GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk7 => Topic started by: Yusee on 10 September 2019, 18:28
-
So after a brief hijacking of the "what have you done" thread, just thought I'd post some pics of the 205 GTi I bought last week, as requested by Exonian ( and after I'd worked out how to use postimage)
I bought a 7.5 Performance last December- the first brand new car I have ever bought.
It has been a hugely satisfying ownership experience - a brilliant car in every way- fast, great fun, comfortable, practical and cheap (so far) and has reminded me of why I have always loved hot hatches.
It also brought back memories of my first few years of car ownership- when I owned 2 Peugeot hot hatches.
And now I've bought another one!
Here's a few pics I had on my phone- i'll try and get some pics of the 2 cars together at some point.
(https://i.postimg.cc/SxwFS4BC/4-B4-D17-F0-275-A-4-CB8-8-A5-A-B724-AD0-E436-A.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/Sn7tdBNx)
(https://i.postimg.cc/XqNtHY5S/5-B9-BC43-C-7393-4-F8-D-A279-553946008-F06.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/hzwChgMp)
(https://i.postimg.cc/5NrKW3zR/3-F9-C7-FE3-5894-4941-B5-F1-E2-ADE3-BE0-EAE.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/D8qPq1Br)
And he's the Golf- in moody Isaac Blue-
(https://i.postimg.cc/GhknLtPR/9204-A51-D-F9-E6-487-B-A423-CD9-F183-A3-C68.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/56NRpxkK)
(https://i.postimg.cc/TP59xLmq/A278-CFAD-676-B-4926-974-E-185-E5921-F618.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/7CD7MLKf)
(https://i.postimg.cc/FsGGVQNc/DFE8-AC0-A-4-DDF-4-DC0-84-B8-BBAA91-FC061-A.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/fJtxMp3T)
(https://i.postimg.cc/JnwQzr5w/E2-DAC7-AD-30-ED-4085-8658-9-FC410141862.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/XZ8520Px)
-
Hot hatch heaven indeed :afro: :afro:
Thanks for persevering and posting the photos up.
What a cracking couple of cars and what a choice of which to use each day.
:smiley:
-
Love the 205’s
Considered getting one last year but the cost stopped me.
Would have loved the TCR I have coming to have red carpets like my mates old 205. But maybe I am alone on that :grin:
-
Hot hatch heaven indeed :afro: :afro:
Thanks for persevering and posting the photos up.
What a cracking couple of cars and what a choice of which to use each day.
:smiley:
Many thanks. School runs in the 205 tomorrow- I love the smell of petrol fumes in the morning!
-
Looks great. Remember having a blast in a mate's E reg 1.9 GTI about 20 years ago and the thing was so light, the throttle so responsive. Bet it still feels great and makes the Golf feel a bit heavy and artificial? Wouldn't like to be hit in the side by a Rangie though!
-
Thanks Jim. Yes, it’s still brilliant fun to drive- throttle response is immediate, though it doesn’t feel as quick as I remember, probably because i’ve got used to cars with twice the power!
Been out this morning in it, on some greasy roads- the steering feel is unbelievable- I really had forgotten what proper steering felt like.
The golf does feel artificial- and I think that’s the real attraction of driving an older car- the real mechanical feel of it- but it certainly doesn’t feel heavy, not even after driving the pug. That golf is incredibly agile- that’s 30 years of chassis development I suppose!
-
Looks like a nice example. My very first car that I bought with my own money back in 1996 was a Nova GTE, that I steadily 'modified' before writing it off after not paying attention to where I was going and smashing it into the back of a Vauxhall Carlton (with a tow bar!). :embarrassed:
(https://i.postimg.cc/1zXCkJZ3/50070558-2206958389543875-4445808819861048387-n.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/t10NPdTK)
Then back in 2009 I bought an owned a mint BB 'Valver' as a second car for a couple of years, but I had to sell when I moved to London in 2011 and lost all my garage/storage space.
(https://i.postimg.cc/XJ2TRc3k/IMG-1112.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/7G2s7z55)
I miss both cars, but being brutally honest neither were that engaging to drive compared to modern standards. I think rose tinted nostalgia specs do play a part in all these emotional purchases. :cool:
-
I’m sure nostalgia does play a part, but that’s not the only reason people are interested in older cars.
Modern cars are better in almost every way than older cars- faster, handle better, more efficient, safer.
But more engaging??? No!
Beautiful looking mk2, btw.
