My 205 Is Off The Road........again

[hexhamstu 9]

My miami blue had me feeling like that, so I cut it loose. I regret it now.

[maturin23 10]

Sorry Steve - was maybe a bit tactless before Good rant though

 

As I said, it's a bugger. If you need a hand or the use of my car trailer let me know.

[Tom Fenton 1,526]

Drive the c*nting thing up here, get the train back. I'll do the gasket and you can weigh me in once your bonus arrives. But only if you promise to stop fannying about with it and get out there thrashing the knackers off it round some twisty B roads. Deal?

[GLPoomobile 958]

That's a very generous offer Tom. I couldn't possibly consider owing a fellow forum member money, it's just not in my nature. I can of course get the funds right now, that's what overdrafts are for, I'd just rather wait until I actually have the money. However, if you are serious then PM me a quote and I'll think about it. I've already had a quote from Miles and waiting for Dan to reply too, so it's all food for thought.

[DrSarty 90 1 Cars]

Could've done it yourself down on the street by now Steve!

 

 

Lovely to see the forum helping out as usual.

[kyepan 291]

perfect day for it steve...

 

at least you won't loose any objects what with them being dark, and the ground being white.

 

tad chilly though

[maturin23 10]

I remember changing a clutch on a Citroen BX by the side of the road in 4 inches of snow...

 

Getting the fecking bellhousing and attached shafts out through the front wheel arch was like one of those frustrating puzzles that Dads get for Christmas. Getting it back in with frozen and grazed hands was even worse.

[GLPoomobile 958]

My 205 is now down with Miles for investigation.

 

I checked the paperwork for the engine, and it appears to be just under 5 years and about 13000 miles since the MI conversion was done, which included at that time, stripping, inspecting and rebuilding with OE Peugeot parts.

 

Dan Taylor had already told me last year that it could be head corrosion that had caused the gasket to fail, but Miles went and threw another concern in to the mix yesterday - as likely as head corrosion may be, equally it could be block corrosion. And if that's the case, things start getting a little bit expensive I'm trying to be positive about this, but I guess it's best to be prepared for the worst.

 

He should have the head off by Thursday so we'll see how bad it is then. Fingers crossed...

[Paul_13 212 1 Cars]

Took long enough didn't it

 

 

Hope it goes well

Edited June 29, 2010 by Paul_13

[eldoro 0]

the way you describe your water loosing lecage sounds just like the one i had a few months back!

 

I got my car, it was loosing some water, every week or so i kept on filling it, in the end it was loosing ALLOT of water, headgasket was ruind, got it fixed, drove it a little, found out it was still loosing water, then i found out the main couse of my headgasket was a hoze on the termostad house that was leaking.

[GLPoomobile 958]

I spoke to Miles this evening and it's reasonably promising news so far.

 

The good part is that when he took it apart the gasket was in good condition with no signs of failure, and there is no evidence of any corrosion to the head or the block. The downside is that now it's a bit of a mystery as to why it was pissing out water. So he's sending the head off to get pressure tested and we'll go from there.

 

As an aside, I told Miles before that I was very curious to hear what he unearths on this engine, and sure enough he has turned up more dubious work done by the so called specialists who did the engine conversion. This means that at some point in the near future I'm going to have to get the beam looked at before it's too late, since they alledgedly rebuilt that too.

[GLPoomobile 958]

Update:

 

Head pressure tested OK, but it's not flat (don't know if it's warped, or if not properly skimmed previously). As it's been skimmed quite a lot before, the head needs to come apart to skim it this time.

 

Worse news. The block is not totally flat either and would need to come apart to be skimmed, meaning liners would need to be skimmed too.

 

Going to take a gamble that it'll be OK with just the head skim. Miles thinks it'll be alright, but obviously we won't know until it's done.

 

The future of this car is very much hanging in the balance, and I can see a 850/V70 getting ever closer. I'm afraid this could end up being another sad situation of a 205 being broken due to being worth more in parts than complete.

