N9TE

As strange as it sounds, I don't think the clear has failed - just faded. When clear fails, it gone - as in not there anymore. It looks real blotchy. When you've seen clear go away, you know it. I pulled the plastic drip rail covers as someone here suggested and of couse, under there, you'll find the true color. Same deal. On post 86 505, www.paintscratch.com will tell you if you've got a clear. Evidently mine - indigo blue (nice color) is a clear. Although it migh be a respray as a lot of color was coming off on the pad. Or, it could have been the world's best total clearcoat failure! Take some pictures if your areas and post them. Do you have a buffing machine? (Hand buffing is not recommended these days).

Oh hell ya! Take your time and document that deal fully. I want to see all the gory details. 6 speed Getrag will also cost a pretty penny (If you're going with the GTE). You'll blow your rear-end into Finland with all that HP.

I would say that the shaky needle is the result of the cable. I don't think swapping the cluster would help. If I remember correctly, the turbo and non-turbos require different cables. And I think they're two piece units. I remember from the list a lot of XN6 guys having lots of trouble with their cables/speedos. Could also be a sticky speed sensor for the cruise control. I'm sure someone here has R&R'ed the whole setup. Provided that the cable mates up fine with the turbo cluster, I also think you'll need a speedo-gear off a turbo car to get an accurate reading. Regarding the lights. Yep, they should be bright. Learned this from my beater car as the lights are nice and bright on that, but dim on my black car. I figure it's a bad ground(s)/connection(s) or old bulb. Stock should be good when working well. Should not need to go to a LED setup. Little bit of work ahead of you on both items. But nothing that should be too tough.

Pics... More pictures here

Do you have the old trashed one available? If so, I bet any muffler shop could match it with something similar enough. 2.2 liter engines? There must be hundreds of applications. I'm sure one will fit. You did try W-H, no? If I recall, they had some. What's the dimensions? I may have a NOS one as well.

You shouldn't have ABS as that was introduced in 87. RockAuto ($62.79). Are you sure you don't mean taillights? The headlights were the same from 86-92. Good luck.

No prob on the thread. I'm mainly concerned about two things - driveability and reliability. They take precedence over power for me. How does the "pressure sensors" measure the air flow? Got a technical link?

Thanks for the kinds words everybody. If you're looking to make your car look as good as it can there are two sites I frequent that are dedicated to high-end detailing. www.detailingbliss.com and www.autopia.org A few hundred dollars (about 4) is what I have invested in detailing products and equiptment. Feel free to ask me any noob questions as there is a fair amount to learn I've found. Thanks for the offer on the turbo badge, Peculiar33 but it's not needed. I actually took it off as I figure the only people that need to know about the turbo are me and.... me. Rob, regarding the silver in the bumper, I think this was an upgrade that the factory did that all 87+ cars enjoy. Kindda like the firewall insulation. All crap before 87, nice after. I'd look into going to a few body shops and asking what they'd recommend in the way of replacing it with something more modern with the ability to stand up to the elements better than what was there. I think the hard part would be finding a guy who knows his stuff and who's not too busy doing $$$ fixes on dented Camrys to explain the options. Paint gutters? Eh, dunno. I got the car like that. The paint job is a mid/low one step enamel respray. I'd recommend it as the gutters are pretty funky in my opinion and way out of place on a modern car. I'd have stuck with what Pininfarina would have recommended. Rabin, I'm sure we'll get knee deep into options when I do the engine. How much difference are the rods for the 2.3 Ford and what would be required to modify them? Speed density? Are we talking about hot-wire (ala Motronic) MAF? In the Supra world the MKIIIs came with the same Bosch L-Jetronic system we have. They run into issues when trying to up the HP more than 50% with stock Fuel components. I'm shooting for an honest everyday 250 HP, so it'll be close and fuel is the most important factor I think. Would I be wrong in assuming that the ignition could keep up?

It drives as good as it looks, but there's water getting into the oil. Engine will have to come out for a rebuild in a few weeks. So these are the last pictures you'll see of it for a while.

Hey, great work on the car! Isn't it cool to have arcane knowledge of cars and get them for a song because everybody else is afraid of them. Looks like you've done well. So what are the current and planned engine specs? Is an XN6 with a turbo and LPG setup? Or is a N9T engine? A few people in the US have gone LPG, but it's mostly camper/truck rigs - and this was before the gas crunch. Now everybody is trying to go diesel (especially bio/veggie) at least until cleaner diesels arive and we can get some of the good stuff Europe has had for over a decade. A few government speciality cars also run LPG. Would be curious as to any links on modern LPG technology. My favorite math teacher was from Yugloslavia. Keep the info comng!

You know, you make an outstanding point there, Bill. The "new" 86 turbo I bought, I had actually done some work on before for the previous owner. I had bought a OEM microswitch setting tool on eBay and set that car on the owner's request. He was on the Peugeot-L list. I never bothered on my black car as it always ran OK. Hmmm... I wonder if resetting the base timing and microswitch will allow it to start as quickly and effortlessly as he 86. The 86 starts scary easy. Easier than our smooth-as-silk MX83 Cressida. One flick of the ignition. Probably just a revolution and it's up. I'm dying to try this. Thanks Bill!

