VTI-S is a good shout for an alternative
Do like them.
Thats very diplomatic of you old chap
Another good alternative.
Experiences with 306 GTi-6s?
- Thread starter Maxeh
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Thats very diplomatic of you old chap
Another good alternative.
Xsara VTS... generally cheaper, essentially is the same car.
i can understand the HDI suggestion, but they require some slight modifications to touch 140-150bhp, and still wont compare to petrol lump obviously, but sure as hell wont be far off. the lads over at 306.net/HDI forums/CXOC have proved this
edit: also to note, the HDI is a tad lighter than the gti-6... mainly due to the gearbox.
i can understand the HDI suggestion, but they require some slight modifications to touch 140-150bhp, and still wont compare to petrol lump obviously, but sure as hell wont be far off. the lads over at 306.net/HDI forums/CXOC have proved this
edit: also to note, the HDI is a tad lighter than the gti-6... mainly due to the gearbox.
![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
Xsara v 306 becomes more sensible as time goes on. There was a time when it was a very ugly looking car compared to the 306 but now as both the 306 and the Xsara ends they both end up just looking like old French hatchbacks so the chances of buying either for their looks diminishes, thus cancelling out the main negative of the VTS - the way it looks.
How do prices between the two compare now? Think they've evened up a bit too haven't they?
Why thank you. If I'd looked at them more 3.5 years ago a may have ended up with one, but I had my heart set on a GTi6
Do you still have yours? I remember the "finished" thread. Easily the best example I've seen! Swap? 
Thats very diplomatic of you old chap
Why thank you. If I'd looked at them more 3.5 years ago a may have ended up with one, but I had my heart set on a GTi6
Do you still have yours? I remember the "finished" thread. Easily the best example I've seen! Swap?
Yup the difference is far less than it used to be as you dont need £6k for a good GTi-6 anymore.
The boyfriend bought one 2 weeks ago so i will send him this way. He loves it but he managed to snap his clutch cable a week after he got it. Its being fixed tomorrow though.
he paid 1700 for his, bought it off someone on Pug306.net
search for Rainmanuk2 if your on there should come up with a fair few pics of his.
he paid 1700 for his, bought it off someone on Pug306.net
search for Rainmanuk2 if your on there should come up with a fair few pics of his.
Its a fun hot hatch if you can find a decent example. The engines are designed to take a bit of abuse though so don't worry too much about them. Cambelt as mentioned above is the first thing I'd change.
Ref the HDI comment. You would have to spend a lot so it had the same suspension componentry as the 6. Also the brakes aren't up to the 6's standard and granted yes you can remap them to get good gains but a 6 driven how it is meant to be driven will see an HDI off from the word go! If however you are worried about economy and want a sensible car the HDI may be for you.
There is tuning potential in the 6 too. So far I have uprated the brakes on mine, given it a complete suspension overhaul. I fitted Bilstein B8 sport shocks and Eibach Pro springs (30-35mm drop) I also fitted 21mm torsion bars to the rear. Engine wise I have a Bluelfame free flowing exhaust, decat, lightweight flywheel, lightweight crank pulley and some Kent PT81 cams. Wayne up at Chipwizards remapped my ECU for me and I now have 197.4hp at the fly. It was making about 168-170hp at the wheels. This has made the engine a bit revvier but I like it like that.
Did my first trackday in it recently and couldnt fault it at all. I think the best mods are the brakes and suspension. I highly doubt I flatter the engine mods as I am not a pro driver but the car now handles superbly IMO compared to how it was before and the brakes were awsome all day long.
Good luck hunting for one, watch out for tappers as it can cost a bit to get rid of a tapping head.
Ref the HDI comment. You would have to spend a lot so it had the same suspension componentry as the 6. Also the brakes aren't up to the 6's standard and granted yes you can remap them to get good gains but a 6 driven how it is meant to be driven will see an HDI off from the word go! If however you are worried about economy and want a sensible car the HDI may be for you.
