[Car_Overhaul] Laser Green 205 1.6 Gti

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

Well I've just got home from agreeing the purchase of another 205. I'm excited fit to burst so have to share the photos.

 

As a bit of background for a bit now I've been thinking about a standard one. Both my red turbo that is well known, and my shared white track car Mi16 on bodies are light years away from standard. Are they better for it? Maybe, maybe not. I've done 2 or 3 mechanical overhauls of standard 205's for people, and it has really struck me how nice a good standard example is to drive.

 

This car came to my attention very much by luck. A good friend of mine, Paul, who has recently retired is very much into Triumph TR's. One day he was working away on his TR4 when a gentleman walking past his house stopped to talk to him. The gent I think assumed that as Paul knew about classic Triumphs, he would know about all older cars, so he started to quiz Paul, the subject being the 205 GTI he had owned for 10 years. Paul does not know a lot about the 205, but he certainly knows a man who does, and hence the gent with the 205, John, was put in touch with myself.

 

John phoned me up and we got chatting, he told me he was getting a bit old for the 205 these days and was looking to sell it. At this point I knew nothing really of the car. He went on to describe it as a totally orignal 1.6 GTI in green, he didn't know which green but when asked did it look nearly black in low light he said not, so it had to be a laser.

After a bit more chatting I offered that if he would like to pop round in it, I'd give it a look over and let him know my opinion on it.

 

Fast forward a week or two and one Friday I get a call, can he bring the 205 round on Saturday morning. Sure enough at the arranged time I hear the unmistakeable sound of an 8v 205 pulling up outside.

 

Initial impressions are it certainly has been looked after. Talking to John he tells me that he had always wanted a 205 GTI. One day at the local Peugeot dealer he came across a Laser Green 1.6 that had just been part exchanged for a brand new 206 GT. This immediately set alarm bells ringing in my head.

 

About 8 years ago I had been living and working in Rotherham for about 18 months or 2 years. A work colleague at the time who is still a friend of mine knew I played with Peugeots. His girlfriends mother had a 206 with a head gasket problem and could I look at it. This turned in to me changing the headgasket on what turned out to be a silver V reg 206 GT that had been owned by his girlfriends mother from new. Ruth who owned it came to collect it and saw a 205 I had at the time, she soon started telling me all about the 205 GTI she had before part exchanging it for the 206GT at the local main dealer, and how much she wished she had kept the 205. In this instance having seen the logbook it is indeed the exact same car, so I know of its history from when Ruth acquired it when it was roughly 10 months old.

 

Back to John now. As he had just retired he decided that he was going to have the car, so bought it there and then. It had covered roughly 60k miles at that time. I had a good look around the car and it really was clean. Inner wings inside the engine bay immaculate. Even the undersides are in great condition, no rot on the seam. Only things I saw needing doing were replacing the budget tyres for something better, the drums and calipers were painted red by John when he first got the car, the rear valance doesn't quite sit straight/true, and the drivers seat needs a repair to the bolster and cloth.

 

Talking to John he told me he is 80 years of age next year, and didn't really use the 205 so he felt it was time for it to go to a new home. He then told me that he also has a 106 GTI, one of the last they made on a 52 plate, he bought this brand new from the dealer and uses this for visiting his son, this has covered a massive 8500 miles!

 

He may be 79 years old but he is still a canny chap, so the always awkward subject of money arose, not really settling on anything we agreed to both have a think about it and reconvene another time to discuss it.

 

Fast forward to this afternoon, I could wait no longer so called up and arranged to go and see the car again. Obviously had a thorough look around it, the only bad point I have found is some rot on the rear panel that is a shame, but within my talent to repair. All the other rot spots are good, the car was in Johns garage and he explained that he has never used it in the rain.

Cut a long story short we had a discussion about price and agreed a price I am very happy with. John asked what I planned to do with it, and my plan at the moment is to make it as immaculate as I can whilst keeping it standard. He was pleased about this as having seen my other 205's I think he was worried I was going to rip out the interior and cannabalise the car.

 

The next bit of great news was the paperwork. John pulled out a file with numerous receipts, and every MOT certificate from new. Looking at them he really has barely used the vehicle, in the 10 years he has had it, it has covered less than 4000 miles. It also has some documentation with the detail of the very first owner, back in 1991.

 

Its fair to say I'm chuffed to bits, if there is a more original 205 out there with the history of it known I would be very suprised.

 

So without further ado, a few snaps.

 

Untitled by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

 

In front of the garage it lives in presently

 

Untitled by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

 

Inner wing, you really could eat your tea off it

 

Untitled by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

 

General Engine Bay

 

Untitled by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

 

3/4 shot

 

Untitled by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

 

Side on

 

Untitled by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

 

Dealer tax disc

 

Untitled by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

 

Dealer sticker

 

Untitled by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

 

Low miles

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

Untitled by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

 

Dealer no plates (rear is too)

 

Untitled by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

 

The man himself, a nicer chap you could never wish to meet.

 

Untitled by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

 

Finally Johns 106 GTI with the Laser in the background

 

To say I am chuffed is an understatement!

