[car_overhaul] Project Jalopy

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

A guy I know but won't name many years ago dismantled some clocks of a Golf GTI in order to "adjust" the mileage- a bit naughty and not something I have done.

 

On doing so he removed the printed circuit foil to find "OH NO NOT AGAIN" written in marker pen on the rear of the clocks!!!!!!

[SurGie 54]

Yeah MOT and service receipts mean nothing these days and if any one has any sense will know that mileage can be changed before each MOT or service time, on most cars with digital clocks are even easier.

[Anthony 1,003]

Yeah MOT and service receipts mean nothing these days and if any one has any sense will know that mileage can be changed before each MOT or service time, on most cars with digital clocks are even easier.

Granted that can be the case, but I'd argue that it's far more common for a high-mileage car to be given a substantial mileage cut than it is for someone to have kept trimming the mileage back a little every few months - although it is becoming more common partly due to digital clocks as you say (just look at the number of "mileage correction" companies advertising out there to give you some idea of the amount it that's occurring!) and partly because of the increasing popularity of mileage-limited personal lease and finance deals that have harsh penalties if you go over your agreed mileage.

 

Generally speaking in my experience, if a car has old MOT's and service history going back to when it was new, and the mileage on these is tallied up by other receipts that state mileage such as new tyres and garage repairs, then the mileage is likely genuine. If there's large chunks of history/MOT's missing and/or the wear on the car doesn't tie up with the claimed mileage, then be very suspicious. Also look at the type of car and the mileage that use would normally entail - a large diesel exec mile muncher that's done next to no mileage would be strange, something that's clearly been an ex-taxi and hasn't been to the moon and back would be laughable, but a weekend toy like a Caterham that gets used maybe a handful of times a month you'd expect very low mileage on.

 

It's slightly academic anyway in my opinion, as most of the cars that I buy are comparatively old/cheap, and at that end of the market condition is everything and mileage slightly irrelevant, even more so on a car like this one when it's a bit like Tiggers Broom given the amount that's been replaced over the years and thus how little of the car has actually done the mileage claimed on the clocks

[JRL 14 1 Cars]

Legend! are you still restoring an mx-5 mk1 as well?

[Anthony 1,003]

Legend! are you still restoring an mx-5 mk1 as well?

I've still got it, but doesn't need any restoration - it's in excellent condition for a 22 year old car frankly, and just gets driven and enjoyed.

 

I will rust-proof it properly in the summer though, to keep at bay the tin worm that is killing off alot of Mk1 (and increasingly Mk2) MX-5's

[GLPoomobile 958]

If Baz can't help, I should be able to sort you out with the sunroof sliders. I just removed my grey headlining and sunroof the other day as I'll be replacing it with Ph2 stuff. Remind me, is it the small white bits of plastic on the edge of the sunshade that you need?

[DaveW 6]

This looks like its going well plus Ant you seem to be quite good at this cleaning car lark

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

I just removed my grey headlining and sunroof the other day as I'll be replacing it with Ph2 stuff.

 

Sorry for the thread hi-jack, Steve, is the old grey headlining up for grabs at all, if its in decent nick I'd be interested if you are ever travelling remotely in this direction? The previous owner of my 205 smoked Woodbines or something similar and although I've changed or cleaned nearly everything else, the headlining (grey, sunroof) is still disgusting.

[Alan_M 66 1 Cars]

 

I'd like to think that I'm an isolated case, but worryingly I know atleast half a dozen people even worse - I remember Alan_M rebuilding an Mi engine and rear beam in his house, a few weeks ago I popped over to see Josh (Lemmingzappa) and found him spray painting in the kitchen with two sets of wheels stacked up in front of the sink and a cylinder head next to the microwave, and as for Baz... well, it has to be seen to be believed.

 

Any newbie 205 owners reading this - sell up and cut all ties before its too late, as that's the top of a very slippery slope that you're currently standing on. 205 ownership, it's an incurable disease.

 

Not just rebuilt, but I even cleaned/degreased that lump in the bath!

 

Looks tidy

[JackTar 0]

I have just read the whole thread and am very impressed by the finish you achieved on your car. What did you use to get such a shine? Was it just autoglym products or something else?

[Anthony 1,003]

I have just read the whole thread and am very impressed by the finish you achieved on your car. What did you use to get such a shine? Was it just autoglym products or something else?

Just some fairly basic Autoglym stuff really, as I'm about as far from being a "detailer" (or whatever the term is for someone with OCD car cleaning tendancies is) as possible - hence the jibes from DaveW above - and to be frank I wouldn't get the most from, nor really even understand what to do with, most of the fancy cleaning product and potions on the market

 

Bodywork was washed/scrubbed with whatever shampoo was on special offer when I last bought some mixed extra strong, rinsed and dried off, and then polished with Autoglym SRP. Bumpers, trim and other exterior plastics were done with Autoglym Bumper Care, and then the interior plastics were washed off and then treated with Autoglym Vinyl and Rubber Care. Carpets were hosed down in the shower and scrubbed with Fairy Liquid, rinsed and left to dry.

