Adult sized Lego. A tale of restoring and restomodding a 1987 Peugeot 205 CTI convertible

"duurtlang" (duurtlang) 09/26/2019 at 00:05 • Filed to: Peugeot 205, Peugeot 205 GTi, peugeot 205 cti, Fantasy Garage

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Despite me being here for roughly a decade now, I have never really written about my weekend toy. This will change now. Warning: lots of pictures and almost 4k words!

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After a ‘ !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ’ article by Raphael Orlove, I bought my first Peugeot 205 GTI and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! this in a set of replies at that very article. I did so because I wanted a fun car to fix up, drive and sell for a profit. In addition to that GTI, I also bought a CTI (GTI convertible) that I later sold to a French duo, who imported it to France. Later I also sold the GTI... to a second French duo, who also imported it to France. Before I did so though, I had bought a second CTI. One that needed more attention and that I wanted to fix up myself. To teach myself wrenching on a slightly higher level. It turned out differently...

The Peugeot 205, an introduction.

The Peugeot 205 was introduced in 1983 and saved ailing Peugeot. It was a subcompact that competed with cars like the VW Polo and Ford Fiesta. It stayed in production for at least 15 years. They sold over 5 million of the little critters. Not only was the regular 205 one of the best subcompacts of the 80s and early 90s, it also produced the best hot hatch of its time. Before I get criticized, the mk1 Golf GTI was discontinued before the 205 GTI was introduced, so no comparison has to be made there (the 205 would win). Peugeot also introduced a convertible version of the 205, and with the CTI a convertible version of the GTI. It had the same drive train and same interior, however the suspension was somewhere between regular 205 and 205 GTI. This, however, was easy to remedy...

Even Clarkson liked it:

The 205 convertible was introduced in 1986. There was the dual carb 1.4L CT with 80 hp and the 105/115 hp fuel injected 1.6L CTI. After the face lift of 1988 the CT was dropped and a 1.1L 60 hp version was also launched, first with a single carb and after the major overhaul of 1990 with fuel injection. The 1.6L engine from the CTI was eventually replaced by a 1.9, but (in the convertible) with the same 105 hp.

My 205 CTI, the beginning.

I bought this CTI on the 6th of November 2015. It was a phase 1 Peugeot 205, still with the old dashboard that was to be replaced by 1988. The seller had bought it some time in the 90s when he was 19. At the time he sold it, he was 38 if I recall correctly. This made sense, as the (1987) car had been imported into the Netherlands in 1996, and according to the registration he was the first (Dutch) owner. He had modified it as a kid, drove it for roughly a decade but let it stay dormant in his shed for the last almost decade of his ownership. Before offering it for sale he did get it to pass Dutch inspection, so the car was absolutely safe to drive when I bought it, with good brakes and good enough tires. It had some marks and optical tuning, but seemed to be in an okay condition. Purchase price: 1150 Euros. A price that would be an absolute steal today, even considering the issues, given the (rightful) appreciation these cars have gone through in the last few years.

On the day I bought it (my DD in the background): Silver grille, clear indicators and a reproduction of an aftermarket front bumper in poor condition. Picture looks better than what it was

That reflector plate was... interesting and certainly period correct, but the application with visible glue was not to my liking. However, even worse was that exhaust. Ugh.

Some rust was to be found, but no holes

Good from far, far from good. The black cloth was disintegrating and the bolsters on the door sides were flattened. And look at those aftermarket metal pedal inserts, especially the brake and gas pedal ones. I had the seller take those off before I picked it up as I saw them as a safety issue.

Before I bought the CTI, I became a member at a DIY garage with covered long stay parking inside their hall. After I bought the car, I took it on the relatively short 2 hour journey to that DIY garage, where I would store it and work on it.

In its new home, rolling it back to its spot next to the equally old Citroën CX. There was a free to use lift to my left.

At the DIY garage the 205 was accompanied by a wide array of other project cars. It was parked next to a Citroen CX and opposite of a DS. Somewhere in the background there were a Peugeot 404 coupe, a Citroen SM and a NSU Ro80. All three collecting dust for many years. There were vintage Volvos, Saabs, Land/Range Rovers, a Jaguar, a Reliant Scimitar and many others. Even some kind of American van from the 60s or 70s.

