ScoobyDoo555

OK - been looking now for about a month for GTi6 for the wife.

My findings so far -

1. In this area (Herefordshire) - rare as rocking horse poo poo!!! (I didn't really want to travel too far)
2. mileage - circa 1998 mileage about 100K ( 8 yrs x 12,000 = 96K miles)

Only want a cheapish run-about (as it will do at tops about 500 miles per month) so we're looking at around the £2.2K mark. But after wifey's done the "mum" thing (Mondeos etc), she wants to get back to her hot hatch days Some cheap but fun motoring, and we used to have 306s prior to our Scoobs.

All the cars we have seen tend to be higher mileage, of which we shy away from them.

The question is, SHOULD we actually be doing this? If the car's got a decent service history, does it really matter on a car of this value?

Is it all relative to getting a relatively cheap and cheerful gti?

With circa £2K, we're looking for a late Phase 1 or early phase 2, mileage dependant

Comments?

Dan

Varboy

I think as long as you get it checked out by someone who knows there way around the car, you'll be less likely to get a lemon.

As you know, the 306GTi is a performance car and is probably going to have been driven hard, I think you get what you pay for and 2k doesn't seem much for a 306GTi to me.

ScoobyDoo555

looking at one at the mo - £1500 for 125K on the clock (phase 1) but has full documented service history......

interesting........

Dan

Rich D

iTrader: (12)

I've had both a phase 1 GTi-6 and a Rallye, cracking cars

Don't let high miles put you off, provided they have been looked after properly they will go on & on, my mate had one with over 130k on the clock and it was spot on, it drove like new and still went like a rocket, impressive!

Main thing to check that's been done is the cambelt/tensioners/waterpump, radiators corrode badly and a clutch is not a cheap/easy job either, but other than that anything else that might go wrong is pretty simple, just things like ball joints & bushes, which are peanuts to replace if they are worn. Places like GSF & Eurocarparts are a great source of very cheap parts.

I'd recommend a visit to www.306gti6.com for all the info you could ever want or need.

They're also at the age now where you won't really lose much, if any money on them as they're rock bottom. I bought a very clean low mileage phase 1 GTi-6 for £2700 about 2 years ago, ran it for 20 months and sold it for £2500

I'll probably get another as a toy in the future, love them.

Rich D

iTrader: (12)

p.s. the Phase 1 is the best IMO, it's basically as light as a Rallye, but without the pikey spec and definately the best seats

TonyBurns

iTrader: (3)

Radiators do rot as rich says, however you can get a new nissen one for less than a ton here www.radicool.co.uk
Look for cambelts, biggest fault on them really, need changing between 30-36k, no more than 36k miles tbh as your asking for trouble
Rocker cover gaskets can weep, easy enough to change, head gaskets are a problem on pugs, esp 306's usually caused by the radiator failing.
Look for the rear wheels touching the arches, usually points to a rear beam problem, either hear it scraping or feel the rear a little loose, about 200 quid for a new beam.
Electrics.... well it is french but usually remote central locking plays up, wont lock/unlock door with remote (drivers side normally) its down to the loom going though the door, the wires become brittle and break, a replacement part is available but a nightmare to fit.
Leaking door seals.... 3 door cars, check for water in the rear passenger footwell, best sign for it.
Heater matrix..... nightmare..... part is dirt cheap (50 quid) fitting is like 5 hours+ if its being a pain, full dash out job
Aircon... just check it works (climate control)
Unlike rich I preferred the phase 2 car, nicer to drive, they sorted out the gearbox which was a little too notchy on the phase 1 I had, also has a different suspension setup on the rear, not as tail happy as its predecessor.
A 98 model will be 20k mile service intervals, a 96/97 model 9k, bear this in mind but even so, you can have an intermediate 10k service in between (recommended on the GTi)
Just check the other bits like the rain sensitive wipers, normal intermittent on a car is the rain sensing pos on these, normal wipe is just that, normal wiping.
Phase 2 also has hydrolic lift on the bonnet though the phase 1 interior is more leathery

Tony

Rich D

iTrader: (12)

It was the same gearbox and exactly the same rear suspension setup (with the passive rear steer) on all 3 phases though Tony

Luminous

iTrader: (3)

My most prominent memory of the GTi-6 is when I took one out for a test drive during a lunch break. At the time I was an accountant, and was therefore fully "suited and booted".

Took out a nice demo car, I forgot the color, but you will soon understand why. I was getting used to the extra power and better handling compared to my 306 XSi when I decided to go around a tight right corner.....