[maturin23 10]

That's a bummer.

 

I do understand your sacrilegious thoughts, although it would be a shame for you to get rid of the Pug just as you move to away from the Big Smoke to somewhere where it would actually make more sense.

 

I'm finding there's continual tail chasing with mine in an attempt to restore it to a point where I have some confidence that I'll get to where I'm aiming to be. My pug has spent considerable time and I've spent a fair amount of cash with Dan Taylor over the last two years in an attempt to solve the little problems that keep cropping up - each time the car has come back perfect, then after a while the electrical gremlins reappear. I'm now seeing the same starting issues and cooling loom problems coming back that were solved by a lot of new wiring - as if these problems are a result of design issues than any specific fault of mine.

 

I know there a people on here with the time, facilities, skill and motivation to run these cars as daily drivers, but I don't have enough of those attributes to perform the preventative maintenance that these cars need.

 

As a result I'm now using the 7 (what was meant to be my 'second car') as a daily commuter, even though it's raining today. The additional problem is now I've gone back to my RWD roots I'm not sure I find the 205 enjoyable enough as a 'fun' car either.

[kyepan 291]

The future of this car is very much hanging in the balance, and I can see a 850/V70 getting ever closer. I'm afraid this could end up being another sad situation of a 205 being broken due to being worth more in parts than complete.

ask miles how much to source and fit a known good engine or repair yours, balance that against the cost / benifit of the v70.

 

 

or like me buy a second car (mx-5) and take the pressure off. you're probably thinking you'll never get round to fixing it, you will.

 

ian, If we were to liken the ownership of a 205 to a relationship. There are quite a few on here that are polygamists as far as ownership is concerned, they have had 4 or 5, and don't hang around to deal with the big problems, meerly papering over the cracks, enjoing the fun and moving on when the first big problems appear. Then monogamists such as yourself and myself, gpl.. and many others, who devote themselves to one car, and improving it as best they can. we seem to suffer more than those that have just casual relationships...

 

perhaps we just picked the wrong one, and any other number of 205's would provide relatively free motoring.

 

If your motivation to maintain is not driven any more, and you don't have an underlying motivation to tinker, rebuild, or improve. then perhaps it is time to move on to lifes other motoring pleasures..

 

for me ownership is now two fold, firstly it's about building an engine myself. Building an engine and if it blows up, build it again until i've been successful, then move on. Secondly it's about owning a car that i now truly feel is a modern classic, pug fest showed that. Without exception, the vast majority of the 205's there went faster than they looked, were effectively modified for performance or standard and mint. Plenty of home brew solutions, lots of petrolhead carb conversions... Which is a world away from all the boy racer trash that looks faster than it goes. Each time I sit behind the wheel, I feel a growing sense that it's rarer than it used to be, it seems to attract more attention than it used to also. People don't just look, they stop, and you can nearly see them accessing their memory. (or thinking what's that s*it box). I even stopped at the lights after a spirited drive up the link road to the motorway junction and some random chap wound down the window and gushed platitudes about the 205..

 

They'll never be like lotus sunbeams where everywhere you go people stop-stare-wave, but they certainly are pretty cool cars considering they're just a shopping trolly with a over hot engine in. (excuse the head gasket related pun)

 

think about that too, because these are decisions more from the heart than the wallet, going back to the relationship comment.

 

J

Edited July 13, 2010 by kyepan

[GLPoomobile 958]

Ian

 

 

When I move back to Edinburgh I'm going to go either way. I'll either find the love again, with weekend thrashes around the Highlands, or I'm going to remain indifferent and pissed off at the problems. TBH, I'm starting to feel like I've got to an age where it just doesn't interest me any more. I've never been one to really chuck a 205 around on the road as I'm not a confident (or stupid enough) driver, so for me it's more about the sensation of speed and the feel of the road. But after all these years I've finally tired of harsh suspension, road noise, exhaust drone, dash creak etc.

