1988 Peugeot 205 GTI 1.6 RHD (Graphite)

It pains me to put up this ad, but here it goes. My wife and I are moving to California and unfortunately I must unload some of my toys including my beloved 1988 Peugeot 205 GTI 1.6 right-hand drive with 105587 miles on the odometer. The color is metallic graphite. It is going to be very expensive and time consuming to get this vehicle registered in California, so I have decided to pass the vehicle on to another enthusiast. There are only a handful of these cars in the USA currently imported under the 25 year rule. Here is a chance to own a truly unique car with a rally pedigree, for those that watched a derivative of this car (205 T16) compete in Group B.

I purchased this car through bringatrailer.com about 2 years ago from the previous owner that imported direct from the UK to Oregon. This vehicle is titled and registered in Michigan. Since purchasing in 2013, I have invested several thousand dollars importing parts from England to replace most of the aging parts on the car. I love to drive this thing out on Woodward with my daughter. It gets tons of looks and thumbs up

Here is a breakdown of the things that were replaced/upgraded in late 2013 after I purchased:

Front Suspension/Steering:
-Bilstein Group N Tarmac Dampers
-Bilstein Group N Tarmac Springs
-Strut top hats (bushings+bearings)
-Sway bar end links (OEM)
-Control arms, ball joints, bushing (OEM)
-Tie rod ends
-Rebuilt CV's with new boots

Front Brakes:
-Refurbished Peugeot brake calipers
-Mintex brake pads
-OEM vented rotors
-Stainless steel brake lines (Goodrich?)
-Wheel bearings (SKF)

Rear Suspension:
-Bilstein Group N Tarmac Dampers

Rear Brakes:
-OEM brake drums
-OEM brake shoes with new spring kit
-Wheel cylinders
-Stainless steel brake lines (Goodrich?)
-Wheel bearings (SKF)

Transmission:
-Uprated shift linkage rods (similar to what was done on Wheeler Dealers 205 GTI)
-New OEM shift knob (very tough to find and very expensive!)
-New OEM shift boot
-Recent transmission oil change

Cooling:
-Flushed radiator with new coolant
-New heater core
-Rebuilt heater blower motor

Electrics:
-New battery
-Pioneer CD/MP3 player with Bluetooth and voice kit
-Component front speakers with tweeter pods
-4 Channel amplifier (mounted under passenger seat)
-Small removable 10-inch subwoofer in trunk
-Keyless entry with alarm
-Refurbished clock
-Refurbished trunk light

Engine:
-Recent engine oil change
-Newer cap/rotor/plug wires/plugs

Interior:
-New floor and trunk mats
-Shampoo interior carpet
-Sparco pedal upgrade (rubber replacements getting hard to find for gas/clutch)
-Refurbished driver side seat bolster

Exterior:
-New OEM Peugeot badge
-New OEM 205 badge
-New OEM GTI badge
-All around new bulbs for exterior lighting
-Clay bar, polish, and wax all exterior painted surfaces
-Refurbish hatch spoiler in black
-Refurbished / re-dyed exterior trim
-Had several dings removed from body using paintless dent repair

Wheels/tyres:
-Refurbished 1.9 GTI Speedline wheels
-New Pirelli Cinturato P7 185/55R15 tires
-Recent professional alignment


This 205 GTI starts, runs, shifts, and drives fantastic with all the work that has been completed. All electrics work including the horn, interior light, map lights, clock, radio, turn signals, brake lights, high beams, fogs, reverse fog, side markers, etc. All of the door, window, and sunroof seals work with no water leakage issues. Does not leak a drop of oil or coolant anywhere! I have a stack of papers from work that was done prior to my ownership including tons of receipts MOT's from the UK. I will supply this paper with the sale.