....which is exactly when I got my distinct aversion to having a leather interior in any of my cars. As I entered the right hand corner, my nice sharp suit trousers on the slippery leather allowed my buttocks to slide straight out of the seat. My **** was firmly deposited into the centre console area of the car where I had the extreme displeasure of feeling Peugeots six speed selector in a way they had never imagined. 60mph (of course) and extreme g-forces only enhanced the experience to provide a lasting life long memory

Get the one with the better seats

(now if you will excuse me I shall return to the muppets area )

TonyBurns

iTrader: (3)

They tweaked the suspension, possably the arb? but they had done something to it on the phase 2, it was no where near as tail twitchy as the phase 1.
As for the gearbox, they resolved the issue with the notchiness that plagued the phase 1's, not sure what they did but they did something because the phase 2 was much smoother (I owned both cars from virtually new).
Seats.... exactly the same seats except one year (98) had some dodgy pattern on them which made them look horrid, not all the 98 model cars had these though, some had the normal black/black look
I should point out that the phase 2 was the quicker of the 2 even though it was heavier, it just went better

Tony

TonyBurns

iTrader: (3)

Have a peek here
http://www.ukcar.com/road_tests/peugeot/306-gti-6/

And have a look at this one
http://www.autoweb.co.uk/car_detail....Loc=Lancashire

Autoweb seems good for finding what you want

Tony

ScoobyDoo555

Nice one guys

I actually looked at that car on Autoweb. It comes under a "yes car credit" badge, and when I enquired, it was flagged as a trade only sale.........

I too had a both a P1 & P2 306, and I enjoyed both so I'm not too bothered about which one to go for (besides, anything will be a trade up from the Mondeo she's got now! )

So, I'm (hopefully) assuming that as long as the paperwork is in order, and a good check of the car is in order, there's a good chance that a precieved "high miler" wouldn't be too much of an issue.....

Obviously, I would like to go for as new a car for wifey as possible, but, it's finding the "happy medium"....

Dan

Bakerman

This country is so obsessed with 'high' milers. An engine is designed to be run and used and that is all it has done, much rather have a high mile decent journey car than a low mile that was used to go 1 mile to shops and back. As long as the history is legit and everything has been done when it should have been I would guess it would be fine.

This is the same with motorcycles (I don't own a car) where most people think a m/c engine is done at 20k ,my 4 yr old 800cc bike is on 76k and still going strong so I am sure a 2litre lump should do 250k before major rebuild time ??

Rich D

iTrader: (12)

Odd, I thought my P1 was the better of the 2

TonyBurns

iTrader: (3)

The phase 2 was alot more confidence inspiring, heavier yes but the one I had pushed out 177bhp in standard form.
It felt more refined than a phase 1 (owned the phase 1 for 9-10 months?) before selling it and getting the phase 2 (a white one )
Both are good cars but the phase 1 was a little more..... rough around the edges, sorted that out in the phase 2 but I hated it when they took out most of the leather, ie door surrounds etc, made the 2's a bit boring inside

Tony

ScoobyDoo555

OK, I think I've found one. Going to look at it tomorrow hopefully.

It's a phase 1. In good nick my all accounts. Doesn't say whether or not it has air-con or sunroof. (called the dealer and he can't say as it's offsite in the store.....)

Can anybody confirm whether or not the gti came with air-con or sunroof as standard? or neither?

Cheers,

Dan

Rich D

iTrader: (12)

On the Phase 1 cars both were options, but most seem to have the electric sunroof.

On the Phase 2 & 3 cars, aircon was standard, with the sunroof as an option, not many chose it though.

ScoobyDoo555

Nice one

Dan

TomBoyNI

iTrader: (3)

Get it checked out then go for it!

Then are a great hot hatch, I remember Pugs advertising campaign, it had the 306 GTi6 on a track bringing up the rear, the tagline was...

'Slowest in its clas..'

It was up against some supercars, Ferraris, Porsche etc... Great ad!

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

That was because it has a 6 speed gearbox.

ScoobyDoo555

went to see it today.

Aside from a few tiny details that can be sorted, the car was in good nick for it's age.

And what a LAUGH to drive

It was 150 miles home, and I enjoyed every mile

Almost as mocu has when I brought back my Audi

Insurance is on £250 per year (protected)

Oh yeh - had a sunroof too

Wifey is one happy bunny

Will post up picss (of the car, not the wife!) when I get chance to clean it - probably at the weekend

Thanks for the advice guys

Dan

Rich D

iTrader: (12)

enjoy

ScoobyJawa

good one - cracking cars