Oh what to do??? 206 is getting expensive...

[blacklineninja]

As in £325.00 to pass it's bloody MOT. This is for rotted front brake calipers, but add to that £500.00 that is cost me at the last service (although I think it was the first servive it's ever had in it's life) and £600.00 for the rear brakes at the start of the year and I'm thinking now is there any point pushing it beyond daily driver now?

It's an 03 plate 1.4 LX. I was gonna drop it, brace it and fit HR front and rear anti roll bars, exhaust system and panel filter, put on some swish alloys and lights and get a full leather interior all of which would have come in at around the £2k mark, but I'm thinking now should I even bother?

Problem is, I'm obsessed with cars (and modding cars at that). So do I swallow these costs in the hope that that's it, and that maybe my car CAN last me another 5-7 years, do I wait another few years until I've got a full 5 years NCD and get something newer (and have a gaping hole in my mind until then) or do I get an old project - Peugeot 205 or Beetle being my favourites, although I'm into lowriders too - a 59 Impala would be cool. But expensive.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAA, WHAT SHOULD I DOOOO???

 

[obi_waynne]

If it's not been serviced in ages and that includes not having an oil change I'd be tempted to move on.

I'm not a pug man so I have to ask were these main dealer prices? I would have tried to get some calipers and bits from a breakers yard to keep the cost down you could probably have got a half decent set of uprated brakes for that.

What's the mileage like on it? I'm guessing it's pushing around 80-90k now?

Set yourself a tight budge on the car and only get 2nd hand parts for it if anything else goes so you can save up for your next project. You should get another year or two out of it though.

 

[blacklineninja]

The problem at MOT time was that the tax disc was due the next day and I needed the car for the weekend, so time was a critical factor, otherwise I would have looked into getting the parts cheaper elsewhere.

It wasn't a main dealer, but a local Peugeot specialist that carried out the works for me, and to be fair to them they are very good and know their stuff - this cost also included freeing up a seized something or other sensor on the rear axle(?), a new number plate and the MOT fee, but still it was a lot more expensive than I'd been expecting.

To be fair, the calipers were worn out, but the bills just seem to keep coming which is why I'm losing faith. I've even considered changing my allegiance to bikes (shudder)...

 

[Munday]

I've always said this and i always will....French cars are utter #!#!#!#!. I would NEVER ever own one.

Driven them quite a bit, the gearboxes are always horrible, the engines crap, and whenever they are ion for an MOT they always fail on things that cars so new shouldnt be having problems with!

My 12 year old Glanza sails through the MOT every year, never have any problems...always buy jap or german...end of

 

[lutonmatt]

am with you there munday i hate french cars

and for them prices i would find somewere else i am doing more work then that on a honda at the min and its coming out less and honda parts a dearer then pugs ones

so for me get rid of it and get a better car the impala is the way to go and what ever you do to it they hold there money cheap insurance they dont worry about your ncb as they see it as a 2nd car

 

[dpsubaru]

get rid of it and take the loss, although someone who buys it now will get a bargain based on whats been done to it. but doubtless it will breakdown again.
for a 205 project, had one myself and really enjoyed driving it, once the konis were fitted and the trosion bar dropped, the wiring will be fun though. due to insurance requirements you will find after market alarms fitted and as they are driven by those most likely to skimp on costs it will be butchered. if you do get started on this, give me a pm as may have some parts lying around for these still.

 

[blacklineninja]

...and now the nearside front wheel's dropped off. I hate my Peugeot.

I say "now", it was a fortnight ago, but still. Another £250.00 for recovery and repairs.

So now I want a new car with a warranty. I would have liked an Integra DC5 or a Lancer Evo 8 or 9, but petrol's not getting any cheaper and £400-something for a year's road tax is just ridiculous, so I'm looking for another sporty but economical hatchback. King of Insignificant Cars, that's me.

I would have plumped for a nice new Grande Punto but FIAT have just ruined it with a completely unnecessary botched facelift. And as much as I luuuuurve the new Scirocco, £18k??? Are you freaking serious man??? That's well out of my price range!!!

Who else is buying a brand spanker, and what are you getting?

