Saab 9000 turbo to Pug 205 gti dilemma
 

Hi everybody.

Right, I appreciate that this question is going to be a 'how long is a piece of string' type question and is very subjective but I though I would ask anyway.

Currently I have a Saab 9000 2.3 Turbo S and I really like the car.
Very comfortable
Not bad fuel economy for such a big car
200bhp and goes reamrkably well
but come the corners its like a barge in marshmallows! (please bear in mind that this isn't really a critisicm of the car as it is along legged cruiser after all)

I could go and visit Abbot or Hirsch and let them sort out the handling and probably a chip while I am at it but my insurance would rocket due to modifications and I would loose all that money spent on the car when it came to sell it on.

The other day I had a drive of a friends 205 gti 1.9 (standard) and really liked the 'fun' factor of the car but I wasn't sure if I could live with questionable build quality of the car, the fact that it seemed to me to made entirely of cheap plastic and if i wanted to be harrased by the nova brigade each time i went out! ;) but I still really enjoyed the drive! :)
(dont get me wrong, i like the car but the previous comments were in comparison to the saab)

I suppose what I am asking if anyone out there has ever swopped performance luxury for a smaller fun car and were convinced that they made the right decision?

(good grief, how long did that take to get the question out :D)

I dont want to sell the saab and buy the pug and then regret it 6 months down the line. But I have wanted a gti probably since they were released and I need to get it out of my system. :)

Anyway, I would appreciate any comments and thoughts. Thanks.

Cheers

Brett

PS My current saab is saab number 6 so I could do with a change aswell.

My last car was a 94 MK2 MR2, very nice sports coupe, fantastic build quality, quick and good at cruising. It handled well, but the steering feel was a bit numb.

I flogged it last year and my current steed is a 205 Mi16. Do I reget the change? Hell no, the 205 is still one of the most fun cars I have driven.

As for the Nova thing, I still haven't been hassled by any Nova boys since buying it in September. I'm not sure they even know what it is as they are all youngsters and dont appreciate the retro god that is the 205.

It all depends how many miles you do though, what you use it for etc etc.

Hi DW

Thanks for the comments.

Sorry mate, I only mentioned the nova brigade as just coincidentely when I had a drive in my friends pug we were 'buzzed' by a nova GTE.

I don't do many miles a year, pretty much 'just for fun' miles as I dont need a car to commute or anything.
Would you still recommend the change even if it was just the 1.9 without the Mi16 conversion.

cheers
brett

Id say so yes, I am similar to you in that i dont commute, so mine is just for fun.

There is only 30bhp difference, so would defo recommend a 1.9. Get one thats mint body wise, then you can always do a Turbo or Mi conversion later on.

Thanks mate :)

One other question. Coming from a Saab background where high mileage means nothing to me (as long as serviced properly) what sort of mileages are ok on the pugs?
I have seen a few lately that I sort of liked but with mileages of about 120,000. Is this a major problem in general, assuming well looked after car etc etc.

brett

The good thing with the pug mate is an engine rebuild wont break the bank....Go and have a look at a few and give them a good hard drive, get a mate to follow and check for smoke etc. Check for gunk in the oil filler and get one with the best bodywork you can find.

As for questionable build quality etc strip it and cage it and then there is nothing left in it too ratlle :D :D

I have been to the nurbirgring and back twice in mine in the last month ...1200 miles each weekend and no problems what so ever .....Get a good one and you wont stop smiling for a long long time... The scoob is great but i cant wait to get back in the pug and rant the arse of it every day or two

I'd highly recommend a Pug 1.9 GTi - fantastic cars if you can find a good one, but there is a lot of tat about out there. Owned 4 myself, the last one being a stripped out 1.9 Turbo Technics which was stupidly quick (200bhp/tonne+).

Assuming you can find one with good bodywork then the main things to check really are 1) rear beam is in good nick, no knocking of bumping noises from it, make sure rear end isnt sagging 2) head gasket, mayo in filler is fairly normal (shouldnt be much in the summer tho, but check for water on dip-stick. 3) valve stem oil seals - check for smoke on idle.

Gutmann Pug.

Thanks for the advise mate.

LOL @ 'As for questionable build quality etc strip it and cage it and then there is nothing left in it too ratlle' :D

As the pug would be my only car I'm definately going to have to drive a few more to make sure that I don't make the wrong decision in selling the Saab.

However, I think that the Saabs day's may be numbered!! :)

I may have to barrage you and the other SN'ers with more questions when I've driven a few to get an idea of whats good and whats not.

Cheers

Brett

Petem95

Thanks mate for the advice on what to look out for. :)
Printer is going as I write!

Any recommended pug sites I can go to to get clued up about them before I start looking for the right car?

I often see them in the classifieds for about 1K but a pug specialist fairly local to me has them advertised for almost 4 times this amount. Is it necessary to pay close to 4k for a good car or the £1000 and have some emergency repair money. The dealers prices seemed really excessive to me. Whats your thoughts?

I Use www.peugeot-gti.net or you can go on www.205gtidrivers.com

Both good sites with a reasonable classifieds section

Thanks mate for the links.

No problem, you will find kind of a mini 205 gti club on scoobynet, so anything you need to know just message one of us mate.....

Thanks everybody for the help.

No worries, mail me or post for any more info. You will also find us all on 205gtidrivers.com as well - great site :)

205's ROOOOOOOOOL :D

They are dodgy build quality but then they were designed in the 80's so you have to expect that. They still look great, are a doddle to work on and fun factor is second to none!!!!

I've got a pretty much standard 1.9 GTi I run as a weekend car next to my R33 GTR. I get in the pug and the low down torque makes the skyline seem positively slow (until the turbo's spin up ;)) Its great :D

Hi ScoobyJawa.

I am on the hunt for the right pug now. I know that I will miss the Saab with all its comfort, build quality and performance though but I want some fun so the gti is it.

I have noticed that the prices vary dramatically. Anything from £400 to almost £4000!!

What sort of price am I realistically looking at for a nice (not mint) example?

cheers
brett

To be honest mate, you will pick up a minter than mint car for 2k, a very nice example for 1.5k and a good one for 1k. Dip below that and there are bargains to be had, but may require a little attention. Usually easily sorted stuff as there are a few common complaints that can be easily sorted, 205gtidrivers.com is a top site for that. Avoid Just GTI's as they sell overpriced rubbish ;)

On thing to be aware of is they can be a bit of a pig in traffic, they are happier on the open road - you do get used to it and learn to drive around it. But as you say you don't do many miles this shouldn't be an issue :)

Good luck with your hunt, I'm sure a few of us can keep our ears to the ground for cars........

Might be a good site, but you have to register to see the forums and...

"The board administrator is no longer accepting any new registrations at the moment."

:(

ScoobyJawa

Thanks mate for the price guide, that was pretty much the conclusion that I had come to as well. I'm in no real hurry to buy one (as the saab has got to go first) but I'll start looking now so that I can get an idea of what I can get for my money.

MartinM. Thanks mate. I tried registering but it wasn't having any of it.! I am glad it wasn't me having a blonde moment! :)