Left to right; Peugeot 404 coupe, NSU Ro80, Citroen SM. All of them very lust worthy classics (if fixed), all of them collecting dust.

In over my head

I started with the easy jobs. Oil change, filters, plugs, ignition parts. I fixed the power windows, and with some help the radiator was replaced as well. The (1990+) clear indicators were replaced by period correct amber ones, and I removed some of the other optical tuning. But why was there an oily vapor coming from the exhaust when the engine was running? And what would I, a novice, do about the (very mild) rust?

I decided I was in over my head, and drove the car to a friendly mechanic. He would overhaul the engine in his (big and well equipped) shed/garage so it would not burn oil any more, and he would address the rust. The oil issue was properly caused by these rings on the cylinders that should prevent the oil from moving from the shaft to the combustion chamber, or so we thought.

It did not turn out to be that simple. Due to it standing still for so long at the previous owner, improperly prepared, the engine had internal corrosion. And had he really run it with the ancient oil before he sold it? The engine needed to come out and be thoroughly rebuilt. Or, more cost effective, to be replaced.

This was only the beginning

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My mechanic friend had an idea. When I needed to source a different engine, why not get a more powerful one? This made sense to me.

So, I bought a Lancia as an engine donor.

This needs some extra explanation. To make the engine swap be plug and play(ish), the donor engine needed to be from the same engine family as the original donor engine. This would enable using stock engine mounts, stock transmission and whatnot. No or very little fabrication needed.

So, which engine from the same engine family would I pick? Stock CTI was 1.6L, 105 hp. I had the following more-powerful options:

Peugeot 1.9 GTI: 1.9L 8V, 130 hp, or 120 with catalyst. I wanted a catalyst. Late 80s, very early 90s

Peugeot 309 GTI 16V, Peugeot 406 Mi16 or Citroen BX GTI 16v: 1.9L 16V, 160 hp or 147 with a catalyst. Late 80s, very early 90s

Peugeot and Citroen generic late 90s engine: 2.0L 16V, 135 hp

Peugeot 306 GTI: 2.0L 16V, 163 hp. Late 90s.

Peugeot 406/605/806, Citroen Xantia/XM/Evasion and the Fiat Ulysse and Lancia Zeta minivans (shared with Peugeot, and coming with Peugeot engines): 2.0L 8V with low pressure turbo, 150 hp. Most of the 90s.

The first option comes from a 205 and looks optically identical, so it had that going for it. The second option was period correct, but nowadays hard to source. The last two options seemed the most interesting. The 306 GTI engine is the most powerful, the turbo engine has a lot more torque and is thus easier to drive. For comparison:

Peugeot 205 convertible 1.1L: 60 hp at 6200 RPM, 88 Nm at 3800 RPM

Peugeot 205 convertible CTI: 105 hp at 6250 RPM, 132 Nm at 4000 RPM

Peugeot 306 GTI: 163 hp at 6500 RPM, 193 Nm at 5500 RPM

The low pressure turbo 2.0L 8v: 150 hp at 5300 RPM, 235 Nm at 2500 RPM

Torque (upper lines) and horsepower. Blue: 1.6CTI engine. Yellow/orange: 306 GTI engine. Green: 2.0 turbo engine. The turbo engine beats the 306 GTI engine until close to 5500 rpm, after which the 306 GTI clearly takes over.

Note that the weight of my 205 CTI is slightly over 900 kg (2000 lbs), excluding driver.

As I was going to spend a lot on an old car, I wanted to get my girlfriend on board. She likes fast but comfortable and automatic (sigh) cars. An automatic was never even considered obviously, but I thought getting the turbo engine will make the car more appealing to her as it will feel much quicker. This being a convertible and not a track weapon I could absolutely live with it not being revvy. Additionally, I would have 2.5 times the power and over 2.5 times the torque of the base 205 convertible. Should be plenty. Right? Furthermore, this being a turbo engine introduced in the very early 90s it would still have much more character than modern turbo engines. So I decided to go for the 2.0 turbo.

Torque and horsepower. Blue: base engine in the non-CTI 205 convertible. Green: My current engine. The difference is significant.

The next step was looking for an engine. Or an engine donor, as that made life easier. Vehicles with these engines were (this was 2016) approaching well over 20 years old at the time. As big cars tend to live the shortest here (high running and ownership costs, high export rate), availability was low.

