Project Allo Allo, Topless French fancy or Pug deux-zero-cinq or how to fix fuel injection without resorting to fire or insanity

[Tamworthbay]

Clock is working again!

[Tamworthbay]

But the adjust doesn't work.......

[strangeangel]

The clock had a mind of its own, and would start and stop as it felt like! The adjust did work, but I gave up bothering in the end,

[Tamworthbay]

I have got it to move a bit but gave up as needed to move it a few hours. The lights for the temp, oil and stop wouldn't come on when I started out, now working fine. Coz French...... And the stereo that has been fine for a few weeks suddenly stopped and then displayed a message saying check wiring. Weird.

 

Other than that it drove beautifully.

Parked up next to its somewhat flawed successor.

[Tamworthbay]

And back after a totally enjoyable drive and showing a Q8 how proper cars go around roundabouts 122000 miles came up as I drove past the local tourist attraction that is Burntwood industrial park.

 

In forty miles it seems to have used zero petrol according to the gauge. Is it incredibly frugal? Or do I need to top it up just in case? Time will tell.......

 

Stereo still isn’t playing ball so I will need to whip it out and have a play. Other than that it was fantastic. Next job is to order an aftermarket water temp gauge (just to be on the safe side) and an adaptor, and look for some rear shocks as I don’t like it having mismatched ones on the rear.

[purplebargeken]

Just a reminder...

 

Plans shakedown cruise to North London Valeting Centre with added kebab.....

[Tamworthbay]

Just a reminder...Plans shakedown cruise to North London Valeting Centre with added kebab.....

Will do ASAP mate, the next month is crazy season at work then I off down to Cornwall for a week, but as soon as I have a day free I will give you a shout.

[Marm Toastsmith]

If you make it to the NLVC can I pop along in mine and say hello? Would be nice to get them together...

 

Mine has pretty much all the same faults as yours - the adjust stopped working on my clock when I tried to compensate for British Summer Time, it's now totally wrong, and fairly noisy. Also (randomly) my nice Alpine stereo is now goosed - although I think it's just very dirty heads on the tape deck following playback of a slightly dubious and very old Santana tape. I have an original stereo here too, which is also slightly knackered - it's quiet on one channel. I might get it looked at. I know a guy.

 

Re "using no petrol", I think it's also a case of TADTS - they are very frugal, but the gauge is fairly hopeless too - it pretty much either displays a full tank or almost empty. Sometimes it wobbles about a bit. And it's entirely wrong if you're not on the flat. I've got used to it, it is better than nothing, and there is a warning light when you're running really low. I do keep a can in the boot though.

 

As for the warning lights, in mine if you turn on the ignition and wait for a bit they come on. Otherwise they stay unlit.

 

Temperature guage would be a nice touch, OTOH, no news is good news and in a way it's one less thing to worry about. I'm reasonably confident that the red light will come on if the worst comes to the worst. You don't seem to hear horror stories about these doing OMGHGF or whatever.

[Tamworthbay]

I seem to have done 150 miles on a quarter of a tank, that’s pretty good (or the gauge is vague). I have to admit to being one of those sad types who would happily have a gauge for which way the wind was blowing (obsession with 6 clock dashes in Capris as a kid). And the clock is amazingly noisy, I ended up early at the hospital so sat in the car for a while and it was very noticeable. Reminded me of the mantle clock at my Nan’s when I was a kid.

[purplebargeken]

I like noisy mantle clocks.

[Tamworthbay]

Not much progress as have just been enjoying driving it   I have found a replacement for the broken door bin and put that on today. I have also ordered some new rear shocks and a new boot stay. Another £50 but as it’s running on mismatched rear shocks, one of which has a knackered Bush then its well worth the investment.

[Tamworthbay]

So finally got around to changing the coolant. Apart from a very rusty hose clip all was good. Even the old coolant looked remarkably clean so I am guessing it’s not been in there long. Having seen it it probably didn’t need changing but it can’t harm can it? Also isolated the oil leak which is from the gearbox so I need to investigate that a bit more. It’s nothing major so not too urgent.

[purplebargeken]

Rusty hose clips are the work of Old Nick.

Just keep topping up the gearbox oil and in 6 months time you'll have done an oil change . Sorted!!!

Good work mate.

[strangeangel]

I didn't change the coolant, but there was evidence of maintenance being performed before me - maybe there's something in the big folder?

 

Good going, though - I never paid it such attention!

[Tamworthbay]

1 hour ago, strangeangel said:

I didn't change the coolant, but there was evidence of maintenance being performed before me - maybe there's something in the big folder?

 

Good going, though - I never paid it such attention!

It must have been at least a couple of years old then which is a really good sign. I wouldn’t have been surprised if it had been changed a couple of months back so the engine waterways must be nice and clean. I am happy to spend time on it, it’s such a nice little car I want to make sure it’s good for many years to come. I have fancied a 205 for years but never got around to one before, I have been missing out.

