Peugeot 205
Kim makes a change from Brit metal and buys a cosmopolitan modern classic
The phone rang; it was a long-standing automotive pal, who I shall call Jeremy as that’s his name. The conversation went like this… Jeremy: ‘Hello Kim, would you like another classic?’
Me: ‘No thanks, I have too many already.’ (Short pause). ‘Okay, so what is it?’
Jeremy: ‘It’s a solid, low mileage (51,000 from new) Peugeot 205 with a current MOT, which runs, but needs some mechanical work and general TLC, having been owned for many years by a very elderly lady who couldn’t work on the car herself, and relied on a local garage to assist if ever a problem arose. It needs saving Kim.’ Me… before thinking: ‘Okay then.’ Thus the Peugeot, a fairly basic specification 1124cc 1991 Trio S, was duly acquired unseen. By the time I went to collect it, 80 miles from my home, Jeremy had already made a good start on cleaning up and servicing the car, no doubt to soften the blow of my first sight of it.
Ready for some TLC
Sadly the owner had passed away and the 205 had sat for several months, unloved, unused, and with an uncertain future, beneath trees that did it no favours by dropping pine leaves and twigs onto the car in great quantities. It had been more than 30 years since I had last driven a 205, having been on the model’s UK press launch (in Ireland) in 1983, and later having road-tested both 1.6 and 1.9-litre GTI versions for
Practical Motorist magazine. Of course, my ‘new’ 1124cc 205 is not as fast as a GTI, but when driving it home I greatly enjoyed its mechanical smoothness, excellent ride comfort, impressive all-round visibility and the willing, if not exhilarating, way that it purred along. I was already liking my new compact classic.
Pug, interrupted
However, my happy mood was interrupted by sudden illumination of the ‘Low coolant level’ warning lamp. I stopped the car, allowed the engine to cool, topped up the cooling system and then (carefully) continued home, with the light flashing on and off at intervals. This was a worrying sign, but at this stage I was not discouraged. I knew that the car’s original coolant had been pretty muddy and that Jeremy had kindly flushed through the system several times in advance of me collecting the vehicle. I also knew that 205s in general are sensitive to correct bleeding of air from the cooling system (via three separate points). For now I assumed that there was probably an obstinate air lock
within or moving around the system. Overall I was heartened by the obvious solidity of the little Peugeot’s body shell, its near-mint interior and its unmarked luggage compartment, as well as its mechanical quietness. Further good news included the fact that the clutch had been renewed just 1000 miles previously.
I began to work through the aspects requiring attention around the car. At the outset I was keen to fully investigate the structural integrity of the vehicle, before delving too deep into cosmetics, and especially before spending a lot of time and money on the car… always a wise approach with a new classic purchase.
I was very pleasantly surprised. A thorough inspection of the underbody showed that it was remarkably sound, with no evidence of any serious rust. On the other hand the upper body paintwork had long-since lost its gloss through the vehicle consistently being parked beneath pine trees over many years, and the left-hand front wing had lost some of its paint as well as its surface shine! However the small area of rust visible here was just superficial.
Work needed
Under the car it was evident that the right-hand driveshaft oil seal was ailing, plus the joint between the exhaust manifold downpipe and the main exhaust system was leaking slightly. The right-hand headlamp assembly was well past its best too, and the front suspension strut/spring assemblies, while structurally sound, were in need of a good rub down, clean-up and re-paint to preserve them.
In addition to the cooling system still showing signs of being dirty within, it was clear that the car had not been serviced for a long while in terms of filters, oils, etc, although the brake discs and pads were, effectively, unworn, and the hydraulic pistons showed no signs of seizure.
The mechanical fuel pump operated intermittently, so an early job was to renew this. The wiper blades, alternator drive belt, and oil, air and fuel filters, were all in a dire state and were renewed, along with the engine oil and, as already mentioned, the coolant. The murky front and rear screenwash systems were fully flushed through too. I soon had a better feel for the overall condition of the 205, with my aim being a sympathetic recommissioning/running restoration. With servicing operations carried out, the exterior washed and the interior deep-cleaned throughout , the car looked and felt better already, and was running more reliably. However, its MOT test was soon due, and I planned further checks before this. It also required some cosmetic attention to the paintwork, plus further investigation into the cooling system, as during several runs that Low Coolant warning lamp just wouldn’t stay out, despite repeated re-bleeding… to me this indicated the probability of deeper problems. More of this next time. practicalclassics@bauermedia.co.uk
‘The underbody is remarkably rust-free’