91MR2

Yes, Savo, thanks very much again. I have not even tackled the brakes yet, as the rotors are good all around and the pads are like new. Going to clean them down and then flush/bleed them. I'll make it a point to pick up those pin boots, thank you for that. On a different note, regarding stock OEM struts/shocks. I've now been told by 3 avid Mi16 enthusiasts that they never really need to be replaced??? I've never heard of this in my life, most oem shocks/struts need replacing by the time you're at 100K miles, if not sooner. I'm sitting at 170K, and while the ride is still great, and none of the shocks seem worn/leaky, is it safe to assume this is correct that they last forever?

Yes, I sure do, and despite the internet grumblings out there, it is a fine gearbox so long as it is not man-handled. It also doesn't take kindly to heavy modifications/power increases...

I had to repair a few plastic tabs, but no big deal, I used gorilla glue to re-attach, filed down, and then did a glue matrix around the entire area that had been compromised, that way the entire area has new strength. Very annoying and tedious, but well worth it in the long run...

I should add, before we started on any suspension work, I started an interior removal to do a deep clean, and fix all the rattles (love the interior design, but man is the dash arrangement a poor quality...). The whole entire interior, and actual dash and carpet will be removed again probably at the end of the driving season, but for now I want to get it back together so I can drive it. I hate doing work twice, but this does make the most sense at least for now to get back on the road. And it's a good thing I did this now, as all the dash parts that easily come off had not been put back on properly, most likely due to the goofy radio/amp set up that one of the prior owners had done. Either way, all good now...

So, here is the plan with this car. The goal is to make it a reliable daily driver for basically 6 months out of the year (may-october). The car has no rust and I intend on keeping it that way. Fortunately it spent the first half of it's life in the southwest, and has probably only seen 2 winters out here, obviously before I owned it. I am aiming to keep it stock, with just some minor updates where it makes sense. I've made the mistake of modding some cars too much, I need this one to be as user friendly as possible, while still being fun to drive... As far as work to do, here goes. We started out with a full belt service, including timing and all accessory belts. All fluids (engine oil, gear oil , brake, clutch, coolant) will be done over the next 2 weeks, once the suspension overhaul is complete. The suspension was actually quite tight, however the driver's side inner tie rod had a little play so I purchased 2 new inner and 2 new outer tie rods, that way everything is new. Also found a set of Boge 1 inch lowering springs (ok, a modification already...), those will be going on the factory struts, as well as 2 new upper strut bearings and bellows, and a new set of lower ball joints to wrap that up. The rear suspension is tight and not needing anything at the moment, but I did just find a set of new KYB GR-2's that I am going to pick up to be used at a later date... I should also add that before everything gets reassembled, both front wheel wells will be fully cleaned/degreased...

And here are some photos of my other cars and the main garage: a '91 Toyota MR2 (we have 2 of them), '95 Lotus Esprit S4, and '12 Lotus Evora S GP Edition. The red MR2 (not pictured and black/gold Evora are my mom's. At least the Peugeot has some good company to keep in the garage...

Hi guys, New member here, glad to be apart of this seemingly great forum (not many left these days...). I have been reading this forum for some time now, thought it was finally time to join and offer up a thread of my own, with my '91 Mi16 restoration//build. But first, a little about me... My name is Joe and I live in Buffalo, NY. I have been an MR2 and Lotus guy (as well as overall import guy) my entire life, but have always had an affinity for french cars as well. However with how rare and difficult they are to come by in the US, I figured I probably wouldn't ever own one. But my parents had a Renault when I was growing up, and the curiosity and desire to own one never left me... So, several years ago the itch got to me and I bought an '83 Renault Alliance (Motor Trend COTY edition) as well as an '87 GTA. Life was busy for me at the time though (building a business, and my father fell ill), and I never really drove them all that much, so I decided to sell them to a true Renault enthusiast in the DC area. Truthfully, as much as I liked having them, after my father (who introduced me to them) passed away, it just wasn't the same. It was time to move them on... And now, this leads me to my current Peugeot - a couple years ago, I was walking down the street of one of my properties that I was renovating to get some lunch and saw a white 405 Mi16 sitting outside one of my favorite restaurants. I couldn't believe my eyes. This is a car I'd always wanted, but again, never thought I'd have a chance to own, mostly due to the rarity around here. So, after getting over my initial shock, I then quickly scribbled a note and left it on the windshield letting the owner know that if he was interested in selling to please call me. Fortunately he did the next day, and after a few weeks, we worked out a deal and it was mine... I'd love to tell you all that this is where my Peugeot journey began and it was all perfect after that, but that is not at all the case. Again, much like the Renaults, the Peugeot just sat in my garage for the next 2 years. My business had grown more (I own real estate), and my wife and I had a baby. None of my cars got near the use I was hoping for, and I didn't even know what I had in the Peugeot because I think in 2 years I drove it twice (most likely to get inspected). So again, I thought the best thing to do would be to sell it on to an enthusiast who could properly care for the car, much like I did with the Renaults... But this is where the story gets good. No one wanted the car, or at least not for what I was willing to sell it for. My friend, who is also a mechanic and car nut, helped convince me to see what I had in this car before moving it on so quickly. So I did, and here we are. And what a blessing that turned out to be. I'm so glad I decided to keep it, because now as a father, I actually have a car that I can take my daughter in for rides. She's going to be 9 months old soon, and would be years away from going in any of my other cars, since they are all mid-engined 2 seaters... So, a little about the car. It is an alpine white with burgundy '91, with 170K miles, in all (mostly) original condition. No paint work (except for the hood which had apparently faded, and then poorly matched for a respray...sigh...), no modifications (save for the radio...), overall it is a true survivor. It is mostly in great shape, body and interior are about as good as you could hope for in a 30 year old car, it runs and drives very nicely, albeit a little tired in some areas, as to be expected by the age and mileage. I'll give a write up of further plans shortly, but in the meantime, here are a few shots of the car upon initial purchase. Great to be here, and look forward to meeting some of you in time... Joe PS - I've already gotten to know Savo a bit over the phone, and WOW, what a body of knowledge...