Jump to content

Peugeot 504 Convertible Inquiry


Guest BJM

Recommended Posts

I'm a member of "Les Amis du Lion." This club has a lot of information, but it's French. I can also recommend L'Aventure Peugeot and the Peugeot Museum in France. It's a very nice museum sponsored by Peugeot. They can help with car information as well.

For basic info on the 504, I would suggest the various books on Peugeot. The Standard Catalog of Imported Cars gives the basics. Don't forget the AACA Library. They can do research for you and offer free research hours if you're an AACA member.

Phil

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I ordered and received the Standard Catalog for Import Cars specifically to check on the 71-72 Peugeots and found the 504 to be the higher end car but NO DESCRIPTION of the convertible model.

So, perhaps this is a "grey market" import and was not included in the usual importation.

I have requested more information from Gullwing. (the seller)

Can someone reading this in Europe forward my request for more information to an Fench Peugeot expert that I can call? I would be glad to pay for the call but feel there are precious few Peugeot experts in America.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Try this: le site de l'Amicale 504

However, please understand that a 504 cab, fully restored, is worth about 20000 to 25000 Euros. The car was designed by Pinin Farina and the bodies made in Italy, so finding parts like the missing bumpers may prove insurmountable if they are not in the trunk...

You might have to fabricate them and this alone might make the restoration project so costly that it might break the bank. You might be better of to simply buy a restored car in France and have it transported here. It is a pretty car but it is dreadfully slow because of its weight, and extremely subject to corrosion from poor engineering. It can of course be made into a nice cruiser, but I can think of plenty of other cars more worthy of the expense and with more available parts sources.

Regards,

P

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That is one of those cars that are better bought complete and done

Foe this kind of money+ just a little you can find one. Not easy or quick to do but do-able

If you ever want/need to sell it your only market will be France

I remember new cars, years old, sent home to France as they were 'Sale-proof' in the US

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you for the comments. The seller, Gullwing Cars, a dealership, forwarded 61 photos showing that indeed most of the front trima nd rear goes with the car. I have not looked through every photo yet to check on bumpers, etc.

I see missing interior door panels.

I wondered about the styling and thank you for the confirmation. Precious little information on the Internet about Peugeot.

I will keep looking. The perspective regarding how much I would have in it and desirability when finished does not go into my consideration.

Nor would how fast the car would go. At just at 100 hp (per the Standard Catalog) with a 4 speed I can do OK touring with it.

I have 2 very fast BUICKS when I want to stomp the gas peddle.

But there are precious few opportunities to own what may be a "1 of 1" car never seen by many. As for resale, IF the car were properly restored, I beleive there is a large market for rare import cars in the USA, and it could be sold at a fair market price.

So far, the comments about Peugeot have been slanted negative, which is amusing. I would not normally EVER consider a French car but when I spotted this one I thought it was well executed.

I do not even know if Peugeot is in business anymore? Guess I should check.

With the Standard Catalog of Imports having NO INFORMATION on any 504 convertible, I winder if production records exist? Were 100 made for all countries? 1000? Who knows!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I too looked at this one but my advice was, "It would be better and cheaper to fly to France have a months holiday and buy the best fully restored 504 convertible you can find than to even think about making a start on this one.

oldcar

My daily driver is a 1996 405 SRi I have owned since new. My previous car a 505 STi.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well....thanks, my Google search bombed. :eek:

I will lustily look over those photos.

oldcar -- I restore for 2 reasons. And I am not saying you are wrong, you are absolutely correct, buy the best car. But some of us restore....houses, cars, paintings, furniture, for the task enjoyment and fun of it.

If I had to spend, say $20,000 on a nice one and import to USA I would pass. For $20,000 I can find a lot of nice convertibles here, in fact 2-3 for that amount.

It's just that, in looking around the old car dealer marketplace, I spotted this unusual car and I like unusual. Otherwise, I would never have considered a Peugeot or a french car for that matter.

Look, what is there to be afraid of in buying? It looks straight and I see no rust yet in the 61 photos sent from Gullwing. IT is all there, just some removed. So it might not be a show winner when done or 100% correct, although I think I could get 100% correct.

I seriously doubt there are more then 5 in the entire USA, let alone Australia. Maybe not more then 250 in the world, and I don't even know how many made originally.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I too looked at this one but my advice was, "It would be better and cheaper to fly to France have a months holiday and buy the best fully restored 504 convertible you can find than to even think about making a start on this one.

oldcar

My daily driver is a 1996 405 SRi I have owned since new. My previous car a 505 STi.

If none of the remaining project cars are restored, then they will eventually become Toyotas or Fords. Restore and increase the number of cars.

