Jump to content

1966 404 Coupé Injection Restoration


Mike T

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 646
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Posted Images

36491528242_c04bc7ae21_b.jpg

 

It was a bit overcast when we saw the car yesterday.  There are three colour base coats.  Once the paint finishes off-gassing over the weekend, wet blocking will begin.  Once the base coats are mirror smooth, three clear top coats will be applied, with wet blocking again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

36719939511_feba740b51_b.jpg

Chris Yarrow, Rudi Koniczek and Mike Grams of Coachwerks were the judges for the Vancouver Island Motor Gathering on August 27, 2017.  After the awards were handed out (many show winners donating the $500 prize back to the two charities benefitting from the show's gate), I had a few minutes with Mike.

He told me that the 404C looks a lot better than she did in the last photo I posted.  The doors are back on and the colour coats are mirror smooth, a concours finish, he said.  Mike also said that as far as value goes, this will probably be one of the best in the world, especially if the rest of the work is done to the same standard (no pressure!).

Coachwerks is shut next week so the Tuesday after Labour Day, work will resume. Mike said he'd try to prioritize the car's clearcoating and final preparation so she can be ready ASAP.  We're working around his holidays and ours.  My wife and I are leaving for Japan on September 11th and won't be back for 15 days.  So, just maybe, she'll be home on September 8th or 9th.  If not, about two weeks after that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, located in Ladysmith.  

In March 2014 - on my birthday! - I toured Rudi & Co. with my good friend Bruce (now since passed, very sadly) and we got to see a lot of stuff, but no bodywork repair operation.  So I asked Rudi Koniczek: where does the bodywork get done?  He said it's Coachwerks.  So in late 2014 or early 2015 (I forget which!) I made preliminary contact with Mike Grams, who owns and runs the operation.  I told him about my car and he seemed interested.  I said it would be a year or two before I could commit to the work.  We didn't talk about price.  Then early in 2016 I asked to be put on the waiting list.  Mike proposed that they only do the shell restoration.  He estimated $50K.  I thought it'd be a year before I would be called in but in November 2016 I was asked to bring the 404 in within two weeks.  I had 12 evenings plus 4 weekend days to strip the car to a bare rolling shell!  And the rest is history, more or less.

So today I was asked to bring the rebuilt 404 suspension back down to Coachwerks, and I may have her home this weekend for the first time in 9 months.  I borrowed a colleague's Mazda pickup and the suspension is in there ready to go.  We leave for Japan on Monday so I hope it all goes according to plan!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That is so awesome Mike!  I'm excited and it's not even my car.

Pretty sure you were on the first Peugeot e-mail list back mid 90's ish?  Regardless - Ive known about this car for 20+ years, so to see you on the final stretch of this high end resto is really fantastic.

BTW - it was on your recommendation that I sought out Rudi while on vacation, and even though he was not able to show me his collection personally - he had one of his guys do it for him.  Top notch guy and a true enthusiast.  Funny memory was after seeing all his amazing cars - he heard me gasp at his brand new E63 wagon - he smiled and said "you know what this car is don't you?" - I nodded and he gave me the thumbs up...

Will have to go back for sure...

Rabin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I got onto Peugeot-L on Joe Wagner's recommendation in 1999.  Before that I was in the Peugeot Owners' Club that Marvin Needler ran out of Indianapolis.  And I had the 404C starting in February 1989....

Rudi has sold his operation to the German Auto Import Network as of a few months ago, and the location has moved to a place called the "Classic Centre" near downtown.  Rudi will be there as a sort of inspirational figurehead but I believe his operation at his home has ended.  Which probably means some of his cars can come out of the chicken barn "vault" and go home with him!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thursday I borrowed my friend Rob Conway's truck and brought the suspension down to Victoria.  The car was outside on its cart, looking mirror smooth everywhere.  The work is really impeccable.  Amazing, worth every dollar.

So I helped Pat Higgins, the metal worker who did the body reconstruction, mount the suspension under the 404C.  It was a bit of an operation and we used the car's original jack mounts to help us lift the body high enough to get the suspension underneath.  She looks good sitting on her wheels and XAS tires now.

Friday she gets a final polish and final touches and either Friday PM or Saturday she should be coming home on the flatbed.

I loaded the photos at a different site this time, so click on the image to see it in full size.

IMG_2863.jpg IMG_2866.jpg IMG_2868.jpg IMG_2869.jpg IMG_2870.jpg IMG_2872.jpg IMG_2876.jpg IMG_2877.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Those tire rely look correct on it, a bit of advice talk to the body men for once you've assembled the doors, install glass, all the mechanisms and trim for the body men to adjust them again, in my opinion professionals can get the panels adjusted quickly and better then you or i even it we spend an all day doing it, and with weight the doors move.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That is just a FANTASTIC job for what will result in the best Peugeot worldwide. I am happy that the car is not in a body shop this weekend in South Florida. 

btw.......now that the car is outside in the natural light, colour is spot on with the colour chip.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, the colour chip I have (real paint) is very dark, which is interesting because most of the Dark Blue 1057 cars I see photos of are really quite bright blue.

The 404C stays at Coachwerks or Rudi's storage building while we will be away in Japan.  Mike wanted to do some last minute touch ups and ran out of time today.  The touch ups are some minor overspray in a door jamb, a chip on an engine compartment panel that will be covered by vinyl and a couple other small things like that.  Anyway, the weather forecast was for rain tonight and Saturday so bringing her home in that would have not been the best.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow, thats to bad Mike. You were so looking forward to having it back at your place. At least it won't be dirty from the way home on a flat deck. Hoping for a sunny day then after your back. Keep smiling...it will get there. Have a great trip.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...

×
×
  • Create New...