I eventually found a Lancia Zeta 2.0 turbo, advertised for 800 euros. And it was super near by! How lucky could I get? So I went and checked it out. The place was super sketchy, the caretaker was looking like he could play a role in The Hills Have Eyes (and not as a hero) and many cars were boxed in. Most cars were (well) below 2k Euros.

Can you see it already? No? It’s next to the fence, behind the small purple van.

See? Behind the purple van

The Lancia was a mess. The pictures show how I found it. Other than the driver seat, all the seats were scattered inside the car, unmounted. It did run though! During the test drive I quickly found a big list of problems: Horribly slipping clutch, rust, AC broken, driver door lock broken, remote locking broken, no passenger side mirror, leather of the steering wheel had ruptured and probably lots of other issues I have already forgotten. No valid inspection either, so not legal to drive. It was quite simply a junker. 206k km on the odometer, so that was okay.

This is how I found the interior. Alcantara seats everywhere, but only the drivers seat mounted in place

I have seen more professional repairs.

Rust holes are weight reduction

It was advertised for 800 Euros. I bid 300, and ended up getting it for 450. I felt I overpaid, it really was in shitty condition.

I drove it to my mechanic on the day I bought it and suspended the registration immediately. The remaining pictures were taken halfway during that drive. I never taxed or insured it and never drove it again. During the part out I sold Lancia Zeta parts for over 800 euros including what the junkyard paid for the remains, so the purchase was certainly worth it. I got a ‘free’ engine and some money as well.

This was what it was all about

The remaining car was slightly parted out, before it was bought and picked up by the junk yard. It sadly needed wheels to be rollable for the junkyard truck, otherwise I could’ve sold the wheels and I would have made tens of euros more!

The build

Other than the engine, I had a few other things I wanted. I wanted a transmission that, although geared for acceleration, would not rev insanely high on the highway. I wanted brakes that could handle the extra weight, even during continuous acceleration/braking on a mountain road, I wanted as much (active) safety as possible and I wanted it to look as stock as possible.

The front of the 205 was stripped. The metal behind the headlights (inner wings) was rusty (typical 205 spot) and replaced. Engine bay was painted.

As you can see above, the engine was overhauled, with a rebuilt head. The motor compartment was made rust free and was repainted. The next changes were made to the 205:

Engine from a Lancia Zeta (1996), engine code XU10J2TE

Transmission: BE1 box from an early Peugeot 205 GTI 1.9, similar to the original box but with slightly longer gearing. Additionally, the fifth gear was replaced by one from a 205 turbo diesel. For lower revs on the highway.

Catalyst converter retrofitted, from a 205 GTI 1.9. The 1987 CTI left the factory without a catalyst.

Front subframe: Peugeot 205 GTI 1.9

Brakes + calipers: Peugeot 307 HDi diesel (front), Peugeot 306 HDi diesel (back). The rear calipers did have the same parts number as 205 GTI 1.9 rear calipers.

Rear axle: twist beam from a 205 gti 1.9 with arms from a Peugeot 306.

Front springs: aftermarket Eibach springs intended for a bigger engined Peugeot 20 6 (due to the extra weight and me not wanting to lower it much)

Shocks: aftermarket; 205 specific Bilstein B6, front and back.

Hydraulic power steering rack: Citroen Xsara (hatch)

Steering pump (electric): Citroen Saxo/Peugeot 106

Airfilter housing, upper half: Peugeot 20 6

Air filter: Something Opel. Fits better in the half-custom filter housing

Intercooler (up top, the radiator has been moved down): BMW E38/E39 7/530D.

Cruise Control: after market, with a Citroën Evasion CC handle to control it.

Master brake cylinder: Peugeot 405 Mi16

Top engine mount (the metal part): Citroen Xantia 2.0 8v

Volvo S80 fuel injectors, with a few percent extra capacity and a more modern multi-nozzle spray pattern

VW ‘relay 99' (early 90s?) to enable a programmable interval for the wipers (plug and play upgrade)

I’ve probably forgotten a few things.

Tight fit with these 15" 205 GTI 1.9 wheels. The stock wheel size on a base 205 is 13"... Michelin Pilot Sport tires in 195/50/15

BEFORE. 205 GTI 1.9 axle and 306 HDi axle. The arms of the 306 axle were placed on the 205 beam, but not before everything was refurbished.

