Peugeot 405 First Car?
Discussion
I've been looking at 2 cars, Focus ST170 and the Leon 225 as the first car I can legally drive. I've always had a real thing for the 405, especially after I missed the chance to buy a mint 1.9 SRI for £1000. The 405 in question is a 1988 1.9GL 8 valve. It's in pretty good condition, needs a bit of cosmetic work and a set of tires, but for the price (£300) I think it's worth it. Insurance on all three is 3K, the same as a Corsa. Should I stick to the ST170/Leon 225 or should I go for the 405? Would especially love to hear from someone who had a pre facelift 405.
I recall spending many hours of my childhood in the early 90's in the garage with my Dad "helping" him repair his 405's. He had a E reg 1.6 GL which got written off in an accident and he replaced it with an F reg 1.6 GR. The latter he had for about 3 years and he forever seemed to be fixing something, usually electrical. I can remember stripping down doors to mend the locks because the thing would unlock itself straight away. The final nail in the coffin was it started burning oil due to piston rings and cracked liners.
I doubt they improved with age.
My other memory of the 405 is being sat in the back and getting showered with glass when the rear screen broke when the wind caught the boot lid.
Post 1993 Dad and I spent much less time in the garage, which coincided with him chopping the 405 in for a Nissan Primera. The most serious fault that ever had in 10 years ownership was it needed a couple of sets of rear drop links.
I'd go for the modern car in your position. I'm not sure the 405 petrols even had PAS, let alone more modern comforts like ABS and air con. Something special like an Mi-16 might be worth a look, but a standard model is just old now. The GL had horrible seat fabric too, the GR had much nicer velour seats.
I doubt they improved with age.
My other memory of the 405 is being sat in the back and getting showered with glass when the rear screen broke when the wind caught the boot lid.
Post 1993 Dad and I spent much less time in the garage, which coincided with him chopping the 405 in for a Nissan Primera. The most serious fault that ever had in 10 years ownership was it needed a couple of sets of rear drop links.
I'd go for the modern car in your position. I'm not sure the 405 petrols even had PAS, let alone more modern comforts like ABS and air con. Something special like an Mi-16 might be worth a look, but a standard model is just old now. The GL had horrible seat fabric too, the GR had much nicer velour seats.
We had a 405 1.9GL on an 'E' plate when I was young. Like the poster above, I have memories of my Dad fixing it on a weekend. It eventually went as it was leaving a blue cloud behind it everywhere it went. Early GL's came without electric windows or central locking (in 1988 these came as standard, and they introduced GE spec as a new bottom of the range model) which is probably a bonus given how often these things went wrong.
One fond memory is of being in the car whilst coming home from holiday, towing the caravan, when my Dad rather alarming exclaimed that the brake pedal had gone to the floor whilst approaching a roundabout on a dual carriageway. Think we spent a good few hours at the side of the road waiting to be recovered.
Nice cars when they were new. Don't see the point in buying one now over something much more modern, though part of me is interested in knowing how well they are holding together at 30 years old.
One fond memory is of being in the car whilst coming home from holiday, towing the caravan, when my Dad rather alarming exclaimed that the brake pedal had gone to the floor whilst approaching a roundabout on a dual carriageway. Think we spent a good few hours at the side of the road waiting to be recovered.
Nice cars when they were new. Don't see the point in buying one now over something much more modern, though part of me is interested in knowing how well they are holding together at 30 years old.
Nothing wrong with 405s at all. And the poster who reckons they weren’t well equipped?! Every early 90s car was pretty much available with air con!
I remember ph2 405s being particularly well equipped, and certainly one of the earliest cars to have RCL as standard along with some renaults.
405s are an old car now, but very very worthy and still some really nice examples about. If that’s what you want then go for it... I certainly would. With old cars it always helps to be handy with the spanners though.
I remember ph2 405s being particularly well equipped, and certainly one of the earliest cars to have RCL as standard along with some renaults.
405s are an old car now, but very very worthy and still some really nice examples about. If that’s what you want then go for it... I certainly would. With old cars it always helps to be handy with the spanners though.
Colonial said:
Mi-16. Yes.
Bog standard? Don't see the appeal to be honest.
This.Bog standard? Don't see the appeal to be honest.
Common-or-garden 405s weren't all that exciting even when they were new. Time has done nothing to make them feel any less ordinary.
The Mi-16 was a cracking motor, however - conceived at a time when Peugeot really did know a thing or two about powerful front drive cars.
SebastienClement said:
Nothing wrong with 405s at all. And the poster who reckons they weren’t well equipped?! Every early 90s car was pretty much available with air con!
OP is talking about a 1988 GL. Certainly no air-con on that model, and depending on build month, may come without electric windows or central locking. Both were certainly missing from my Dad's 1987 1.9 GL.IanCress said:
P is talking about a 1988 GL. Certainly no air-con on that model, and depending on build month, may come without electric windows or central locking. Both were certainly missing from my Dad's 1987 1.9 GL.
Power steering could also be missing on this one... and it's so, so different from the other cars under consideration that I'm surprised insurance is comparable.I had both preface lift and post face lift 405's. An SRi and an Mi16.
The post facelift car felt much more robust inside, but both were superb cars to drive compared the the diet of Fords and Vauxhalls I'd had driven up to then. I think Autocar voted the Mi16 the best handling car of the year once, that is ALL cars, not just saloons. I think you might find there was no real difference in the Chassis between an Mi16 and the cooking models, they were all good.
I would expect that a Car of that age would be more difficult to run than the more recent ones, parts will be more difficult to find for instance, but if you get a good example it will still be a nice thing to own.
Might be an idea to look at 306's too, they drove really well back in the day and are more plentiful than 405's.
The post facelift car felt much more robust inside, but both were superb cars to drive compared the the diet of Fords and Vauxhalls I'd had driven up to then. I think Autocar voted the Mi16 the best handling car of the year once, that is ALL cars, not just saloons. I think you might find there was no real difference in the Chassis between an Mi16 and the cooking models, they were all good.
I would expect that a Car of that age would be more difficult to run than the more recent ones, parts will be more difficult to find for instance, but if you get a good example it will still be a nice thing to own.
Might be an idea to look at 306's too, they drove really well back in the day and are more plentiful than 405's.
Many years ago I had a 1991 405 Mi16 4x4 and a 1989 205GTI 1.9. The 405 was a money pit, and was not particularly exciting to drive, I couldn't wait to get shot of it. No way would I be paying £300 for a basic version now.. Wish I still had my 205 as not only are they worth a fortune, but it was fun to drive, and it was reliable (then). However i would not want it as a daily driver!
So so many better cars out there than a pug 405 if you are paying £3000 for insurance!
So so many better cars out there than a pug 405 if you are paying £3000 for insurance!
Monsterdan said:
Many years ago I had a 1991 405 Mi16 4x4 and a 1989 205GTI 1.9. The 405 was a money pit, and was not particularly exciting to drive, I couldn't wait to get shot of it. No way would I be paying £300 for a basic version now.. Wish I still had my 205 as not only are they worth a fortune, but it was fun to drive, and it was reliable (then). However i would not want it as a daily driver!
So so many better cars out there than a pug 405 if you are paying £3000 for insurance!
I had the chance to buy a mint 309 GTI a year ago, regret not doing it. Saw the same car up a few months ago for £6500. So so many better cars out there than a pug 405 if you are paying £3000 for insurance!
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