1989 Miami Gti - Genuine?

[keeperlit 4 1 Cars]

Hi all,

 

I've had my Feb '89 Miami blue GTi since 2010, and a mate has had it since ~2001.

 

I'm a bit unsure of the car's history before then, as the VIN number on the bulkhead has rusted off, and miami blue was a special edition in 1989 and this car lacks the special edition features like power steering and leather interior.

 

The taxbook shows that it's a 1.9 GTi in 'blue', I did a mycarcheck and it shows that the car was imported at some stage. The VIN code seems to match a 1.9 GTi description - VF320CD6201845319

 

The shell isn't that straight and the car has been in a few scrapes, the paint on the boot and rear bumper flakes off to reveal red. The paint on the roof is terrible, showing deep scrape marks which could have been during sanding. The boot doesn't line up correctly and the metalwork around the radiator has been bent back a bit. Rust is starting along the roof line and at the B-pillar top and bottoms. Quite bad in places with holes.

 

Any ideas or concerns? :-S

[welshpug 1,657]

what exactly are you asking?

[dcc 855]

I think the front half was blue the rear used to be red

[keeperlit 4 1 Cars]

what exactly are you asking?

 

Cheers for the poke ;-)

 

I'm asking if it's possible the car is genuinely miami blue if it's early 1989? And if not, then whaddya think happened here?

 

Also, I'm a bit curious about the VIN number on the bulkhead rusting away though - is this a common problem on 205s or should I be suspicious?

 

According to @griffo the only blue available in 1988/89 was Topaz Blue (ELZ) - [http://205gti.info/paint/]

 

Pics and details of my car:

205 GTI-6 2.0 (1989)

Edited December 29, 2016 by keeperlit

[keeperlit 4 1 Cars]

Mystery solved. Thanks to griffo's VIN lookup, the car left the Mulhouse factory in black:

 

The red rear bumper and boot lid must have been replacements that were painted.

Characteristics for vehicle VF320CD6201845319 VMI VF3 VDS 20CD62 VIS 01845319 Model/Country 205 GTi 1.9 130 PS (128 hp/95 kW) GB Production Centre Mulhouse (FR) Model Year/Assembly Entry Date AM 89 13/01/1989 Engine XU9JA D6B 1CW44 0049777 Gearbox BVM5 BE1 2BP25 0026843 Paint Type/Colour (EN)/Colour (FR) Non-Metallic Lacquered Embassy Black (Onyx) Noir Verni Trim Type/Colour Quattro Velour/Leather Two-tone Grey/Red vertical stripe

[Mikey S 29 1 Cars]

So what's the plan with it? Restor back to original?

Gotta be worth doing imo.......

[keeperlit 4 1 Cars]

So what's the plan with it? Restor back to original?

Gotta be worth doing imo.......

Hmmm, it says 'Blue' on the tax book and there's no record of it changing colour there. It will need paint at some stage, but I also like the miami blue more than black...

[Mikey S 29 1 Cars]

I'm presuming the shuts and under the bonnet have been done Miami then?

 

Maybe more trouble than it's worth returning it to its original colour if your planning on keeping it.....

[griffo 15 1 Cars]

Hi all,

 

I've had my Feb '89 Miami blue GTi since 2010, and a mate has had it since ~2001.

 

I'm a bit unsure of the car's history before then, as the VIN number on the bulkhead has rusted off, and miami blue was a special edition in 1989 and this car lacks the special edition features like power steering and leather interior.

 

The taxbook shows that it's a 1.9 GTi in 'blue', I did a mycarcheck and it shows that the car was imported at some stage. The VIN code seems to match a 1.9 GTi description - VF320CD6201845319

 

The shell isn't that straight and the car has been in a few scrapes, the paint on the boot and rear bumper flakes off to reveal red. The paint on the roof is terrible, showing deep scrape marks which could have been during sanding. The boot doesn't line up correctly and the metalwork around the radiator has been bent back a bit. Rust is starting along the roof line and at the B-pillar top and bottoms. Quite bad in places with holes.

 

Any ideas or concerns? :-S

 

 

Cheers for the poke ;-)

 

I'm asking if it's possible the car is genuinely miami blue if it's early 1989? And if not, then whaddya think happened here?

 

Also, I'm a bit curious about the VIN number on the bulkhead rusting away though - is this a common problem on 205s or should I be suspicious?

 

According to @griffo the only blue available in 1988/89 was Topaz Blue (ELZ) - [http://205gti.info/paint/]

 

Pics and details of my car:

205 GTI-6 2.0 (1989)

 

Yes the build date of your car predates the release of the Miami Blue colour (initially for the LE models) by nearly a year.