The redone rear axle with disc brakes was ‘new’ for 2019, shortly after the French Oppomeet in Spring 2019. It had the stock axle with rear drums before.

So I added parts from the BMW 730D, Citroën Evasion, Citroën Saxo, Citroën Xantia, Citroën Xsara, Lancia Zeta, some Opel, Peugeot 205 GTI 1.9, Peugeot 205 d_turbo, Peugeot 206, Peugeot 306 Peugeot 307, Peugeot 405, Volvo S80 and VW Passat. Other than the intercooler and some space for the exhaust manifold it would all fit like Lego.

As described above I added some luxuries as well. Most obvious examples: Cruise control, heated seats, immobilizer, remote for the power locks.

Original Peugeot/Citroën cruise control handle. Does not look entirely stock, but looks so much better than the kitschy aftermarket unit that came with my cruise control kit.

Immobilizer, fitted to a former blank button. The remote for the locks is partially visible.

Die Heimat

In 2017 I decided to emigrate. This sounds more dramatic than it sounds, I only moved from the Netherlands to Germany, but it did mean I moved from an old-car friendly place to Bavaria in Southern Germany. In Bavaria they drive BMW crossovers, Mercedes crossovers, Audi crossovers, VWs and not much else. As long as the Bavarians don’t get their classics out of their garages, Bavaria has a barren car-landscape full with grey generic German cars with diesel engines. Ugh. And no junkyards where you can pull your own parts. It also has the Alps near by, geographically and thus theoretically, as in reality the Germans don’t have their highways in check and construction after traffic jam after construction is the reality.

My point being, I have to travel 800 km (500 miles) back home to visit proper junkyards and to the mechanic friend who is mostly responsible for fixing my 205. This made delivering parts to him a bit of a chore.

Even in the Netherlands the 205 is getting more rare. Bigger junkyards will have one or two, but those will typically be base models from the mid 90s. Not convertibles. I did maybe 2 junkyard run days in 2018, but one of those days I could not believe my luck:

A 205. Convertible. CTI. In the right color even. Sitting on top of a 205 hatch.

The new interior

The convertible roof of the junker had been removed already, but what I saw inside was something I could not believe. An original half-leather GTI/CTI interior in surprisingly good condition! Despite it being fully exposed to the elements. Where such an interior usually costs a few hundred Euros at least on the internet, I got it for €75 here. Asking for the price (of ‘a’ 205 interior) before I removed it helped. I eventually sold my old interior on eBay for more.

As I was doing my junkyard run in my 205, a subcompact convertible, I was wondering where to put the two front seats and the rear bench inside that car. As it happens you can fold the rear seat of the convertible flat, and you have a completely flat loading bay from rear bumper to 15 cm from the front seats. The second interior fit like a glove in the back and everything remained below the beltline of the car! Sadly, this did mean I could not strip as many other parts from the junker as I wanted.

The ‘new’ front seats (rears are similar), in the condition I found them on the junkyard. With subtle enough leather, but with ripped cloth in one spot and broken seams. Here they are mounted in my car already, as a test.

For the winter period 2018-2019 I drove my ‘new’ interior to a reupholsterer in Belgium, someone who is specialized in 205 interiors. I asked him to fix the obvious flaws; broken seams, the piece of ripped fabric on the drivers seat and worn bolster foam . He repaired the ripped cloth with a used piece of undamaged but used cloth, to not look out of place next to 30 year old pieces of cloth. I also asked him to install heated seat elements. Here is the result.

After the interior was fixed. Note the two heated seat buttons in front of the shifter, which are not present in the previous picture.

Europpomeets

In the summer of 2018 the refurbishment/restoration/restomod of the 205 had progressed so much it could be driven, and it could be driven all summer long. The drive train was done. The suspension was stock GTI, the shocks and rear axle were still untouched (but decent), the interior was still as I bought it, so with fully cloth seats with the black elements disintegrating. It had passed inspection, I had the new engine entered in the paperwork to make it fully legal and I had the car appraised (€11,500) for he classic car insurance. It was too late to attend the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! in Wales (UK) with the 205 (I borrowed a Citroën BX instead), but the September meet at the Nurburgring was still possible.

