205 Xe

[Lowercase 56]

I'm back!

 

After my wifey got rear ended at 60mph (...dirty mind.) We ended up with a pretty crummy settlement from the insurance company for her beloved Fiat Punto - "Gino".

 

So, I've fobbed off the sensible Seat Leon onto her insurance and got myself back into a little 205 XE!

 

56,000 miles on the clock, 1000cc 4 speed manual on carburetor. Finished... in Beige.

 

Immense! I've had it up to a blistering 43mph... and even 49mph down hill.. with the wind behind me.

 

It's pretty basic, in fact I don't think a 205 can get any more basic, it doesn't even come out the factory with a rear wiper!

 

But I enjoyed a lovely drive home in the sunshine, through some gorgeous green hills. I haven't had a smile on my face that big since I won a free mars bar in January.

 

Here's how it looked when I picked it up.

 

 

Filthy... and needs a damn good clean and some fresh fluids and filters. The areas under washer bottle and jack are totally rust free though! so there's a result.

 

It had been sat for a year and was filthy inside, and outside for that matter... and had some rather tasty tweed seat covers...

 

 

 

So I set to work hoovering it out, and cleaning the plastics, once with soapy water then with disinfectant (you never know...)

 

I was curious to know what was under the seat covers so I started removing them and found a quid! it's already paying for itself.

 

 

The seats underneath are in really good condition apart from the drivers seat which has the usual 205 worn sides... though i couldn't get the damn headrests out to get the top of the covers off so left them for now. As it had been a long day, and I was hungry!

 

The carpet is in good condition however despite a worn drivers side where someones dug their stiletto through the carpet. So I'll source a replacement in the future.

 

 

Most of the trim is in fair order considering a previous owner has clearly had a large dog in there on a regular basis but there are various bits ill certainly have to replace when I can!

 

 

and ill certainly be needing a new one of these...

 

 

There are some bits to sort outside, mostly faded patchy paintwork and plastics and the odd small rust patch to sort.

none of which worry me, so i'll get around to them.

 

A few jobs for another day... duff paint

 

Cracked and faded indicator

 

and disgusting chrome washer jets that need to go in the bin!

 

and some twonk has stuck screws through these inserts, so ill have to find replacements..

 

and my final job for the day.... yanking off the vile wheel trims.

 

so, a few final snaps of how it stands after an hour clearing out the inside.

Edited April 16, 2014 by Lowercase

[rallyeash 155]

Needs wider rims, lowering and GTI valances!

[Lowercase 56]

needs a lot of things haha!

 

GTI Valances

Lowering

Wider Wheels

GTI steering Wheel

Plasticare Bumpers

And some 1.9 Front Brakes as the brakes are currently made of jaffacakes!

 

for a start....

Edited April 16, 2014 by Lowercase

[Slo 283 1 Cars]

and my final job for the day.... yanking off the vile wheel trims.

 

:lol: class, that car is so basic it almost appears to be that light you could just pick it up and shake the dust out of it

Edited April 16, 2014 by Slo

[td_dan 7]

Looks like a great little car

 

Iv got some 1.9 front brakes, brand new flexis and those bits of side trim if you need them mate

[Lowercase 56]

Slo - haha yea! I was yanking away at them wheel trims and the whole car was rocking all over the place!

 

Dan - PM me a price mate, though might have to wait for a while until I have moneys. Needs a service before anything else!

[Lowercase 56]

I made use of the sunshine today and broke out my little friends!

 

 

I certainly managed to get the 2-3 shiny bits a lot shinier! And the polish has really brought out my beige door. The whole car needs an industrial polish but some of the chalkyness is gone, so all in it was worthwhile.

 

[Loose Hand Luke 6]

Love it mate!

[audiobull 6]

oh i remember the days of my good old XE. thing just would not die. Fair play and that looks in great condition Lowercase :-)

[johnnyboy666 195 1 Cars]

Yuss! I'm a sucker for a base model. I'd go for 106 rallye steelies

[Lowercase 56]

Cheers Ben, it's not bad when I remember its a 24 year old car. could do with a new drivers door though!

