Ownership Verified: My 1990 Peugeot 205 XS

public;n3349685 said:
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Driving tomorrow to extract the car from the shop and will again attempt to get it inspected. Current status:

emissions ✔️
track rods ✔️
headlight aim unknown, have to ask
blinker ✖️(the issue is in the wiring)
seat fixing unknown, have to ask
washer jets ✔️
muffler ✔️

The brakes are a big question mark, will call ahead and ask if the shop did have a look at them. Otherwise I feel vaguely confident.
 
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And it's a pass!

Of the old list posted above, only the headlight aim made it onto the current demerit list – I didn't have time to fiddle with it. I also scavenged the rear plate lighting from the 405, as it uses the same parts :lol:

Will order new ones from UK most likely, they are unavailable new but some specialists still stock them. Not sure what's the problem with the old bulb holders, probably just degraded and repairable.

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In addition to needing a wash, the car also requires a new oil pressure sensor as the old one is leaking quite significantly. I was aware of an oil leak somewhere, but only after I jetwashed the engine bottom was it apparent that the sensor was the source of the leak. It got marked in the papers, but a new sensor is 7 euros and an easy swap.

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But damn, it's alive and road legal! It feels excellent on the highway, and the new track rods have eliminated the shake it used to do when I lifted off the gas.
 
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Leak fixed! It only took a 4,90 euro sensor (listed under Skoda Felicia, but the same part number) and a new washer to sort out. I also had the oil and filter done at the same time for logical reasons. Car is at 248k now.
 
Your best bet is junkyards in the Nordic countries (Scandinavia etc), where they were mandatory. But they require drilling into the bumper.
 
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Almost exactly six years after buying the car, I've sold it.

In the spring a friend told me he'd like to write it up for a Swedish classic car magazine. I said sure, and almost immediately someone tried to steal the car from my street. I got it fixed, but I was left with the impression that this town isn't as old car friendly as I had thought.

After the car was mended, I took it to the roadworthiness inspection and it failed on account of overly high emissions and sketchy brakes, both probably due to car having seen little use during winter. As I got the car photographed for the article, a friend of said friend said he'd really be interested in buying the car, as he already had a couple other 205s and was really into them. In the end it was his neighbour that actually bought the car! But I got my money, the car goes to a good home and the 205 guy gets to borrow it every now and then.

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Mainly, I felt like I didn't have anything more to do with the car after six years. I could perfect it, but I've already done what I wanted to achieve: immense roadtrips and a rally, just like with the Panda. The car's appreciation also paid for its own tires and the headgasket job, so I didn't even lose my shirt on it. Had I gotten it into mint condition, i probably could have made more money, but it would have also taken more investment.
 
Some of what I wrote about the Panda could apply here. I had no idea a 205 XS exists before stumbling across this thread, and I was really pleased to find out you can get a bit of the GTI/Rallye experience for considerably less money. I'm still regularly checking the ads for 205's to see if I could find an XS for about 1000€, but with no luck. A few years ago, there was one in the 1000-1500€ realm, red, in good condition, located in Istria, but I had no money for that back then, nor actual need for it.

I did, however, always held a high opinion about the 205, in any form. I turn my head around even when I see beaten-up, 5-door, diesel ones, which you can't say for the Fiestas or Polos of the same age. It's among the cars I desire the most, especially the 1.6 GTI. My mechanic had a black 1.6 GTI in his yard which he was willing to let go for 1000€, but it had a broken rear suspension, wasn't registered, was in a bit rough condition and I was 19 back when he had it, with no money to buy a cheap laptop, yet alone to invest into a 205 GTI.

Nevertheless, as with the Panda, glad to see it go into enthusiast hands. Out of curiosity, is the car staying in Finland or going to Sweden?
 
Staying in Finland, but this is a partially Swedish-speaking region in fact.
 
Some of what I wrote about the Panda could apply here. I had no idea a 205 XS exists before stumbling across this thread, and I was really pleased to find out you can get a bit of the GTI/Rallye experience for considerably less money. I'm still regularly checking the ads for 205's to see if I could find an XS for about 1000€, but with no luck. A few years ago, there was one in the 1000-1500€ realm, red, in good condition, located in Istria, but I had no money for that back then, nor actual need for it.

I did, however, always held a high opinion about the 205, in any form. I turn my head around even when I see beaten-up, 5-door, diesel ones, which you can't say for the Fiestas or Polos of the same age. It's among the cars I desire the most, especially the 1.6 GTI. My mechanic had a black 1.6 GTI in his yard which he was willing to let go for 1000€, but it had a broken rear suspension, wasn't registered, was in a bit rough condition and I was 19 back when he had it, with no money to buy a cheap laptop, yet alone to invest into a 205 GTI.

Nevertheless, as with the Panda, glad to see it go into enthusiast hands. Out of curiosity, is the car staying in Finland or going to Sweden?

I check the ads from time to time, there are barely any 205s in our area at all, let alone an XS or GTI.
I wanted one too, and there was a good looking Rolland Garros convertible a couple years ago, but I couldn't really affort a third car.
 
Are you selling the entire fleet? That's two in a fortnight!
 
I check the ads from time to time, there are barely any 205s in our area at all, let alone an XS or GTI.
I wanted one too, and there was a good looking Rolland Garros convertible a couple years ago, but I couldn't really affort a third car.

Funny that we're talking about this now, as in my city there is a 309 SRi for sale (55 kW, so about 75 PS) that I'd see now and then. I've seen the car parked with papers on windows saying it's for sale, it's even in my neighbourhood, but only last night, while browsing a certain classic car forum, I found an internet ad for it and now I'm tempted, to say the least. It seems to be in really decent condition for the asking price (850€), and it has 5 months of MOT left. The best thing is, I can probably afford it, but I don't have any actual need for it.

I know, it's not a 205, but it shares a lot of parts with it and I've read that it shouldn't handle any worse than the 205...
 
I know, it's not a 205, but it shares a lot of parts with it and I've read that it shouldn't handle any worse than the 205...

i know, it's not a girl, but it shares a lot of the same body features and i read we should be to open to anything ;)
 
309 is not a bad idea, especially with that engine (I presume it's the same unit as mine, just with different engine tuning). 205 prices are on the up, and the 309 is lagging behind in that sense. There can be bargains made.

Are you selling the entire fleet? That's two in a fortnight!

I am re-structuring my fleet from "All of the cars and no money" to "Only a couple cars and more money". New job will enable me to make new dumb purchases, so I need to trim the fat so I have the space. 405 should probably go next as I don't want to put any more money into it, and I've already done everything I want to do with the Polo. MX-5 is for keeps.
 
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