(if you should happen to want some words to go along with this Peugeot 504, click here for the full CC. PN)
Wordless Outtake: I’ve Been Around
– Posted on June 7, 2016
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Curbside Classics Archives
(if you should happen to want some words to go along with this Peugeot 504, click here for the full CC. PN)
isnt it a Us version of 504?in Europe.speaking of 504s i was watching the movie leather jackets with Bridget Fonda in it.they destroyed a good looking white 504(like the one ahmadinejad used to have).
Definitely a US-model car – the giant bumpers, sidemarkers, and dual round sealed-beam headlights are a giveaway. The California plate puts it at having been registered probably in 1979.
I wonder how long these were imported into the US. The California license plate was probably issued in spring 1979; perhaps this car was one of the last 504s sold new here.
Seriously. This one needs wassen, drogen. but no knippen, please! The sun took care of the kleuren.
Isn’t that right , Johannes?
The full treatment for $ 27.25 as we speak ! (Knippen = to cut. A haircut, in this case)
and “kleuren” = bleach?
Kleuren, in this context, is to dye.
It costs only a little more to buy a new Wahl electric clipper! This assumes one doesn’t care about styling of course.
American barbershops traditionally are stocked with ancient issues of Field & Stream, Sports Illustrated, & Golf Digest, with the TV tuned to a ball game.
For years I owned one of the last 504s imported to the US, a 1982 brown diesel wagon. Great, cool car, fond memories of driving it around the Olympic Peninsula in the 1990’s. It was an excellent camping car.
The Man Who Owned A Brown Diesel Wagon.
Brown Diesel Wagon! And RWD to boot! If it was manual, that’s the holy grail we’re talking about.
Give that man a ….
Unfortunately it was an automatic! It was done in by a bad mechanic and in 1998 I could not locate replacement parts. I got an offer on it from an Egyptian, believe it or not, they shipped any Peugeots they could find back to Egypt to be sold for a profit!
I think that may be what happened to all of them
One of my mum’s family friends outside Freiburg had a cream-coloured 504 wagon. Perfect for the family of two adults and four children. And a small dog from ‘The Wizard of Oz’.
When we visited them in 1982, I spied with my little eyes a colossal pile of turd tucked away at long end of driveway. The curosity got a strong hold of me, and I went off to see that ‘turd’.
Gasp! The family had their wagon repainted. In fashionable brown colour. With paintbrushes. Yes, paintbrushes! Those unmistakable streaks from paintbrush all over the wagon. What a sight!
‘Well, it’s cheaper to cover the rust spots with brown paint. And I don’t have money to have it resprayed. As long as it runs…’
I had a 74 diesel in white. I loved and hated that car. Nothing has ever come remotely close to the magic carpet ride and seat comfort.
I had a summer of love driving my older brothers ’74 diesel back ’83. So comfy, built like a tank and indeed that magic carpet ride! Slow for sure, however it was like a freight train on the highway.
funny.504s are still soldiering around in some of the toughest places in the world but they couldn’t make it in usa.maybe they couldn’t design the right emission system and that shortened the life of the motors.
So how does a US-spec 504 come to being in the Netherlands?
In a shipping container, like all cars (American and non-American) imported from North America. US-spec Mercedes are quite common, for example. Especially the R- and C107. The vehicle’s age doesn’t matter, you may import anything you like, from all over the globe.
Thank you for the info. So what would be the appeal of a US spec 504, or other European make, compared with a Euro-spec counterpart?
I’d think that it might have a bigger engine but OTOH it might have emissions controls gear that may negate horsepower.
Another possibility – is that a US market car would be more likely to be more lavishly equipped with options.
I think that in this case a fun-aspect was involved. The fun of finding something special and to bring it over. There a plenty of 504s (in all kinds of condition) in Europe if you want one.
More generally speaking, the Netherlands is a tiny country with a very open economy and an excellent infrastructure (Port of Rotterdam, rivers into the east and south, etc). The process of global trading started hundreds of years ago. We just can’t get enough of it…
The efficient fluyt ship gave the Dutch an advantage back in the 16th century.
The appeal, for a car from California? No Rust!! The Europeans are scouring California and other dry/warm areas for cars, American, European and even Japanese, because of the lack of rust.
Yep – it used to be very common for big Healeys, MGBs, E-Types etc to be brought back to the UK from rustless states, restored and often converted to RHD.
Having said that, I was surprised to see this and I wonder if it’s about having a US spec 504. Isn’t Morocco full of them and much closer? Or just France?
I saw a late model Holden Commodore in Glasgow yesterday with UK plates. It was a dull base model complete with plastic wheel covers. That confused me too.
And I thought all the US exported was corn, soybeans, and used cardboard.
Softer springs enabled by Torque tube, long wheel travel, IRS, long wheelbase, and soft foam. The magic of comfortable 504 ride. Another surprising nice riding car that is taking advantage of this concept: C5-C7 Corvettes. Ride quality of C6 vs C4 was like night and day.
One divergence from the Corvette is the tiny tires on the 504. The quality of the original equipment Michelin radials may have made up for what they lacked in size. One wonders what kind of tire could be found today in that size. 165SR14?
Down side of torque tubes are many:
– Packaging
– Making AWD difficult if not impossible.
– Additional cost.
One have to wonder why Alfa decided not to use torque tube when they designed Alfetta. Torque tube would have eliminated that rubber donut on the drive shaft. and potentially improve the shifting quality, two alfetta’s problems.
Dangle built 4WD Peugeots so strike that from your list, there are more plusses than minus to torque tube rear axles.
The Corvette, whatever its merits, is an Old Man’s Car, with increasing median age for its buyers, for they can afford the price & insurance. Young people go for pony cars.
I’ve always liked the styling of the Peugeot 504. I’ve never owned or driven one.
This goes to confirm that the 504 is really a car with many, many lives.
I own its sister! Imported from CA to France via OH and MD 🙂 This is quite a head turner here.
Very nice ! Great picture too.
Can you enlighten us as to why you imported one? Are they so rare in France now?
504s sedans aren’t rare in France, although lots of them were shipped to Africa and the remaining ones are starting to appreciate. But US-spec models are very unsual to French eyes. There are a lot of trim differences and quirks that make them quite unique here as well, such as the DOT bumpers, quad headlights, and then some nifty toys (AC, power steering, full headrests). Long story short, I used to live in the US and was lucky enough to score one. I repatriated it home after my assignment was over. My restoration blog in French: http://i504.blogspot.com if you want to have a look.
Thanks!