To go with other tales of using old cars every day, this is how a modern car works. How modern? Well it doesn't have: ABS, aircon, cupholders, airbags, electric windows plus a multitude of other features that are fitted nowadays.
It does have: heater, headed rear window, an intermittent setting for wipers, a stereo, good visibility and power steering. For anyone used to driving older chod, this thing is loaded
I do about 400 miles a week just commuting to and from work, so with other jaunts too that makes 20,000 miles a year. That's serious mileage for a clapped out old banger. Here it is
It's a 205 diesel (non turbo because I'd rather have the mpg than the mph) and it's one of Peugeot's lovely* special editions. This gives it the bright yet nauseating interior as shown
A year ago I decided that I'd had enough of commuting by motorbike; whilst the journey time was fast it took lots of concentration and I was mostly knackered by Friday evenings. The dual carriageway route squared off the rear tyre so badly the bike would stay upright without the side stand. The twisty road was much better but if you ride like a twat (as I do) it's exhausting to ride, watching for places to overtake yet not get knocked off. I'd also figured out that if I arrived in Cambridge by 7:15am and left at 4pm the traffic wasn't too bad so a bike wasn't compulsory.
This Pug came up on ebay about 20 miles away. I was looking for one that didn't have too many miles on it, was a 3 door without sunroof and a non-turbo diesel. Hitting all these criteria was quite difficult if you don't want to trawl the country too, but this one was bid on unseen and I went to collect it. The battery was fucked, the front tyres were smooth and the stereo was an aftermarket one that didn't seem to have an off button. But it did have an input for my mp3 player - result!
1996 is quite late for a 205 but let's be clear - in the office carpark it's barely newer than a donkey and wooden cart. There was genuine astonishment that I'd made it to work the first morning, surely there's no way such an old car would make it home again?
The wheels were very wobbly which meant that 70mph was a bouncy affair, I got that done the first evening. Because the car had been owned by an elderly gent it hadn't spent much time near the red line so even if the wheels were balanced it wouldn't do more than 75mph anyway. A service with filters and oil improved things a bit, as did some injector cleaner. I was very conscientious at giving Italian tuneups so after a while it would sing along at 90mph
These cars tend to lean quite hard on their front suspension and after a while there was a bit of clonking from the front end and creaks from the antiroll bar bushes. I got new front arms and antiroll bar bushes so the balljoints were included. By then I'd had some partworn front tyres so it gripped better too.
The driving experience is pretty good. It's got the typical feeling of space of a 1980s car, big windows with thin pillars. The power steering feels nice and the standard steering wheel is nice and chunky. The ride is on the hard side of French but the handling is really nice, the whole car feels light even with a cronky old diesel engine up front. Ah yes, the diesel engine...
I'd never had a diesel before but I've driven quite a few at work, all modern turbo jobs. This one is like the beginners guide to diesels, it runs out of breath at 45mph in 2nd gear and 65mph in 3rd but of course the pull is quite smooth. None of this modern nothing, nothing, nothing, oh wheelspin, panic, revlimiter.
The main reason for getting a diesel is fuel economy and here the little 205 is the star pupil. I started off at 50mpg and after a service and thrashing it got to 55mpg, it's now doing between 55 and 59mpg according to the fuel economy app on my phone.
And that's all there is to it, it passed the MoT last week needing a numberplate light and very soon it'll need new tyres. I'm well into the "car boredom" stage now and would love to change it, but with the mileage I do a normal car would cost me more than an extra £100 a month. That's very difficult to turn down so it looks like the 205 is staying for a while.
Everyone at work is still amazed I arrive in such a dilapidated old snotter but as we all know here, this is a new car, it's supposed to be easy.