minnesotan Posted April 13, 2012 Report Share Posted April 13, 2012 Hi Everyone! I am looking to move to the world of Peugeots! I drive a 1994 Alfa Romeo 164 LS everyday and love it. They are reliable, inexpensive to repair, and of course, are a thrill to drive. They have an undeserved reputation for poor reliability from who knows where. Most likely because people do not change their timing belts on time (every 20,000 miles). Now, I am seeking to move from Italy to France and perhaps, get a Peugeot 505 SW8 as I could use the utility. It'd be the largest car I've ever owned and as you can see below, I own some rather small cars. Just introducing myself and hope to have fun chatting! Currently, I have a 2012 Prius C Three Blue Streak/Alloys My other cars are: 1994 Alfa Romeo 164 LS (3.0 V6 210HP) (16MPG $60 Tank) http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Alfa-Romeo-164-LS-EXTENSIVE-MAINTENANCE-/140730258428?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item20c42d53fc#ht_2465wt_1165 1978 AMC Gremlin GT (4.2I6 120HP) (18MPG $72 Tank) http://ls1tech.com/forums/vehicle-classifieds/1469243-1978-amc-gremlin.html 1998 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 (5.7V8 310HP) (20MPG $50 Tank) http://ls1tech.com/forums/vehicle-classifieds/1468047-1998-chevrolet-camaro-z28-cayenne-red-metallic-7-xxx.html 1980 Austin Mini (1.3I4 63HP) (30's MPG Last time, $25) No pic of that. -------- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minnesotan Posted April 13, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 13, 2012 This Peugeot catches my eye! Did this belong to anyone here? http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/89-Peugeot-505-TURBO-WAGON-LEATHER-/170820919758?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item27c5b861ce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tulaweb Posted April 13, 2012 Report Share Posted April 13, 2012 This Peugeot catches my eye! Did this belong to anyone here? http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/89-Peugeot-505-TURBO-WAGON-LEATHER-/170820919758?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item27c5b861ce I don't know about it but what catches my eye is that it has California plates on it and is located at a dealer in Maywood NJ. It's not the same address as the former Maywood Peugeot, but I wonder if there's a connection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N9TE Posted April 13, 2012 Report Share Posted April 13, 2012 I had a MINT AMC Spirit hatch with a I6. Loved that car. And still want an Alfa. Sounds like you're like me and will drive any car that's "off", "unloved", "weird", etc. I've always been happy buying on objective features rather that what everybody else drives. You'll do fine with Peugeots. Everything is normal, except with French twists. Be aware of blown headgaskets on the Turbo cars. Other than that, standard car smarts will do you for 90% of what you need to know. The wagon looks nice. They are the most spacious wagons ever sold. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bean Posted April 13, 2012 Report Share Posted April 13, 2012 Wow - I love the eclectic car collection! I just got my first 505 wagon, and it simply dwarfs my 2000 V70R inside. Can't wait to get it sorted (see the build threads for the wagon project) The 89' wagon looks fantastic - but it's going to need new wheels seals, bearings, and brake shoes in the rear diff. It's got the tell tale signs of leakage like mine. Parts are readily available though. Rabin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrethx Posted April 13, 2012 Report Share Posted April 13, 2012 welcome! love the 164! if i were somehow forced to sell my 505 and were banned from owning peugeots, i'd look for a 164. the milano was a neat car, but lacked the 164's graceful styling. after looking at the pics of your cars, i'm especially happy to see you joining the peugeot fold...all of your cars appear to be well-looked after... andré Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minnesotan Posted April 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2012 I had a MINT AMC Spirit hatch with a I6. Loved that car. And still want an Alfa. Sounds like you're like me and will drive any car that's "off", "unloved", "weird", etc. I've always been happy buying on objective features rather that what everybody else drives. You'll do fine with Peugeots. Everything is normal, except with French twists. Be aware of blown headgaskets on the Turbo cars. Other than that, standard car smarts will do you for 90% of what you need to know. The wagon looks nice. They are the most spacious wagons ever sold. Good luck! Yes, I love unloved, off-beat cars. I find value in things where most people don't. I want a wagon yet wish for something unique. The Peugeot fits that description and has always been something I've wanted. AMC's are interesting cars. They used the same engines across the line-up as well as similar bodies. As a result, parts are incredibly easy and cheap to buy. Hopefully that will be the case with the Peugeot. Besides the head gasket issue and cracked heads, they seem to be reliable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minnesotan Posted April 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2012 Wow - I love the eclectic car collection! I just got my first 505 wagon, and it simply dwarfs my 2000 V70R inside. Can't wait to get it sorted (see the build threads for the wagon project) The 89' wagon looks fantastic - but it's going to need new wheels seals, bearings, and brake shoes in the rear diff. It's got the tell tale signs of leakage like mine. Parts are readily available though. Rabin Wow! How on earth can you tell it needs those things through pictures?! That is remarkable! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minnesotan Posted April 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2012 welcome! love the 164! if i were somehow forced to sell my 505 and were banned from owning peugeots, i'd look for a 164. the milano was a neat car, but lacked the 164's graceful styling. after looking at the pics of your cars, i'm especially happy to see you joining the peugeot fold...all of your cars appear to be well-looked after... andré Thanks! I like the 164 more than the Milano for the exact reason; they look nicer and are more refined. Some people say that the front-wheel drive 164 has less character than the rear-wheel drive Milano but that's not the case since they use the same powertrain. Any car enthusiast should own an Alfa Romeo at some point in their lives, especially with the Busso V6! The fact that I can keep a 24V Busso V6 running must be a testament to my tenacity or perhaps...madness...especially driving one everyday. When I find a good 505 SW8, I hope to keep everything original. I don't envision changing the engine or anything. The one listed in Ebay, as I will bid on it, will be repainted and have maintenance issues addressed but that's all I'll do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bean Posted April 14, 2012 Report Share Posted April 14, 2012 Peugeot's suffer the same rep that you speak of with your Alfa - I've had exceptional luck with reliability of my Peugeots - and I DRIVE my cars. Parts costs are cheaper than my Volvo, and the biggest fault I've ever had with my cars were the previous mechanics that bodged repairs up, or owners that couldn't afford to maintain the cars properly. If you find a really well maintained car, you should be very happy indeed. I'm astounded how big the inside of my 505 wagon is. I can't wait to get it sorted so that we can start making some family trips to the lake in it. Still hopeful that will be this summer... Rabin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minnesotan Posted April 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2012 Peugeot's suffer the same rep that you speak of with your Alfa - I've had exceptional luck with reliability of my Peugeots - and I DRIVE my cars. Parts costs are cheaper than my Volvo, and the biggest fault I've ever had with my cars were the previous mechanics that bodged repairs up, or owners that couldn't afford to maintain the cars properly. If you find a really well maintained car, you should be very happy indeed. I'm astounded how big the inside of my 505 wagon is. I can't wait to get it sorted so that we can start making some family trips to the lake in it. Still hopeful that will be this summer... Rabin That's good to know and quite surprising! I thought they'd be expensive and I certainly anticipated for it. If there is a downfall to owning an Alfa Romeo, it'd have to be the complete scarcity of parts and the exorbitant cost. I have a 24V Busso V6 for which only 300 or so were imported in 1994 and as a result, things are expensive and need to be taken from donor cars for which there are few of because people tend to take better care of the 24V's. Does anyone have USA importation figures for the 505 SW8 Turbos? I wonder how many were shipped here. I will be bidding on that wagon on Ebay later. I will hoik the price up to $3000 or more. I have fallen for it! Has anyone actually transplanted a LS1 into the SW8's? I think I will keep it in mind just in case I blow a head gasket and cannot find a replacement engine. If not a LS1, I would go for a SR20DET from Nissan. However, I stress that I wish to keep the car original. It wouldn't be a Peugeot without a Peugeot engine in it would it?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N9TE Posted April 14, 2012 Report Share Posted April 14, 2012 Unfortunately the importation figures are somewhat elusive and they don't breakout for body styles. SW8's have always been rare. That's the nicest one I've seen an quite a while. Having a desire for originality is good here. Although I've toyed with an engine swap, the N9T engine is very worthy and parts are mostly available. Things like radiator hoses are not. Don't worry, I've have an article for that in a week. You can even buy a complete longblock from a well known French tuner for 5000 euro (http://www.politecnic.com/505mecanique.htm). The headgasket thing is due to the iron block / aluminum head configuration that was so popular in the 80s and 90s. Small parts are the killer with our cars. They are drying up so buying a complete car is very helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minnesotan Posted April 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2012 The Simca Type 180 engine seems very robust. I think the head gasket issue is due to overheating as well. People keep mentioning the LS1 swap but how do people do that kind of swap? Where do people get engine mounts for that? I already have an LS1 and frankly, one LS1 is more than enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bean Posted April 14, 2012 Report Share Posted April 14, 2012 The LS* swaps are just one of the most supported custom motor swaps into any car, and it's also one of the best HP to $$$ ratios you can get. It's been talked about lots, and some guys are close to pulling the trigger - but no one has done it yet. There's a Rover V8 swap and a SR20DET swap in Australia - but nothing I know of this side of the pond. One thing with Peugeot is that we've never enjoyed the same "enthusiast" demographic that many other marques have had. So these cars have never had the kind of development that older Volvo or BMW have enjoyed. If you apply the same kinds of things other owner groups have done - it would fit really well. Heads can be fixed, head gaskets are available, and there are a TON of tuning modifications that can be done relatively cheaply. Custom pistons, rods, etc etc are easily done and it's not any more expensive than doing the same thing on any other car - there are just very few that have ever done it. I decided to pursue modifying my 505 Turbo and keeping it all Peugeot. Eventually I intend on doing a custom short block - but until then I'm curious what the stock engine with VEMS stand alone and good tuning will return. Rabin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minnesotan Posted April 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2012 Thanks for the info Rabin! I've bidded on the car and hopefully, I may purchase it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minnesotan Posted April 16, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2012 Well, it doesn't look as though I won the wagon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bean Posted April 16, 2012 Report Share Posted April 16, 2012 I'd contact the dealer to see if they'd negotiate the price a bit... Rust free wagons especially 89' Turbo wagons are quite rare and it does look to be well maintained. I bought my wagon dirt cheap - and I'll be into it WAY more than $4k to get it into that condition - and that's just parts cost alone. Thankfully I enjoy these basket case resurrections and I've got the skills and most of the tools to do it myself. Rabin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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