At the Septermber Nurburgring (+ Munich Oktoberfest + Alps) meet

Directly after a race. In a drizzle. The road was SLIPPERY. Wheel spin in 3rd gear, brakes locking when you even thought about touching them. Still overtook the rented ‘Ring BMWs and an exotic or two.

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In spring 2019 we went to the Alsace region of France. In the country side I was able to keep up with modern MX5s (2.0L, ND), although with my old suspension I did not dare to keep up in the more challenging corners.

One of the participants was a car journalist, and he took a few pictures of the (dirty and brake-dusty) car. This was still before the new rear axle was fit.

I am 187 cm tall. With the drivers seat in my position I can sit somewhat comfortably on the back seat.

Fits like a glove and almost looks like a factory installation. And yes, the brake fluid reservoir cap was leaking.

With the engine and the other modification I can cruise on the German Autobahn, with the top down , at 200 kmh (125 mph) according to the GPS, with power to spare. Earplugs required, due to the wind noise at those speeds.

Currently

The car is mostly done now. I have some plans, including a new convertible top, but the main remaining issues are mere details. It is an absolute blast to drive with its visceral 80s hot hatch driving dynamics and effortless power. What I really like about it is how versatile it is. I can go canyon carving it in it, I can go to the supermarket and buy groceries for a week+ and (like I did earlier this month) I can take it on a 2-week holiday to Italy (Tuscany) with a 30+ kg dog on the back seat and 2 weeks worth of luggage for 2 people in the trunk. With the top up or down, it does not matter. I drive it about 8-10k km a year, fun trips only.

Want to see it in action and maybe go along for a drive? !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! !

MonkeePuzzle > duurtlang 09/25/2019 at 16:17

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this is excellent oppo.

those underbody shots are glorious

HammerheadFistpunch > duurtlang 09/25/2019 at 16:20

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you ought to pick this story to jalopnik and get some 205 parts money

duurtlang > HammerheadFistpunch 09/25/2019 at 16:22

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I can blame all of this on Raphael Orlove, see the second paragraph. They owe me one ;)

MultiplaOrgasms > duurtlang 09/25/2019 at 16:27

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What do you mean us germans have zero taste in cars? 

duurtlang > MultiplaOrgasms 09/25/2019 at 16:33

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Taste can be debated. Creativity and individuality is a bit lacking, let’s put it this way.

Classic cars though, they are plentiful here. German cars are over represented, which is to be expected, but the classics are interesting here .

FSI > duurtlang 09/25/2019 at 16:44

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MAD. That’s all I can say. In a very positive way.

By the way, are you looking for a period correct looking radio with DAB? Blaupunkt recently came out with one, alebeit at a hefty price tag. 

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > duurtlang 09/25/2019 at 16:50

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Ziet er fantastisch uit! What a great read and amazing dedication to an old 205! I remember them being quite ubiquitous when I was growing up in the Netherlands. And you probably should never sell, it I imagine it’s worth far more to you than what you’ll get for it.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > duurtlang 09/25/2019 at 16:50

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Amazing story and great write-up! I hope Jalopnik does pick it up - it’s a worthy tale to be told! :)

Klaus Schmoll > MonkeePuzzle 09/25/2019 at 16:51

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The underbody is so clean that we made jokes about “keeping the shiny side up” i s more of a curse for it.  A ll in all an impressive build with nice attention to detail. Looks completely stock (one of the best 80s/90s hot hatches) but packs an extra punch. 

duurtlang > FSI 09/25/2019 at 16:54

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Thanks!

About the radio: I already have a DAB+ radio in there. It uses the original antenna as a digital antenna now! It may look modern, but in a conservative way. Bonus is, and this was a hard demand, the lighting can be adjusted. I have picked the same amber color as the other interior lights in the car, so it does not stand out as much.

It has one retro touch: it still has a CD player. I could have done without that.

SiennaMan > HammerheadFistpunch 09/25/2019 at 16:57

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I agree,  I think the wider Jalop community would really enjoy the story.   Awesome all the way around.

duurtlang > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 09/25/2019 at 17:00

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I do not have the illusion it is worth what I paid for it. However, the independent appraisal for classic car insurance from 2 years ago (€11.500) was not that far removed from what I had put into it at that time. Value and invested amount has gone up since then, with the n ew interior and suspension. Don’t underestimate what a good 205 GTI or CTI is worth nowadays.

But no, I am not planning to sell this car any time soon. Or at all.

