Need Some General Help

[Sambrown 0]

I've just bought a 205. It's a 1.9 diesel. G reg.

I don't know anything about these cars coz I'm a bit of a Volkswagen girl but I needed a cheap run around for a year or so while I restore my mk2 golf.

I just need some general help really about what parts fit what.

 

My 205 is standard at the moment but I just wanted to do some subtle mods to make it look nice.

To start I wanted new bumpers. Mine are fine but they're grey? I thought I could heat gun them back to black but i don't think they were originally black? Does anyone know? If so what black ones would fit mine?

 

Also, I want to lower it a little and I've been told its got a torsion bar at the back? How simple is this to drop and do I need coilovers or shocks and springs for the front?

 

Errrrrm, any other general knowledge also. Things I should know.

 

I'll get some pictures up soon.

 

Thanks

Sam x

[Sambrown 0]

okay so im guessing people aren't as friendly here...?

[Stephen W 12 1 Cars]

It sounds like you have an earlier model if the bumpers are grey, the later ones are black. Is it just a base model diesel or an stdt?

 

Lowering wise you can keep the original struts and simply fit lowering springs, or depending how much money you want to spend like you say you can fit coilovers.

Lowering the beam will be down to how seized it is. It will take a lot of lubricant like wd40 etc but its a job you can do yourself. Have a look on the main website there's a link with a full write up including pictures which should help.

[welshpug 1,666]

give it time! its often quiet sometimes here and we don't take kindly to noobs bombarding with the questions (though I guess thats what all noobs do...)

 

a little light reading would have told you that there are two shades for the exterior trim depending on age, a light ish grey (especially when faded) for pre 1990 cars, commonly referred to as phase1 and phase 1.5, the later post 1990 cars (phase2) have a much darker, almost black hurricane grey.

 

the preferred method for restoring is something called "plasticare", have a search, you'll find lots about it.

 

if you use black plasticare then you will get your desired look, though purists will hate you!

 

the 205 does indeed use torsion bars out back, as to most smaller Peugeot's and Citroen's from the early 80's to early 2000's, if all is healthy then they can bee easily adjusted by removing the torsion bars, moving the trailing arm, and re-fitting the torsion bar, the differing number of splines each end gives a finer adjustment than the "notch" method which is to be avoided.

 

however as with anything 10+ years old they will often need significantly more money spending once you take them apart unless its known that they have had attention previously.

 

the front can be lowered with springs easily, don't be tempted to go to low however, pugs are famed for their excellent handling characteristics, which can be easily spoiled with cheap lowering.

[pugpete1108 62 1 Cars]

Hi welcome, its not usually this unfriendly around here i can assure you, could be the vw comments that have put people off

 

being a g reg its a ph 1.5 so i would imagine the bumpers would be grey as std, if they are really faded try some plasticare grey to bring them up nice.

 

front suspension is springs correct so some lowering ones would do the job.

 

depending on how bad the rear beam is it can either be easy to lower or a complete nighmare, check the main website for a how to guide.

 

not really up to scratch on diesels i cant hep with performance mods but im sure someone will be along to help soon enough.

 

 

 

 

wp beat me to it......

Edited October 2, 2012 by pugpete1108

[Sambrown 0]

noobs lol, i havent heard that word for years.

 

well, i tried researching a little but dont have unlimited internet and i needed someone to put it into simple terms for me, so i thought id ask.

 

I like the sound of the plasticare stuff, is it just available from normal car shops? and will it bring the light grey to black or just a better grey?

 

It must be an earlier model, really really basic lol. but it'll do me! I dont know what an stdt is? all i know is that its a 1.8 or 1.9 diesel.

 

 

im not really into performance mods tbh, im not into speed or bhp, its only going to be doing about 7 miles a day to work and back.

Kinda just looking to get it stanced really. ill show you some pics of my mk2 so you can see what im going for

 

 

 

 

 

[Sambrown 0]

 

 

[Sambrown 0]

i just ordered some plasticare

[Stephen W 12 1 Cars]

I quite like your golf, nice and clean! We're not all anti veedub around here tho!

An stdt is basically a turbo diesel 205 in a Gti guise. ie. bodytrim and 1.9 wheels.

 

[Sambrown 0]

Oh no lol. It's really basic. No fancy body kit or wheels I'm afraid. I wanted to put my wellers on it but they are the wrong fitment.

I'll get some pics up soon x

[dandanger 12]

not a bad golf i do like the small bumpers as oppose to the big bumpered jobbie..... as for ur pug is it a STDT or a bog standard shopping trolley ???