-
Few comparison pics, now I know how. Int technology brilliant...
(https://i.postimg.cc/sx7qgHhm/97-D8-E437-F738-448-E-BA79-B819-C9-E2-EBCD.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/n9V0dkT9)
(https://i.postimg.cc/Mp3CLM2m/E8623-B49-2723-482-F-9032-6-AEA6030-EB25.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/XrF1Gvvr)
(https://i.postimg.cc/xCVgcnVz/9-B519-C4-A-A415-43-DE-9-CEC-AC2-F59-CFF99-B.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/mcV7nxDL)
-
Love Isaac Blue on my GTI 7.5
So after a brief hijacking of the "what have you done" thread, just thought I'd post some pics of the 205 GTi I bought last week, as requested by Exonian ( and after I'd worked out how to use postimage)
I bought a 7.5 Performance last December- the first brand new car I have ever bought.
It has been a hugely satisfying ownership experience - a brilliant car in every way- fast, great fun, comfortable, practical and cheap (so far) and has reminded me of why I have always loved hot hatches.
It also brought back memories of my first few years of car ownership- when I owned 2 Peugeot hot hatches.
And now I've bought another one!
Here's a few pics I had on my phone- i'll try and get some pics of the 2 cars together at some point.
(https://i.postimg.cc/SxwFS4BC/4-B4-D17-F0-275-A-4-CB8-8-A5-A-B724-AD0-E436-A.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/Sn7tdBNx)
(https://i.postimg.cc/XqNtHY5S/5-B9-BC43-C-7393-4-F8-D-A279-553946008-F06.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/hzwChgMp)
(https://i.postimg.cc/5NrKW3zR/3-F9-C7-FE3-5894-4941-B5-F1-E2-ADE3-BE0-EAE.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/D8qPq1Br)
And he's the Golf- in moody Isaac Blue-
(https://i.postimg.cc/GhknLtPR/9204-A51-D-F9-E6-487-B-A423-CD9-F183-A3-C68.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/56NRpxkK)
(https://i.postimg.cc/TP59xLmq/A278-CFAD-676-B-4926-974-E-185-E5921-F618.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/7CD7MLKf)
(https://i.postimg.cc/FsGGVQNc/DFE8-AC0-A-4-DDF-4-DC0-84-B8-BBAA91-FC061-A.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/fJtxMp3T)
(https://i.postimg.cc/JnwQzr5w/E2-DAC7-AD-30-ED-4085-8658-9-FC410141862.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/XZ8520Px)
-
Good to see the interior shots too :afro: :smiley:
Nostalgia!
Keep ‘em coming!
-
Wow, that Pug is lovely. There can’t be too many good ones left floating about, especially the 1.9 versions. The best of luck with it.
-
Wow, that Pug is lovely. There can’t be too many good ones left floating about, especially the 1.9 versions. The best of luck with it.
Thanks. They were sold in big numbers back then and quite a few still going, though you have to wait a long time to find a good original 1.9
I do get the impression there are more 205s advertised than mk2 golfs, I suspect many are being brought back from the dead because of the money they’re fetching.
Thanks for your kind comments.
-
... and an old Lancia.
When discussion on another thread turned to “ which car does white van man 👍 “ I thought I’d update this old thread rather than hijack another!
One of the more memorable weekends in the last 6 months was when my brother brought his lancia delta integrale up from down south. We drove that and the 205 back to back on Friday night. We had waited a while to get the 2 together- it was like that blackadder scene when lord flashheart meets his german counterpart ( “ finally the 2 great gentlemen flyers meet “)
(https://i.postimg.cc/qRZqvkbz/492f7cd3-5ca7-4970-8804-892350fa4ac5.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/9RZCxjjh)
My brother had one back in the mid 90s. He had to sell when his work took him abroad. I remember back then he took me out on a drive one day. He took a tight bend at such astonishing speed ( or so I thought at the time) to genuinely frighten me. He said I went quiet for several minutes afterwards. I didn’t want to admit it- but in truth i did nearly sh!t myself.
He bought another one on return to blighty around 10 years ago- the yellow one pictured above.
It’s a great car- though not nearly as enjoyable as my 205- not in my view anyway.
It doesn’t scare me nearly as much now. I think the golf is quicker and corners harder- certainly in dry conditions. I’m sure it would be no match for a TCR.
I’m looking forward to him bringing it up again so we can drive it back to back with the golf.