There is tuning potential in the 6 too. So far I have uprated the brakes on mine, given it a complete suspension overhaul. I fitted Bilstein B8 sport shocks and Eibach Pro springs (30-35mm drop) I also fitted 21mm torsion bars to the rear. Engine wise I have a Bluelfame free flowing exhaust, decat, lightweight flywheel, lightweight crank pulley and some Kent PT81 cams. Wayne up at Chipwizards remapped my ECU for me and I now have 197.4hp at the fly. It was making about 168-170hp at the wheels. This has made the engine a bit revvier but I like it like that.
Did my first trackday in it recently and couldnt fault it at all. I think the best mods are the brakes and suspension. I highly doubt I flatter the engine mods as I am not a pro driver but the car now handles superbly IMO compared to how it was before and the brakes were awsome all day long.
Good luck hunting for one, watch out for tappers as it can cost a bit to get rid of a tapping head.
Why thank you. If I'd looked at them more 3.5 years ago a may have ended up with one, but I had my heart set on a GTi6
Do you still have yours? I remember the "finished" thread. Easily the best example I've seen! Swap?
Yeah, I think the GTI-6 is a real enthusiasts car, most the people I know who have them are very passionate about ownership and it's nice to see.
VTI-S ownership is a little more edgy - being the ******* child of Rover and Honda Europe (I.e. no JDM points
), the MB shape I feel, is looked down upon in the Honda community.I still have mine, it's due a good clean and I've finally managed to get a lambda boss welded to the GReddy manifold i've had for about 6 months. The guy also kindly smoothed out some of the inside joins in the manifold too as they were very rough. So that will hopefully be going on next weekend, weather permitting (and provided I can find a trolley jack that not only will slide under the car now its lowered, but furthermore will raise it high enough to get the mani out!).
That will be the final update I do on the car, and final expenditure unless I can pick up a cheap rear strut.
I plan to sell around october time when my insurance is due for renewal, but i'm still gauging the market to see what the new tax rates will have on residuals (if any) for the cars on my shortlist.
As for swapping
I wouldn't mind having a '6 temporarily for the experience, but permanently? That Honda has seen too many Gaijin-hours for me to get rid of it yet. I intend to enjoy it in the last months of my ownership As for Xsara's, I know they are 99% of the GTI-6 but cheaper, but I just couldn't live with the looks. Sorry, but I'd pay more for a car that I walked out to every morning that made me smile. Plus with all this car cleaning stuff I have, I would probably lose the motivation to clean it.
The GTI-6 is a far, far nicer looking car.
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age also needs to be considered...
the Xsara VTS ended production in 2004... you can pick up a low mileage '04 VTS (20-40k on clock) for around 3-4k and that is in mint condition. thats in ph2.5 form.
thats a very good buy IMO. which simply just blows away the value of any '6.
edit: indeed, the '6 is nicer to look at, but the xsara ph2.5 certainly did improve things on the terrible front end of things. the ph1 xsara has a meaner approach and looks more attractive but unfortunately is also looking dated.
however some of the lads have picked up good condition PH1 VTS for £500-800 recently with 70-80k on the clock... non-tappers too.
now this kind of value is screaming for a track project...
the Xsara VTS ended production in 2004... you can pick up a low mileage '04 VTS (20-40k on clock) for around 3-4k and that is in mint condition. thats in ph2.5 form.
thats a very good buy IMO. which simply just blows away the value of any '6.
edit: indeed, the '6 is nicer to look at, but the xsara ph2.5 certainly did improve things on the terrible front end of things. the ph1 xsara has a meaner approach and looks more attractive but unfortunately is also looking dated.
however some of the lads have picked up good condition PH1 VTS for £500-800 recently with 70-80k on the clock... non-tappers too.
now this kind of value is screaming for a track project...