[Sambrown 0]

Bog standard as far as I know lol.

No turbo, no body kit, no alloys... Lol.

But it'll do me just fine.

[Josh_Quant 27]

All i would do is GTI front and rear bumper+valance and lower it with a nice set of wheels and that makes all the difference

[Leon 24]

I used to have a Mk2 Golf with Wellers like that, it looked great!

[Sambrown 0]

wheres the best place to get hold of bumpers etc? coz ive browsed a few pages in the for sale section. and theres not a lot there.

 

also,would any GTI bumpers fit mine?

is there any that wouldnt?

[Weser 30]

Im not against vee dubs. Love my Bay window Nice Mk2!

 

You don't need the Gti bumpers just the Valances. The Gtis have colour coded valances (the bit with the reverse light and fog light in). You might beable to find ones that match your car colour at a scrappy? Or I am sure someone on here will definitely have some available. These valances can fit onto your exsisting bumpers and make the car look so much better straight away!

 

I fitted these and 1.9 gti alloys and it improved the look straight away. Watch tyre sizes if you go for 1.9 alloys. You need 185 tyres on the back otherwise they will rub on the arches.

 

You will probably be after a mild lowering being as your from the vw scene to finish off the look

[dandanger 12]

its stick it on its arse with a set of banded stealies

[pug_ham 245 3 Cars]

Whatever you do, don't try to lower it like you have your golf, that ruin any idea of handling & ride comfort.

 

A good suspension swap for the base diesel is just to fit GTI shocks & springs, these give it about a 30mm drop iirc & stiffen the front up nicely.

 

As already explained about rear the beam, if its been looked after (ie; rebuilt properly) then lowering shouldn't be an issue but get it done correctly not just by the "spline method" although I'd expect on a G reg diesel 205, it'll be in a poor state & benefit from a full refurb.

 

106 S2 Rallye steels are a good wheel option for wheels.

 

GTI bumpers aren't needed, unless you are fitting the full GTI bodykit but I'd focus on getting the current bumpers back into decent condition first, you can fit the front & rear valances straight onto the bumpers on your car now, effectively making your car look like an XS.

 

An stdt is basically a turbo diesel 205 in a Gti guise. ie. bodytrim and 1.9 wheels.

No its not, it is basically a 1.6 GTI front end with a mix of 1.6 & 1.9 brakes but doesn't come with GTI alloys, as standard they have the 14" Gentry alloys, same as fitted to the 405 in various guises.

 

g

[Stephen W 12 1 Cars]

Whatever you do, don't try to lower it like you have your golf, that ruin any idea of handling & ride comfort.

 

A good suspension swap for the base diesel is just to fit GTI shocks & springs, these give it about a 30mm drop iirc & stiffen the front up nicely.

 

As already explained about rear the beam, if its been looked after (ie; rebuilt properly) then lowering shouldn't be an issue but get it done correctly not just by the "spline method" although I'd expect on a G reg diesel 205, it'll be in a poor state & benefit from a full refurb.

 

106 S2 Rallye steels are a good wheel option for wheels.

 

GTI bumpers aren't needed, unless you are fitting the full GTI bodykit but I'd focus on getting the current bumpers back into decent condition first, you can fit the front & rear valances straight onto the bumpers on your car now, effectively making your car look like an XS.

 

 

No its not, it is basically a 1.6 GTI front end with a mix of 1.6 & 1.9 brakes but doesn't come with GTI alloys, as standard they have the 14" Gentry alloys, same as fitted to the 405 in various guises.

 

g

 

Very true but I was just trying to keep the explanation in simple terms ????

[Sambrown 0]

Love the banded steels comment.. That's what I wanna do lol. It can't handle any worse than it does now by dropping it to the floor lol.

 

I take back the comment I made about it being unfriendly

Very very helpful! My plasticare came and I tried it out on the front bumper, looks good! Gonna do it all this weekend.

 

[Sambrown 0]

One more question though...the trip on my dash don't work, I can hear it whirl and click but the numbers don't turn.

And the push in reset thing for the clock don't work. So the clock works its just telling the wrong time lol.

Is this a case of taking the dash apart? If so how easy is that? Coz I tried once on my new mk5 golf and couldn't even find a starting point lol!

 

[pug_ham 245 3 Cars]

It can't handle any worse than it does now by dropping it to the floor lol.

Oh yes it can.

 

Still, probably an improvement over a golf with a similar drop though.

 

g