So,
sorry i havent posted here before, maybe some of you have seen it on other pages but il post my thread here from start of ownership a year ago to now.
The beginning
So well for quite some time now I’ve been into French hot hatches, mainly Peugeot 205 so to speak. Heres one my own from a show on saturday
I then had a 306 Rallye only drove it for around 4 months and then a clio cup which to be honest I did nothing with. So I decided to sell these, they felt too fresh and they went to new homes.
A few years ago I had often thought about buying a 309 gti, as mainly people know they are the ugly ducking of that era and live somewhat in the shadow of the 205 gti.
I had a a few chances maybe 2/3 years ago but didn’t follow through. Recently after selling a few 205s and the others as mentioned I set upon getting a 309. There had been a few in England at 7k recently so it might have been a missed boat case here. After searching the internet for weeks on End, private messaging owners my eyes had well and truly burnt out of my end and I contemplated giving up.
I remembered on ‘northern retros’ I had seen a post about an IIL Reg silver one a few years ago, so after another few days I had a name and number. Gave them a call to find out they had sold it and had no details of the new keeper. She had told me it was bought by her family from New and had traded hands with a few members.
So, back to the drawing board.
Once again I joined a NI facebook newtonards/ portavogie buy sell it page and posted this photo (awful quality could barely make out the plate) of the rear end of the 309 someone had taken at a junction.
A few days and once again I had a name, found her on Facebook and yes a message or 2 and it was her husbands. To be honest I was feeling somewhat sad for going to that effort over an old piece of French junk that would have been scrapped years ago. Phoned up the husband and he had said he thought about selling but then probably wouldn’t now to my disappointment. Few days later I just asked one last time if he’d sell it and he gave me a rough idea on price which was more than I expected but not the worst.
Anyhow this morning I went and seen it, heard the story behind it and how he had put it back on the road etc
Took it a spin, happy enough bar a slipping clutch (handy bartering tool). Back at his he hmmmm’d and haaaa’d for a good 15mins after the offer and to be honest I thought it was off but he came up trumps and with a pet lip he had the keys handed over.
Anyhow it’s home now and in my possession, I gave it a quick clean and popped it in. It’s on 80k and in nice original condition. It has its 27 year old blemishes also but I’m very happy with it. It’s not every day you see one
on route home shot
it was minging inside, he had 2 dogs and cats that must have been on day trips as the hairs was something shocking, not sure it had ever seen a hoover.
anyway i got it home and after a quick wash and dry it was looking a tad better. still needs a good polishing/ wax which i will later tonight. interior is a tad cleaner now also!
A few weeks into ownership
so, the clutch was fitted and back to driving like it should.
next i set about the fog and driving lamps. someone had fitted those god ugly ring ones they had also decided to snip off the original connectors.
i set about this and after a few hours on friday evening all was well and look and worked as it should. gave it a quick polish and drove it a few hundred miles at the weekend.
got my magic sponge out for the steering wheel also.
Bumpers restored back to their original colour
this is how the car is now, ive been away working in Denmark since early september on and off so very little time for anything else.
some more tinkering
not much to add really, poor weather and work means that the cars at parked up. I am down to my last 2 205 gtis and the 309 after clearing out a lot of others. Yesterday i took some time to get the covers off and take them a short run to ensure that everything is nice and free. I came across 2 of NOS rear reflector trims for the 309 so i changed that whilst there. i do think it looks well and its a period part. next up will be to fit the Speedline SL434 wheels for the upcoming show season.
wheel and suspension upgrades
first things first - weekend saw the delivery of my sl434 speedline period correct wheels might i add! lol they are wrapped in pirelli tyres and ready to fit. i put the car onto the lift, removed the old wheels and decided it was about time i done some scrubbing at the wheel well and arches. they had been black with dirt - see pics below
gives an idea anyway- both fronts and backs the same!
cleanedish
wheels on
outside shot
took it a quick run. first issue was a slight rubbing on the rear passenger quarter on bumpy roads. back home and onto the lift - whipped the rear shocks out firstly and noticed these had been well passed the sell by date lol
waited on a mate to drop me round some bilstein yellow tarmacs to see if stiffening it up at the rear would help.
got these fitted last night and took it a test. thankfully no noise and a much stiffer rear end!
have the timing belt and a fll service to do before a trip from derry - belfast - cairnryan - oxford this time next week to meet up with some other 309 owners! should be fun!
keep your eyes peeled next friday morning on the english motorways! lol
More suspension work
so, my initial thoughts after installing the yellow bilsteins to the rear - freshen up the front end.
a guy local to me had some yellow bilstein group N matching front shocks taken off a rally car that had done very very little. i decided to take the chance for all he wanted for them. sourced some 30mm eibach lowering springs and set to work.
they did look a little tired but once i wire wheeled them they looked fine. will do me for a long time anyhow.
i gave the billys a quick lick of paint to take the rough off them and built them up. bearings seemed fine and all went together without issue.
fitted them last night and took the car off the lift. its going to be stiff i would imagine but it'll be better than the old tired suspension it had in it.
and off the lift
quick before and after - not a massive difference but it might settle a little over time
sorry i havent posted here before, maybe some of you have seen it on other pages but il post my thread here from start of ownership a year ago to now.
