PeugeotFan613 Posted June 28, 2012 Report Share Posted June 28, 2012 (edited) [ http://redd.it/vgl6c ] PICTURES: http://imgur.com/a/vem3l#0 Hey guys I am new here. I am not sure how to make an entry on here, but I wanted to explain a couple things... I inherited this car from my grandfather, it is in Argentina as we speak (but I am flying there sometime after July 7 2012, until school starts). I am 14, but I have spent lots of time reading and learning about cars, problem is I have never had any hands on work (save for washing the car), and I have very little mechanical knowledge (the application part of what you learn). Anyways, this car is quite old (sorry guys, but 20 years (more or less) is old to me), I have some basic information concerning the car: Leaf spring, live axle suspension at rear XN1, XN1A? 2.0 liter inline 4, makes 108 horsepower (claimed, at crank) 5 speed stick shift, rear wheel drive claims to have an "auto-locking differential" can do 150 kph with little effort very, very annoying issue with the rim's lug nut spacing being special (I'll edit as soon as I find the email I sent to Tire Rack asking why I can't find a single aftermarket wheel that fits my car) I am looking for help as I have some modifications in mind. I have no idea what I am doing, therefore I come to ask the professionals. If you need any more information please tell me. P.S. I want to import this car, do you guys know who I should ask for a price quote? What type of paperwork is required for gray-market import? tl;dr 14 year old dude wants to fix/modify his inherited 20 year old Peugeot from Argentina and needs help from the professionals. EDIT: I live in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The car is in Buenos Aires Argentina. Pics available upon request, just ask if any extra-info needed. EDIT2: Carburetted engine, OHV layout, iron block, runs on any gas. Again, if you guys know of any type of issues or things I should check for, please tell me them. I contacted TEIN USA a while ago and they said they could do a special damper setup just for my car, but at a special price (quoted average is 2600 CAD). I am afraid of my rear suspension, I don't like live axles and I am scared of axletramp in leaf-spring equipped cars. EDIT3: http://pastebin.com/nRz2c4SA (tire rack inquiry) I don't know how to ask some of my questions, I don't know if you will take me seriously. But I love my grandfather's car, and I am very close to obtaining it (about 2 years). I just want to take care of it, and I have no previous knowledge of these cars. I need some help... :\ Sorry if this is spam. Maybe you guys are more welcoming than Reddit... thanks for the forum. I love it. Again, if you need pictures or anything ask me and I will (hopefully be able to) deliver! Edited July 1, 2012 by COOLfiat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrethx Posted June 28, 2012 Report Share Posted June 28, 2012 welcome santiago! there's a short answer to all of your questions...many things are possible, it's just a matter of time and/or money. for example, from the little i know about canadian law, it should be possible to import the car to your country...but it might be expensive, in terms of transportation costs and fees. i'm sure some of the canadian members of this forum can comment about that. you will have to weigh whether it is worth the cost to bring the car home vs. just buying a car where you are (either a 505 or something else). the wheel fitment issue is something we discuss frequently here. depending on how your car is set up now, you may benefit from some of the factory alloy wheels that are available, but if you want to upgrade from there, there are no off-the-shelf solutions. you can do a search on this forum to see what others have done and what other ideas have been discussed. 505 wagons sold in north america had a live rear axle, just like your car....all of the sedans sold here had IRS. so it should be relatively straightforward to do a rear suspension swap once you've found a donor car. these things are fairly ambitious, though, in that they will require a good bit of money and/or technical expertise. if it is feasible to bring the car back, your best bet would be to start off small, doing basic maintenance to the car...you didn't mention the current state of the car, but it will likely benefit from this attention anyway. additionally, you'll learn about your car first-hand and learn more about the things you like and the things you don't like (and thus will want to change). even if you have the means to have everything done by professionals, the more you know about your car, the better off you'll be. and it's fun! 505s are very interesting cars, compared to what you commonly see here in north america. hope this helps. please feel free to ask as many questions as you like, and keep us informed! andré Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohms Posted June 28, 2012 Report Share Posted June 28, 2012 welcome and greetings to a fellow redditor =) yeah, there arent more than maybe 2 