-
Drove past a 205 1.6 gti just this weekend. So cool. Always wanted one when I was younger and to be honest would still love to have one now as a second car if money wasn’t so strong for them.
Very jealous :smiley:
-
Drove past a 205 1.6 gti just this weekend. So cool. Always wanted one when I was younger and to be honest would still love to have one now as a second car if money wasn’t so strong for them.
Very jealous :smiley:
Do it if you can. I'm not sure they fetch the money they're advertised for- you see many of these cars sat in dealers for months on end.
I paid 8k for a very well looked after 1988 car. No regrets whatsoever.
To use as a second car it makes financial sense. I've done 1500 miles in 6 months- mileage I would otherwise have done in the golf.
I think it has also enhanced my enjoyment of driving the golf- I look forward to driving each car.
Yup, I feel pretty lucky.
-
I can say one thing - I prefer the Pug interior to the Mark 8 :grin:
-
So do i!
(https://i.postimg.cc/ZnxWkQfz/A68231-F1-0100-4-EA2-A07-F-0-C0221-D71340.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/5Qj4Lsds)
(https://i.postimg.cc/HkxVKBXF/BC1563-DF-3-A92-492-F-8248-F3-BE0754-B7-AA.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/mtvL13dS)
-
Hard plastics in the rear!!!
Say it isn't so! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
-
I would have loved the option of red carpets in the TCR :cool:
-
@fredgroves. Well it wouldn’t win any quality awards, even against its contemporaries ( though I still say these cars are absolutely sound mechanically). Design awards it would win- i’d be happy with these seats in a mk8.
@cookiemonster. You could always buy some red carpet mats!
-
Yusee, saw this and thought of you. Two pug garage? :laugh:
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1185303
Looks good and with a nice increase in performance and handling!
-
Yusee, saw this and thought of you. Two pug garage? :laugh:
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1185303
Looks good and with a nice increase in performance and handling!
Yeah, I wouldn't mind a second- one to keep original, one to modify. I could do with better brakes and a suspension refresh tbh.
Nice looking car but I doubt he'll get close to what he's asking
A nice red one on auction through Coys auctioneers last month- 1988 1.9 with around 70k and fully restored. That car was bought at auction for around £19k a few years ago, estimate this time was around £11-13.
I'm interested to see what it fetched.
-
Very nice 205 Lush . I had two also
a grey d plate 1.9 and a J reg white 1.9 I had to sell that due to a job with substantial commuting . Ended up with a 106 diesel :cry:
friend of mine had a intergrale and he traded it for a Toyota people carrier :grin: how I like to remind him of that :rolleyes:
-
Very nice 205 Lush . I had two also
a grey d plate 1.9 and a J reg white 1.9 I had to sell that due to a job with substantial commuting . Ended up with a 106 diesel :cry:
friend of mine had a intergrale and he traded it for a Toyota people carrier :grin: how I like to remind him of that :rolleyes:
Integrale to a people carrier- that's one hell of a swap!
In fact the reason I sold my (first) 205 was because I was going up and down the motorway at the time- went from the smallest car I've owned to the biggest- swapped it for an Alfa 164!
-
PS4s on the golf
Just an update on my ownership experience if anyone's interested.
I've got a fairly well set routine with when I use each car- the golf 4 days a week for work, the Peugeot for pretty much anything else- so my cricket kit stays in the boot and I use it to go to games, and for any other recreational activity.
Occasionaly I have the pleasure of having to decide which to take- generally I prefer the Peugeot because it's more fun more of the time ( the exception is on a route with fast bends where the golf is brilliant). Secondly, unlike the golf, the bodywork isn't pristine, so I'm not too worried where I park ( I will never take the golf to a supermarket).
That changed about 2 weeks ago when I had a brand new set of PS4s on the golf. I was quite happy with the bridgestones- certainly until recent months. I would just slow down in cold and wet conditions, and accept that the tyres were poor for those conditions- but in summer months, in the dry- they were fine.
Changing to PS4s has greatly enhanced my enjoyment of the golf. So much so that , for the first time since I bought the pug, I'm picking the golf over the pug when I have the choice.
Ok, so I can't do a direct comparison- I'm comparing new michelins with worn BSs- but the PS4s stick and pull the car along far better than the BSs ever did. It can be quite exhilarating on a fast A road with some fairly tight bends. Ride is better too. Can't say there's any difference in road noise though.