 

If I end up in a daily driver situation (something that hasn't been an issue in London due to a pretty good public transport system) then I'm pretty sure I'll tire of these things very quickly, hence my yearning for something big and comfy with all mod cons. Not to mention that the cobbled streets in central Edinburgh do not go well with 205 suspension at all . I've toyed with the dream of living somewhere that I could keep the 205 as a 2nd car and make it a proper project, but I don't think it's likely. Certainly not in the short term.

 

There comes a point where you just have to stop throwing good money after bad. A lot of people have been very surprised that I've been this patient to far. It's certainly been a lot of bad money! I just cannot justify the expense any more. So it'll get a short stay of execution when it comes back from Miles, more out of necessity than anything else, but the next sniff of a problem and it'll be shown the door I'm afraid. I may be a cynical old sod, but given it's track record I can't see it being very long at all before we reach the inevitable.

[jimistdt 1]

 

I can sympathise with you GLP, I'm in a similar scenario with mine, having done all the work on it and having sailed it's MOT last year, then trying to keep it in fine fettle problems seemed to come in waves just before the MOT was due again and I decided to rest it up for a bit, allow it to reflect on it's actions as it were. I thought about flogging it, at a loss, but really I couldn't let that happen, so it's going to rest a little more until my situation improves and we'll start over.

[maturin23 10]

Here is the 205 Paradox ...

 

When it doesn't work so well you want to sell it, but a crocked 205 is worth bobbins.

When it works well there's not a chance you'd want to sell it.

 

Justin - I like your relationship simile. Very appropriate. I've been here before, plus it's probably combined with the 7-year itch, but this time I'm also having an affair with someone that is very sexy, very naughty and very reliable.

 

Steve - you've had it worst than most I'd say, you were very unfortunate to get rid of a good one and replace it with a bit of a lemon. I'm impressed you've stuck at this one so far.

 

If you were the dodgy sort you'd have patched it up and off-loaded it onto some unsuspecting mug, but you're not.

[GLPoomobile 958]

If you were the dodgy sort you'd have patched it up and off-loaded it onto some unsuspecting mug, but you're not.

 

Oh believe me, the thought has crossed my mind But I could never do it. Besides, I've left too much evidence in my wake on this forum

 

God do I ever regret selling the cherry red shed I could have got it resprayed, new brakes, new suspension and GTI6ed and still had change left over. I wonder what ever happened to it? Si hasn't been on here for ages

Edited July 13, 2010 by GLPoomobile

[welshpug 1,627]

If needs be a 1.8 16v block can be a donor for a decent block and liners, they can be picked up pretty cheaply, fingers crossed your cylinder head at least is salvageable.

 

There surely can't be that much left that could cause you any major hassle from all the work and knowledge you have amassed over the years of cursing it and eeking out all the bodges and niggles that befall a car of this age.

Edited July 13, 2010 by welshpug

[SurGie 54]

205's for me are a commitment thing, if you don't have it in the first place then why buy one. Good luck with it, i'v just recently had to have my 306 6 head replaced because some previous owner fool only put water in instead of anti freeze mix and it's only done 66k on the clock.

[kyepan 291]

205's for me are a commitment thing, if you don't have it in the first place then why buy one.

hindsight is a wonderful thing, most people don't realise what they are getting into and they are balls deep before they realise it's a munter.

 

J

[richsmells 2]

I think I was lucky with mine. Although it stayed a 1.6, I threw a bit of money at it to begin with, and with regular servicing it gave me nearly 6 years of trouble free daily transport The insurer gave me more for it than I paid, so I think that's really cheap motoring.

Edited July 14, 2010 by richsmells

[Paul_13 212 1 Cars]

 

 

How it's looking

[GLPoomobile 958]

It's ready to be picked up, so I'll pop down sometime in the week.

 

Just shat myself at the cost though! Absolutely no disrespect meant to Miles of course, as he's done what needed to be done, but let's just say I could have bought a new 205 for the money

 

Fingers crossed that I get a few months use out of it this time, or it'll be bye bye GTI, hello Volvo