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[TW]Fox;11606024 said:
In my experience there isn't that much between them, Ok the HDi has a heavier nose inducing some amount of under steer but the handling isn't massively dissimilar. I enjoyed driving one just as much as the other round bends, obviously the reduced bhp of the HDi means it gets left on straights.
Some of us are and some of us aren't. Unfortunately as they get cheaper more of us aren't so enthusiastic about them
I think I have just about spent more on my 6 now on addon bits etc than the price I paid for it in the first place. I think it has all been worth it though as I always have a great big smile on my face after a good drive. The only real thing I have had go wrong with it is the head gasket went at about 80000miles. Clutch went about a thousand before that too, but that is just wear and tear. Mine has a few stone chips on the bonnet which really niggle me and one day I would like to sort that. I too have a china blue 6 however I am always wondering what it would look like in the yellow that the BTCC 306's were with anthracite cyclones which are the standard wheels.One thing not to do on a 6 is skimp on tyres. You wont be able to exploit the 6's potential on cheapo tyres.
Soldato
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[TW]Fox;11606490 said:
Yeah, I think the GTI-6 is a real enthusiasts car, most the people I know who have them are very passionate about ownership and it's nice to see.
VTI-S ownership is a little more edgy - being the ******* child of Rover and Honda Europe (I.e. no JDM points
I have to say my silver Civic 1.8 VTI that I had in 06 was a fantastic car. I got a full Honda service history 50k miler minter for well under what a good GTI6 fetched at the time. I did look at the GTI6 and Xsara VTS.
Being a Honda, I had no ownership issues with it or worries / fear it may die a French car death at all (bar it needing a new backbox and battery it did me proud).
Used to get decent fuel economy from it and the performance and handling was great. Oh and the Vetec-Yo engine note was soooo addictive.
Having not had a decent hot hatch since I sold it in 06 and after pootling about in a N reg fiesta for so long, looking back now, I would rate it over my 172 as a whole package. 172 was obviously quicker but missed out on practicality points and reliability.
Comparing it to my Astra Sri (MK4 1.8) I have now, I would want to take the civic.
I must admit, I was partial to the Blaze Yellow for some reason, however, I must have a goth thing going on because I was really after a black one when I was looking and they were rare as rocking horse poo, and if you did find one, tatty and/or expensive.
Interesting that you rate it higher than your 172 - I wonder how many people would agree!
My VTI has been immensely reliable over the 3 years i've had it, I think the only things i've needed to do over that period were both rear bearing, which I did myself and are a known weakness. Also the heater resistor and ARB droplinks. Nothing major.
I think this will be a problem for me as its set the benchmark for me and as i'm used to this level of reliability, i'll expect it from future cars.
The fact you can pick them up for peanuts now is rather depressing
Soldato
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Interesting that you rate it higher than your 172 - I wonder how many people would agree!
As an overall package I definately would.
My VTI has been immensely reliable over the 3 years i've had it, I think the only things i've needed to do over that period were both rear bearing, which I did myself and are a known weakness. Also the heater resistor and ARB droplinks. Nothing major.
I think this will be a problem for me as its set the benchmark for me and as i'm used to this level of reliability, i'll expect it from future cars.
The fact you can pick them up for peanuts now is rather depressing
I really miss my civic now,
just looked over the thread I started on here after I bought it, and the pictures.........Damn I miss that car.Got mid 30s
Oddly my favourite factory colour for the 6 is white. I like the white Rallyes and they also did the 6 in white on a few phase 3 models too. They are pretty rare tho so hard to find. Get the cyclones powder coated white and they loko great.
Black is a good colour too but again hard to find. Personally I also prefer the phase 3 models though many phase 2 ones have been modded with the phase 3 goodies already so you dont have to worry too much.
Black is a good colour too but again hard to find. Personally I also prefer the phase 3 models though many phase 2 ones have been modded with the phase 3 goodies already so you dont have to worry too much.