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > duurtlang 09/25/2019 at 17:15

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Oh man, this is fantastic! I had no idea you had done such thorough work to the CTI. Thanks for sharing, hope you’re doing well! 

Chinny Raccoon > duurtlang 09/25/2019 at 17:25

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Wow, this was a great read, and a nice record of everything done. Hopefully I’ll get to see it in person next year.

MultiplaOrgasms > duurtlang 09/25/2019 at 17:35

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Show me a country where the average car buyer drives an interesting car. 

duurtlang > MultiplaOrgasms 09/25/2019 at 17:41

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Fair. But in Germany about 2/3 of the cars on the road is German or German-ish (Skoda, Mini, ...) . Other countries have more diversity. That does not make the cars themselves intrinsically more interesting, but I like diversity.

AuthiCooper1300 > duurtlang 09/25/2019 at 17:45

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Man, that is excellent on so many levels: the article, the reasoning behind the modifications, t h e c l e v e r l i t t l e d e t a i l s , the end result itself.

What I find by far most impressive is a) how much thought went into it beforehand and b ) how you seemed to go about it by stages.

G o o d l u c k w i t h y o u r p o c k e t r o c k e t . Y o u b o t h d e s e r v e i t .

duurtlang > Chinny Raccoon 09/25/2019 at 17:45

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You will see it next year. Bringing it to Mallorca next month was a bit too ambitious though.

The story above is still a summary. Example: O ne of the two posts I did make about the CTI (both >3 years old) shows how I got replacement sheet metal for the front, to replace the rusty parts behind the headlights. I went to a 205-specific junkyard in the Netherlands.

https://oppositelock.kinja.com/courtesy-car-the-perfect-parts-runner-1786370368

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > duurtlang 09/25/2019 at 18:00

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27k for a 205 T16? BRB, building a time machine.

duurtlang > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 09/25/2019 at 18:03

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I’d sell a kidney and get the biggest loan I could get to  buy all 200 of them.

MultiplaOrgasms > duurtlang 09/25/2019 at 18:11

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I mean people buying “ local” is to be expected but I agree the german car industry is way too omnipresent. And what gets me even more is that almost nobody has an interesting color on their car. Screw resale value, give me a nice deep purple instead of miserable metallic dark grey.

AuthiCooper1300 > duurtlang 09/25/2019 at 19:08

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I’ve just seen the “205 + 007, in the snow” video.

Back in the day I read that the (Canadian, I think?) pilot of the Herc bet with the film crew on getting it so close so as to be able to break the aerial without touching the roof. He delivered.

Bonus: guest appearance of one of the prototypes of the Northrop F-20 Tigershark, an aircraft that deserved a better fate.

Edit: Clarkson got it wrong. The 205 was styled in-house. Pininfarina did design later a cute little estate version – the 205 Verve – which unfortunately was not taken up by PSA.

pip bip - choose Corrour > duurtlang 09/25/2019 at 21:26

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great write up

duurtlang > AuthiCooper1300 09/25/2019 at 21:48

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Pininfarina also did the styling of the roof of the convertible. Convertibles have Pininfarina badges. I don't think Pininfarina was involved with the hatch though.

BvdV - The Dutch Engineer > duurtlang 09/26/2019 at 00:26

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They did a proposal for the overall hatch design too, but lost out to the internal design team led by Gerard Welter. Welter thought the high engine bay made it look like an evolved 104, so he asked to change the dimensions in the design brief, changes which were not communicated to Pininfarina. So when they pitted the internal M24 and Pininfarina M24  designs against each other , the former was very close to what became the 205, while the Pininfarina one did indeed look like a bigger 104!

FSI > duurtlang 09/26/2019 at 00:27

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Ah, bingo. I vaguely remembered the radio situation and your DAB requirement. 

BvdV - The Dutch Engineer > duurtlang 09/26/2019 at 00:35

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Great write-up! Awesome seeing all the little details and mods summed up in one place. I already knew that you put a lot of effort into it, but this clearly shows the magnitude of that level.

Hope Orlove sees this by the way!

Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction > duurtlang 09/26/2019 at 02:14

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Beautiful. I like the fact that you kept it so s tealthy looking

Also reminds me of the fact that I haven’t touched the 505 in a while.

duurtlang > Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction 09/26/2019 at 02:43

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The stealth factor is part of the appeal, in my opinion. Although, it is clearly identifiable as a CTI (=75% increase in hp) and not the base version, so it’s instantly clear it is not slow.