With any vehicle this age that is a driver, there are bound to be a few things wrong. This is not a trailered show car, but a driver that I have thoroughly enjoyed and none of these flaws have kept me from enjoying the 205. I will try to be as honest as possible with things that bug me, because I am a bit obsessive with my cars. Here it goes:

-There is a small crack in the rear lower plastic facia near the rear fog light. Not very noticeable unless you are looking very low on the rear bumper
-There is a 6-8" long scuff mark on the paint on the rear lower plastic facia on the passenger side. I have used touch-up paint on this scuff. Again, not very noticeable unless you are looking very low on the rear bumper
-There is a small 1-inch crack in the body trim on the driver's side rear wheel arch. Not terribly noticeable and could be fixed easily with a new piece of plastic trim. I believe these are relatively cheap from Europe
-There are some light scratches and other paint imperfections. Particularly on the driver and passenger doors. This is a driver, so I'm willing to live with a few imperfections. Overall, I would give the paint an 8 to 8.5 out of 10.
-At some point in the cars history, I am betting that the left (passenger) front fender was replaced.
-Some of the panels on the car have been given a respray over this car's history (likely in the UK). I believe the hood, front grill, left fender, left door, and roof were repainted. The paint work seems to be very good and has been holding up well. This car has over 100k miles and lived most of its life in the UK. It is not surprising to see some refurbishment over the years.
-The driver's seat frame has a little bit of play in the seat back. After all these years, the hinges have become worn. The play is not bad and doesn't bother me. I was hoping one day to track down an good frame from the UK to import.
-There is a small amount of rust and a few paint bubbles just in front of the driver side rear wheel where water has collected over the years. I keep the Peugeot garaged, so the small rust area has not become any worse. I use some touch up paint and it is hardly noticeable. If you want a show paint job, this area would need to be stripped and repaired. For a driver condition vehicle, it does not bother me too much. The car is surprisingly free from rust on the undercarriage given the age of the vehicle and where is lived most of its life...sunny England
-After a longer drive (20 min+), starting the engine while hot can take a longer crank. I think maybe there is a bit of vapor lock or some other fuel condition. It has never failed to start nor has it ever left me stranded. Worst case is that I must crank for an extra second or two when warm. Not a big deal for me.
-The Bosch air flow meter in the 205 is prone to wear. The sensor uses a contact and metallic trace that wears out over time and causes erratic running conditions. The solution is to open the unit and move the contact to a new part of the metallic strip that is not worn. I have completed this operation and I have had not issues with erratic running (hesitation, surging, etc). This is a common problem with the air flow meter and there are plenty of "how to" guides in the internet (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-11J8XawQtc)
-The heater blower motor can sometimes make noise when the fan is operating at low speed. At high speed it is fine. If the radio is on or the window is open, it is not noticeable. I usually have the fan off when the windows are open.



I'm sure I am forgetting a few items. I'm happy to answer questions for any prospective buyers. I will plan to post a few additional close-up pictures of some of the problem areas described above. With so few Peugeot 205's changing hands in the USA, I'm struggling to pick an appropriate asking price. I know what I have put in to the Peugeot with the purchase, shipping, and all the restoration work. Therefore, I am going to accept offers only at this time. I hope to work out something with a buyer over the next 2-3 weeks as we are relocating to California on July 9th. Please contact me for more information, to arrange a test drive in Birmingham, MI, or present an offer.

Here is a link to many additional pics:

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B0UnnrkWcUzBX0tlaWw3d2RCSzA&usp=sharing
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Forgot to add the VIN. VF320CB6201515666

 

If anyone is having difficulty seeing the pics on google, send me a PM and I will send over a zip file full of pictures. Listed now on CL for $12900. This is basically what I have in to the car with purchase plus the mechanical restoration because of that darn UK exchange rate Drives like a dream! I don't normally get attached to cars, but I will be very sad to see this go. Someone snatch it up before I change my mind and use my Michigan plates to drive for the next year in CA. Just don't tell anyone

 

Steve. I have listed at $12900 on Craigslist and have been getting some interest. I've searched for some good GTI examples in the UK and most are listed in the 5000-8000 GBP range. Sure you can find rust buckets for less. With shipping, import fees, and a 1.5 exchange I think my price is roughly inline with importing one. No surprises with this one. It is properly sorted.

 

No problem Steve. Here are pics of the comprehensive service history from the UK including all the MOT stickers!
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