It's 2 years since I ordered the golf. I wouldn't change anything if I were to order again- great car, love the colour, standard spec gives me everything I need, haven't used dynaudio to its potential ( but I've no regrets about speccing it) and at 28k I'm pretty happy with what I paid for it- looking at price of the slightly better mk8!
-
I'm interested! Sounds a shame for your Pug but good that you are enjoying the GTI. The PS4S I swapped to on my PP from Pirellis were a big improvement, eliminated tramping and better grip in all conditions plus quieter and more comfortable. The Pirellis on my new car are an updated P-Zero and are better than the ones I had before but not as good as the PS4S, I'll wear them out as they aren't bad but it'll be great when I do get to swap them.
-
Thanks Watts. Don’t worry, the pug is equally precious and gets plenty of use.
I would’ve had PS4S if they were available in 18s, but I can’t imagine there would be too much noticeable difference.
There have been some interesting threads on tyres recently, previously I think the PS4 was the default upgrade- so i was always set to get those.
Hope you’re enjoying your TCR
-
I’m certainly interested too. The back stories about cars and their owners are always good reading.
It’s great the the Pug gets so much use and actually good to read that it’s not a totally pampered show worthy example but rather a much more down to earth example that gets out and about and used how it should be.
The PS4S were the only tyres on my shopping list for the Ed40 after being forum brainwashed and I wasn’t disappointed in the slightest. Superb allrounders and would have been #1 item on my list of tyres for the TCR once the front Pirellis hit 3mm. I’m sure the PS4’s are only marginally different to the level you’d be unlikely ever to notice in normal use as compared to the PS4S had they been available in 18” flavour.
In Southern Europe the Bridgestones would probably be fine all year round tyres but the Michelins seem to suit our climate better for year round use. Most of the rest of Europe use winter tyres for a significant part of the year so maybe the Bridgestones are better rated there as pure summer tyres.
It’s reassuring to see the thread title is still 100% apt!
-
It is good to see the 205 being used. I'm too precious about my Golf and it never seems to get taken out. Yet again, I had all good intentions to use it this year, but as per normal, less that 100miles have been added :cry:
-
The PS4S were the only tyres on my shopping list for the Ed40 after being forum brainwashed
Someone should try and get some forum sponsorship.... "GolfGTIforum sponsored by Michelin... but independent apart from that"
-
Thanks both.
@Exonian, one of the things I'm considering is when to do a cosmetic restoration, though what puts me off is precisely what you allude to- once you do that it becomes a show car and you become reluctant to use it properly.
What has slightly surprised me is how usable this car is. I was expecting to have to treat it gently, but I can drive this car pretty hard without worrying that things will go wrong- it feels strong and reliable.
I think to get one in this condition, though, it has to have had an easy life. It's 32 years old, but has effectively only had about 12 years use- the owner had been doing less than 100 miles a year for the last 17 or 18 years.
Interesting thoughts on tyres. I was definitely forum brainwashed into getting PS4s. I have PS3s on the pug and PS4s on the golf- I think I'll stick to these as I have no reason to try anything else.
@dubber36, when I first bought the pug I was a bit precious about it, to the extent that I wouldn't;t take it out in the rain. I soon changed my thoughts. It's such great fun to drive, I get far more pleasure using it than I would from preserving it. It's also a driving experience unlike anything any modern car can give.
As I see it, if I do 3k miles a year I could easily get 10 years enjoyable use out of it without major expense.
Anything can be repaired and restored, so you may as well use it and enjoy it.
-
It is good to see the 205 being used. I'm too precious about my Golf and it never seems to get taken out. Yet again, I had all good intentions to use it this year, but as per normal, less that 100miles have been added :cry:
Any sneaky pics :whistle: mk2 still a hot favourite :cool:
-
That’s such a lovely little motor. Had the pleasure of owning one back in the day and mate had a really nice 5 GT Turbo. I have to say the older I’m getting the more I’m leaning towards older cars as they just have so much more character.
I love the fact that yours is a usable one too as too many are garage queens and so don’t see the light of day let alone an open road.
As for the PS4S’s they are the only tyre I too run on the cars for daily use. They’re just too damn good compared to the competition.
-
Thanks Raj. The older cars involve you in the driving in a way that modern cars can't- though the modern ones drive so much better.
I have to work hard, and be driving well, to keep up in the pug but really that's the fun to it.
