The 8 year itch

[Shiny]

The last tax disc on my motor was December 2006. Who'd have thought the next time it was on the road it wouldn't even need a tax disc!

I moved to London 10 years ago and found the cost of keeping a car pointless, so since then my 306 XS has been SORN.

Flash forward to October 2014, and it graces the roads of Britain once more!
Here I intend to document the struggle to rectify 8 years of decay, and the transformation of the car from rude boy wannabe, to track weapon.
Granted it's a 1.6 8v, but when you have zero NCB, insurance group 5 is your friend.

The initial MOT threw up a lot of perishables that needed renewing, pretty much anything rubber in the front wheel arches: driveshafts, lower suspension arm bushes, pivot bolts gaiters, brake hoses, droplinks, tyres, and the brakes had warped as well.

So that lot came out, and at the same time I thought I'd give the other corroded parts a new lease of life.



I ordered fresh replacements, and decided to relish the opportunity to upgrade what my budget would allow. So in went freshly painted replacements, as well as braided hoses, uprated GTI-6 front calipers and discs with Ferrodo pads, aluminium droplinks and 405 Mi16 alloys in anthracite with legal Yoko rubbers on them. After that my budget wouldn't stretch to poly bushes or uprated pivots, so maybe next time.



I prepped and painted the hubs and the track rods as they were beginning to look corroded. I replaced the track rod ends as well as they were close to the death penalty. What was left afterwards is an archway to eat from (Disclaimer: Don't hold me to this).



I ran it through the MOT one more time, and of course, being a Pug, it gave up a fight. So after replacing the rear bearings it then passed.

The two weeks (plus) laborious pain and swearing has meant my Pug is back on the road!





There is a long list of things that need seeing to to make this track worthy.
When I've built up some NCB, it's likely there'll be a '6 lump in there.

But first to swap the 'showy' spoiler for something with less drag (so let me know if you have a standard spoiler in silver and we can do a straight swap)! And lower both ends after having ripped out the leather interior! It had 17s before so now the wheels are a bit more practical for the track, but they've left enough room to shelter a lion in the arch. And a 'zorst that doesn't sound like I've left my fake Burberry in my mum's flat.

These are just a few on the long list to track beast.

Oh, and I've left the '06 tax disc in the windscreen as a little memento.

[Piggy]

Fyi for next time, partner Pbushes are 10 times better and no more expensive. You may find those will be worn pretty quick with some abuse!

But well done for getting it on the road again

[Eeyore]

Well done for passing it and welcome to the forum. Was all the body kit on the car when you got it? Looks like somones spent a decent amount of money making it look like that...

[Mattcheese31]

Fyi for next time, partner Pbushes are 10 times better and no more expensive. You may find those will be worn pretty quick with some abuse!

But well done for getting it on the road again

I have a silver colour coded phase 2.5 front bumper, can get you a pic if you want, and Piggy, he'll never have to change the P bushes again, trust me the 1.6's have no torque and that's what kills them on DT's

[Orta]

Full ecosse kit if memory serves? It's the same kit they put on their blaze 306 in the old halfrauds haynes 306 mod manual... If anyone remembers that from 10 years ago?

Can't believe you kept a 1.6 sitting all that time?! Y not have sold it at the time? Good base for project track car tho with a few tasty upgrades. Don't forget to tell your insurer tho ;-)

[Mattcheese31]

Yeah that is the very same ecosse kit I reckon, I have that book somewhere lol, looks dated these days though

[Eeyore]

I've got the book. Its the same kit.

[Piggy]

Niiiiiiice

[Matt-Rallye]

Love it when someone as something like this sat around for more years than half of us have been driving and then re-comissions it

[procta]

well done fella for getting the car back on the road,
is ecosse still going? as I cannot really see them making much money now, as the kit thing isn't in anymore, plus when was the last time you seen anyone putting a kit like that on a 306 or any other pug now.

[Toms306]

I imagine that was still cool when it was put away... I don't think I've ever seen that spoiler before though, have you got a rear end shot of it?

