Buying 406 coupe - advice please!

[skeletal]

Hi guys, i'm not a peugeot owner yet, but am hoping to be soon. Have my sights set on a 406 coupe 3.0 V6 (210).
I have not driven one yet, are they quick?
What should I look out for when buying, i.e. potential problems?
what is the engine like for tuning?
Like I say, I have no idea about these cars as I normally buy german, But i fancy a change, and the coupe is a veeery good looking car.

any advice much appreciated,
cheers, steve

[amir6662003]

whatever you do, DO NOT buy high k's or mailage 406 that has Automtic tranny

just dont buy auto, get nice manual

mate's auto would go on strike whenever he wanted to overtake someone, just crap tranny's

[skeletal]

Yeah I was going to get manual, auto looks fair bit slower as well.

[skeletal]

I've found one with 118k on the clock, but for only 1k and its in good cond, what problems should I look for when i view it?

cheers, steve.

[plod]

When buying a V6 you need to factor in whether the cambelt is due for replacement, as it's a very pricey job to get done by all accounts

[chopper1192]

Not all that quick, though if you've been driving a 106 1100 it'll feel like the Enterprise entering warp. I mean, 210 BHP from a 3 litre was a bit laughable 20 years ago, and today it's hysterical.

No such thing as a good cheap 406 coupe. Only buy a cheap one, especially a V6, if you're prepared to spend the time and money bringing it up to par.

It helps if you're good with the spanners as they're not difficult to maintain, but a lot of the jobs on the v6 have big labour times - a quality cambelt and water pump at a reputable spannerworks will retail at more than the value of many a V6 car itself, so either be prepared to bleed money, or buy a good one in the first place. Unless the one your looking at had a recent belt, rollers, idelrs, and water pump (and has the receipts to prove it) then reckon on £650ish quid to get it done. Whatever you don, don't buy one thinking you can run it on the cheap like some oiks Saxo. They're durable if kept in top fettle, but will bite if you take your eye off the ball.

Engine won't take a lot of tuning without spending big money - you're better off buying a faster car in the first place if that's your thing. 406s, including coops, are generally pretty durable, but oddly stuff like brakes etc can be more expensive than the norm, so check all the consumables are fit and healthy as you would on any car.

The 2.2 petrol isn't far off as quick and isn't hampered by the dreadful auto box, which the bulk of the V6's were. Downside is they're rare and tend to command a price premium as they're often seen as the best combination of performance, economy, durability and ease of maintenance.

[skeletal]

nice one cheers.
what mileage does the cambelt normally get replaced at?
speed wise, i know they arent mega quick, but I want something comfortable but fairly powerful. within my budget the bm's are too slow or old, and so are the audis.
And I dont want a 15 yr old jap car either.

[chopper1192]

It varies slightly with year and version, but 80,000 and 5 years is representative. a lad on another forum just paid £780 for timing belt, rollers and water pump.

Clutch is also a big job on the manual cars, and costs big money.

Enjoy, but don't skimp - save a penny in any way on these, and it'll cost a quid further on down the line, guaranteed. I like 'em, but never bothered to own a V6 petrol 406 - you don't get the performance, but you still get the fast car bills, but you can forgive all that for the lines and the sound.