-
It is good to see the 205 being used. I'm too precious about my Golf and it never seems to get taken out. Yet again, I had all good intentions to use it this year, but as per normal, less that 100miles have been added :cry:
Any sneaky pics :whistle: mk2 still a hot favourite :cool:
(https://i.ibb.co/VTfxXLm/Green.jpg) (https://ibb.co/NKcrwFS)
-
Thanks Raj. The older cars involve you in the driving in a way that modern cars can't- though the modern ones drive so much better.
I have to work hard, and be driving well, to keep up in the pug but really that's the fun to it.
Definitely agree with that. It's so much easier to drive newer cars with all the tech now on them but the older stuff is more driver focussed to get the best out of them.
-
It is good to see the 205 being used. I'm too precious about my Golf and it never seems to get taken out. Yet again, I had all good intentions to use it this year, but as per normal, less that 100miles have been added :cry:
Any sneaky pics :whistle: mk2 still a hot favourite :cool:
(https://i.ibb.co/VTfxXLm/Green.jpg) (https://ibb.co/NKcrwFS)
Beauty! I can understand why you don’t drive it. Drive it, or it will live longer than you will, and what’s the point in that!
-
I like to think dubber is just storing it for me :whistle:
-
It is good to see the 205 being used. I'm too precious about my Golf and it never seems to get taken out. Yet again, I had all good intentions to use it this year, but as per normal, less that 100miles have been added :cry:
Any sneaky pics :whistle: mk2 still a hot favourite :cool:
WOW 🤩 That has made my day what a beaut :grin: and agree with next poster that car needs enjoying :drool:
(https://i.ibb.co/VTfxXLm/Green.jpg) (https://ibb.co/NKcrwFS)
-
I think that there is a lot to say for older cars.
30 year old cars are a labour of love and really don't suit daily use, but I've just bought a Scirocco for my lad. As he's still 16, I'm making use of it now and again. These sort of cars were desirable when they were new, so although they have been overtaken by 10+ years of modern tech, if they were good then, they are still good now. I'm really enjoying it, and all for the price of a deposit on a new GTI/R.
(https://i.ibb.co/Z1tvGr8/IMG-20200901-145054.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Hp1RByz)
(https://i.ibb.co/QXjjdf2/IMG-20200915-112349.jpg) (https://ibb.co/mSFF8GL)
(https://i.ibb.co/54273T6/IMG-20200915-164117.jpg) (https://ibb.co/tK3d6B4)
Make sense? Or am I missing out by not having the latest radar guided tablet?
-
No doubt the more heavily they are used, they more often you will be fixing and maintaining the older cars.
Against that is the fact that they are much more simple- and as a result cheaper to run and repair.
I had a "start stop system error" sign appear on my Golf this morning, probably a software glitch, possibly a sensor problem. Would I ever get that in the pug. No.
I am not looking forward to having to replace a headlight bulb in the golf. In the pug- piece of pi$$.
The general point though is that it is nice to be able to appreciate the merits of modern cars and older ones.
The golf is so good at what it is designed to do. I still can't believe how supple the ride is for a car that corners flat and hard and changes direction so well. The controls are so easy to use. And it is very fast (for a road car). There's pleasure in the speed itself.
The feelings you get from an older car are so much more intense.
I always put the windows down when I start it up- I love the sound when I first fire it up (the golf sounds crap in comparison).
The throttle feels direct and responds immediately, I know exactly where the clutch bites ( i'm never really sure in the golf!) and you cannot compare the steering feel in these 2 cars- chalk and cheese.
The other hugely satisfying thing about the pug is how appropriate it is for road use. I am frequently frustrated in the golf because conditions- and the ability of the car- don't allow me to drive it the way I would like. less of a problem in the pug- you let it warm up then use the full 130bhp through the gears.
-
I sold my 09 plate Scirocco for my new Golf, only had 35K miles on from new - it was mint and somebody is very lucky to have it now!
I love my Golf, no doubting that and yes - I agree, for a car with such performance, it can also be a very relaxing cruiser. I put my 'Roc at the point between old-school and sensor heavy, computer driven modern cars.
I thought I would hang onto the Roc forever basically, or at least until EV's become completely viable, but it was being left behind in the tech stakes and although I do miss it, I do love my 7.5 GTI!
-
Hi Yusee,
You’re spot on when you talk about 130bhp being more usable, everything on the 205 is just more mechanical and direct....its more of an ‘event’ to drive.
I’ve been lucky to own three of them x1 1.6 and x2 1.9‘s.
The first one (early 90s) got me 8 points within six months of owning it.....I was young and stupid....lessons learnt!
