1993 Peugeot 205 STDT

[derskine]

I recently moved house and my work commute has become mostly town driving, albeit only 9 miles each way.
My Volvo 360 had been returning ridiculously low fuel economy (<20mpg around town), and hence a fairly short journey was costing an unnecessary amount.
 
I spotted a 205 STDT on ebay with 162k miles with 7 days MOT, I was eager to get this, as this model appeals to me with it's turbo diesel engine and GTI looks.
I was outbid on this one, however - I did happen across another STDT on a Peugeot forum for £650, with 60k miles on the clock.
 
The only catch was it was in London, and I live near Edinburgh.
 
I left early on Saturday morning and got the train down to London, arriving at about 15:20.
 
I didn't very much like London if I'm honest as can be seen from this.
 


Once arrived, the seller collected us from the train station in the 205 and I drove back to his house, where the paperwork and cash changed hands.

I then drove 3 hours to Doncaster and stayed in a hotel as I was a bit fucked by this point.

 

 
It really is a cracker. It needs a standard back box fitting as some mong has put a big bore chav spec thing on, and a set of brake pads, but otherwise - it's perfect.
 
At least 50mpg on the way back with a heavy foot too.

[Cavcraft]

These are mega fit cars, well bought chief.

[320touring]

Top effort:)

 

London based car collections are FTW as you get plenty of time to know the foibles!

[doubleyeller]

Wonderful cars the STDT - basically the Diesel 205 GTI, but less painful to insure and miles better economy. Sure you will get naysayers telling you a 205GTI is that bit better, but that's a cracking deal for £600 odd!

[trigger]

These really are a good car, one that i've got a lot of time for. Well bought and collected.

[Supernaut]

Fit an intercooler then get some BOOOOOOST on the go!

 

IIRC these are a 1.8 XUD rather than the 1.9, and don't have an intercooler as standard (the 1.9 does).

[For Fiats Sake]

I had one that my cousin kindly wrote off for me, the footwells filled with water when it rained but I loved the interior (when dry).  

Well done for travelling for the car you want, never stopped me either.

 

Double top buyage!

[Six-cylinder]

Great cars.

[derskine]

Cheers chaps, it had to be an STDT for me.

 

Fit an intercooler then get some BOOOOOOST on the go!

IIRC these are a 1.8 XUD rather than the 1.9, and don't have an intercooler as standard (the 1.9 does).

 

I'm planning on this at some point, though will need to be front mount as the 205 bonnet doesn't allow enough airflow to the 306 style top mount intercooler allegedly.

[Anthony]

Nice choice, and sounds like a good deal too given what tired examples are typically advertised at these days

 

1.9TD swap is well worth doing, ideally with a FMIC as like you say, the 205 bonnet doesn't allow much airflow over the TMIC that the 1.9's usually have. That said, even with the TMIC you can easily enough see 120hp with the fuelling tweaked, and that's plenty to make it fairly brisk.

 

Whilst STDT's used the GTi style shell and had the GTi wishbone/ARB setup on the front, the rest of the suspension isn't GTi spec. Depending on what your plans are for it, fitting GTi front struts nicely stiffens it up and lowers it a little, and fitting the stiffer GTi torsion bars and (especially) anti-roll bar to the rear does wonders for the handling and makes turn-in much more responsive. They drive very nicely after that without particularly impacting ride quality.

 

PS. look after the radiator - they're unique to TD models, very hard to find second hand and pretty expensive to buy new.

[Supernaut]

Cheers chaps, it had to be an STDT for me.

 

 

I'm planning on this at some point, though will need to be front mount as the 205 bonnet doesn't allow enough airflow to the 306 style top mount intercooler allegedly.

Top mount is shit anyway.

[derskine]

Nice choice, and sounds like a good deal too given what tired examples are typically advertised at these days

 

1.9TD swap is well worth doing, ideally with a FMIC as like you say, the 205 bonnet doesn't allow much airflow over the TMIC that the 1.9's usually have. That said, even with the TMIC you can easily enough see 120hp with the fuelling tweaked, and that's plenty to make it fairly brisk.

