Skip Brown GTI-S Conversion

Modifying a car is about personal taste and there are three areas of focus. One is pleasing the eye, two is damaging the eardrum, and three is getting through that favourite corner as quickly as possible. A lucky few can afford all three, but most, I suspect, concentrate on the first or second of these items.

For me, it was number three which instilled the desire to lower my monthly bank balance. I love the look of some modified 205's, but the standard car has a certain classic something. Following the 'should go faster than it looks' philosophy, I called the trusty message board of the PSC website and was soon on my way to Skip Brown Cars for a service and a chat.

There are so many tuning companies now but what you get is not always the spectacular increase in motoring muscle promised. There are too many horror stories and I'd read a few of them before I splashed out. It's too costly to experiment at first hand, so next best is word of mouth. SBC (Skip Brown Cars), who I'd used for bits and pieces and servicing, had the cleanest reputation. They inspired sufficient confidence to provide me with their 'Roadspeed S' conversion. If you're wondering about making your 205/309 go better, read the articles on 8v and 16v engine tuning on the club web site, or in Torque. My route was to enhance my car's rather tired 8v engine.



In early 1984, you might have come across one of a handful of Peugeot dealers selling the 205 1.9 GTi-S. "The 1.9 didn't start production until 1986" I hear you cry, and you'd be spot-on. Years before Peugeot did it, Roadspeed, SBC's tuning division was turning brand new 1.6 GTIs into 1.9 GTI Ss, selling them through Peugeot dealerships and offering conversions to existing 1.6 GTI owners. Besides the up-rated engine, the 'S' conversion included a special body kit, white or silver 14 in alloy wheels and suspension with specially selected Bilstein inserts and rear dampers, increased rate springs and torsion bars, plus negative camber arms. Options included altered drive ratios, electric windows and central locking. Soon each element was also available individually. While the body kit may appear dated 17 years later, engine spec and suspension set-ups are not.

Initially I wanted more 'go' from my 1.9. Conversion from 1.9 to 1.9 S is cheaper than starting from the 1.6, but the result is the same. The difference between the original car and the end product is a testament to this company's engineering.



Some details of the engine work rightly remain a trade secret. Main changes are: modified and gas-flowed head, high-lift camshaft, stainless steel valves (all developed in-house), blueprinted bottom end and larger capacity oil cooler. Head development utilised one of only three flow-benches in the country where genuine flow around the head could be studied and optimised. The disappointment of many with modified heads from other companies is often down to lack of proper bench testing.

SBC started off in competition car preparation and this is the foundation for the fast road conversions. The result for me, and for every other 'S' owner I've spoken to, is a very reliable, capable and addictive car. Throttle response is instant and the rev needle powers its way to the red line in every gear like never before. After 1,000 miles running in, the car went back on the rolling road for final adjustments, producing 141 bhp at 6,500rpm. This equates to about 165 bhp at the flywheel (15% to 19% average transmission loss). This includes my K&N induction kit but, as recommended by SBC, the exhaust is standard. SBC's anticipated result is 132 bhp at the wheels from the 'S' conversion.

I paid just over £2,700 (including VAT), including new pistons, liners and clutch. These were not a conversion requirement, but resulted in a near-new engine. Without the pistons and any other complications, you can expect to pay just over £1,800. A serious investment, but worth every penny. Skip Brown Cars can be contacted on 01829 720492 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting**************01829 720492******end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Author: ANDREW PRICE Lytham St Annes