 

[obi_waynne]

:evil: That is a nightmare! I do think it is time to move on.

Stick with a pre 2000 car to beat the road tax. I've also heard that the FQ300 are not rated on Co2 but on engine size.

Get yourself a nice used Audi A3 1.8T and you will not be dissapointed. The S3 is good fun but the standard one returns for me (37mpg) and is quite nippy. It may cost you as much as a new car but depreciation will be much lower and you can't fault the build quality plus insurance is cheaper on older cars.

 

[MasterAuron]

Nah don't get an A3, not really "sporty" unless you get the S3. So you have what, £12k to spend? Can't say that'll really get you anything decent brand new and you'd have to be loop the loop to buy brand new anyway imo.

£12k gets you a lot of cars. How about the new Clio 197? You're looking at about 30mpg max but if you were considering stomaching an Evo's fuel bill a 197 is nothing. A nice alternative would be an EK9 or maybe even a EP3 (if you're a bit soft) Civic. Both can achieve 35mpg+ and are quick enough for most. Excellent handling too especially the EK9. Loads of money left over too.

 

[one in a million]

sounds like you got unlucky, if i was you i would consider two things, if its starts every time and runs smoothly keep it and spend money on it. if its getting all these problems such as rotted calipers, then what else is rotted? sounds like its been sitting down by the sea, as for an 03 plate they shouldnt rot like that well not that quickly any way. usually things that have rotted that quick is because its been living by the sea or something, where the sea salt wil corrode your car.

 

[HDi fun]

12k will buy you a very very cared for 330d and a remap will stacks of extra torque.

Or, stick with the Pug having spent that much on it already. Seems a shame to give someone else a few years economical motoring at your expense.

I have never been overly fond of French cars but I had not issues with the 406 which I ran for several years. Servicing was frequent and pricey (bloody diesel particle filter to thank for that) but nothing actually cost me additional money.

It was very well built but I cannot say that of French cars in general. I was, in all likelyhood, just lucky to get a decent one.

 

[blacklineninja]

I know there's a stigma attached to buying new cars, depreciation vs cost being the main factor, but I'm gonna try and get something pre-registered or with delivery mileage so it comes with a full manufacturer's warranty and nobody else has had chance to wreck it which is what I think the two previous owners did with mine.

I'm sick of forking out for repairs, it's completely depleted my budget for having some fun. And people think I'm a bit weird here, but I do tend to fall in love with things, cars in particular and when I've got a good one I want to keep it nice and keep hold of it for as long as it'll run. With that in mind, depreciation and resale value aren't big issues for me.

I know I can buy a two year old this or three year old that and even though they may have Honda/VW build quality and reliability records, the fact remains that someone's had it before me and I don't know what they've done with it. With the experience I've had with my 206, convincing me, and certainly convincing Mrs Blacklineninja not to get something fresh off the boat is really going to take some doing. And I'm not buying another French car, smart as the new Clio is.

The Abarth Grande Punto certainly looks very nice in red...

 

[prevtec]

sell it mate, if any car, not just a pug isa money pit, its not worth it
get something japaneese

 

[jarrus]

Not all french cars are #!#!#!#! to be fair,

Go get a nice 205.... they're good cars

I tend to find with french cars that the type of people who own them and use them everyday and keep them standard as a family car, they don't look after them so of course they will go wrong....they aren't as well built as german cars or jap cars yes but if you look after them they will go forever I've not had any trouble with my 306 cause I've looked after it...
French cars have more character and they make the best hot hatches well used to....

I do like jap cars and german cars don't get me wrong...but on the whole they don't really press my buttons sure you have the bmw m series cars but I can't afford one of those I'm talking about normal family hatches now....

and also I find that people who say french cars are #!#!#!#! have never owned them...if you have and had problems then all I can say is bad luck...but I know of people who have more trouble with there brand new bmw than there 20 year old 205....because they look after it....I bet thats what it is down to most of the time....

O yeah, 350z, 370z, skyline, gtr,nsx ,330d ,735i ,a8 ,rs6 ,m3 these are just some of the jap and german cars I would like to own but alas none are reasonable money to insure for a guy like me