The second one was a 1991 in red from the Peugeot dealership in Coventry at £4995 in the mid 90s, perfect spec and condition, god knows what that would be worth now
The third one was a garage queen and got polished to within a inch of its life and after several ‘discussions’ with my wife it got sold to pay for building work on our then house....I almost cried when the new owner drove it away :cry:
I’m off to search the classifieds :wink:
Enjoy!
-
My first car was a 205 Lacoste special edition. Quite rare back then... something I didn’t know until recently, when I saw one for sale for crazy money. I think there are just a few left now.
I wrote mine off 6-days after passing my test, so really didn’t help their survival :sad:
-
I had 2 both 1.9,s the first was a D reg in silver thrashed it looked after it but all the same had a hard life ,I unfortunately never acquired a Golf GTI then but i really wanted a 16 v but they where to a few k more than a pug ,later i bought another a mint Pug white G plate for 4500 late 90,s but had to part company due to a new job with a 100 mile commute and the hot hatch dream car all went out the window for a 106 diesel
wife had a mint 106 gti and we sold that for a Volvo v40 like you do ! but one to top a friend traded a Intergrale for a Saxo
-
Nice bit of 205 nostalgia, thanks for the interesting contributions!
@DarrenG, back in the 90s they attracted the attention of the police like few other cars. I was stopped in mine more often than any car I can remember. I lived in Manchester at the time- which may partly explain it.
I wonder how many current Golf GTI owners started with 205s rather than previous gen golfs.
-
Plenty i would like to think. part of hot hatch progression
i would love one and have Just been re looking at your pics again superb ! and i love the 205 seat design ,Fantastic if i had some where to put one i would love another dose of 205 fun
-
Thanks Jason. yes, I'm very luck to have bought this car- the interior has been kept remarkably well. Other than some minor wear to the driver's seat bolster, I don't expect these seats would've looked much different when they left the factory.
I agree there is a progression as you get older- quality and refinement come higher up the list of priorities.
Oddly, I don't think I would've bought the 205 had I not bought the golf. In a way it reawakened an interest in hot hatches. I wouldn't mind a 106 rallye actually or a Clio 182 trophy. If only I had the garage space- or could convince the wife to keep the Alhambra outside!
-
Thanks Jason. yes, I'm very luck to have bought this car- the interior has been kept remarkably well. Other than some minor wear to the driver's seat bolster, I don't expect these seats would've looked much different when they left the factory.
Despite being flimsy, they do hold up really well. I had a 1990 405 SRI way back (same 1.9 engine). I bought it with 30,000 miles on it and the dash squeaked and rattled a bit. At 100,000 miles, it hadn't gained any more squeaks and rattles and everything still worked. Now that was a bloody good car.
-
A colleague of mine had a 205 GTI about the same time as I did (around 1990) and he kept it for years and years. Flimsy built for sure but as you say, it didn’t ever seem to get worse! It was actually a paragon of reliability.
I had another colleague who bought a brand new black 309 GTI in about 1988 which you could see daylight through the door seals on (similar to a hired one I had back then)! But again, he kept it years and it never got worse, in fact the paint always had a lovely shine on it.
Lovely Scirocco Simon, a future classic I reckon.
Definitely a car of the age where it has ‘just enough’ tech rather than the current overkill, and the chassis on them is at least as good as anything else for road use.
I’d love a 177 or 184 TDI as a commuter car myself.
On the subject of semi-classics, I heard from an old friend this weekend with an update on my former Ibiza GTI which I kept for years and years.
It eventually got a bit old and needed more TLC than I had time for so my friend tidied it up and sold it to a lad who would give it the life it deserved. It’s even done a few recent track days!
It already had Bilstein/Eibach suspension on it and bigger uprated brakes and wheels from my ownership and now has been restored nicely and in better than ever condition. In fact it’s been joined in his family by another which is being tidied up nicely.
-
Thanks Jason. yes, I'm very luck to have bought this car- the interior has been kept remarkably well. Other than some minor wear to the driver's seat bolster, I don't expect these seats would've looked much different when they left the factory.
I agree there is a progression as you get older- quality and refinement come higher up the list of priorities.
Oddly, I don't think I would've bought the 205 had I not bought the golf. In a way it reawakened an interest in hot hatches. I wouldn't mind a 106 rallye actually or a Clio 182 trophy. If only I had the garage space- or could convince the wife to keep the Alhambra outside!