[Tamworthbay]

Hi

Another little job sorted tonight, the saggy boot lid is now nice and firm thanks to a new gas ram. I hate boots that droop and with a crap neck I don’t want it dropping on me. It took about 100  times as long to find one as to fit it. Also ready to go is a pair of new rear shocks to replace the aged and mismatched pair presently on there. I haven’t heard of Ridex before but they get decent reviews and were on offer for a third of Monroes so I thought they were worth a punt. With any luck they are going on on Friday.

[strangeangel]

Ah, well done on the gas ram - that was properly annoying. Not enough to motivate me to find and buy a replacement, mind ?

[Tamworthbay]

1 hour ago, strangeangel said:

Ah, well done on the gas ram - that was properly annoying. Not enough to motivate me to find and buy a replacement, mind ?

Weirdly it started holding after I ordered a replacement, then went back to normal after a couple of days. Finding it was  the hardest part, none of the usual places had one but I clicked for an email update on it as an out of stock item at Autodoc not expecting them to get one, but a few days later they were in stock. And only £17 so not stupid money.

[Marm Toastsmith]

48 minutes ago, Tamworthbay said:

Weirdly it started holding after I ordered a replacement, then went back to normal after a couple of days. Finding it wasn’t the hardest part, none of the usual places had one but I clicked for an email update on it as an out of stock item at Autodoc not expecting them to get one, but a few days later they were in stock. And only £17 so not stupid money.

Mine's OK with the roof up, but with the roof down the boot lid doesn't lift up quite as high, so it's supported fairly weakly, and occasionally drops it on your head.

I'd like to replace the struts on the roof - I'm not sure they're doing anything much - but I couldn't find replacements anywhere.

[Tamworthbay]

50 minutes ago, marm said:

Mine's OK with the roof up, but with the roof down the boot lid doesn't lift up quite as high, so it's supported fairly weakly, and occasionally drops it on your head.

I'd like to replace the struts on the roof - I'm not sure they're doing anything much - but I couldn't find replacements anywhere.

I haven’t really looked at the roof mechanism beyond a simple oil of the joints. Mine seems to work ok but it helps to be directly behind when you start putting it back up and you have to gently lower it into position at the front - there doesn’t seem to be any damping.

[purplebargeken]

A dropping boot lid is irritating, the 45 does it on occasion but it's a weird design thingy with no rams at all. I might see if a bodge roadside rectification with a spring or something might help.

[Marm Toastsmith]

18 minutes ago, Tamworthbay said:

I haven’t really looked at the roof mechanism beyond a simple oil of the joints. Mine seems to work ok but it helps to be directly behind when you start putting it back up and you have to gently lower it into position at the front - there doesn’t seem to be any damping.

I oiled the joints, but it didn't make much difference. Similarly mine likes to be lifted up from the centre, but at the front it has the opposite problem - it's a little too tight so takes a strong pull to get it clipped down, especially if it's been open all day in the sun. Looks like it would be easy enough to adjust but I've been too lazy/busy recently.

I've had a couple of other convertibles from a similar era and the hood on the Peugeot is probably the worst. Both the other two cars (a MK1 Golf and a Scimitar SS1) could be opened and closed one handed, quickly. The Peugeot hood is relatively fiddly, hard work, and also quite noisy when on the road, especially above 60mph. Still, the little Pug is charming in lots of ways that those two cars were not.

[Tamworthbay]

28 minutes ago, marm said:

I oiled the joints, but it didn't make much difference. Similarly mine likes to be lifted up from the centre, but at the front it has the opposite problem - it's a little too tight so takes a strong pull to get it clipped down, especially if it's been open all day in the sun. Looks like it would be easy enough to adjust but I've been too lazy/busy recently.

I've had a couple of other convertibles from a similar era and the hood on the Peugeot is probably the worst. Both the other two cars (a MK1 Golf and a Scimitar SS1) could be opened and closed one handed, quickly. The Peugeot hood is relatively fiddly, hard work, and also quite noisy when on the road, especially above 60mph. Still, the little Pug is charming in lots of ways that those two cars were not.

Mine is ok but needs you to gently pull down at the front to lock. Harder than my old Mx5 but not bad. Wind noise seems ok for a convertible.

[Marm Toastsmith]

2 minutes ago, Tamworthbay said:

Wind noise seems ok for a convertible.

Depends what you're used to I suppose. Golfs are pretty exceptional in that respect, and much easier to live with than many "premium" convertibles (e.g. BMW E30) from the same era. Mine was pretty quiet and refined at 80-90 which for a convertible designed in the late 70s is impressive. In the first place the MK1 is a very well thought out (and modern) car for its age, but additionally the Karmann conversion is done to a very high standard. They put loads of additional strength in the bodyshell and the hood is very well made and designed. It might be a bit heavier than the 205, but it's still a relatively light and nimble car and mine handled brilliantly. I do prefer the steering feel on the 205 though.