 

I presume apart from the rusted off VIN on the body that the rivetted AUTOMOBILE PEUGEOT plate is also missing?

 

Have you been able to confirm that the engine number associated with the VIN matches to try and determine if the VIN is for your GTi?

Of course course ppl can change engines which is easier than changing the colour :-)

 

Cheers

[keeperlit 4 1 Cars]

I'm presuming the shuts and under the bonnet have been done Miami then?

 

Maybe more trouble than it's worth returning it to its original colour if your planning on keeping it.....

 

Mikey, I've rebuilt the car and never noticed any black bits which is quite strange. It's miami underneath, under the carpets, in the engine bay, behind scuttle etc... Weird.

[keeperlit 4 1 Cars]

 

 

Yes the build date of your car predates the release of the Miami Blue colour (initially for the LE models) by nearly a year.

 

I presume apart from the rusted off VIN on the body that the rivetted AUTOMOBILE PEUGEOT plate is also missing?

 

Have you been able to confirm that the engine number associated with the VIN matches to try and determine if the VIN is for your GTi?

Of course course ppl can change engines which is easier than changing the colour :-)

 

Cheers

 

The Automobiles Peugeot label is there, just behind the drivers side front turret. Must check the chassis number matches the next time I'm up at the garage.

 

It's got a GTI-6 engine now, I've no idea where the old 1.9 currently resides. Maybe still lying in my mate's yard, but should have been long since scrapped by now. It was very well corroded, and a frog lived in the gearbox. :-D

[tartanbloke 35 1 Cars]

It may have been re-shelled, hence the Chassis VIN stamp missing as this appeared to be common practice years ago when a tiny bit of rust was detected anywhere on the shell ​

[toolie72 67 1 Cars]

It's either been reshelled from a Miami blue, mot dodge or had a very thorough paint job-none of which are necessarily bad in my opinion

If its been reshelled and vin markings have ahem rusted away then proving its real identity would be pretty hard-but what would be the point anyway as you've lost original engine-you could still show it (if that's your thing-not mine) or you can still radge it about (my thing)

How many cars for sale (of any make) that are "sporty" haven't got hidden secrets anyway (apart from eBay of course, 56000 miles, lady owner etc etc)

[keeperlit 4 1 Cars]

It's either been reshelled from a Miami blue, mot dodge or had a very thorough paint job-none of which are necessarily bad in my opinion

If its been reshelled and vin markings have ahem rusted away then proving its real identity would be pretty hard-but what would be the point anyway as you've lost original engine-you could still show it (if that's your thing-not mine) or you can still radge it about (my thing)

How many cars for sale (of any make) that are "sporty" haven't got hidden secrets anyway (apart from eBay of course, 56000 miles, lady owner etc etc)

 

I assume 'radging' is what happens when I climb into my 205 after driving a van all week and I become re-acquainted with driving pleasure :-) . The bodywork is the big thing letting my GTi down, hence why I was trying to figure out whether i fix up the old shell or reshell. Rust along the roof lines with holes, rusty top and bottom B pillars with holes. Bit of straightening up to be done behind the headlights, poor paintwork.

[toolie72 67 1 Cars]

Yes "radging" is the antidote to all vans

Mines a 85 hp transit (or s*it as I prefer to call it)

[jeremy 70]

Have you tried taking a rubbing of the underside of the vin number using crayon.

[NFS 32]

So how did you get the vin looked up? I need to know exactly what interior my pug came with so I can put it back to standard etc. Thanks

[griffo 15 1 Cars]

So how did you get the vin looked up? I need to know exactly what interior my pug came with so I can put it back to standard etc. Thanks

 

OK, provided it's a Phase 1.5 or 2 205, the http://205gti.info will help. Works also for all 309s. If its a Phase 1 205 then I might still be able to help..

 

I'm still working on some of the more obscure 205 trims, so there may be some gaps but owners with those cars can help the project along by submitting VINs.

[NFS 32]

Thanks Very Much! did you put this info together? if so hats off to you!

[griffo 15 1 Cars]

Thanks Very Much! did you put this info together? if so hats off to you!

 

Hi NFS, yes guilty as charged.

I have added decoding for the Limited Edition GTi's (Sorrento Green/Miami Blue) as a comment in the display.

 

Interestingly all of these have a special build code of '3W', but I also have data for a German DKZ GTi built at the same time with the same specs (Sorrento Green/Grey Leather) with this code as well.

 

There are other GTi's with these options but these were built after the LE models.

 

Cheers

Edited January 21, 2017 by griffo