[cRaig 273 1 Cars]

Result! Very jealous! Not sure if Im a fan of the "retro" number plates, but seeing as they are original I guess they have to stay!

 

106 does look rather smart as well..

[dcc 855]

In fairness, there are maybe 1 or 2 people in the world who deserve a car like this, you being one (The other debatibly Magic). Your attention and quality to detail will be truely used to its finest reaches on this car!

 

If anything, get rid of the AA sticker in the window.

 

Truely beautiful car

[GLPoomobile 958]

If I was a decent guy, I'd say well done Tom, that's a great acquisition.

 

But I'm not. Instead, all I can say is, you jammy c*nt!!!!

[Toddy 7]

Very nice, I always liked laser green, competing with matt on the number of 205s now.

[eddie bullit 37]

Well done you! looks a little treasure. I'm glad your'e going to bring it back to it's former glory..not that it needs much. Cars like this aren't really for driving though are they. More for looking at and showing. Thats not to say I wouldn't want it

If you fancy selling I could scrape together £500. Deal?

[Anthony 1,003]

That looks very tidy - nice find!

 

I wonder how many similar cars have been ripped apart to make track cars previously? Good to hear that it's staying standard and unmolested.

[Daviewonder 533 3 Cars]

Looks like an awesome find Tom. The front doesn't even appear to have any stone chips! Is that just a chrome trim fitted to the exhaust?

[Richie 32]

Looks lovely that mate, well done. John seems to have a good taste in motors! Look forward to future pics on its journey to mintness!

[BusEngineer 7]

That looks a stunning car Tom, glad its staying standard. Since i gutted mine im hankering after a standard one again now!

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

Thanks gents for all the comments. I don't seem to be one for getting massive luck, but this car really did find me rather than the other way around, as soon as I looked under the bonnet I knew it would be hard to resist it, and when I found out the history, that pretty much sealed the deal.

 

The paintwork is overall in good condition, you can tell it has been looked after. There is a small patch of lacquer peel near the front lower "sill" of the drivers quarter window, and a couple of small patches that look like someone has touched up, but certainly its far and away one of the best I've ever come across.

 

The exhaust is new within the last 12 months, the tail is just a clamp on tip of some kind, I have yet to investigate that.

 

Some may say it is criminal not to use it, but my plan at the moment is to do the odds to make it mint, and then wrap it up in cotton wool, only to come out once a year for its MOT and a few days use. I am loathe to run the miles up on a 63k 20 year old 205, I think it is possibly the lowest mileage car I have ever owned in fact!

[stuart 31 3 Cars]

Very nice indeed!

 

In standard form they are just right for the road, especially with the way they are at the moment.

 

I thought mine was a bit special with all the paperwork and history it's got but this is on a different planet being unrestored, definitely one to keep tucked away for a nice day.

[Leet205 48]

Nice one Tom, Im sure you will do it justice.

[eddie bullit 37]

Nice to hear your not going to pile the miles on. I've heard of a few low mileage 205 being subjected to high miles over 2-3 years with a new owner. They just become any other 205 and are no longer special like yours.

Any pictures of the inside Tom?

Good luck with her

Edd

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

I do have a couple of interior shots, photobucket is acting up just now.

 

It is just very tidy and totally standard 205, dark green carpet, black mats, green/black check cloth 1600 seats, keep-fit windows. It is an early Ph 2 so black dash etc. Standard Clarion stereo, standard parcel shelf, standard standard standard....!

[eddie bullit 37]

1st refusal if you get bored of her Tom

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

Sorry buddy, this one is going no where any time soon. I may think about selling my red turbo at some point TBH, I don't really need 3 205 GTI's, as my Girlfriend has been merrily pointing out.

[eddie bullit 37]

its too slow for you Tom..perfect for a snail like myself

[yeti-dj 7]

Yah. Another standard lazer green. It saddens me when I see them turned into track cars

[pug_ham 244 3 Cars]

Very nice find & acquisition Tom, gone to a well deserved new owner who'll keep her in fine fettle & not allow any deterioration.

 

There used to be a spotless red 1.6 J reg 205 in Skipton driven by an older gent but I haven't seen it in a few years so I guess its gone on to be stripped, scrapaged or crashed.

 

If I saw it again with an old gent driving, I'd turn around to go up & have a look if it was parking.

 

g

[Andy_C 50]

Very nice find indeed mate - well done.

 

Right time, right place by the sounds of it too and nothing wrong with keeping it standard and loved at all.

[tartanbloke 35 1 Cars]

Glad to hear you bought it in the end.

 

The way you were talking about it on Sunday was more than just a small desire.

 

Regards

 

Chris

[cybernck 402 1 Cars]

Wow, what an amazing find! Perfect shell to make into a rally car .

 

I'm sure photos don't do it justice and it has to be seen in person to be admired in full.

 

Good luck with it and sort out the little bits as soon as possible .

[Stu 18]

This makes me sad. It is exactly the project I've been looking for! Like you, i wonder if my track-orientated 205 has become 'another track car' and lost the idiosyncrasies that make the 205 driving experience so am seriously considering parting with it to build a really nice Laser to use more on the road than anything else...

 

All the best with it bud, look forward to seeing the updates