INFO GUIDE: 1986 - 1987 Peugeot 205 GTI Phase 1 (1.9l)

• Phase 1 cars were fitted with a unique dashboard design. This had a different overall shape to the later phase dashboards, and had slider controls for the heater (as opposed to the later rotary controls applied from the Phase 1.5 onward).
• The vast majority of Phase 1 seats (those destined for the main European markets) were trimmed in half grey leather with red stitching (on the bolsters and head rests). These had dark grey / silver "Quattro" velour cloth panel inserts with a red stripe through the middle (These were known as "Ramie" / "Ramier" in France). In French market cars, seats were also available with cloth bolsters in place of leather.
• Export market cars (those exported to Australia, Japan, Sweden and Switzerland) received "Barritz" seat trim inserts, with grey cloth seat bolsters and headrests.
• Door cards were trimmed in grey vinyl with a red pin-stripe through the upper half (in line with the door handle). The lower quarter of the door card was trimmed in red carpet. This door card design was unique to the Phase 1, and finished a short distance from the base of the window leaving part of the exposed metal door panel at the top.
• Carpets were a velour cut pile type, bright red in colour (matching the base of the door cards).
• A Philips PLL Quartz Tuning 553 4-speaker radio cassette was standard in all Phase 1 GTIs.⁵ 
• Leather wrapped two-spoke steering wheel with GTI centre badge.
• The gear change pattern in Phase 1 cars had reverse located at the top left position, with the pattern printed in red on the gear knob. The gear shifter boot was grey leather with red stitching, (this matched the seat bolsters in "Quattro" velour trimmed cars).
• Cargo cover attached to rear hatch.
• Inertia front seatbelts, manual adjustment rear seatbelts.
• Electric windows and central locking were standard in most markets on the Phase 1 cars.⁶ Where electric windows were optioned, a blanking disc was placed over the crank handle hole in the door card, and switches placed at the front end of the door bins.
• A sliding glass sunroof was optional.⁷
• The instrument cluster included a 230kph / 140mph speedometer and rev-timer (redlining at 6,000 rpm).
• Optional Peugeot GTI floor mats.
• Optional air-conditioning.

The following table provides the original paint colours available on the Phase 1 205 GTI:⁸

With respect to the paint codes, earlier cars are believed to have had the numeric code applied, before Peugeot moved to the alpha-numeric system. However, we do not have confirmation of when this change occurred. An example of each of the paint colours has been provided in the images. Colours other than red or white were extra cost colours in most markets, explaining the disproportionate number of cars produced in red and white.⁸

Paint code location:

The colour code for the 205 GTI is located on top of the front bonnet slam panel / cross-member above the left side headlight. The code was painted on cars in the factory using a stencil. See images for a better description of the location and typeface. This may have been lost due to new paint / restoration work, however, we have been advised that these codes were not necessarily painted onto every car. With only 5 colour options on the Phase 1 cars, establishing the original code is a relatively simple process if a code is not present in the location described above.

The Peugeot 205 GTI 1.9l had a chassis number in the following format:⁹

VF3741C86X#######

This is made up of 3 sections:

The Phase 1 205 GTI (1.9) VIN can be interpreted as follows:

As Phase 1 cars were 1987 model year vehicles, unique serial numbers commenced at 7330001.

Chassis number location:

The chassis number should be present in two locations:

1. Embossed on the vehicle’s data plate (Riveted to the body, under the hood, you will see the plate just behind the right hand side suspension strut, mounted on the flat area between the suspension strut and firewall).

2. Stamped into the body of the car (On the flat edge of the firewall / bulkhead, directly above the chassis plate, you will find the chassis number stamped into the body, which should match the number provided on the data plate).

Examples of the chassis plate and body stamping are given in the images, including a close up example of the typeface used for the VIN stamping on the body. For further details of the 205 VIN including other non GTI models, see 205gti.info.

The Phase 1 GTI 1.9l cars came with either the XU9JA or XU9J1/Z engine depending on the vehicles market.¹⁰ These engines had two tags riveted to the engine block (at the timing belt end), close to where the alternator mounts. The two tags contain relevant numbers to determine the specification of your engine.

Tag 1 provides the engine type code (including capacity and power specification)

Tag 2 provides the engine prefix applicable to the engine type code, and the unique engine number

Main European market engine:

Tag 1: D6B = engine XU9JA 1.9l 130cv.

Tag 2: 1CW44 stamped into the tag, followed by a 7-digit unique engine number for that block stamped below.

Emissions regulated export market engine (Australia, Japan):

Tag 1: DFZ = engine XU9J1/Z 1.9l 105cv / 103hp. This engine was fitted with a catalytic converter to meet stricter emissions regulations in those countries.

Tag 2: 1CW75 stamped into the tag, followed by a 7-digit unique engine number for that block stamped below. 

Note, we have not as yet sighted the engine details for vehicles from Switzerland and Sweden, so cannot confirm whether they comply with the same engine numbering as applied to Australian and Japanese cars. Should you have any information on the Swiss/Swedish cars, please contact us.