Also, I am very interested to know what your impressions of your Peugeots are. Are they reliable? Are they fun to drive? Does the 2.0L 4 cylinder get decent gas mileage? Easy to work on? Parts availability?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here in Australia Peugeots have a very strong following, there are several specialist repairers and parts suppliers here in Melbourne, both genuine and aftermarket. I have found then extremely reliable and durable, hence I am still driving my 1996 405 on a daily basis. It is quiet, smooth riding over all sorts of road surfaces. One of my sons has driven it over really bad roads on trips to the "out-back". I am not sure of fuel consumption but it certainly is not as frugal as my wife's 2 Litre Turbo Diesel VW. I get about 350/400 Kms to a tankfull. She gets up to 1.000 Kms from the VW. But then I ENJOY driving the Peugeot.

After all they say that Peugeots are the favourite transportation for French Farmers! The worlds toughest treatment imaginable. In the 1950's a 203 won the first Around Australia Rally.

oldcar.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If none of the remaining project cars are restored, then they will eventually become Toyotas or Fords. Restore and increase the number of cars.

Hi BJM

Please do not think that I am against restoring, I started restoring basket cases over 50 years ago (before you were born?) I have spent a lifetime finding and restoring "lost causes". If you can afford it, GO FOR IT! The initial purchase price of any vehicle bought to restore is the smallest outlay. Go to "Our cars & restoration projects" and look at my 1923 Packard. Bought for about the same asking price as the Peugeot. So far I have spent over $50,000 with quite a lot more to come. Go back even further and look at the 1922 Dixie Flyer Speedster. My last restoration.

I tell my friends that monthly visits to a Clinical Psychologist would cost more than my restorations! Meanwhile I am having fun, and saving another car that would have otherwise gone to scrap.

oldcar.

Edited by oldcar (see edit history)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Oldcar, I will surely go check out your other work. By the way, I own 7 other cars presently, certainly do not need any more. I can take a relaxed pace at this purchase if I purchase at all.

I think it's a fun discussion because the car is not a cookie-cutter car I see (or we see) very often. I love learning about new cars that I had no idea even existed.

The styling of this 504 cabriolet is pretty unique. It takes awhile to look through all the photos (on the website from Google). It seems Peugout was after a compromise between luxury and handling.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
Guest cben09

I know little of these cars,,,,BUT had one in the back field for 10 years +-,,,tried to give it away for 2 yrs,,and finally junked it,,I cut the P-F emblems off with a hand shear,,,one survived one did not,,

It had a rag top over tubular frame,,and a fiberglass top like a '55 T bird,,

The ragtop disapered into a space coverd by a boot [envelope]

I thought some of the assembly of body parts to be rather crude,,,Maybee that was an indicater that it was lo production hand assembled,,

Not sure if this adds to this info or not,,,

At the time, to clean the field of scrap,, I was charged $9,000 to haul 18 tonns of scrap,,tractors and machinery,,and wood,,to clear the property for sale,,

Broom clean with a 40' cedar tree as brush in a hydraulic gripper,,,

memories,,,best forgot,,[A 1924 Packard parts car complete with spedo cable and dash parts got transported 110mi on flatbed]] for pics,,look for Bens Garage sale,,on buy-sell thread,,sorry of topic,,All for now,,,Ben

Edited by cben09 (see edit history)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Many years ago I was listening to Click & Clack ,the Tappet brothers. They were having some fun at the expense of Peugeot owners, mostly in regards to them acquiring parts cars to feed their habit.Just a few days later I was making my trip north on I 95, I passed a Peugeot that was towing a trailer with, of course, a parts car on it . The day went on, I got gas , had lunch ,drove further on. What did I see up ahead ? Pulled over ? Sure enough, it was the Peugeot and it looked like the fella was gettin' some parts so he could keep going.

Sometimes we all have to laugh at ourselves.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...
Guest Chaney80

Thanks a lot, Phil!

It's a very useful link for me, I should say!

A friend of mine suggested me to buy that, so I'm in deep thoughts now.

It looks so good!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
Guest carmagreviews

I dis-agree that only market for these cars is in France - A great deal of these cars were converted to RHD for the UK market and number of Classic Magazines have featured either the coupe or convertible which i am happy to provide free refences of where to find the articles - the 2000 model a 4 cylinder was produce from around 1969-1974 later versions were 2.7V6 powered although I understand 2.0 continued for Europe

Here few references on Buying tips which include their problems etc

Some are quite old

April 2001 Practical Classic (GB) (I have had pleasure reviewing contents that one yet done most Practical Classics 1982- Spring 1999!)

Aug 2001 Classic Cars (GB) Page 140-143 Issue 4

There was a restoration article of a 1970 504 Conv LHD see October 1991 Your Classic (GB) Page 19 Recent Restoration -RHD conversion ;ex Belgium new ;John Tox of North Yorkshire ;owner of 2 the other RHD;Brief details restoration-Your Classic got taken over by Classic & Sportscar

and looking at my index I see there even one here in NZ in obscure town called Whagaparaoa advertised in 1993 with kiwi reg RAIDER

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...