1.9 Gti Garaged 5 Years And Starts First Time!

[205Rallee 59]

My dad has had a Phase 1.5 1,9 GTi from new in 1987 and since 2005, when he bought a new Fabia vrs, the Pug has sat in his garage untouched. It has a fsh and he left it in neutral with the handbrake off, with new plugs, oil, filters etc. He's been hassling me to get it MOT'd for the last year or so (he's 82 and shouldn't really be driving!) and I've avoided opening the garage door for fear of the state the car would be in.

 

Anyway took the plunge yesterday, car covered in dust but still in super condition, rolled it backwards and forwards, checked gears worked, but battery dead. Swapped battery and it started about 3 secs after the first turn of the key and settled down immediately into a steady tickover!!!! Didn't have time to do anything else, but next stop MOT and a very lght resto, will then join my Phase 1.5 1.6 Gti and 1.3 Rallye. Just need a bigger garage and aT16 to complete the collection

 

Just wondering if the fact it started was a miracle or if there are others that have burst into life after years of inactivity?

[allye 530 3 Cars]

Photos!!?

[welshpug 1,657]

first job, timing belt!

[jj205 4]

Impressive stuff starting like that, mine doesnt start that good after one night standing Did you not find the exhaust fumes really strong i presume you didn't put any fresh fuel in and just used what was left in there. Petrol goes off after a set amount of time in a car tank as i found out with my first 205, it was sat in a salvage yard for over two years.

 

Must be a good car though, any chance you can show us a few pictures would love to see it. You will have to bring it on the lakes trip next spring, will do it the world of good after five years in storage

 

Jonathan

[Atari Boy 11]

Photos!!?

 

When I bought my 1.6 it had not been started for four years. I put some fresh fuel in it, jump started it and drove it home eight miles. It does however need a dam good service, cambelt and water pump, radiator, clutch and I still need to investigate the state of the beam. Still not toobad for a car with over 200,000 miles on the clock.

[205Rallee 59]

Sorry didn't take any photos and it's a 130 mile round trip to the folks, will take some when I go next... It didn't smoke, and wasn't too petrol smelly, the fuel was Shell Optimax and will be 5 years old. I thought it would never start and if it did would probably burst into flames

 

Never thought about cam belt . No oil leaks and it had the clutch changed when the clutch cable went stiff radiator was still black painted with no sign of corrosion. The Beam looks good, well no camber. It's completely standard apart from a K&N filter. Oh yes and the wheels were refurbished just before it was laid up. The last time I drove it was in 1993 when I took it to see Senna win at Donnington.

 

Will update in a couple of weeks when it moves, just worried about the cambelt, although I know it has had about 5 so far.

 

Will definitely do the Lakes trip next year, but probably in the Rallye as that's totally reliable and perfectly suited to the lanes round here,

[1 FAT PUG 39]

first job, timing belt!

 

 

yea deffo, always advised to swap if its been stood

[Edp 67 3 Cars]

first job, timing belt!

[S33GAV 0]

Sounds like a perfect shell for an mi16 conversion!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

joking of course

[205Rallee 59]

Sounds like a perfect shell for an mi16 conversion!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

joking of course

 

 

 

That reminds me of the bloke who told me to swap the TU24 in my Euro Rallye for a 1.6 XU engine and you know what I was sad enough to think about it foir at least an hour!