RE: PH Heroes: Peugeot 205 GTI 1.9
Discussion
300bhp/ton said:
I guess my issue is I'm not overly keen in them stylistically.
Packaging wise they are brilliant. You can carry 4 adults in one no problem, the ergonomics were good for me despite little in the way of adjustment and you can fit loads of stuff in them with the rear seat down all in a relatively small footprint. As I value function as much as form I'm a big fan of their design as it's just a brilliant bit of car manufacturing.I WILL have another one. In white. With a rebuilt Mi16. I sorely, sorely miss my old one :
Half stripped, Mi16, 1.6 box with Mi final drive. My god did it feel and make me feel alive
Yeah so it went through 3 engines and 2 wiring looms but that's half the charm
Had a couple of lemons in my time too. That elusive perfect white one is out there though, if i have to build it or not.
Half stripped, Mi16, 1.6 box with Mi final drive. My god did it feel and make me feel alive
Yeah so it went through 3 engines and 2 wiring looms but that's half the charm
Had a couple of lemons in my time too. That elusive perfect white one is out there though, if i have to build it or not.
Edited by OlberJ on Tuesday 29th March 17:21
Best car for the money ever, loved em both 1.6 and 1.9 gti's. Far more reliable than the clio's day to day. Still got a diesel as a runaround/dog car and its great, the lack of power means you have to work at it but this can add to the fun, i have a choice between bmw jazz or 205 and the 205 does the most miles
I still remember the first one I drove nearly twenty years ago it was a gunmetal grey 1.9 that was only 4 years old but had done over 100,000 miles with its one owner - a farmer - and it had been driven mercilessly over rough farm tracks. By the look of it the thing had never been washed or cleaned inside during its life and must have been used to carry straw bales judging by how much hay was in the back – unfortunately it drove like a hyper-active bag of spanners that was about to self-destruct so we didn’t buy that one. But even after driving such a tired sorry example I was hooked and I knew I had to have one.
Since then have had a few including both the 1.6 and 1.9 road cars, a 1.9 Gti Gentry auto (not a real Gti was soft and slow) and have competed in 1.6 models in Rallycross, Stockhatch and ran a trackday 1.9 Gti (and once rallied a 205 Gti with a 1.9 turbo diesel engine but that’s another story).
These are amazing little cars to drive on a twisty road such good fun. The 1.9 for its immediate throttle response whatever gear you are in. The 1.6 for its purity of handling, ok its not as quick as the 1.9 but somehow handled even sweeter with the smaller wheels/tyres and the 1.6 feels more revvy.
You read a lot about them having lift off oversteer, they do, but it’s no big problem. In Rallycross our spec was not that far off the standard production spec 1.6 and yet they are a more than capable Rallycross car which just shows what a good little car they were out the box if they can cope with that sort of treatment! A good one is still great fun on the road today which just shows you don’t need a 200 bhp turbo charged hot hatch to have fun.
Interesting reading those magazine hot hatch tests because I’ve owned most of the ones that come up in those lists eg the Williams (which usually wins King of The Hot Hatches). I had a Williams 3 which was certainly a more capable car than the 205 1.9 and I can see why it wins the title due to its better grip, handling and with 150 bhp from its 2.0 engine its much quicker - But I don’t look back on the Clio in the same was as I do the 205’s – the 205 Gti has something special. The Williams, well it was just a very, very good Clio but I wouldn’t want another one.
Good excuse to put some pics of some of mine
Since then have had a few including both the 1.6 and 1.9 road cars, a 1.9 Gti Gentry auto (not a real Gti was soft and slow) and have competed in 1.6 models in Rallycross, Stockhatch and ran a trackday 1.9 Gti (and once rallied a 205 Gti with a 1.9 turbo diesel engine but that’s another story).