I had a 106 Rallye back in the late 90's (an s2 - personally I preferred it to the s1 which I test drove before buying the s2 but didn't gel with it). Of all the cars I've owned, it's the one I look back on with the most nostalgia and a desire to own again. It was such a fun car, and definitely lives up to the hype. In some ways it inspired my purchase of the CS40, as after a few years of more grown up cars I wanted a return to a limited edition, hot hatch, that would put a smile on my face. They're even both white, but that's about where the similarities end as the CS40 is about a million times more refined than the 106 Rallye!
-
Interesting that’s the one you want to own again, given your list of previous cars. Why did you not like the s1 out of interest?
They very rarely come to market now.
I think they were the last of the non airbag Peugeot hot hatches, i love the steering wheel and interior.
I wonder if there will ever be a market for more simple stripped out hot hatches, in the way Peugeot did with the 106 and 306 rallye.
I could write a long list of stuff I have in my golf which I don’t particularly need and which adds complexity cost and probably a fair amount of weight too. Ok, the safety stuff has to be there, the world has moved on. But I could lose quite a lot of it.
A golf gti should cost around £24-25k, going on historic prices ( by my reckoning), now £30k plus.
Id be happier with a lighter, more simple car- and an interior with a few basic dials (and one or two knobs)..
(https://i.postimg.cc/dtrcbH59/E29-D5-B43-C799-4257-B26-F-F5-E280-A994-F5.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/QH8z5bGB)
-
That simple GTI actually does exist almost hidden in the brochures, you can still buy a Polo GTI stripped of most of the superfluous kit albeit in five door & DSG only.
I doubt many get sold as VW don’t market it well enough.
A special edition semi-stripped out Golf GTI would sell in limited numbers, they could call it a Clubsport!
-
Really? What do they take out?
I would remove adaptive cruise control, heated seats, heated mirrors, everything in the performance monitor, start stop, think blue, everything involved with lighting customisation,, cornering lighting. Probably also automatic wipers.
Would be useful if they removed some of the sound insulation too!
Roughly how much do buyers save over the standard polo?
-
Up GTi?
Great fun, but sadly no longer the bargain it was :sad:
-
The Up Gti has always interested me, though not enough to prefer it over either of my two.
Haven't tried one, but doesn't have the pace or ability of the golf nor the feel or response of an old skool pug.
The Clubsport was more power and revised suspension rather than stripped, as I understand it ( and cost more than the standard cars), as opposed to the old Peugeot Rallyes, which were stripped, lighter and cheaper.
Yeah, you've convinced me- I can't do any better than what I have!
-
The Clubsport was a lighthearted ironic add on suggestion because it cost quite a lot more than a regular GTI but the only weight savings were ambient lighting and front parking sensors (plus foglights).
It was a more driver focussed GTI though even discounting the S version.
The Polo GTI has quite a Spartan spec compared to the Golf GTI and Polo GTI+.
A friend of mine ran one as a company hack for a few months, he said it went really well and did 45mpg easily even driving fairly briskly. Very little weight savings but a bit of wallet saving!
The up! GTI is a bit too slow and wallowy to compete with the big boys. Good fun though.
-
Interesting that’s the one you want to own again, given your list of previous cars. Why did you not like the s1 out of interest?
They very rarely come to market now.
I think they were the last of the non airbag Peugeot hot hatches, i love the steering wheel and interior.
I wonder if there will ever be a market for more simple stripped out hot hatches, in the way Peugeot did with the 106 and 306 rallye.
I could write a long list of stuff I have in my golf which I don’t particularly need and which adds complexity cost and probably a fair amount of weight too. Ok, the safety stuff has to be there, the world has moved on. But I could lose quite a lot of it.
A golf gti should cost around £24-25k, going on historic prices ( by my reckoning), now £30k plus.
Id be happier with a lighter, more simple car- and an interior with a few basic dials (and one or two knobs)..
(https://i.postimg.cc/dtrcbH59/E29-D5-B43-C799-4257-B26-F-F5-E280-A994-F5.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/QH8z5bGB)
I think it was just the lack of torque - as I understand it, you really had to thrash the s1 to get it moving at any pace and to be honest, on a short test drive, the wrong roads (I mainly remember a dual carriageway), and being quite an inexperienced driver at that time, I probably didn't drive it as hard as I should've, to find the rewards. I'm sure I'd appreciate it more nowadays.
