1974 Peugeot 404 GL 1.8
Summary:
Reliable, comfortable and addictive!
Faults:
Had a leak on one of the front brakes but was fixed with a new rubber seal.
Had difficulty starting in the winter at some stage, but a professional Peugeot mechanic fixed the problem with a proper service.
Had to fix the radiator more than once.
General Comments:
There are very few modern cars with as comfortable seats and such pleasant and comfortable driving ability on gravel roads!
As long as the 404 gets its service before winter - you have no problems.
You can get more than 11 km/l petrol on the open road - not bad at all for a '74 car.
Parts are easily available.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 31st October, 2000
4th Jul 2014, 08:52
Yes!! The 404 1800 GL was a really great car!! I had one when I was a little younger. Wish I had one now :(
Charlie.
13th Jun 2025, 13:55
I don't know if another 404 with a 1.8-liter engine existed outside of South Africa.
I think it's the perfect engine for this car. The classic original 1.6-liter engine sold in Europe and the rest of the world was undoubtedly very good and reliable, but for a medium-large car with significant weight like the 404, the 1.8-liter was much more adaptable.
Congratulations on the review; the car is excellent. It's a shame they don't make more cars like this.
16th Jun 2025, 13:07
My family owned a 404 with a 1.6 liter petrol engine. We had it for many years, and I remember it being one of the best cars we ever owned.
The interior was huge, the seats very comfortable, and the mechanics were simple and reliable.
When I was in North Africa in the mid-1990's, I used to see a lot of them, along with the 504. In Egypt and Tunisia, I saw quite few 404 used as taxis, many of them with diesel engines (as reliable as, or more so than petrol engines).
These are cars we'll remember forever because today's cars don't offer their durability and longevity.
11th Oct 2011, 08:52
Thank you for a wonderful comment on a truly beautiful and care South African diamond. I'm currently looking for one; it's very hard to find a GL. You couldn't have said it better. I remember my Grandfather in 1996 driving 4 hours in that thing with water and oil mixed! Amazing.