Just Bought An Ax Gt...

[Furyblade_Lee 2]

I currently have two 205 1.6 Gti and Cti's, but I just bought a car that I test drove and should have bought 24 years ago in 1990... I bought it semi-blind really from a mate of a mate, at a VERY good price and was expecting a running, scruffy, solid car which I could turn into a proper stage rally car. However, I was more than pleasantly surprised to find a white two door GT with just 40,000 miles on the clock and my god it is like a time warp car! All the carpets, headling, seats and trip are 99% perfect and it is more like a 5 year old car than 24! Not even a parking dink I could see at first glance, just a little surface rust around the filler cap. Will post some pics when I take some. My dilemma now is though ( and be under no illusions the last owner was going to basically race this around fields until it was wrecked I kid you not ) it is SO good it is probably one of the best left. Is it a crime to build it into a rally car?? I would do it properly, weld in cage etc, and would use it propely for stage rallies and keep it A1 condition as much as I can, but a part of me thinks it should be preserved and original. Acording to that howmanyleft.co.uk webside there are currently only 55 taxed and in use on UK roads as of now. Even if it is not 100% accurate, there cannot be many, and how many are white 2 door ( my favourite ) is anyones guess. My 250 Gti is a keeper and part of me wants to pair it with a standard AXGT for long term, but that is not why I bought it!! Wife will kill me! The Cti I am selling imminently, and that would buy lots of rollcage...... what do you guys reckon?

[chipstick 382 1 Cars]

If resale value isn't ultimately important, do what YOU want to it which will make you happiest.

[stufarri 98 3 Cars]

I'd say keep it for nostalgia - cars like this are rare and need to be cherished. There will be a few that are fit for rally cars but this does not sound like one of them.

 

Put into context there are thousands of 205 GTIs left and a good few hundred CTIs and 309GTIs but just 55 of these.

[Tom Fenton 1,541]

Another vote to leave it as it is. If you want a small rally car go and buy a 106 for example, of which there are many available and also they are well rallied hence parts are readily available.

I've a soft spot for the AX GT as a good mate of mine had one when we were 19/20, some good memories of hurtling about in it.

[TooMany2cvs 65]

Another vote for "preserve" from here. I've got a good mate who'd wet himself over this one, and if you really wanted a rally car, he might be interested in a deal for his black 3dr GT with various crusty bits replaced with solid metal.

[DC2T 51]

im all for tearing them apart and making them rally slags, but as said its too good to do to it. even when i was looking at 205s to buy i was put off by the cleaner low miles examples as i didnt want to ruin them

[feb 47]

Sell it to me

Seriously, keep it if it is in good condition. They are nice little cars. Even my 1.0 AX was a lot of fun having only 45 bhp! The cheapest to run car I've had to date and very reliable too.

Edited January 14, 2014 by feb

[GeorgeXS 32]

Sounds like a great find Lee! I had an fairly mint AX GTI until about July last year, it was a great car, really fun little thing to throw around!

 

As much as i'd like to see an AX rally car come form this, I have to say i'm in the preserve camp as well, sounds like too good an example to put for rallying use.

 

To me, Tom's advice is spot on, why not use a 106 or Saxo? Same basic chassis, less flimsy, WAY more plentiful, already will have 4 stud wheels and hubs, there isn't much 3 stud stuff around.

 

These little AX's are starting to creep up in value now as they are rare and becoming classics, i'd keep it mint if I were you.

 

The AX owners club is quite good:

http://www.axoc.co.uk/phpBB3/

[Furyblade_Lee 2]

Cheers guys, you do speak sense. I have a pic but its too large and I don't know how to resize it! It is too good to rally I think with hindsight. I will MOT it, spend a weekend detailing it and enjoy and see where I go, but don't think I will strip it now. I will probably be better selling it on or doing a direct swap for a ready built rally car, 106 or 205 with cage etc already done. Far more cost effective too probably and I am doing a good deed for the motoring history! I will try and work out how to resize and post a pic up.

[Furyblade_Lee 2]

Just relieved all the paperwork and it has a pretty comprehensive history confirming the genuine 40,000 miles and all the MOTs. Was not sure I would get it, but now I have it's getting saved :-) I promise you had I not bought it it would have been driven to destruction and been scrapped in 6 months time. Criminal!

[Roon 29 1 Cars]

Good decision something like that I would keep it looking good look after it and enjoy it

[welshpug 1,657]

Should still build a rally AX, start with a 1.0 as you'll throw away 99% of it anyway

[Furyblade_Lee 2]

Just managed to resize it, but it's a bit too small now!!!

Edited January 15, 2014 by Furyblade_Lee

[Furyblade_Lee 2]

I give up! won't attach.

[Donk 4]

My first car was a red E reg AX gt. would have one again. Loved it,

[cti_jim 4 2 Cars]

Keep it. I bought an ax gt 5 years ago for £50 with tax and mot. Best car ive ever owned

 

is yours a mk1 or 2

[TooMany2cvs 65]

is yours a mk1 or 2

Mk2 went to GTi, and lost a lot of what made 'em legendary.

[will1991 11 1 Cars]

I'm a huge fan of these. Glad to hear you're keeping it standard.

[Atari Boy 11]

I had a Mk 1 in 1997 and committed 100 miles a day it (it was tiring), I loved it and should have never of sold it, as above, keep it standard.

[cti_jim 4 2 Cars]

They done a mk2 gt