other guys on reddit (that i know of) that have any real world experience with peugeots. the wheel fitment issue like andre said, we talk about that a lot here. search a lil, you'll find our gigantic threads about wheels - Arun (a poster here) recently pulled off a pretty sweet hub swap and wound up with one of the best looking 505s on the site (in my opinion). While i'm at it, lemme give you an idea of the folks around here: Rabin - master rally mechanic/driver. theres vids of his 505 rallycrossing in this forum. also has a mean looking car. Andre - currently doing a meticulous rebuilding of his 505 - basically making his 505 ride and feel on par with a new quiet modern car Bryan, N9TE, Koll, (actually i always get those names confused...may be the same person, or i might also be forgetting someone), and Victor - these dudes race 505s. hardcore. i think Victor dailies the red 505 you see if you look up the peugeot 505 scca champion youtube video. ikenna - 505 nut in nigeria, has gotten way way into diagnosing his car (a v6 if i recall right), and super beyond helpful to forum members looking for hard to find parts (he's able to source a lot of cool stuff in his country, as long as you can handle the shipping) There are more posters, and its not that theyre less important than the ones noted above, i just wanted to give you a glimpse of the kinda folks on this forum. Its a very cool group. shocks? the original peugeot shocks, if it still has them, are rebuildable and excellent. worried about the live axle? drive the car a bit, do some autocrosses, then lets talk about that. you're not gonna suddenly spin out on the highway due to wheelhop unless you're driving in a manner to deliberately spin out. You'll be fine with the live axle, at least for a few years as you first start driving the car and learning how to drive better. If/when you get really serious about driving as a hobby/career...well. You'll get there when you get there. When you first get your 505, you'll have your hands full just doing basic resto work on the systems of the car. cleaning grounds, changing bulbs, brake pads, tune up, etc. And in the process of doing all those lil things, you'll learn more and more about the car, and become more comfortable with the inner workings of it. Also, as a redditor, hang out on r/cartalk and r/mechanicadvice - you'll learn a bit just reading the answers there to others' problems. importing the car to canada - you have some fellow canadians on this forum, im sure they'll chime in hope you hang around and post/read the forum often! as it is, you should probably start by just reading every damn thread in every subforum hehe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohms Posted June 28, 2012 Report Share Posted June 28, 2012 oh, one other thing in case you havent found it already, theres a 505 facebook group that is pretty huge you should join Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeugeotFan613 Posted June 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2012 Wow, thanks a lot guys! I am so happy, I woke up to the death of a close friend, and then I go on 505turbo.com and I find such a friendly community willing to help a disoriented teenager who is willing to learn and be helped! I love you guys! Thanks! Andre, thank you so much for the much-needed information about the 505! It really cleared up some of my worries! Omar, thanks for the in-depth information about the forum! Also, thanks for clearing up some of the worries that Andre hadn't taken care of yet! Should I post pictures on this thread? (Of the ones I already have) Also, there's one detail you members did not mention, but the fact it has leaf-springs... would that be something I should take care of? Anyways, I will make sure to lurk the forums for a while so I can answer some of my own questions. By the way guys, I was born in Argentina, I came to Canada when I was 6 (May 2005), so I know Argentinian Spanish, Quebec French, and Canadian English. Thank you once again for the warming welcome! (If that's how you say it, sorry guys, English is my third language and I need to practice my spanish for when I go to Argentina this summer) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anj Posted June 29, 2012 Report Share Posted June 29, 2012 Welcome You found the right site and hope we can help. Regarding your age, my first Peugeot was when I was 16-17 and Rabin had installed a V6 PRV engine into a 504 at the age of 16. I know the car has sentimental value and one suggestion would be to keep it in Argentina and restore the car there and then import it later. I have found some gorgeous 505's from Argentina and I would investigate some groups before you go. The cost of bringing it to Canada I would guess to be around 1500.00. That money would go long way in Argentina in fixing the car and if you visit often, great car to have. Options such as wheels are easier to find in Argentina then in America. Since your are going soon , take alot of pictures/video and we can better advise. As others have advised, I would wait on modifications until you have driven the car for a while. I would save your money and even buy a 505 here and later you would have all the parts to do your conversion. My feeling is you will keep the stock suspension. Arun PS Omar, thanks for your comments regarding my car Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohms Posted June 29, 2012 Report Share Posted June 29, 2012 arun - aw, your welcome. but i do secretly hate you and your good looking 505 hehe coolfiat - leafsprings arent the end of the world! nothing worry about there. and yeah man, post pics! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tulaweb Posted June 29, 2012 Report Share Posted June 29, 2012 Welcome! I would echo what everyone has said. There will be two parts to bringing your car home. One is the transportation and the other is the government regulations. Hopefully some of the Canadian members here can give you some insight into what is involved in bringing in and registering a non North American spec car. Find that out first before you spend a lot of time and money expecting to be able to bring it home. Look here to see Arun's wheel project. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeugeotFan613 Posted June 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2012 (edited) arun - aw, your welcome. but i do secretly hate you and your good looking 505 hehe coolfiat - leafsprings arent the end of the world! nothing worry about there. and yeah man, post pics! Totally will do right now! @Arun, omygod thanks man! That's perfect information and advice, I totally didn't know about all these young guys doing these epic things! A great source of inspiration! http://imgur.com/a/vem3l#0 ^ PICTURES Yes Dave, will do sir. And thanks for the great welcome Is there anyone on this forums that lives in Ontario? I have seen a Peugeot 505 in a retirement home, rarely driven (I know it drives though)... I might end up buying it from the old lady in the short term Edited July 1, 2012 by COOLfiat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bean Posted June 29, 2012 Report Share Posted June 29, 2012 I'm late to post - but welcome indeed. I'm in Regina Saskatchewan and I've imported a couple Peugeot's. The car sounds like it's older than 15 years old so it doesn't need to follow the RIV rules (www.riv.ca), so you essentially just need to have the title / paperwork for the car once it's imported. I've only driven them across the border - so that paperwork has to be at the port of entry 3 days prior to you crossing with the car. You pay duties / tax on it, and then it has to be federally inspected ($100 extra for air conditioning), then it will need to pass your province's safety inspection if it has one. Everyone has pretty much covered your questions so far - so I can't add much more than to agree about checking the car out first. There are some very nice handling cars with leaf springs and live axles - so don't judge it until you drive it. Swapping to IRS shouldn't be too hard - put you'd likely need a donor car. Big job if you don't have the facilities to do it yourself. I should also mention that there is an Argentinian Facebook page with some AMAZING cars, and Fernando on this site and the North American Peugeot FB page creator is also from Argentina. One last thing - you come across as a very smart and determined 14 year old, that is very well written. Ask lots of questions and take lots of pics so we know what you are working with and you should be fine. One other thing no one has mentioned would be to drive the car back. It's a LONG drive - but it's a trip I've thought about making MANY times. Too bad some of the countries in between aren't the safest - otherwise it'd actually be fairly doable. Rabin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anj Posted June 30, 2012 Report Share Posted June 30, 2012 Interesting what you can find surfing. http://www.nfscars.n...ead.php?t=25563 I believe this is the car we are discussing. Looks great. Arun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeugeotFan613 Posted June 30, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2012 Interesting what you can find surfing. http://www.nfscars.net/forum/showthread.php?t=25563 I believe this is the car we are discussing. Looks great. Arun :3 *blushes* yeah... not my best years. Please remove the link, it's an embarrassing period of my life... I was 12 :3 @Rabin: Yes sir, I always thought of driving the car back to Canada, but I always thought of security, replacement parts, problems with the car... I should do it in a group maybe. Could you link me to that Facebook page? I only found one and it was by some Indonesian guy. And yeah, I never thought live axle leaf springs rear suspension wasn't that bad, I guess I grew up with the new-age technologies and car culture. I do want to take a few pictures of the nearby 505 Peugeot and let you guys help me decide whether it's worth it to buy it or not. Anyways, the big question is, what should I check for as soon as I get to Argentina? Should I check fluids..? Do you guys know of any reliability issues on a Peugeot 505? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bean Posted June 30, 2012 Report Share Posted June 30, 2012 http://www.facebook.com/groups/260572422577/ The North American spec 505's were some of the most optioned / highest spec cars sold of all the markets - so buying a local Canadian car should be a lot nicer. I'm partial to Turbo or V6 cars - but an XN6 STX would be very reliable and have better fuel economy. You should be close to Mike Aube - He's near Ottawa and has a tone of cars and experience. Biggest strike against you is the Eastern rust belt that ate these cars alive. Rabin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bean Posted June 30, 2012 Report Share Posted June 30, 2012 BTW - If you can post up some specifics on the engine type, it will be easier to comment on what to look at. Fluids, brake pads/shoes, and steering components would be first on my list. Has the car sat for a long time - or are relatives driving it? (Better it it's being used...) Rabin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeugeotFan613 Posted July 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2012 BTW - If you can post up some specifics on the engine type, it will be easier to comment on what to look at. Fluids, brake pads/shoes, and steering components would be first on my list. Has the car sat for a long time - or are relatives driving it? (Better it it's being used...) Rabin It's driven at least once a week. It goes on the highways around once per week (weekends, when my grandparents go to La Plata which is a nearby town). It got new tires last year, spark plugs have been changed. I heard from my uncle that the car was rear ended 6-10 years ago, and had to have major repairs on the back end. There are no problems with the car, except that when you are turning the steering wheel and you're not moving there is a slight whiny sound. The car gets around 12 liters / 100 kilometers (because of heavy city usage in Buenos Aires). The engine is a XN1(XN1A?) Inline4 2 liters, I believe iron block, carburetted (no idea what kind of carburetor), OHV pushrod (If I recall correctly), and I believe dry sump... sorry if it's wrong or incomplete, these are off the top of my head and I haven't been near the car for at least a year. EDIT: I found the specs for my car (some of the specs are in Afrikaans for some unknown reason) http://www.cars-data.com/en/peugeot-505-sr-20-107hp-20501/specs.html WIKIPEDIA INFO: 1,971 cc 4-cylinder "XN1/XN1A" pushrod engine had 96 hp (71 kW), then 100 (75 kW) by 1985 and finally 108 (79 kW) by 1991. Top speed: 175 km/h (109 mph). So therefore my car must be 1991 or later. I even checked on the manual 2 years ago, and it said it was 108 horsepower. Since it's an SR, and it was carburetted, it must be the XN1/XN1A engine. So yeah, I am pretty sure my car is 1991 or later. EDIT 2: Not sure if useful info or not, but car's fuel pump is activated at least three or two times a week to let the old fuel get recycled with fresher fuel.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bean Posted July 1, 2012 Report Share Posted July 1, 2012 If the car is getting regular use then I don't think you have anything to worry about. The XN1 that it likely has is a very nice motor with an updated intake manifold. They are extremely reliable motors and they have great low end torque for their size. I would bet on the highway in Canada the car would get much better fuel economy as well since my 76' 504 gets ~8.5L/100km on the highway. (My 504 has an 1980 505 SR engine and transmission in it.) Rabin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeugeotFan613 Posted July 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2012 If the car is getting regular use then I don't think you have anything to worry about. The XN1 that it likely has is a very nice motor with an updated intake manifold. They are extremely reliable motors and they have great low end torque for their size. I would bet on the highway in Canada the car would get much better fuel economy as well since my 76' 504 gets ~8.5L/100km on the highway. (My 504 has an 1980 505 SR engine and transmission in it.) Rabin Should I worry about it having a carburetor and less mechanics knowing how to service them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bean Posted July 1, 2012 Report Share Posted July 1, 2012 My advise to you is to learn how to fix the car yourself. I was younger than you when I started working on cars, and it was all mostly self taught. As a child I would always take my toys apart to see how they worked - then reassemble. I was the same way with cars and it's been exceptionally rewarding for me. There you likely won't have any issues with finding someone to tune the car, and here - just find a mechanic that knows how to tune carbs or is willing to learn. If they don't know how, and aren't interested in learning - they're crappy mechanics and you shouldn't let them work on your car anyway. (Which is why you should just