1987 Phase 1 205 Gti 1.6 Original! New Toy!

[artois7 20]

Taxed and insured from today. So much fun! I can't get over how responsive the steering is. It was heavy at first, but when I pumped up the front tyre from 9(!!!!!!) psi up to 30 all round, the steering is now light and agile. Perfect! Idling high at 1500rpm and the list of things to do is growing daily, but I've fallen hopelessly in love with it so it's staying.

 

As far as updates for the project side of it.. Not a lot. Ordered a set of HT leads to replace the buggered ones and they'll be coming into the local factors tomorrow. Couple of bulbs and a nice air freshener, about all that's happening at the mo!

Edited November 25, 2013 by artois7

[artois7 20]

Haven't updated this for a LOOONG time!!

 

After a year of relatively trouble free driving & maintenance, she's come off the road for hibernation.

 

Shortly after the last update it went through a very minor overhaul with a full service, door seals, rear window seals, sealed up the leaking windscreen, replaced clutch cable, HT leads, uprated gear linkages and so on.

 

My last drive in her was taking the girlfriend to work, did 6 miles from her house to mine, pulled up outside my house to pick something up and the (already replaced) clutch cable snapped as I parked her up. Peugeot's innovative "wait til you get home and breakdown at the most convenient place" safety feature - thanks 80s Peugeot.

 

It was the cable snapping that lead me to take her off the road for the winter. The clutch needed replacing for a while but I was too busy, must have stretched the cable too much by forcing it.

 

Been poking over the car to find out where to start with her winter restoration, and have found one small patch of rust:

 

 

Hope that image doesn't come out too big. It looks far worse in the picture, will only take an hour or so to weld in a new patch so not worried at all about that. Everywhere else is solid other than surface rust. Need to get the interior out and check the floor pan and remove the underseal to check the actual shell but not too concerned, considering her age and that she lives outside. Other than that, my doors & boot are all rotten.

 

Plans so far:

 

*Purchasing a 309 GTI rear beam (rebuild in 2006 with a new beam tube and has done 10k miles since) to widen the rear track a bit.

*Swapped the doors and boot lid out for phase 2 replacements (anyone any advice on this?)

*Converting the doors to electric windows and central locking as per above replacement, need help on the wiring aspect.

*Picking rear dampers to go on my new beam as the current dampers are one sport and one OEM. Great work by the previous owner.

*Removing all interior, installing sound deadening, fixing heater fan and other niggly bits.

*Replacing my damaged top mounts and front struts. Not sure where to go with this i.e. OEM or coilovers etc.

*309 running gear to match the beam

*Alloy refurb - not sure which colour scheme to go. Definitely sticking with 1.6 wheels.

*Engine replacement - conversion or 1.6 again? Not sure!