Is 406 worth the effort?

k3nny · Post by **k3nny** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 5:21 pm

Dear O'chapzz ...

i was kinda 'worried' my project with the 406 wouldn't reach the expected 'wow' factor. to be honest, i love the standard and original 406, the comfort, the drive experience its all good.

the main reason i do the project is to 'break' the mark that 406 is a sunday dad driving car (well, at least this what the image build up in my country). for those people who hasn't drove the 406 probably wouldn't know these experience.

actually 90 % of the people i consulted before i bought the 406 persuade me NOT TO BUY the car.

come on guys, ... what do you think?

- bought the car June 2006
- i've spent over US$4.000 on bodykits, lights, wheels, audio, light engine mods.
- the car goes into the workshop in and out till January 2007
- February 2007 the big flood struck and drowned my car. it's totally ruined.
- March 2007 repaired the engine, re-build the interior (dump all the interior stuff) with custom interior work
- April 2007 bought new set of 19" wheels
- 15 April 2007, went into the shop for new bodykit, repaint the car (this time i hired a car designer from us, worked with Ferrari in CA).
- scheduled May 2007, go to audio workshop for about 2 weeks
- pararel work May 2007, engine modification
- the result should finish in June 2007 and it would probably cost around US$6.000

It took 1 fooookin years, and i havent drove the car for over 10.000 km.

IS IT 'gonna be' WORTH IT ??!!

GeordieBoy · Post by **GeordieBoy** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 5:25 pm

The 406 is a nice car to look at and to drive. But they are French and so unfortuanely not that reliable and often expensive to fix.

Lots of ppl told me not to buy 1, but I got 1 anyway, I haven't regretting getting 1 either, but its time I got something else now after 15mths.

They are not worth spending lots of money on tbh.

TooT · Post by **TooT** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 5:36 pm

Its proberbly not the anserw you are looking for......but im gonner say no.

Me, i try and spend as little as possible on mine because its worth approxamatly f*ck all.

But its each to their own i surrpose.

Post by **DaiRees** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 7:05 pm

Errrm, I know what you're saying k3nny but you are the only person who can answer that question. Nobody mods a car to make money, you're just pouring your cash into a bottomless pit

. You mod for the thrill, for the love of it. I personally reckon the 406 is a great car, but modding ain't my thing so I wouldn't spend the kind of money you are talking about on modding any car, but that's just me. I do like to take a look at other people's work though, so if you do finish it, make sure you post lots of pictures....

mjb · Post by **mjb** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 7:26 pm

Mine's cost me sod all, but it's given me well over 50,000 trouble-free miles over the last 16 months which have been soo relaxing thanks to the comfort of the 406. Plus it can still happily out-run most cars

Mine's a keeper, and when it does give up the ghost, I'm getting another!

Benner · Post by **Benner** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 9:13 pm

I think that if you like your car......... why not!! As long as you are pleased with the end result it shouldn't matter.

Life's not just about money.

Post by **Welly** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 10:36 am

*removes most of what I said earlier*

Kenny, the only thing I can say to you is to be carefull not to spend so much. Ask yourself if you will be happy with the performance and handling after all your bodywork?? Some would rather blast around in a tatty old 200SX than a kitted out saloon car and spend their money elsewhere

Welton.

Blue406 · Post by **Blue406** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 12:52 pm

Benner wrote:I think that if you like your car......... why not!! As long as you are pleased with the end result it shouldn't matter.

Life's not just about money.

Bingo

k3nny · Post by **k3nny** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 2:58 pm

Welton wrote:*removes most of what I said earlier*

Kenny, the only thing I can say to you is to be carefull not to spend so much. Ask yourself if you will be happy with the performance and handling after all your bodywork?? Some would rather blast around in a tatty old 200SX than a kitted out saloon car and spend their money elsewhere

Welton.