The beginning
So well for quite some time now I’ve been into French hot hatches, mainly Peugeot 205 so to speak. Heres one my own from a show on saturday
I then had a 306 Rallye only drove it for around 4 months and then a clio cup which to be honest I did nothing with. So I decided to sell these, they felt too fresh and they went to new homes.
A few years ago I had often thought about buying a 309 gti, as mainly people know they are the ugly ducking of that era and live somewhat in the shadow of the 205 gti.
I had a a few chances maybe 2/3 years ago but didn’t follow through. Recently after selling a few 205s and the others as mentioned I set upon getting a 309. There had been a few in England at 7k recently so it might have been a missed boat case here. After searching the internet for weeks on End, private messaging owners my eyes had well and truly burnt out of my end and I contemplated giving up.
I remembered on ‘northern retros’ I had seen a post about an IIL Reg silver one a few years ago, so after another few days I had a name and number. Gave them a call to find out they had sold it and had no details of the new keeper. She had told me it was bought by her family from New and had traded hands with a few members.
So, back to the drawing board.
Once again I joined a NI facebook newtonards/ portavogie buy sell it page and posted this photo (awful quality could barely make out the plate) of the rear end of the 309 someone had taken at a junction.
A few days and once again I had a name, found her on Facebook and yes a message or 2 and it was her husbands. To be honest I was feeling somewhat sad for going to that effort over an old piece of French junk that would have been scrapped years ago. Phoned up the husband and he had said he thought about selling but then probably wouldn’t now to my disappointment. Few days later I just asked one last time if he’d sell it and he gave me a rough idea on price which was more than I expected but not the worst.
Anyhow this morning I went and seen it, heard the story behind it and how he had put it back on the road etc
Took it a spin, happy enough bar a slipping clutch (handy bartering tool). Back at his he hmmmm’d and haaaa’d for a good 15mins after the offer and to be honest I thought it was off but he came up trumps and with a pet lip he had the keys handed over.
Anyhow it’s home now and in my possession, I gave it a quick clean and popped it in. It’s on 80k and in nice original condition. It has its 27 year old blemishes also but I’m very happy with it. It’s not every day you see one
on route home shot
it was minging inside, he had 2 dogs and cats that must have been on day trips as the hairs was something shocking, not sure it had ever seen a hoover.
anyway i got it home and after a quick wash and dry it was looking a tad better. still needs a good polishing/ wax which i will later tonight. interior is a tad cleaner now also!
A few weeks into ownership
so, the clutch was fitted and back to driving like it should.
next i set about the fog and driving lamps. someone had fitted those god ugly ring ones they had also decided to snip off the original connectors.
i set about this and after a few hours on friday evening all was well and look and worked as it should. gave it a quick polish and drove it a few hundred miles at the weekend.
got my magic sponge out for the steering wheel also.
Bumpers restored back to their original colour
this is how the car is now, ive been away working in Denmark since early september on and off so very little time for anything else.
some more tinkering
not much to add really, poor weather and work means that the cars at parked up. I am down to my last 2 205 gtis and the 309 after clearing out a lot of others. Yesterday i took some time to get the covers off and take them a short run to ensure that everything is nice and free. I came across 2 of NOS rear reflector trims for the 309 so i changed that whilst there. i do think it looks well and its a period part. next up will be to fit the Speedline SL434 wheels for the upcoming show season.
wheel and suspension upgrades
first things first - weekend saw the delivery of my sl434 speedline period correct wheels might i add! lol they are wrapped in pirelli tyres and ready to fit. i put the car onto the lift, removed the old wheels and decided it was about time i done some scrubbing at the wheel well and arches. they had been black with dirt - see pics below
gives an idea anyway- both fronts and backs the same!
cleanedish
wheels on
outside shot
took it a quick run. first issue was a slight rubbing on the rear passenger quarter on bumpy roads. back home and onto the lift - whipped the rear shocks out firstly and noticed these had been well passed the sell by date lol
waited on a mate to drop me round some bilstein yellow tarmacs to see if stiffening it up at the rear would help.
got these fitted last night and took it a test. thankfully no noise and a much stiffer rear end!
have the timing belt and a fll service to do before a trip from derry - belfast - cairnryan - oxford this time next week to meet up with some other 309 owners! should be fun!
keep your eyes peeled next friday morning on the english motorways! lol
More suspension work
so, my initial thoughts after installing the yellow bilsteins to the rear - freshen up the front end.
a guy local to me had some yellow bilstein group N matching front shocks taken off a rally car that had done very very little. i decided to take the chance for all he wanted for them. sourced some 30mm eibach lowering springs and set to work.
they did look a little tired but once i wire wheeled them they looked fine. will do me for a long time anyhow.
i gave the billys a quick lick of paint to take the rough off them and built them up. bearings seemed fine and all went together without issue.
fitted them last night and took the car off the lift. its going to be stiff i would imagine but it'll be better than the old tired suspension it had in it.
and off the lift
quick before and after - not a massive difference but it might settle a little over time
