second.

The 205 didn't exist when the T16 was being developed. 4WD was authorised for rallying in 1979... Audi produced the first rallying winning 4WD car in the the Quattro but it was Peugeot which the first designed from the ground up purpose built sophisticated group B car. Pug set out their strategy in 1981, the 205 arrived in 1983. The T16 took it's first win in '84. Purpose built mid engined rally car first, alonside which the front engine fwd car was developed... Other manufactuers even protested the fact.
I agree the RS200 was purpose built but wasn't the first. The Delta had been around a 3 or 4 years before Lancia turned it into a group B car
http://www.carpages.co.uk/peugeot/peugeot-205-17-1...

[oliboy]

Just purchased a 205 gti 1.9 in sorrento green. One word - Amazing.
Blasting a classic, and what a beauty this little car is. I grew up racing these around a scalextric track as a kid whilst my brother preferred the xr2's & 3's! I'm 31 now and recently relinquished my MK5 Golf Gti at the offer of a company car. What a mistake. 4 years later a home owner and most recently daddy to my beauty baby daughter. 7 mile round trip to work - it had to be done. No regrets, just a smile on my face at every commute. For anyone considering it, do it. First show yesterday and I could have sold her 4 times over. The attention was amazing, this car is legendary, and will appreciate faster than brass in the bank.
@olivert81

[soad]

Hub said:

I'd have the 1.9 for those alloys alone!

Sure look great.

[Kolbenkopp]

oliboy said:

Just purchased a 205 gti 1.9 in sorrento green. One word - Amazing.
@olivert81

They are really are -- congrats! Cheaper to run (negative depreciation ) and more fun than anything available new in that bracket today me thinks.

OTOH, subjective answer to the "Tell me I'm wrong" question: I think usability aside, both 1.6 and 1.9 are wrong. The answer is on page 12 of this thread: 1294 cm3 -- 205 Rallye.

[Pentoman]

oliboy said:

Just purchased a 205 gti 1.9 in sorrento green. One word - Amazing.
Blasting a classic, and what a beauty this little car is. I grew up racing these around a scalextric track as a kid whilst my brother preferred the xr2's & 3's! I'm 31 now and recently relinquished my MK5 Golf Gti at the offer of a company car. What a mistake. 4 years later a home owner and most recently daddy to my beauty baby daughter. 7 mile round trip to work - it had to be done. No regrets, just a smile on my face at every commute. For anyone considering it, do it. First show yesterday and I could have sold her 4 times over. The attention was amazing, this car is legendary, and will appreciate faster than brass in the bank.
@olivert81

Interesting.
Where did you find it and how many did you look at before buying?

[oliboy]

Hi there. it took me a year to find (seen so so many dogs) I also bought The essential 205 GTI Buyers Guide - (Jon Blackburn) Amazingly the car popped up in the next village. I walked there to collect it! I had it on the ramps at the local village garage for an inspection to check over- I'm no expert but i knew what to look for thanks to the buyers guide' These guys only spoke well about it as this is where it had been looked after, and they only had good things to say about it. So it was an opportunity i could'nt really let go. Saw initial add on pistonheads! went down a storm at first showing last weekend, here she is in amingst a few other favourites!

[hman]

I was reminiscing the days of my 1.6 and 1.9 gti's - the steering was def. heavy through fast corners!