Ha. It was a M3 that caused the previous owner of my black turbo to send it my way. Those have the inline sixes, right? Aren't you the owner/proprietor of 505turbo.com? What will become of the board? Agree here. If Peugeot guys put as much as BMW guys put in tires and wheels the cars would be scary nice. Ya, me too with Toyota. One of things I always say is "The more time I spend with my Toyota, the more time I wish I spent with my Peugeot". Maybe if I get a LS400 or IS, the hate can start to ebb, but everytime I think about that, I think the same money could to to a Citroen SM. If body my 505s got sucked up by a tornado tomorrow, I'd still not have regretted any of my Peugeot time and probably be on the prowl for another!

So I bought another 505 turbo. 1986 N9TE turbo 5sp. blue/blue. No ABS. A little rough. Body *desparately* needs a buffing and paint correction. It will be a real test for my Menzerna and PC. Assorted electrical issues. Sunroof works surprisingly well. Blue leather seats out of a pre-86 car . Engine runs surprisingly well. No leaks, doesn't consume coolant (I think). It's interesting to see what's works slightly differently on that car opposed to my 87. Much softer ride. Car starts *instantly*. I didn't know they could do that! HVAC is better than mine even though I replaced my blower motor with a brand-new OEM unit. The car definately needs my OCD attention to detail. Had this car gone to a regular guy owner, it would probably not be long for this world. I'm pretty sure I can bring it back. Oh yeah, $400. Pretty good deal and the best part is I don't have to drive a Toyota when I bring my 87 off-line.

I put 205/65-15 on my by accident. I want to Discount Tire (back when they really were "discount", I buy my tires from TireRack now) and said replace them with AVS dBs. The previous owner had the wrong size on them. Anyway, that size does not rub or anything under any conditions. You're just messing around the edges with such small tire size changes. I guess I can say you can go with my size and not have any problems but the quality of the tire is everything. I love the Yokohamas as it's an awesome rain tire - even in straight-line decelleration. It's the best street tire I've ever driven on and my next set will be the ones I linked to. That said, my car is rather harsh riding. This is on Seattle's woefully neglected and underfunded roads (they spend money elsewhere). Just the way it came from the factory. I've ridden in and drove other 87 cars V6s, and they're more luxury. The turbo cars have a significantly different suspension system and it's never gonna be the cruiser the STX and STi's are. I've quelled almost all squeaks and rattles. I've got to addrss the weatherstripping around the doors and add some insulation and I figure I'll be pretty happy.

Yokohama Avid H4S I have the discontinued model AVS dB S2 and have bought two sets of them. I used to be a Michelin customer only, but Yokos are as good as Michelins at 60% the cost. My Yokohamas are very quiet and handle the PNW rain extemely well. Forget snow in all season tires.

It appears to be not an issue anymore. But I've only started it twice since putting the new battery in. The thing that got me was a well hidden rupture and the battery was holding 12.55 volts. Got to check the basics!

Fixed. Turns out driving for a while without the hold-down bracket, the turbo's harsh suspension and Seattle's notoriously under-maintained roads caused the battery to jump up and land down on that angle bracket that's welded to the tray to keep it in that certain position. I had secured it with the OEM hold-down, but like a retard, I must have reefed it down where the battery was incorrectly located. When I removed the battery it was appreciably lighter than it should have been. One cell was punctured. Strange thing is that it fired right up. "Old 5 cell" couldn't handle it's age (20 months) and (relatively) cold weather. I figure the weakened battery couldn't handle all the start-up tasks (cranking, ignition, fuel pump, etc.) and start right away. I'm sure you race guys have already been there and done that. I'm tempted to have a real battery box fabricated. But for now, I'm driving a car with heat - and a 505 turbo, so life is nice.

Ya, I'll check the voltages, etc. Damn, Rabin turns out to be the stud. An hour. Do you get at it from the top or the bottom?

I tell ya, when it rains, it pours for me. I take ONE car off-line and all of a sudden there's a mini crisis. I had 3 cars, all running fine. So, I decide to do some major work on wife's car (89 Cressida). Then, the heater goes out in the backup car (85 Cressida) and now, my 505 starts acting up. I've needed to replace/rebuild/whatever the injectors as I'm sure the fuel rail empties overnight. A fair amount of cranking is required to get it to go. But, a few days ago, it cranked and cranked and battery "died". Or, it sounded like it died. So, I jump it (with the no-heat Cressida) and take off. Yesterday, I figure, batter is on it's last legs so I better put the Battery Minder (slow, 1 amp charger) on it overnight. I come out today and the charger is blinking green meaning the battery is fully charged. Get it and get maybe 20 seconds of cranking. Not enough. The battery is less than a year old and it was a top of the line item. I'll have it load-tested. After dropping the F bomb a few times, I go about figuring out what's happening. Measure voltage: 12.5 (!) Try to jump with other charger 12 AMP (not exactly STARTING charge, but it should be enough). Nope, another 20 seconds. So. I figure either a) the starter isn't getting required voltage or the starter is tits. I can handle a) no problem. But, if it's I've never R&Red a starter in a 505 turbo. Any sly ways of getting it out? It's near freezing out and my candy-ass just can't take too much cold!