I’m told by multiple people I should change the exhaust (tip) to something less mundane. Until now I’ve been able to resist this.

On the German Autobahn it’s frequently quite entertaining. I’m in the left lane, top open, behind someone who is cruising relatively slow. So there is nowhere to go. Behind me there is the typical Audi/BMW driver tailgating me, because I drive an old and small car and their penis is so much larger than mine and get out of my way you peasant. The person in front of me moves to the right, I floor it and I lose the Audi/BMW. With the wind in my hair. Brings a smile to my face every time.

Not that it’s insanely fast. A new generic BMW diesel with a few steps up from the base engine is probably faster. It is however very fast for what it is; a 32 year old subcompact convertible. It is also very fast from a driver engagement perspective.

And yes, you should touch your 505. I wouldn't mind swapping my 205 with your 505 for a few hours some day.

Nauraushaun > duurtlang 09/26/2019 at 03:44

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That ad is super cool. They sneakily hide the rear of the fancy one to make them look more similar.

duurtlang > Nauraushaun 09/26/2019 at 04:07

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During or meet in France last spring we went to a museum and saw this. This is not how a stock 205 GTI or 205 CTI looks like from the back.

Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction > duurtlang 09/26/2019 at 04:13

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There’s quite some work to do before I can take it to an oppomeet, but yeah, could be fun :)
I’m still surprised how well it performed around the Alps, but shortly after, the exhaust broke and it started leaking petrol. It’s been standing for a little while now. Having a house kind of sucks when you need time to work on your cars.

AuthiCooper1300 > duurtlang 09/26/2019 at 04:52

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Of course. In fact Pininfarina did some of the conversion/assembly process themselves: they had also built the 504 Coupé and Cabriolet.

( I n n o s m a l l p art t h e d e m i s e o f t h e o r i g i n a l P i n i n f a r i n a a n d B e r t o n e s t e m m e d f r o m t h e l o s s o f t h a t k i n d o f s p e c i a l i s e d l o w - s e r i es subcontract e d manufacturing f o r t h e b i g c o m p a n i e s . At some stage P i n i n f a r i n a were building side-by-side Fiat Coup és . . . and Ferrari Testarrossas . )

punkgoose17 > duurtlang 09/26/2019 at 09:09

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I love it! I’ll have to do a more thorough read later.

functionoverfashion > duurtlang 09/26/2019 at 09:29

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This is fantastic, thanks for sharing. 

Duck Duck Grey Duck FTMFW! > duurtlang 09/26/2019 at 09:29

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I am impressed at the sheer number of different parts that fit your car!!! Impressive!!! Great story!! 

Derpwagon > duurtlang 09/26/2019 at 10:14

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Really well-written. Great job on the restoration, the car looks fantastic. I bet it’s a hoot to drive.

Out, but with a W - has found the answer > duurtlang 09/26/2019 at 11:44

4

I love how you’ve spent thousands on the 205, but couldn’t restrain the Dutchman inside you when it came to buying ‘Ring pictures.

The car’s not too shabby either. ;)

Out, but with a W - has found the answer > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 09/26/2019 at 11:47

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80k in today’s money. Which would still make it a good deal, amazingly.

duurtlang > Out, but with a W - has found the answer 09/26/2019 at 12:27

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You have to stay true to your roots, right?

Nauraushaun > duurtlang 09/26/2019 at 19:33

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That’s the big secret. The engine placement

Nick Has an Exocet > duurtlang 10/05/2019 at 15:34

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That’s freaking awesome. Ace brought his on the rally last week. Huge respect to these cars - they’re full of awesome quirks. 

https://www.instagram.com/raceace2000/

Hoccy > duurtlang 10/05/2019 at 18:36

1

Great read, I hope to see it in person some time.

Also, the Autobahn is complete anarchy, and produces way too many funny/weird/scary situations than you would expect. Good to hear that someone else also makes the tailgaters feel stupid

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > MultiplaOrgasms 01/16/2020 at 09:21

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Cuba? That’s pretty much it though ;)

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > duurtlang 01/16/2020 at 09:46

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Don’t think I’d seen the shots of it from the Alsace meet. Looking very, very nice :)