There is a market for more simple stripped out hot hatches, it's just very small and niche - hence they are always limited edition and don't always sell very well (think Megane R.26's etc)
-
Yep another ex 205 GTi owner as well. I was a serial Pug hot hatch owner until Peugeot lost interest and stopped making decent hot hatches when the 206 and 307 :sick: came out.
Had a black 205 GT (5 door XS) followed by a white XS, red 1.6 Gti and then went on to 306s with an 8V XSi, lovely cherry red 306 Rallye and finally a Astor Grey GTi 6 - one of the last -a W reg - I did a holiday down to the South of France in the Rallye and swore I'd get a GTI-6 because it had aircon (wuss) - and the air con worked! The best of that lot was definitely the 306 Rallye - prob my favourite car of all - the induction noise at 7250 rpm of the engine was immense (I had no mods on mine).
-
Back in the times before my hair turned Pure Grey and my waistline was still marginally smaller than my chest size I met up with an old mate who had just bought a black 306 GTI-6, I had a black mk4 Golf GTI with Koni suspension and a remap, and I was really impressed with how well the Pug went and how light it felt on its toes.
I seem to remember him saying it had previously had a head gasket failure which was a pricy fix but not an uncommon issue(?)
Huge fun to drive though, no wonder the motoring journos of the time used to rave about them.
-
The cambelt being changed at 3 year or 30k intervals was certainly an known issue with the GTi 6 engine. Peugeot swore blind it was 6 years or 60k, lots of owners didn't want to find out....Wasn't aware of head gasket issues, though.
But yes, they were epic fun to drive - lift off oversteer anyone???
-
Hot hatches are a new thing for me and my two GTIs have been/are great. I did have a MK2 Scirocco GT in white and I hated it. It felt heavy and slow and wasn't particularly comfortable. Part ex'd that for a Lotus, hmm, not sure I advanced much but at least it felt great to drive. But before the Scirocco I had a 1985 Alfa Sprint. I kept that one for as long as I could cope with things falling off, 3 years! I kept it because it was wonderful, only a 1350 so not fast but it felt so alive and zippy, great handling and the engine with it's twin twinchoke Dellortos sounded exciting and raspy. In fairness though to it's reliability, it never actually let me down, it just always had a list of things needing attention :rolleyes:
-
@vapourtee, that's quite a list of classic pugs.
The 205 XS was the first car I wanted to buy, though ended up with a 309xsi.
Yes, Peugeot stopped making good hot hatches after the mid 90s, but then no one did for a while.
The lift off oversteer is a lot more difficult to induce on these modern tyres, certainly not the snap oversteer I can remember back in the day. I remember a couple of anxious moments on motorway slip road bends I knew well.
Fun though it is, in truth that's not how you want a road car to behave. It should be benign on the limit, like the mk7 golf. Or maybe I'm getting old!
Haven't driven the pug for nearly 2 weeks- that's the longest I've not driven it since I bought it. Enjoying the golf on these PS4s too much. That and the terrible weather.
-
I guess building up confidence following all the Pugs I had meant by the time I had the Rallye and GTi 6 I could play with the lift off oversteer on roundabouts etc I was too much of a novice to "play" with the LOOS in the 205s, the were much more twitchy than the 306 TBH.
Anyway, went German after the Pugs, had a series of Audi S3's, the original 8L and then an 8P, and then finally ended up with a Mk5 GTi which was great, definitely when VW got their hot hatch mojo back. Replaced that with a carbon 5 door Mk7 PP, which I replaced 3 weeks ago with a tungsten Silver manual 3 door 7.5 PP. I would upload pics to the new arrivals thread but adding pics on this Forum is the biggest faff I have experienced on any forum! Can you upload from Google pics rather than photobucket/ flickr?
-
Roundabouts were definitely the place to try and learn the car’s handling characteristics. Back in 90s Manchester I can remember some big roundabouts on some deserted roads around the present trafford centre that were good for that.
Not an IT expert so don’t know about the other platforms but you can use postimage to upload pics. You have to register, it’s pretty straightforward.
Would be nice to see your golf, and indeed hear your thoughts on how it compares to your mk5 or even your previous pugs.
-
Yusee, thanks for the tip with Postimages. I have just posted the pics of my new 7.5 PP in the new arrivals thread!
-
no problem. Just seen it. It's a very nice looking car.
-
Came across this interesting short amateur video that reminded me that every great hot hatchback is based around a great hatchback.
205- best small car of its generation. I believe the mk7 golf will be remembered in the same way.
Warning- this is a video about a 25 year old cheap small car. :grin:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1QnJ-Q8_RME