Having suggested a Pug 205 1.9 GTi to Emily in another thread it got me thinkin gthat I could get one of these for SWMBO to use while I have the Z.

Given that most of them have a good 80k on the clock these days, wat are they like for mechanicaly reliability/leaks/rust etc?

My Mum had a 1.6 non-GTi when I learnt to drive and whilst I dont remember much about it she still says its the most fun car she's ever had (the rest have been new Mini and Corsa)

The Autotrader has a few un-modified examples, one that even claims less than 40k miles :eek: These are all going very cheeply indeed.

So are they a genuine bargain? or well worth avoiding?

Well probably the best hot hatch of the Eighties (Says through clenched teeth)

Typical cack french build quality though! If you do get one, just check that the crack running from the top rear corner of the door frame along the top of the rear window is no longer than 4" if it is walk away!!!!

good cars, and a great fun drive, watch the 1.9 engine though, my friend had this engine in his Citroen BX and it went throught about a hundred head gaskits.......

Is the 1.6 really much slower ?

The 1.6 is the better car. Although you might want the 1.9 rear beam and alloys. Plenty of them about.

Crack on the door is a big one, sunroofs leak, chassis is made from quite thin metal so check shock top mounts as occasionally the shock comes right through the tower.

Engines are pretty much bombproof and the shells are glavanised so very rarely rust unless they have been in an accident.

If you want a 1.9 then the 309 is seriously worth considering too.

Generally cheaper and in better condition and handles slightly better than the 1.9 205

Cant stand the looks of the 309.

Chatting to a guy at work just now he's convinced me that the 1.6 is a better, more reliable car.

I remember my Mum's non GTi had a leaking sunroof I think the passenger seat creaked really badly when empty too.

1.6 is an awesome car, lower it and you have one of the best handling cars available, period.

A nice backbox - I had a jetex, also means it makes a nice noise (probably not as nice as a 350z though!

1 thing to bear in mind is they do go wrong, and in my experience the going wrong happens at 100k, but they are cheapish to fix, good mpg considering you will drive it like a loon and the insurance cant be bad now.

If I had a couple of k hanging about I would have another tomorrow

Rob...

If you want reliable runabout, with a smile on your face go 1.6. If you want to laugh hysterically down B roads, get a 1.9 on throttle bodies, with a 309 gti rear beam and suspension. Helps prevent the snap out oversteer that kills 205's.

The 205 was the best of it's kind at the time, but the handling was definately better on the 309, They are ugly tho Phil, you are not on your own.

£1k should get you something decent - £3k a total minter.

Oh, and avoid the last two model years, as they are not just flimsy, they are really flimsy with bad paint.

The 1.6 GTi is a cracking car, one of the best handling cars on the road.

But, wouldn't want to be in a shunt in a one, any car for that matter, but definitely not a 205. Lightweight build mean it folds like a house of cards.

Also had a weird system of pipework, which seemed twice as long as necessary, under the bonnet.

Had a tendency to cut out when hot at low revs (hard to get tickover) a common fault apparently.

1.6 better than heavy front end 1.9, but not as fast.

1.6 is as fast. Just not in a straight line. But who wants to go straight in a 205.

Pipework in them is def strange.

Never mind the 1.9 on throttle bodies though. 2.1 Skip Brown engine with Twin 45s is the way to go. My mate used to have one of those and it was nuts.

Mi16 brakes are a very good investment and a straight fit.

Phil - your right about the seats. The brackets are crap and eventually the seats rock. Welding a washer onto the bracket should stop it.

Back in my hot hatch days of late 80's, early 90's ( )I had a 205 Gti 1.6 and a 309 Gti 1.9. I also had a mate with a 205 1.9 that I drove a few times.

First of all it will be hard to find any of these nowadays that hasn't been thrashed, pranged or messed about with.

The 1.6 was a great little car. It handled well and had a great engine. When I drove the 1.9 version it was bloody quick (about a second quicker to 60 than the 1.6) but suffered alot from traction probs and torquesteer, the engine felt a bit too powerful for the car.

The early 1.6s were 105 bhp, then 115. The 1.9s were 130 bhp. That may not sound alot by today's standards but remember there was no catalytic converter to strangle it and they were very light cars.

IMHO the 309 Gti was the best of the bunch. Only slightly slower than the 205 1.9 but felt alot more assured and had great handling. I remember one of the car mags awarded it 'chassis of the decade' for FWD cars.

I had one big problem with my 1.9. At just over 50k with FSH and not being thrashed to within an inch of its life it started burning oil big time. New valves, valve guides and piston rings etc. I was told that many of the 1.9 engines had this problem.:(

One final thing - build quality wasn't good, but I think you'll already know that

Get a Mk2 Golf GTI if you want to uses it everyday would be my advice...... I love the 205 GTI but it will breakdown - lots. I got rid of mine about 9 months ago now and although I sort of regret selling it as it was great fun I couldn't help get over the fact that it would breakdown at any opportunity.

One other thing and regardless of the fact that they are meant to be galvanised they 'DO' rot... check out the inner wings in particular, the bootfloor and the seams at the rear quarter panel. Cars made in about 88 / 89 seem to be loads better than later models for some reason.

A mate has one of these, and fitted the 2 litre MI16 engine to it, its what all the pug enthusiasts are doing these days apparently. And that is scarily quick and handles beautifully!

But he is now fed up of the endless jobs he is having to do to repair it every week! things like worn bushes ever couple of months, endless oil leaks, etc etc! My advice, get one for a bit fun as a second car, but dont rely on it everyday!

Get a Mk2 Golf GTI

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

I had a couple of these 205s, an E reg and a H reg. E reg was stock, H reg had twin carbs and a few other mods.

Had problems with both of them, but nothing really major, just annoying stuff like bits falling off. Both of them left me at the side of the road (rad hose split on the E-reg & main electrical connector came loose on the H reg), but in both cases it was a cheap repair (the H reg got fixed by Green Flag at the roadside).

Great car to drive, that 1.9 has lots of torque and they handle really well. Had a 106GTi a few years later which was much more reliable and almost as much fun! I'd suggest a 106 now the 205's are a bit long in the tooth.

If we get one in on part exchange I can buy it for peanuts.

I will let you know.

Thanks!! I look forward to hearing from you

The was a cute little 205 rag top, that is still pending a sale. Badly in need of a service and a new roof. Worth around £35

You mean a 205 CJ ? Not really my thing :gay:

You mean a 205 CJ ? Not really my thing :gay:

Could be a CTi... not quite as ghey.

The last few models of the CTi were a 1.9i rather than a 1.6i and probably have some rarity value nowadays