Faults:
To begin will let me explain that me and my 3 sisters and 1 brother learned to drive in this car. Myself being the last and youngest.
My eldest sister broke through our (wooden) garage doors which cost $100 to fix. The car was fine.
All four corners of the car have been smashed in at one time or another and my father has fixed them (bog is great). you can no longer tell that it was ever dented.
My brother ran up the back of a Ute (pick up) and opened the front end like a tin can. That too is now perfect.
The radiator was pushed into the fan at some point requiring a new fan and a re-core of the radiator. works fine now.
The chassis was snapped on the left front in front of the wheel, partly due to rust. Welded up and is stronger than new.
Bent a push-rod and got a ridge in one cylinder, got a new (older) engine with more Ks (200000) and no rebuild. No more complaints.
Reversing lights no longer work and we can't find the bug, but you can get by without (just tap the brakes).
Today I replaced the panhard rod (part of the rear axle assembly) because of a previous mechanic using the wrong length bolt (the thread flattened against the bracket).
Other than this there have been no complaints, oh the air con went, but we just removed the whole unit.
General Comments:
Buying this car is possibly my earliest memory, I just remember the blue of the seats and the excitement. I was two at the time.
This car is better than a tank, more than a tank, while still retaining super tank capabilities. The men who designed it took into account how to get to each bolt and screw. A true mechanics car, you can do anything yourself. The only complaint being that you have to remove the engine to change the clutch.
I have taken this rear wheel beast through 4x4 tracks where by mates couldn't make it in their new flash 4x4s.
My only sadness is the lack of rust protection which will render my gorgeous baby unregisterable in another few years 'sob'.
27th Mar 2004, 10:47
I have just done a search, and the 504 and 504SW are still made in Nigeria!!! www.peugeotnigeria.com