Introduction & Hello

2

2-Pugs

Member
 Hampshire
Hi all. I have recently joined this forum so thought it was time I had better introduce myself.

First off, I have to say this forum is a great community with a lot of information and helpful individuals. It's very welcoming. I've spent quite a bit of time browsing and reading already. So thank you for that, and well done for making it as good as it is :)

So, I will soon be acquiring my late father-in law's Z4, a 2004 2.5 in silver. Pic below from slightly happier times (its the only pic I have of it at the moment).

IMG_1319_b.jpg

Its sat unused for almost a year now and although it had been well taken care of up until then, it does have some issues that I'll need to look at, so I will no doubt be asking for some help. I also read with interest about things such as roof motor relocation so I think there's a few things like that I'd like to do as well.

I have had a couple of BMWs in the past, most notably an E39 M5, but I'm really looking forward to taking the Z4 on, bringing it up to standard, and enjoying it. My other car interest is the 205 GTI, I've never really grown up and out of them since the mid-90s. I still have a couple today which are used for shows, events and sunny days.

I live in Holland at the moment but return regularly to the UK for work.

Anyway, looking forward to being a part of this great community!

Rob
 
Welcome to the forum, there are a few members who live in Holland. Chris D is a member :)
There are plenty on here who can move the roof motor for you, if you can't do it yourself.
Get some photo's on of your Pugs, I do like the 205. :thumbsup:
 
Hi and welcome from Blackpool. Well if your after growing up I'm afraid your newly acquired Z is not going to help you.........in my case its made me worse than i was before? Drive your newly acquired Z and enjoy every minute of it as i know you will do. I'm sure the Z gave your late father in law a lot of pleasure and i think he would want you to experience the same pleasure when driving it. They are a brilliant car and yours looks excellent.
 
Welcome aboard Rob. Great intro post. Looking forward to your input.

Oh and pics of the Pugs please. :D
 
Welcome to the forum OP - lovely looking Z4 you have there. :thumbsup:

A sad way to acquire a car, but it's good that you are able to keep it - enjoy. :driving:
 
Welcome 2-Pugs. Back in the day I had a 309 GTI. I needed a 5 door at the time & loved it TBH. My mates had a 205 GTI (1.9) & Golf GTI so I was always being given a bit of stick. We had a few street races which was so much fun at the time (much less traffic around in the early 90's compared to now) :P. Amazing how 128hp seemed the dogs bollocks back then! :rofl:
 
Hi and welcome. Thanks for the pic - looks nice.

Well worth getting the roof motor moved - not expensive. I wish I'd had mine moved when I got the car rather than waiting for it to fail and then having to get a new (refurbished) motor.

Enjoy :driving:
 
Thanks all for the welcome :)

Very pleased I can keep the car in the family and keep it as a sort of living memory of my F-i-L.

I'm hoping to pick it up in the next month or so. It would appear that in the meantime it has developed a cold-start problem. But I'll worry more about that once I can get to it and get the codes read :)

Anyway by popular request here's a couple of pics and some details of my 205s :)

The first one is my 205 GTI '1FM'. Its a limited edition, just 25 like this one were made for Radio 1's 25th birthday in 1992. They're the highest-spec 205 ever made. It has full leather interior, sunroof, remote central locking, ABS and Aircon, as well as a (for the time) a top-end stereo system. The wheels were finished in grey with the silver rim, and there are various bodywork decals and so on. I've owned this car 11 years now. Its done 62,000 miles and luckily has been well cared for all its life. Each one of the 25 1FMs were individually numbered with a brass plate, showing which of the 25 it was. Mine is number 1. Took some finding!! There are 19 1FMs still in existence today. Below picture is from the Excel show this time last year, when it was part of the grand avenue display.

1FM.JPG

The next one is called a 205 GTI 'Classic'. I imported it from Australia a few years ago. When 205 GTI production ceased, the very last 30 cars to be delivered to Australia were made a limited edition, called the 'Classic'. It has various options, including the unique (for a GTI) colour which is a nice dark metallic green. Again each one was numbered. This one is number 27 of the 30. There are believed to be 20 of the 30 cars left today. When it arrived here I could hardly believe the condition of it, which was remarkable underneath. Not a spot of rust anywhere. I then read up - they don't salt roads in Australia because it never really gets cold enough. So, because Australia carried on getting 205GTIs after the UK did, this is almost certainly the latest VIN number / build date 205 GTI now in the UK. Its the only Classic in the UK, well, in fact its the only Classic outside of Australia that I know of. Picture below is when it was on the Club Peugeot stand at the NEC a couple of years ago.

Classic.JPG

Last one is the 205 'Griffe'. The Griffe was a sort of 'Halo' model of the 205 GTI that was available on continental Europe. It was not especially limited, about 1,600 were made in total, and in France, Germany, Holland, etc, it was essentially a special edition model you could order. The Griffe featured the then unique colour known as 'Laser' green, grey wheels, full leather interior, grey strips on the bumpers instead of red, and numerous other small bits and pieces. The story goes that it is modelled on the 205 GTI that Jean Todt (the guy who ran their motorsport division, with the 205 T16) drove around in at the time and had had personalised. 'Griffe' is the French word for 'claw' and this ties in to Peugeot's Lion symbol, a connection that was used a lot more in their marketing effort back then.

So obviously, all Griffes were all left hand drive. However at the time, Peugeot UK ordered one right-hand-drive Griffe from the factory, to assess whether they wanted to take it for the UK market. Ultimately, they decided that they did not want to, and that was that. So this 205 therefore is unique in that it is the only factory-produced, right hand drive 205 Griffe. The Griffe was sold on and essentially disappeared. I picked up the story of it in about 2005, and over 10 years later, I finally found it. It was in a dreadful state, and all of the pieces that made it special were long gone. But, I have managed to source everything needed and you see it here after all the aesthetics and the interior had been replaced, so at least it now looks like a Griffe. It still needs an engine change (someone has shoehorned a 306 GTI-6 engine into it), and some bodywork, but that is to do in the future.

Griffe.jpg

Last of all, quick pic of my old E39 M5, appropriately enough, towing one of the 205s. It had the Westfalia detachable tow bar which was great for this sort of thing. That M5 was absolutely sublime, it did everything well, and was incredibly capable. In fact it was ideal for towing, with a torquey engine up front, great big dinner plates for brakes, and a comfy interior to boot. I can highly recommend one. Just be prepared for the fuel bills and the M-tax on parts :(

M5 & 1FM.jpg

Right, anyway. That's enough about pugs....now back to Z4s :)
Rob
 
Fantastic Pug collection and wonderful stories of how you sourced the cars - shouldn't your Forum name be 3-Pugs? or am I missing something?
 
Thankyou Marlon, and yes, you're probably right :lol: It dates way back about 17-18 years ago, when i first joined a Peugeot forum and at the time I had two 205s. Right at that time there was also the hoo-ha about John Prescott having the use of two ministerial Jaguars at the time, and the Sun, Daily Mail, etc referred to him as 2-Jags. So it was partly a play on that as well :lol:
 
hi & Welcome, :thumbsup:
Great looking Z, shame it come to you like that, but enjoy it, im sure it was much loved, the Pugs take me back,,,
 
Hi welcome along
What an amazing pug collection.
My first car was a 205xs
My dad and I brought it as a non runner and fixed it up as a project for my 17th birthday. It was an amazing car with an amazing story.
Sadly I sold it and it’s since been off to the scrap yard in the sky I think.
If I could find that car no matter what state I would have it. Otherwise I have vowed to oneday build an identical car.
 
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