ABS...

I just did that job. I would NOT want to do that job with the valve cover on. It was hard enough to get back there with it off. With it on, I just wouldn't attempt it.

You should be able to get a complete gasket kit at Western Hemispheres. www.westernhemispheres.com If you can't, drop me a PM and I'll see what I can shake loose. A 1987 505 turbo has a N9TE engine which is referred to as the 2.2 L (2155cc) engine size. Also known as "VIN Code 7". There was only one turbo motor. N9Txx. In 1985 there was no intercooler and the designation was "N9T". In 1986 they added an intercooler and it was called "N9TE". In 1988, then added an electronic boost controller and called it the "N9TEA". Mechanically all the N9T engines are the same with the (slight) differences surrounding the air/fuel system. No engine parts are interchangeable with non-turbo motors. The turbo motor is an entirely different engine that the other two normally aspirated engines available. I take it you have an automatic transmission? Any reputable shop that services BMW and other European cars should be able to handle it. It's a ZF unit.

That guy looking for a 505 in the other forum got me to thinking. We're going through an interesting time for our cars. Within the 200,000 people community I live in (West Seattle), I know of exactly four Peugeots. Two are owned by an enthusiast (405 Mi16 & 505 V6 5sp), one walking wounded beater and my 87 turbo. I can go months without seeing another Peugeot. This ain't Detroit where Japanese cars are rare. Seattle was one of the top markets for Peugeot, along with NJ (Peugeot NA HQ), SF/Bay area and maybe LA. It took me 18 months of searching to find all 6 manuals (non-crapola photocopied) for my car. 3 years to find a "jumbo" format fiche reader. Peugeot Pete (RIP) gave me the fiches. Hell, any of this stuff I couldn't find today no matter what. There used to be numerous dealers who could get parts. Then there were always dealers going out of business having sales. You could always stock up on parts. Aside from Skeeter Tom back east, when was the last time you saw something worth a crap on eBay? I bet there are less than a dozen in junk yards in the PNW. Victor had to go across the country to find his car. All is OK with my car. Runs and looks great. I need no parts. But, I just feel some line has been crossed in terms of rarity. Will this translate into decent asking prices for our cars. No. Never gonna happen. That sucks 'cause if that were the case, some market would spring up to service it. I have my car insured, but it someone totals it, I'm never going to get the kind of car that was lost. My advice is to buy nice 505s today. They ain't gonna be available tomorrow. Hmmm... Maybe it's time to start a 505 registry.

If I were in your shoes, I'd just track down the car and offer the owner whatever money it takes to get him or her to hand over the keys. Would be less than a 30K service on a F-car. Ya, you're looking for a 89 turbo 5 speed. They only imported 14 into the country. I don't think the 88's had the body kit. Much more plentiful in 5 speed configuration. I know the 87s didn't as I have one. I'd search for a 86-88 5 speed turbo car and then find the body parts. Then reshoot the car. Peugeots are like Fiats. Cars aimed at the middle class that got used and abused. Parts are very tough to find. So unlike an Alfa, there is little support. When one pops up, chances are some kid sees "turbo" in the ad and buys it and promptly neglects/abuses it. I think we're close to Simca territory in terms of rarity here. Sorry to hijack the thread, but I've watched stuff dry up over the last 10 years to the point where it's just nuts. Oh yeah, buyer's guide. Google "Jim Lill" & "guide" and some text file will pop up. General car stuff. Worth reading though. You'll want to avoid ABS as it's pretty rare and expensive to fix. I just paid $500 for rotors for mine. BUT, ABS was usually added to high end trim'ed 505. (read: turbo) You'll also want the Torsen differential, but it was only available of a few cars. You'd have to swap it in. Sorry to seem so pessimistic, but if someone wants a choice 505 turbo with all the bells and whistles, I got one word for you: "Pay the Man". Get this $1-2,000 thing out of your head. Sure, there might be one or two for sale in the country for that or less. If I were starting out, I'd find that dude in NC and offer him 15 or 20K for one of his 89s and that's that. The market isn't crazy like it is for vintage V12 F-cars, but attrition is making them just about as hard to find. If fact, you can find a nice 330 easier than the car you described. Now, the 330 will set you back a little bit more! Also, it helps a lot if you can turn your own wrench. Finding a mechanic is pretty tough.

I'm pretty damn sure that car is illegal. As much as I'd love to have it, I wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole. The Feds get their bureaucratic jollies seizing and crushing illegal grey market cars. The XM was never federalized and it sure ain't 25 years old. Didn't I see that car's location as Ontario?