These are amazing little cars to drive on a twisty road such good fun. The 1.9 for its immediate throttle response whatever gear you are in. The 1.6 for its purity of handling, ok its not as quick as the 1.9 but somehow handled even sweeter with the smaller wheels/tyres and the 1.6 feels more revvy.
You read a lot about them having lift off oversteer, they do, but it’s no big problem. In Rallycross our spec was not that far off the standard production spec 1.6 and yet they are a more than capable Rallycross car which just shows what a good little car they were out the box if they can cope with that sort of treatment! A good one is still great fun on the road today which just shows you don’t need a 200 bhp turbo charged hot hatch to have fun.
Interesting reading those magazine hot hatch tests because I’ve owned most of the ones that come up in those lists eg the Williams (which usually wins King of The Hot Hatches). I had a Williams 3 which was certainly a more capable car than the 205 1.9 and I can see why it wins the title due to its better grip, handling and with 150 bhp from its 2.0 engine its much quicker - But I don’t look back on the Clio in the same was as I do the 205’s – the 205 Gti has something special. The Williams, well it was just a very, very good Clio but I wouldn’t want another one.
Good excuse to put some pics of some of mine
Edited by rallycross on Tuesday 29th March 19:31
Edited by rallycross on Tuesday 29th March 21:02
Have always been a fan of these. I've got a mate who recently switched from his 1.1 106 to a diesel Laguna for practical reasons and he's seriously hankering after one of them. Hell, his personal plate starts T16 
Only ever driven said mate's 106 and it was immense. Wasn't exactly standard but for the power it was pretty nippy and handling wise it was fantastic. Tin worm ended up all but killing it though, could see through the boot floor by the end of it and from memory that was a 2000 car.
Would love a blast in a 205 - this thread seems to prove it's one of those cars any petrolhead needs to drive at some point in their life
Only ever driven said mate's 106 and it was immense. Wasn't exactly standard but for the power it was pretty nippy and handling wise it was fantastic. Tin worm ended up all but killing it though, could see through the boot floor by the end of it and from memory that was a 2000 car.
Would love a blast in a 205 - this thread seems to prove it's one of those cars any petrolhead needs to drive at some point in their life
geeteeaye said:
I wouldn't have liked to be in a crash in one as the panels were wafer thin, but they didn't seem to get crashed much even by boy racers due to the way they stuck to the road, even in the wet.
thats wrong - they got crashed all the time, and they could be quite skittish in the wet.i loved mine (had 4) especially with the mi16 fitted.
309 was a better handling car though, as it was more balanced.
as stated modern tyres do make a considerably difference as you retain the delightful steering, turn in etc etc but the lift off oversteer is somewhat tamed (but still there when you want/need it)
Luke167 said:
Have had a 309 GTI since and a GTI-6, both great cars too but not a patch on the 205! PH Classifieds here I come! :-)
Interesting to hear that, as I've got the GTI-6 penciled in next on the 'to own' list.Adored my 205 GTi but really got on with my 306 - more practical and less snappy
Motorrad said:
300bhp/ton said:
I guess my issue is I'm not overly keen in them stylistically.
Packaging wise they are brilliant. You can carry 4 adults in one no problem, the ergonomics were good for me despite little in the way of adjustment and you can fit loads of stuff in them with the rear seat down all in a relatively small footprint. As I value function as much as form I'm a big fan of their design as it's just a brilliant bit of car manufacturing.
I owned my cherry red one for about 8 years, and the mileage went from 60k to about 110k when I sold it. Utterly amazing car. Every journey was a pure adventure. Owning one of these things is like having a tempestuous lover. Creaming yourself with excitement one minute, doing a 'Basil Fawlty' on it the next!
I think I may have been 21 or 22 when I bought it, and that was going from a Citroen Visa Special! All in all, easily the most exciting car I've owned to date. A scratch I may have to itch again.
I think I may have been 21 or 22 when I bought it, and that was going from a Citroen Visa Special! All in all, easily the most exciting car I've owned to date. A scratch I may have to itch again.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff