406. What Now?

[warren t claim]

As some of you know I was after something to replace the W124 and after lots of fruitless searching I've bought a pez powered 406 1.8

 

 

Much has been written about the 406 before so I'll keep this short. As an everyday family saloon it's not too bad. The seats are comfortable, the stereo is good, it still looks good today and it cruises nicely on the motorway. So far I've done about 150 miles in it in mixed motoring and the economy isn't too bad. Yesterday I had to do a 75 mile round trip from Wirral to Winsford, Cheshire and back and decided to make the outward journey a bit of a highish speed run and then do the return journey at a sedate pace to see what economy it's capable of, here's the trip...

 

 

And so far the fuel economy is thus...

 

 

That figure is over the 150 miles I've owned it and includes a fair bit of stop start driving with the aircon on.

 

Problems to sort include welding/pasting the rear backbox where it's breaking on the weld,

Rear n/s door wont open,

A decent service,

Touch up some scratches,

Cambelt to be replaced.

 

The Pug cost me £440 with 11 months MOT and is taxed until next March.

 

Not sure how long I'll hang on to it for yet.

[Split_Pin]

That looks like a bargain there!

[eddyramrod]

That looks like a very acceptable daily driver, well done!

[r.welfare]

Cheap indeed, that - Y-reg still seems fairly new to me. I reckon high thirties out of a biggish-bodied petrol saloon is good going, I'd be happy with that out of either of mine!

[Richard]

That's a lot of car for what amounts to little over scrap money when you take the remaining tax into consideration. It looks really tidy too. I knew somebody who ran a 1.8 406 for years and he had no trouble at all with it.

 

I bought its cousin, a 1.8 C5, a couple of months ago for £250, but it was needing a gear selector cable (£60 and an arse of a job but I found a cheat) and a lot of fettling. I'd love to get high 30s on mine. It's hard to calculate mpg on Autogas because it never fills to the same level twice, but it looks to be averaging high 20s.

 

DSC_0318a by RichardB5, on Flickr

 

I think petrol saloons are the way to go at this end of the market. There's less demand for them and they tend to have led easier lives.

[dollywobbler]

Would be interested to know more about the C5. I've long regarded them as dreadful, though the diesel auto I once drove to Paris was one hell of a mile-muncher.

 

Pug looks good Warren, though not getting a lot of interest on here. Too dull for Autoshite? They do mark the high-point in Peugeot styling though, given the mess that followed.

[Rocket88]

Agree with Sir Wobbler ref styling. How Peugeot could wilfully design such awful looking dross post 406 escapes me. Sweet car, by the way, to get that mpg out of a "modern" petro equivalent would be a struggle, and no doubt involve a powerplant of Heath Robinsonesque complication, which would no doubt explode the minute the warranty expires.

[warren t claim]

 

Pug looks good Warren, though not getting a lot of interest on here. Too dull for Autoshite? They do mark the high-point in Peugeot styling though, given the mess that followed.

 

In all honesty I wasn't expecting it to get much attention on here, far too new and common. If I'd acted quicker and got the KV6 MG ZT or the 156 had turned out to be ok then I'm sure this thread would be 10 pages long now.

 

On the way back from Winsford there's a small town called Vicars Cross and parked outside someones house there was a shiny S plate 156 V6 for sale in silver. I was soooo tempted to stop and get the sellers number......

[Rocket88]

Ref Alfa; Thgis is in the true spirit of Autoshite. You have a perfectly good car, that does everything you want. Then some vehicular temptress shows you a bit of cleavage, and, before you know it, you've splurged a catastrophic amount of wedge that you haven't got on something that you just know is going to end in tears...............

[Cavcraft]

 

 

On the way back from Winsford there's a small town called Vicars Cross and parked outside someones house there was a shiny S plate 156 V6 for sale in silver. I was soooo tempted to stop and get the sellers number......

 

Where abouts exactly was it please, Warren? VX is about two miles at most from here, I'm guessing if you were on the way back it could have been Littleton (on the A51 near where Chester Rugby Club is) rather than VX?

[Lankytim]

Thats a fine motor, cheap but perfectly servicable and capable of carefree everyday use. Two thumbs up from me!

[warren t claim]

Ok, what should I do with the 406?

 

I could keep it, having a car with aicon that does 35mpg is useful. I'd do the cambelt and bodge the exhaust a bit more to make it liveable.

 

I could sell it like it is, I reckon I'd get £650 easily with the t&t.