 

Whilst STDT's used the GTi style shell and had the GTi wishbone/ARB setup on the front, the rest of the suspension isn't GTi spec. Depending on what your plans are for it, fitting GTi front struts nicely stiffens it up and lowers it a little, and fitting the stiffer GTi torsion bars and (especially) anti-roll bar to the rear does wonders for the handling and makes turn-in much more responsive. They drive very nicely after that without particularly impacting ride quality.

 

PS. look after the radiator - they're unique to TD models, very hard to find second hand and pretty expensive to buy new.

 

I'm normally all for engine conversions, however, with such low mileage on this engine, I'm not really bothered. A front mount intercooler, turbo tweaked and pump tweaked and I'll be happy with the 1.8.

 

When you say GTi wishbone/ARB setup, I need a new wishbone, I'm assuming I'll need to buy a GTi one in that case.

[reb]

I'm normally all for engine conversions, however, with such low mileage on this engine, I'm not really bothered. A front mount intercooler, turbo tweaked and pump tweaked and I'll be happy with the 1.8.

 

When you say GTi wishbone/ARB setup, I need a new wishbone, I'm assuming I'll need to buy a GTi one in that case.

If did you go for the 1.9 swap, I'd be quite tempted by the 1.8 to go in Pugsley...

[Bren]

The pinnacle of diesel technolgy? Possibly - because it doesn't have a lot of the new fangled shit that kills most of them.

[HMC]

Great! Nice plate for beko too.

[wuvvum]

These are a brilliant bit of kit.  Nice buy - well worth 650 quid I reckon.

[garbaldy]

nice motors but wtf 15 replies and not one mention of Bosch this place is slipping

[Anthony]

When you say GTi wishbone/ARB setup, I need a new wishbone, I'm assuming I'll need to buy a GTi one in that case.

Correct - all turbo diesel models use the GTi type wishbones (N/A diesels used the base model style TCA's)

 

Be careful with mickey-mouse branded pattern part wishbones btw, as the bushes are usually rubbish and will fail in no time at all.

[sierraman]

My favourite had to be the curiously named 505 STi

[Dave_Q]

nice motors but wtf 15 replies and not one mention of Bosch this place is slipping

DUZZIT RUN ON KRISP N DRY M9

[Jim Bell]

Have it got a hieronymus or wot m7?

[Arthur Foxhake]

Don't bother swapping the engine for an extra 100cc.

I have had just as much power out of an XUD7 as an XUD9.

Just swap the intake manifold to one from a xantia to allow intercooler and fit a Bosch pump and you'll have all the fun.

[Fabergé Greggs]

Snatched from my own back yard.

 

Thief.

[LostnotFound]

I can't be the only one eagerly awaiting photo's in the light to push my jealously level even further.

[garethj]

Top purchase, I used a non-turbo 205 for about 30,000 miles and it was a good old thing.

 

Don't rush into changes yet, get used to how it drives as standard and fix any bits that are clearly falling off. From the lowly 1.1 litre to the 1.9GTi they're all quite perky through the corners.

[jonathan_dyane]

These are very hard to beat; great little cars!

[nisfan]

Will easily run on 0% veg!

[Coprolalia]

Mega.

 

These are way up my want list, to the extent I have a specific search.

 

Can I call dibs if it ever comes for sale?

[forddeliveryboy]

Aye, leave that engine where it is and service it well. Great car. even ignoring the price. I'd leave the springs as they are, too - but roads round me vary hugely. I like to maintain speed over them all.

[M'coli]

An excellent purchase, just mind 2 things: keep up the correct concentration of coolant to prevent corrosion of the alloy heid's water jaikets, and make sure the flattened coolant pipe in the driver's side wheelarch isn't corroded so much it's about to start leaking.