Lost Intrest In The Pug.

[gaz832 7 1 Cars]

hi folks, not been on here for a while, my little 205 mi16 is sitting in the garage stripped , ready to be painted and so on. havent even opened the garage door to look at it for ages, really need to get abit of enthusiasm to get it running and roadworthy again. what keeps u guys going to get them finished. do miss driving the little car as its a hoot when working perfect.

Edited May 28, 2012 by gaz832

[Daviewonder 533 3 Cars]

I know how you feel. I found it a constant struggle to find enthusiasm when I was doing my turbo engine conversion. When I think back to it being a shell on the driveway I'm still amazed now that it's actually on the road.

 

I found the best thing to do was to make a decision to work on it the next day, then just get up earlyish and head out to the car without getting distracted by anything else. Do not sit down at the computer or start watching TV as you'll soon waste most of the morning and then decide you don't want to work on the car that day.

 

Also work with small lists that have about 5 or 6 achievable jobs on. Bigs lists are very off putting as you thend to think there's too much to do.

[pugpete1108 62 1 Cars]

if its going for a respray surely you are almost there

 

mine is exactly there too, its in primer with a guide coat and all i need to do now is flat it all back (again) for the topcoat...then flat it all back again for polishing.....then put it all back together again.

 

just think of how good it will look and feel when its all done, that will get you through.

[gaz832 7 1 Cars]

i know, im actually doing 2 cars at the moment, i also have a mk5 fiesta zetec-s which i have swapped the engine over from a puma , just rattled canned it matt black done a load of welding on it. fitted coilovers and manifolds. aswell. probably once ive finished the fiesta i will get right back into it again. pug will see the road again. or a track

[custard-rallye 25]

The biggest problem I have is I want to modify anything I own I bought a mx5 not long ago was going to keep it standard for drifting so far I have 2 sets of wheels and hsd coilovers I find it hard to stay on the 205 when it has no engine and in a million bits

[Sinbad 16]

I understand what you mean.

Having never even driven mine i dont know what its like.Constantly coming across fails and bodges done by other owners is annoying aswell.

[gaz832 7 1 Cars]

another thing also is the the little pugs arent exactly cheap to repair for some parts ie, wishbones bearings, and so on . i mostly try and buy genuine parts as the cheap stuff are what they are cheap.

[pugpete1108 62 1 Cars]

my 205 is all but finished, but i went and bought the 306 cab which needed some work still needs a good mop and some dents removing.

 

the 306 is the family car and has tax and ticket so gets priority at the mo.

 

will be on the road by the end of the year tho.

[Daviewonder 533 3 Cars]

I'm bored of the Turbo. I think I might get My 1.9 back on the road when the mot on the Turbo runs out.

[Henry Yorke 269 3 Cars]

Failure to plan is a plan to fail!!

 

It costs nothing to strip a car, but costs money to rebuild it as you have to replace stuff. This is where most people seem to go wrong. The paint part will cost the most money too so you need to figure out when the money is coming to shell out on that, otherwise just rattle can it and get it working again so at least you can enjoy it.

[SurGie 54]

Dave says it all really, once you start getting lots of done jobs it gives you the motivation to finish it off. As said, write a small list of jobs you want doing, then tick them off as you go along.

 

In my experience, planning makes a big difference but plans always have a habit of changing and you cant plan for everything. Then there are the set backs, be prepared for set backs, ive had far too many tbh.

[kyepan 291]

Post up here about the progress too. No matter how small as that helps to give a sense of achievement. Leave the mx5 alone it's fine as it is. I also have one and its the car that you just drive without tinkering with. The pug is for tinkering. What's the next job you need to do , the next one that is blocking progress.

[Sinbad 16]

I have had more setbacks with mine than any other project vehicle i have ever owned.

I start to wonder if it is really worth it??

[welshpug 1,657]

sounds like you were just plain unlucky with your choice of project vehicle.

[Anthony 1,003]

another thing also is the the little pugs arent exactly cheap to repair for some parts ie, wishbones bearings, and so on . i mostly try and buy genuine parts as the cheap stuff are what they are cheap.