I already read your previous message ;p.

well, i 'was' a speed junkie but that was back when i was in high school and uni. nowadays i'm more to autofashion and sound quality. back then i drove civic, audi a4 but nothing match the drive experience with the pug not even an a4.

i know there's lotsa better car out there. but i guess i'm doing it for the sake of my ego.

i'm only concern the 406 is kind a hard to be called 'woww' ...... i'm kind a pretending that i'm an artist whose trying to create a splendid work. otherwise why would i care what everybody thinks.

k3nny · Post by **k3nny** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 3:24 pm

DaiRees wrote:I do like to take a look at other people's work though, so if you do finish it, make sure you post lots of pictures....

Will do !!

Post by **Welly** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 3:24 pm

Kenny, it was a bit unfair what I said earlier (bad day).

Your last creation was probably the smartest 406 I have seen. If you like the car and you know every little bit of it then carry on. Hey, there won't be many other 406's like yours in your town will there?

I'd say try and keep it simple but smart though.

I think the back of the 406 is the hardest part, did you see this one on here recently?

*pics courtesy of lambo on here*

Kenny, what is your job? You must get paid well? or are you living with parents and can spend all your money on cars

k3nny · Post by **k3nny** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 4:45 pm

No worries mate !! there were never a negative feedback taken from this beloved forum !!

Yeah, i looked at Lambo's 406 and it made me run to my closet and cried like a little girl while looking at my weird back end of my car. hahahaha ;p .... joking. his 406 is superb, and i really admire his work.

tommorow, i'll be having a discussion with the guys at the workshop on how to accomplish the new design.

as a sneak peek to you all, the car should look like the new lexus or at least close to new one. as you probably know lexus made such a sleek body for their cars. yet i got an advice from the car designer to keep the 406 identity major.

so, we'll see the result later kay?!

k3nny · Post by **k3nny** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 5:11 pm

Welton wrote:Kenny, what is your job? You must get paid well? or are you living with parents and can spend all your money on cars

I ran a production house business for custom computer applications, network engineering and web development. myself is a system engineer and part time work in Importing Spare Parts for Mining Industry

here are some of my work;
www.conceptmotorsport.com
www.keratonoir.com
and another 20 more website ...

I bought ma house and all of my car and modify them with ma own money. I'm proud of it because most of the kids here got their truckloads of money from their parents, but there are some of them that in the same page as i am.

Though my dad was an OldSchool racer back in the 80's, he gave me nothing more than a passion in automotive. I just do the rest by myself from books, magazine, 406oc.co.uk

.

actually i just realized that the airbag ECU is located in the back of the handbrake from jameslxdt (he's an expert 406 isn't he

), which explain the airbag light blinking after i got my interior worked. later on the workshop reconnect the ECU and voilaaaa .... it's all good.

ThePrisoner · Post by **ThePrisoner** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 6:04 pm

I always spend lots of money on my cars in order to keep them mint. I spend more money on maintanence than anything else. For example if a part has started to wear, it gets replaced immediately with a brand new part.

This helps keep it roadworthy, the car lasts longer and it shows when you sell it. However I too love modifiying. I modify all my cars subtly only as I think that it is possible to go over the top, and then you end up on the Barry Boys forum. But subtle modifications do help improve a cars looks and performance, and you dont spend more than what the car is worth.

For my cars rear Im going with a subtle Peugeot 406 OEM spoiler, scorpion exhaust. For other looks im going for lowering springs and keeping the standard alloy wheels, may consider some subtle side skirts but havn't decided. After wanting some headlight brows originally I have decided to leave the front as it is, as the D9 looks quite aggressive anyway. I have just added a chrome bumper trim ('welton panel.') and some neons into the grille which still need to be wired up, into the cockpit! (lol)

Inside i'm leaving it all standard as I have an executive.

The main thing to remember is that I will prefer my car looking the way that I have designed it, and you will prefer your car to look as you have designed it. Modifying is individual, and it is up to you how much you spend....just make sure you post up your picks when its finished so we can all see the final outcome!

Pris.

Captain Jack · Post by **Captain Jack** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 10:27 pm

Er... ignore my last message... wrong thread

K3nny... make the most of the car. It's your baby. Love it!