 

I can honestly say that is the first time in my life that anyone has ever asked me of all people for car cleaning advice

 

It looks good from a few feet away but there's quite a few faint (and the odd not so faint) scratches and stone chips when you get up close, as you'd expect on a car of this age/mileage and which are especially visible given that it's black. Once it's on the road I'll touch up the worst of the chips and deep scratches, and then see about bribing someone to giving it a proper once over with a rotary buffer which should have it looking very good I reckon - other than the roof where the lacquer is starting to go in usual Phase 2 style and will need the attention of the bodyshop at some point.

 

Right now though, it's had too much cleaning and not enough driving, which is obviously the reason for owning a 205 GTi - so attention is on putting the interior back together and getting it MOT'd and on the road!

[kyepan 291]

utter genius thread ant, and the comment about the golf clocks just had me actually crying with laughter, tears rolling down my cheeks!!!

 

gold.

[hman205 1]

see about bribing someone to giving it a proper once over with a rotary buffer which should have it looking very good I reckon

 

 

Let me kow when matey would be a pleasure

[Paul_13 212 1 Cars]

family begin to despair at this point, especially when they find the dishwasher being used as a parts cleaner for an engine block. By this stage, you're usually more adept at using Servicebox than the parts department of your local Peugeot dealer, and chances are that that you've probably got some kind of Peugeot related clothing or artwork/pictures in your house, a house that more often than not starts to have car parts as a permentant fixture.

 

Your garden and driveway look like a scrapyard, and your hands are perma-stained with oil and covered in scars, your knuckles never to be right ever against after slipping with a ratchet one too many times.

 

205 ownership, it's an incurable disease.

 

This had me on stitches, my dad, Ryan and me summed up in one

[lukesaddy 0]

What a nice car and a brilliant read, top work for getting it back to such a presentable condition in such a short space of time.

 

I read your post about the 'peugeot disease' and had a good laugh thinking about my lock ups, garage and loftt being full of parts, then i realised that ebay is always open on the search for bargains, it is actually uncontrollable - oh well could be worse, at least this addiction is legal and not gonna kill you, just your wallet and social life maybe haha.

 

keep up the good work pal your an inspiration

[S@m 156]

I've got a gti-6 oil pump and 16 mi16 tappets at the end of my bed, guess i'm already on the aforementioned slippery slope!!

 

With regards to the 'jalopy' though, it looks like a lot more than a couple of days work! Quality job!

 

Sam

[j-16 1]

I can certainly relate to your 'disease', I currently have brake callipers in my slow cooker.

[monkee87 2]

Any update on this Anthony? I wouldn't mind a black Ph2 for myself. I saw an absolutely mint black one on here which has chrome trims instead of the red ones, clear side repeaters and gleaming silver alloys. It looked so good!

 

Out of interest, are you going to be using the green carpet and door cards from the sorrento that you are breaking? I think they look quite good in black cars with full black leather too. If you are, don't want to sell me the black/red ph2 door cards do you?

[Batfink 201]

Incurable...

 

I'd like to say I disagree. My male ego says I can overcome anything and certainly primitive compulsions should be able to be trumped. A few years back I found myself with 6 205's and a garage chock full of parts, all stored at my dads (to his horror). I ended up scrapping loads and selling up. The benefit of buying a house and not having a driveway or a big garage anymore . Still managed to fill the new garage though I've recently found with shelves you can stack the parts right up to the roof and fit a car in.

 

all good right?

 

so back to incurable..

 

I still bought a sorrento 1.6 a few years back with the idea of making it a daily. Lucky Tomcolinjones has just rescued that one after I tinkered a bit and circumstances of house moving stopped all work on it. In theory this puts me with one 205 now.

 

I did it...but...

 

Tom didnt need the green interior. As I stripped the car I did the biggest mistake any of us could make. I sat in the drivers seat. I seriously am kicking myself that I did this.

Involuntarily I sat there thinking the green looks really good, the steering wheel position great etc. I found myself pondering where I can store the interior so I can buy another 205 to fit it to but this time one that works and only needs the interior swap.

 

I therefore have to admit defeat.

I feel that simple lack of space will ultimately be my saviour so maybe theres hope yet.

[Anthony 1,003]

Kev - I remember you coming to the curry evening in Hatfield and playing with the shifter for your new sequential box half the evening, grinning from ear to ear. It was clear to everyone at that point, except perhaps to the part of you that's in denial, that you are in fact a lost cause. Much the same as a junkie trying to go cold turkey, you might not have the 205, but that doesn't mean that you don't have the cravings that just won't go away...

 

Any update on this Anthony? I wouldn't mind a black Ph2 for myself. I saw an absolutely mint black one on here which has chrome trims instead of the red ones, clear side repeaters and gleaming silver alloys. It looked so good!