learn yourself and spend the money saved on nice tools) Carbs are very simple devices, and it should be very easy for you to learn how to tune them. A little bit of performance can also be gained by using a Weber 32/36 on a stock motor. If the engine gets some upgrades like shaved head (higher compression) and a better cam you could install a Weber 38/38 for a nice bump in power. Rabin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeugeotFan613 Posted July 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2012 My advise to you is to learn how to fix the car yourself. I was younger than you when I started working on cars, and it was all mostly self taught. As a child I would always take my toys apart to see how they worked - then reassemble. I was the same way with cars and it's been exceptionally rewarding for me. There you likely won't have any issues with finding someone to tune the car, and here - just find a mechanic that knows how to tune carbs or is willing to learn. If they don't know how, and aren't interested in learning - they're crappy mechanics and you shouldn't let them work on your car anyway. (Which is why you should just learn yourself and spend the money saved on nice tools) Carbs are very simple devices, and it should be very easy for you to learn how to tune them. A little bit of performance can also be gained by using a Weber 32/36 on a stock motor. If the engine gets some upgrades like shaved head (higher compression) and a better cam you could install a Weber 38/38 for a nice bump in power. Rabin It would be expected to have less replacement parts for such a rare car, no? And if anyone wants to teach me about carburetors, I am willing to learn. Will maintenance costs be high for this car? Also, since it doesn't have a cat. converter (as far as I know), it won't pass the emissions test, right? I have sent an email to Mike Aube (found his contact information on one of Rabin's posts), is he a part of 505turbo.com or just a part of the Peugeot yahoo group? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bean Posted July 1, 2012 Report Share Posted July 1, 2012 Mike is only active on the Peugeot-L yahoo group. No time for forums and stuff as he's a busy guy. He has a TON of knowledge and he'd be a great mechanic if you do get the car here - or want to get one checked out here. Owning a Peugeot can't be compared to owning any other readily available car. Peugeot was last sold in Canada in 1991 - so part availability is pretty much entirely online. You can get basic tune up stuff at Canadian Tire / parts places - but anything Peugeot specific will likely need to be ordered online. You're lucky having Mike close by though - he can source most anything. No idea on what emissions tests your car has to pass, but pretty sure anything this old only has to pass the emissions that were applicable at the time. I doubt they even test cars this old - but if they do there's no reason why it wouldn't pass if it's running well. Rabin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeugeotFan613 Posted August 15, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 15, 2012 I have some pictures! http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.155070531291077.33465.100003643929743&type=3&l=6b0014ca24 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeugeotFan613 Posted August 24, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2012 I left the 505's ceiling light turned on by accident, it sat like that for 4 days.... guess what happened? Battery ran out of juice, my grandfather goes to turn on the car, no crank, has to call the ACA (Argentina's AAA) to get it fixed, it's now sitting there getting fixed. F***. Got lectured by my grandfather to not touch something I'm unfamiliar with again without asking for help. I feel so bad... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrethx Posted August 24, 2012 Report Share Posted August 24, 2012 don't feel too bad, there are lots worse mistakes that one can make with/in a car! remember: good judgment comes from experience. experience comes from bad judgement. andré Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeugeotFan613 Posted August 24, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2012 Thanks Andre! By the way, just came back from the shop, seems there's an urgent problem that the shop guy found after changing the almost expired water hose that connects the water pump to the engine itself, the problem is that the connection from the head to the hose is old and ruined, thus, the water hose only goes in about half way and it risks the possibility of falling off and causing the engine to overheat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeugeotFan613 Posted August 24, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2012 I found a nice document in spanish for the Peugeot 505, it's like those Haynes books but in spanish. File size: 19.19 MB http://www.mediafire.com/?il9023ff29t4evs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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