RE: Tell me I'm wrong: Peugeot 205 GTI
Discussion
kilauea said:
How come? I drove them back in the day and have one today and I can't think why I would be any better judge than a more recent convert.
There is some benefit to be had from context - that and the fact that if you put someone who's only driven cars from the last 10 years into a 205 they'd probably think the steering lock had seized on 
sandersc74 said:
Well i've never met anyone who would prefer a 1.6 over a 1.9. Why would you want a slower GTi model?
this right here is the nail well and truly hit. at 18 years of age all that mattered was this. there were two versions, one had cooler wheels and a bigger engine (and advertised it on the plastic side trims). total no brainer!!! no one bought a 1.6 version unless their parents intervened. theres no time for discussions on subtleties of chassis feel when you are 18, have a working handbrake and wouldnt have known the difference anyways.ofcourse within a year or two everyone had switched to cosworths anyways and anything with an RS badge on it (escort or fiesta), or indeed a turbo charger by association became far cooler
I had an XS for two years, great car. Then I had a 1.9 gti, F*&king bloody great car. I had to sell as my circumstances changed, but still wanted a hot hatch so with the cash I went for a 1.6 gti,(big difference in insurance.)
I loved it but I missed that extra grunt that made it. Also people go on about the 1.6 having a quicker gearbox. I know it was a closer ratio box but I did not notice much of a difference myself.
I sold the car 12 monthes later as I had seen a black 1.6 non sunroof which I always prefered the look of. I loved it for 6 months but yearned for a 1.9 again, and was always dreading one pulling up next to me in traffic and the driver giving me that friendly but cocky look, (ha ha ha I've got a 1.9 and you have 1.6 and you know deep down mine is better in every way).
I HAVE £1700, ANYONE GOT A HALF DECENT 1.9 FOR SALE, I'M BEING SERIOUS.
I loved it but I missed that extra grunt that made it. Also people go on about the 1.6 having a quicker gearbox. I know it was a closer ratio box but I did not notice much of a difference myself.
I sold the car 12 monthes later as I had seen a black 1.6 non sunroof which I always prefered the look of. I loved it for 6 months but yearned for a 1.9 again, and was always dreading one pulling up next to me in traffic and the driver giving me that friendly but cocky look, (ha ha ha I've got a 1.9 and you have 1.6 and you know deep down mine is better in every way).
I HAVE £1700, ANYONE GOT A HALF DECENT 1.9 FOR SALE, I'M BEING SERIOUS.
Edited by hoban81 on Thursday 24th May 14:04
Edited by hoban81 on Thursday 24th May 21:23
Another vote for the 1.9 had one for my first car two weeks after my 17th birthday!
Luckily only had the back end overtake me once, on a roundabout in Bicester. Facing an oncoming golf estate, not a nice experience but alerted me to lift-off oversteer at an early age.
Bought another a couple of years back to use as a track day car but having a kid got in the way!
Luckily only had the back end overtake me once, on a roundabout in Bicester. Facing an oncoming golf estate, not a nice experience but alerted me to lift-off oversteer at an early age.
Bought another a couple of years back to use as a track day car but having a kid got in the way!
Kermit79 said:
I used to get taken to school in a 309 GTI by a friend's Dad (school run). Driver's door would continuously be flying open, but the upside was that it did allow his Pipe smoke to exit the car more quickly whilst going rather quickly, always left later and arrived early.
As nice as they were, they weren't fantastically well made, at least to the standards we expect today! A friend of mine bought a 309 GTi new in the late 80's. He still has the correspondence (paper based, as it was back then) from Peugeot as he did battle with them to get them to replace a switch that had broken off on the dash after having the car a couple of months!
Motorrad said:
Pah, lift off oversteer is your friend.
Do you remember the days when LSO in a hot hatch was commonplace? I'm not talking about trailing the throttle a little now to tighten a line, but rather the days when hot hatches would commonly 'step out' if you lifted off the throttle? Weight and massive tyres seem to have killed this characteristic in modern cars. Mind you, I remember my mk5 Fiesta Zetec S being quite playful, you could lift off and squeeze back onto the throttle as you went round roundabouts to get the back end moving out to adjust your angle for exiting. Thing seemed more playful then! I suppose that would be considered an 'old' car now, it's certainly got more in common with the old, tinny 205 GTi than it has with a new hot hatch.I did my apprenticeship for Peugeot in the late 80's/early 90's and long to service either a 1.6 or a 1.9 becuase after the service came the test drive!
Always found the 1.9 had terrible torque steer at low speeds around town when you were giving it some but i'd take the 1.9 over the 1.6 any day!
Of course unless the 1.6 was a cheetah conversion which was modded by the main dealer I worked for. Charters of aldershot/charter sport.
Always found the 1.9 had terrible torque steer at low speeds around town when you were giving it some but i'd take the 1.9 over the 1.6 any day!
Of course unless the 1.6 was a cheetah conversion which was modded by the main dealer I worked for. Charters of aldershot/charter sport.
Never drove one new but owned 1.6, 1.9 and mi16.
The 1.9's all seemed to age worse. It was nigh on impossible to find one that didnt feel shaken to bits. The engines were negligably heavier but the rear.discs and leather seats must have added a bit.
The 1.6 kept its taughtness, felt more zingy. I kept the 1.6 longer. Then it got an mi16 which felt more like the 1.6 in behaviour.
Ever had a 16v varient Mr H?
The 1.9's all seemed to age worse. It was nigh on impossible to find one that didnt feel shaken to bits. The engines were negligably heavier but the rear.discs and leather seats must have added a bit.
The 1.6 kept its taughtness, felt more zingy. I kept the 1.6 longer. Then it got an mi16 which felt more like the 1.6 in behaviour.
Ever had a 16v varient Mr H?
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