 

John - Too right! I actually prefer base models to the Gti! Couldn't say why, they're just cheap thrills, and you don't have to be too precious with them. And well, the suspension set up is so basic that its almost frightening haha. Good fun.

 

Might go for Rallye steels, had them on my last 205 Rallye, so might do something a bit different and find some wider 13" steels, or some 13" weller steels look brilliant on basemodels with the right amount of drop.

 

 

There's a kiddie down my road who had a big pile of 205 bits, so I might have to give him a call this weekend and see if i can have a rummage and find some gti valances and odd bits like that.

Edited April 20, 2014 by Lowercase

[johnnyboy666 195 1 Cars]

Aye, ive got wellers on mine, but mine are very very wide!

[Lowercase 56]

any pics of yours with the wellers on?

[johnnyboy666 195 1 Cars]

If you can find it in your heart, please ignore the bird sh!t, dodgy paint, brake dust, tyre soap (new tyres on yesterday mmmmmm kumho v70s) and the general rattyness:

 

 

[johnnyboy666 195 1 Cars]

 

[aldworth33 45 1 Cars]

That's class, love the wheels

[Lowercase 56]

haha that's mental!

 

im thinking more on the lines of these:

 

13" Weller Steels

 

 

and 13" 106 Steels

 

[johnnyboy666 195 1 Cars]

Cheers its a bit of a head turner thats for sure! one thing to note with wellers is that the mounting face is pretty much flat, so with base model brakes, you will need a 10mm or so spacer to clear the calipers which isnt ideal. rears will go straight on

[Lowercase 56]

So life in the little XE has been delightful so far, reliable and very economical and dare i say it.. fun?

 

i've decided something seriously needs to be done about these scummy door grabs though!

 

but its time i started giving it a good service. so, tool up!

 

 

Started off with a good engine flush and oil change. Glad i did this, as the oil that came out of it was utterly disgusting!

 

and i replaced my broken front indicator! looks so shiny now though that i've ordered another for the drivers side to balance it out!

 

 

so oil, oil filter, fuel filter, air filter done, and the engine given a silly little shine up. it was time to do something about the scuzzy coolant.

 

First things first, drain that s*it flush out the rad and give the expansion tank a sodding good clean!

it was worse inside...

 

to..

 

 

and i think the washer bottle will be next for removal and a clean..

 

 

but, coolant all done, and cars happier. though as i am a right anus at times i got a bit impatient putting the stupid plastic drain plug back in that i broke it off in the radiator... wasnt the end of the world, and i splodged a lump of tiger seal over it to get me by untill i order a replacement.

 

should i get a gti one? or is it a lot of fecking about with hoses for no reason?

 

 

i was so happy to see that the wings weren't totally rotten like on alot of 205s.

 

 

but under the drivers headlamp and front panel might need a bit of attention in the near future!

 

 

the aux belt is due for a change i think so i got a replacement.. foibled by rusty screws though holding on the cover, need to keep wd40'ing them and teasing them out over a week! ... untill i get impatient and cut the bastards off with a grinder...

 

 

 

and thats it on the oil stuff. Paid Giles a visit and got a GTI Subframe and ARB and steering column. Plan is to cut the gear selector mount off my spare basemodel frame and weld it on, and then refurbish it all and built it up to 1.6 gti spec with some shocks, springs and breaks.

 

 

and some GTI bumpers and valances. i only intend on using the front GTI valance, so if anyone wants the fog lights, bumpers and rear valance then give me a shout!

 

[calvinhorse 870]

Put the back bumper on they look loads better

[Lowercase 56]

i would use both but part of its been melted away by a large exhaust in the past.

 

Plus I like the base model rear bumpers anyway, reminds me of my old rallye.

[jamie_1992 66 1 Cars]

what colour are the bumbers are they in good nick

[Lowercase 56]

they look like ph2 ones, so, faded black i guess?. and yea i gave them a quick look over when i took the pic, looked in good nick, just need a bit of a plasticare or what have you.

Edited May 5, 2014 by Lowercase

[Lowercase 56]

now up for sale as i have a posh new job and have a long commute. £600. For Sale Add pending.

[Loose Hand Luke 6]

Could be tempted in it mate, where are you based?