 

I could prep it and chuck it on Gumtree for £995 plus £125 for the tax, obviously the backbox would be replaced and a secondhand door lock fitted.

 

I could prep it to within an inch of its life and do a glowing "Doctor" style ad and advertise it with the other 406s on Ebay for between £1200-1500 (A price I certainly wouldn't pay for one). Obviously playing on its one previous owner, service history and lowish miles bollocks.

 

[dollywobbler]

Keep it and use it, improving as you go. Doubt you'll be horrendously out of pocket.

 

Or sell it for profit and buy that MG ZT.

[Pillock]

Ram a 20p coin into the handbrake, advertise it on ebay for twice it's value and get increasingly mental.

[Split_Pin]

I originally thought be sensible but since someone mentioned the MG again I can't stop thinking about it! I like your thinking re doing the car up a bit and selling for some profit.

[skattrd]

Keep it, run it, tart it up a bit then sell it when you no longer need functioning aircon.

[warren t claim]

It's not as if I don't like the 406 as it's a very worth car. I just wanted something a bit more special than a 1.8lx rep-mobile. It drives great and cruises well, if a little gutless under 3000rpm. Even my neighbours are a little impressed with it and think I've done well. If I was a sensible shiter then I'd tend to its needs and change the cambelt and sort out the minor niggles and have a fantastic all rounder that's probably Peugeots best looking family car ever.

 

....But it still wouldn't be a 156 though. Mind you, a sensible alternative would be a 406 Coupe if I could find one.

[Morgan84]

I think the 406 is a very nice looking car,from whatever angle you look at it.The interior is a comfortable place to be,and well put together as well,with nice little finishing touches;I've only ever driven a 1.9 TD model,but that was a very nice car indeed,and made the miles seem shorter.At that sort of money,you might as well service it,and keep it until something like a clutch or the electrics give a whimper,and if it's going to be expensive,then break it up for spares.That's what you can call a disposable car at that money,but one which doesn't look like a old crock

[Pete-M]

I like 406s. The 03 plate one I had a couple of years ago is still going strong despite being an ex-cab and being abused mercilessly by my mates wife who bought it to apparently use as a mobile office. It swallowed £400 for a clutch and flywheel but otherwise has survived well.

 

She normally kills cars in no time at all, other than a Punto that somehow lasted for nigh on 10 years the 406 holds the record as a survivor. How the Punto lasted I'll never know, but it needed and got a head gasket every year.

[warren t claim]

I'm pretty sure with a bit of canny advertising I could sell it for enough cash to fund a decent 156 or a better Pug, one with a 1.9 engine, 3 doors, half leather and totally at the bottom of its depreciation curve.

[dollywobbler]

Trading up to a 406 Coupe sounds like a good idea. The PSA V6 engine is an absolute beauty. Rivals an Alfa for vocal effect and they're not exactly sluggish - but can deliver decent economy when not thrashed too.

 

The coupes don't seem to hold much value at the moment. One of life's great bargains I reckon. Hope that's still the case when they're old enough for my classic policy...

[Cavcraft]

Sell it and buy a CLK.

[Bren]

So much as I like 156's they are not cheap motoring - petrol engines are'nt great on fuel, and finding an old one that has really been looked after is tricky - a bad one will leave your financial status on a par with Greece and Ireland. Seen some tatty ones of late as well - obviously bought by people who don't look after them.

 

My mate bought a 2.0 twin spark brand new in 02 - beautiful car but only gave low 30's on the motorway so it had to go. Also, he got fed up with putting selenia in the filler cap, it really did go through oil.

 

Stick with your 406 - a bad 156 will make you wish you had.

[Cavcraft]

 

Pug looks good Warren, though not getting a lot of interest on here. Too dull for Autoshite? They do mark the high-point in Peugeot styling though, given the mess that followed.

 

In all honesty I wasn't expecting it to get much attention on here, far too new and common. If I'd acted quicker and got the KV6 MG ZT or the 156 had turned out to be ok then I'm sure this thread would be 10 pages long now.

 

On the way back from Winsford there's a small town called Vicars Cross and parked outside someones house there was a shiny S plate 156 V6 for sale in silver. I was soooo tempted to stop and get the sellers number......

 

Got your text last night Warren, was driving so my daughter read it out to me. Oddly enough a couple of hours later we went past the Alfa you mentioned, it's in Littleton (very posh place) just before VX. I might have a bike ride down there later just to see if there's a price in the window, cheers matey.

[Morgan84]

Id rather have a 406 than a old Alfa;the 406 won't fall appart at the first opportunity !