Curiously, I'd say completely the opposite - general parts are very cheap for 205's, and it means that once you've sorted out the initial neglect and providing that you can do the majority of the labour yourself, they cost comparitive peanuts to run.

 

I guess it depends what you're comparing them to of course, and in your case with it being a Ford I can see why they might look expensive, but compared to anything Japanese for example our little 205's are so cheap to repair. Even my MX-5 - cheap to maintain by Japanese standards - makes me whince everytime I look at the price of stuff given that I'm used to 205's.

 

Take your example of wishbone bushes - it's about £25 for a complete set of four (with fixings) on a 205, enough to do both wishbones. On an MX-5 it is about £25-30 per bush, and given that it's double wishbone front and rear, that makes it over £400 to rebush it with OE items

[chipstick 382 1 Cars]

You need to be realistic and have a good vision with what you intend to achieve and how long it should take you.

 

I have no idea how I mustered up the energy, or even the time to get my 205 on the road last year. I was breaking two GTi6's at the time and managed to juggle breaking those, wrapping and sending out parts along with researching info I needed and getting out and sorting bits on the 205. I really don't know how I found time. I suppose I just had a real determination, having always wanted a white 205 for many years and having never drove it, the urge to get it finished before the weather set in (I don't have a garage) made it happen. I don't spend half the time I would like to now doing the small bits which give me the most pleasure.

 

I wrote a list of weekend dates up to my deadline. Next to each weekend was a mention of intended achievements. Underneath was a list of things I wanted to do - several small things. I was constanty moving things forward (as they were easier or just more convenient at the time) and when finished I added ***DONE*** next to it. Each time I found I needed to do something else, I would add it on the list. I always knew what I needed to do, how long I thought it should take me and I think because it all fell in to place, and I saw the list shorten I knew I would make it, and it was just a case of keep on ticking.

 

I've got a friend in a similar position. He has a mk1 Fiesta XR2 on a spit. He is very very unrealistic with how long things will take. He may spend an hour on removing a bit of underseal, and then leave it a few days and come back to it for another hour. He just needs to spend a good solid 10 hour day on it and get the whole underside done.

 

I suppose I found the easiest way of not getting put off was to tackle jobs and keep at them until they were finished before moving on. It may split over a few evenings, but that's life.

 

Perhaps look at splitting bigger jobs in to smaller jobs. If you need to strip the interior out for example, don't set that aside for a weekend. Set the front half for a weekend - when you get flying and move on to the rear say, you will be on a roll and won't want to give up. You will think you have exceeded your goal and more likely to get straight back out to it to beat another.

 

So to end, what is it you want to do with the car, when do you want to do it and what is it that you like most about the 205? It's the start of the 'summer'. Try and get it sorted over the next few months so it's light, 'warm' and more of a pleasure to get out there with the door open to work on.

 

 

 

Take your example of wishbone bushes - it's about £25 for a complete set of four (with fixings) on a 205, enough to do both wishbones.

 

That sounds good. Are those genuine Peugeot items?

[custard-rallye 25]

Have to agree with Anthony 205's cost peanuts for parts try a starlet turbo its scary a bare engine is 700 I could get a 106 gti engine for 150

[gaz832 7 1 Cars]

went to the car today, got a few bits done, mostly geting all the stuff i have placed inside it organized into boxes. has helped me a bit as i can now see with not alot of work i can have it off to a paintshop pretty soon. considering removing the engine for the spray job aswell. what can i leave in the engine bay without too much hastle to mask up .?

[Terry1600 14]

drop it all out and send it on its way! i rebuilt my phase 1, a full year and 2 clingy girlfreinds later its finally finished. time goes by so fast, once you get the car back rebuilding is a doddle. my car was eaten alive at the rear by rust and now looks the bomb! ive had a few late nights and a few lie ins but im glad its finally finished and love evvery minuite of it. i rebuilt mine from nothing and even threw in a turbo conversion!