Still, as much as I love the 205, it has made me realise what a brilliant car the Karmann Golf was... I suppose era-wise, the 205 really sits somewhere between the later MK2 Golf and Polo, and it's hugely better to drive and more stylish than either of them. They never made a MK2 (or Polo) convertible, but if they did, it wouldn't stand comparison to a 205.

Of course partly it might just be that my hood is a bit fucked or poorly fitted... there is a bit of a gap in the trim at the front that the wind whistles through. OTOH, I suspect a Golf roof would be less prone to that sort of thing.

Sorry...carry on.

[Tamworthbay]

I have had several Golfs, and even like the hated mk3-mk5 era but I really didn’t get on with my MK1. I couldn’t see why it was as expensive as it was when new. Handling was neutral to the point of boring. Not sure why but never bonded with it. Never tried a convertible one though. The 205 reminds more of my old minis, the brilliant driving experience and the surprising perky 1.4 engine. No surprise the 1.9s have such a reputation for being a proper hooligan of a car.

[Marm Toastsmith]

6 minutes ago, Tamworthbay said:

I have had several Golfs, and even like the hated mk3-mk5 era but I really didn’t get on with my MK1. I couldn’t see why it was as expensive as it was when new. Handling was neutral to the point of boring. Not sure why but never bonded with it. Never tried a convertible one though. The 205 reminds more of my old minis, the brilliant driving experience and the surprising perky 1.4 engine. No surprise the 1.9s have such a reputation for being a proper hooligan of a car.

That's funny. If you count Sciroccos and Jettas I've had at least 5 MK1s. I wouldn't know what they cost when new, all mine were bangers bought for £300 or less... Enjoyed them all but the convertible and the Scirocco were more fun because they had bigger engines and/or sporty upgrades - e.g. Weber carbs, wider wheels, suspension upgrades etc. The standard 1.5 and 1.6 cars I had weren't all that exciting to drive, but they were much more capable, refined, and better built than anything comparable from the same era. Cars that you can use to do everything and seriously go places in, even after years of abuse. My first Jetta was my second car, and replaced a 998cc Metro. It was a revelation to drive something that wasn't terrifying at 70, in fact it was comfortable at 80 plus. And unlike the Metro, it never broke down. It was rusty and had been around the clock but it never felt tired. Great engines, well built and cleverly designed cars which can go on for mega miles.

The thing with the MK1 cabriolet, it's almost as fun as a proper sports car, but it's not going to stress you out too much if you need to drive 200 miles in the rain, at night, in a hurry. No, it's not as fun as the 205, but IMO there's not loads in it.

I love old Minis too, had a couple, and now you come to mention it I do recognise the comparison with the 205. But if I had to chose a car to do a decent road trip in, (i.e. including motorways) the choice would rarely be a Mini. Great fun and surprisingly capable but the 205 is much better at making serious progress, and really much more modern - in a way I like to think of it as being as capable as, say, a MK2 Golf but with the grin factor of something like a Mini. Which makes sense really - 80s tech but small, light, and with a wheel at each corner. It's kind of grown-up and immature at the same time.

I love the 1.4 engine in the 205 - smooth, perky, and great sounding. For me it's a very sweet power-weight balance - well thrashable but with plenty of go. I bet a 1.9 would be hilarious, but terrifying. If my imagination is anything to go by it's easy to see why they where such a hit. Although saying that I've never lusted after one, and still don't.

[Tamworthbay]

The 205 is light years ahead of the mini comfort, ride and engine wise but the steering feedback and chuckability are very mini like which is good. Even on Chinese no name tyres the grip is surprisingly good. No idea why I didn't get on with the mk1 golf, it just seemed not as nice as others around at the time and want anything like as much fun, or Asda good a place to be as the Capri that came before our the escort that came after.

[Tamworthbay]

sat in it at mo at asda with the roof down enjoying the sun, it's dwarfed by the smart four four next to me.

[Tamworthbay]

Tried to change the shocks this morning, four bolts so dead easy? Was it fuck, someone had replaced the lower pins and the heads were smaller than stock meaning they could rotate in the slot designed to allow you to undo them. Two hours wasted and not being at home meant tools that would have sorted in weren't to hand. It will wait, there was only an advisory for a bush. Will be a couple of weeks before I can get on the lift again though. I also did some rust treatment and paint under the boot to preserve that do not a completely wasted morning. No pics as I was knee deep trying to get the shocks on.

 

presently waiting for my daughter off the bus and playing the game I used to with my mini. Park facing out as far back as possible in a space next to a fat car and see how many people try to park in your space. Been here ten minutes and had four already

[Marm Toastsmith]

2 hours ago, Tamworthbay said:

Park facing out as far back as possible in a space next to a fat car and see how many people try to park in your space.

Ha, I've been doing that today, too. Well sort of. I didn't actually hang around to watch. But I had the same thought.