Must admit, don't think I could drive a car for 8 years let alone store one for that long!

[Shiny]

Dated it is, but most ph1s look a little dated these days! It was never meant to be 8 years, it was always 'when I have time'!!
And yeah the torque on these things is non existant! But that should hopefully mean the chassis has never taken a beating, perfect for a project.

With a little help from you guys and the now helluva lot cheaper (compared to when it was last on the road) parts, hopefully I can shock it in to 2015!

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Mattcheese31, could be tempted by the bumper depending on £. Send me a pic if you can.

[Mattcheese31]

Dated it is, but most ph1s look a little dated these days! It was never meant to be 8 years, it was always 'when I have time'!!
And yeah the torque on these things is non existant! But that should hopefully mean the chassis has never taken a beating, perfect for a project.

With a little help from you guys and the now helluva lot cheaper (compared to when it was last on the road) parts, hopefully I can shock it in to 2015!

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Mattcheese31, could be tempted by the bumper depending on £. Send me a pic if you can.

here you are mate, only want £20 for it, breaking a few cars at the moment so just looking to shift stuff . . .

[attachment=19828]

[Mattcheese31]

got some standard colour coded wing mirrors and phase 3 boot as well if you wanted to lose some body kit, just sold the skirts though . .

[Shiny]

Oh yeah I remember. Not so keen on the dip in bumper below the grill. Will hold out for a p3.

Tempted by the wing mirrors though, the M3 style ones have always been a pet peeve of mine. Price posted?

[Mattcheese31]

Oh yeah I remember. Not so keen on the dip in bumper below the grill. Will hold out for a p3.

Tempted by the wing mirrors though, the M3 style ones have always been a pet peeve of mine. Price posted?

25 posted mate, they are electric too

[Shiny]

Nice! Electric are no good to me though.

[hbomb1905]

Not many L reg's about anymore mate would be lovely to see it recommissioned to original Phase 1 spec! I bought my first 306 in 2006 and I remember clean XS's were still fetching over a grand at the time, only seems like ten mins ago!

[Shiny]

Tell me about it! Only 81k on the clock as well. But with the arches having the work done that they have, the only way to see it original would be to buy new panels! That's an expense too far for me.

[hbomb1905]

From what I can see in the pic the side skirts and side trims are standard, it just has additional arch trims front and rear.

You could carefully remove them and you may find the paint is ok underneath, if they are just glued on it might not cost you a penny! Otherwise it might need a lick of paint

[procta]

are you going to Phase2/ phase3 the front end? as you might aswell buy the wings too, it will be a nightmare getting the kit off the rear as that would have been bonded on and then painted. I can see that been pricey to sort.

[Shiny]

When the last guy fitted the kit the whole car was resprayed. He spent some fair whack on it. But the kit has been smoothed at the seams and riveted on so if it was removed, it would need a fair bit of prep and paint.

I'm not sure I love the car enough to warrant the cost and effort! There are higher priorities. I probably will ph2/3 the front end though

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When the last guy fitted the kit the whole car was resprayed. He spent some fair whack on it. But the kit has been smoothed at the seams and riveted on so if it was removed, it would need a fair bit of prep and paint.

I'm not sure I love the car enough to warrant the cost and effort! There are higher priorities. I probably will ph2/3 the front end though

[blaze_the_6]

Not really a fan of body kits but some of that looks tastey and she looks exceptional for her age. I especially like the rear arches lol

[Shiny]

Ha! Yeah, hoping to tone it down a bit!

[procta]

When the last guy fitted the kit the whole car was resprayed. He spent some fair whack on it. But the kit has been smoothed at the seams and riveted on so if it was removed, it would need a fair bit of prep and paint.

I'm not sure I love the car enough to warrant the cost and effort! There are higher priorities. I probably will ph2/3 the front end though

you would probably better off reshelling the car, as it would work out cheaper.

[puglove]

Nice story


Just throw some standard ph1 gti bumpers on it and be done. If its a ph1 it should be a ph1