 

Out of interest, are you going to be using the green carpet and door cards from the sorrento that you are breaking? I think they look quite good in black cars with full black leather too. If you are, don't want to sell me the black/red ph2 door cards do you?

There's a few small updates to do, I've just been somewhat pre-occupied with work and breaking the Sorrento for the past week or so.

 

Plan is to put the green interior into the car, atleast for the time being. I actually prefer the gharish 80's red carpet, but the reality is that I've got a set of pretty much mint green/black half leathers, which I'll fit for the time being together with the matching green carpet etc that I removed from the Sorrento and see whether I'm happy with that in a few months time. If not, I'll need to locate a tidy set of red/black half leathers / black full leathers* and refit the red.

 

As such, I won't be selling the red carpet, console or doorcards for the time being atleast I'm afraid.

 

* - annoyingly, I had just this in the form of a set of tidy Goodwood seats that I'd removed from my rotten 309 a few years back, but after keeping them in storage I eventually sold them a year or so ago thinking that I'd never use them... *sigh*

[tomcolinjones 26]

mint green/black half leathers

 

If you will pardon the pun

[monkee87 2]

There's a few small updates to do, I've just been somewhat pre-occupied with work and breaking the Sorrento for the past week or so.

 

Plan is to put the green interior into the car, atleast for the time being. I actually prefer the gharish 80's red carpet, but the reality is that I've got a set of pretty much mint green/black half leathers, which I'll fit for the time being together with the matching green carpet etc that I removed from the Sorrento and see whether I'm happy with that in a few months time. If not, I'll need to locate a tidy set of red/black half leathers / black full leathers* and refit the red.

 

As such, I won't be selling the red carpet, console or doorcards for the time being atleast I'm afraid.

 

* - annoyingly, I had just this in the form of a set of tidy Goodwood seats that I'd removed from my rotten 309 a few years back, but after keeping them in storage I eventually sold them a year or so ago thinking that I'd never use them... *sigh*

 

Shame about selling the goodwood leathers! I have some goodwood front seats which I'm toying with the idea of putting in mine, but I need some rear seats to make it worth it TBH. Might get a bench from a 405 and use the leather to retrim my rear seats.

 

I think the green carpet looks good in black cars, but then again the red/black combo is great.. Tough choice I'd say. What is wrong with the interior in the car ATM? The seats look like they're in quite good condition in the pictures.

[maxi 36 1 Cars]

All I can say is Well Done Ant! This thread (didnt even know it existed) really has gone a way to restore my faith back into the forum and the intentions of the majority of its users.

 

The car really has come up very well judging by the pics so far, I will be following with interest! Good on you mate!

 

Maxi

[Anthony 1,003]

The downside of having removed the old alarm is that I'd lost the remote central locking capability, and I wanted that back again. I looked at the various kits on eBay, but to be honest all of them looked like cheap rubbish with - and I appreciate that this will sound really shallow - tacky remotes. The only kit that looked good was the Toad RK30, but at £70 odd with postage that wasn't far off the money of a complete CAT1 alarm system that would include that functionality as standard.

 

The obvious answer with this being a Phase 2 car was use the original remote central locking, but the fob for this one (like the vast majority of 205's) had long since disappeared and it's not always easy finding a replacement fob and matching receiver.

 

Thankfully for me, Rob (monkee87) mentioned in a thread that he had one spare taken from a 405, and a deal was struck against some parts that he was after from the Sorrento that I was breaking. Sat on my doormat a few days later when I got home from work was a jiffy bag containing the remote fob and receiver, and like a kid at Xmas with new toys to play with, out I went to install them into the car...

 

 

..or atleast, that would have been the case had I not discovered another part that had suffered during the cars abandonment, namely the original RCL receiver and wiring that water had somehow got into - I'm assuming from condensation, as the sunroof and aerial both appear to be watertight. Unplugging the wiring connector revealed that it had corroded to the pins and one was stuck in the connector.

 

 

I had planned to just replace that complete section of loom that runs to the roof console with the one from the Sorrento, but I was thwarted once again when I found that somehow the dash had been installed in such a way that the wiring was trapped behind it, and frankly half-removing the dash just to free a wire wasn't really appealing

 

Instead, I just chopped out the RCL plug and a length of wire from a 205 at the scrappy, and joined that onto the existing loom using properly soldered and heatshrinked connections.

 

 

Works perfectly, and for some reason despite it being something so insignificant in the grand scheme of things, I'm pleased as punch with it and grinning from ear to ear. Big thanks to Rob for supplying the parts. All I need to do to finish it now is to get a replacement key blank and get it cut to match the locks, and then I'll have a combined key and RCL blipper

[feb 47]

Nice work Anthony, small details make the difference

 

I didn't know that you can replace the key from the fob with a blank.