91MR2 Posted June 3, 2023 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2023 Haven't done too deep of a dive, but all I can tell you is the car runs and drives well, and tracks straight as well. Once this cosmetic phase is complete, we will be doing a deeper dive into the mechanicals, including a timing belt, water pump, etc. You might be surprised to hear that the car is very solid underneath, just mostly surface rust in some areas, but no rot or holes anywhere. If there were, we would have addressed when we did all the trunk welding, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike T Posted June 3, 2023 Report Share Posted June 3, 2023 Once bad geometry is evident in driving behaviour, it's too late, the rear beam will have been scored and will need replacement. It's an absolute must to do this job pre-emptively. The "seals" on the inside of the trailing arm where it meets the beam do absolutely nothing to keep dirt, water and salt out of the bearings and I guarantee they will be rusting right now. Maybe not quite turning to powder. Even rusty roller bearings damages the beam. If not, one day you will be making a low speed turn and the car will suddenly oversteer at an impossibly low speed. Or if you're unlucky, on a freeway cloverleaf....eventually the trailing arms will set up a regular oscillation that shakes the car like hell. Slide hammer may not be powerful enough to dislodge the arms so be prepared to use an air chisel with sacrificial bolts threaded into the torsion bar ends, to be replaced over and over while you get the rusted splines to move one more mm. It's a hell of a job on a car that''s seen winter, but it MUST be done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goce Posted June 3, 2023 Report Share Posted June 3, 2023 I've done 5 rear beam bearings on a 405 and they are lot more work than modern cars with rubber bushings but once done right with original skf bearings and shafts with grease nipples they outlast the car, one of my old cars that got crashed ended up in a junk yard there they swaped the rear end that was bent in the accident in to a taxi. That taxi drove more than 600 000 km on it i'm not sure if he ever greased it. Every time i've seen his right wheel is crooked where i got hit and fliped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
91MR2 Posted June 3, 2023 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2023 Ok guys, thanks for this info., going to show it to my mechanic and we will have a look at all this. That's what I love about this forum... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
91MR2 Posted June 8, 2023 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2023 All tail lights on now, as well as bumper cover and trim. Have to fit the center panel yet, but that's easy. Also got the trunk liners back in. Starting to take shape. Soon... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
91MR2 Posted June 8, 2023 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2023 Had to get it outside for a few shots, it is starting to look like a real car again... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayden M Posted June 8, 2023 Report Share Posted June 8, 2023 Jeeeeealous Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bean Posted June 9, 2023 Report Share Posted June 9, 2023 Great job nipping the rust in the bud and getting the car in great shape - looks awesome! Hopefully the rear axle is just preventative maintenance and is easily serviced. Â Rabin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
91MR2 Posted June 10, 2023 Author Report Share Posted June 10, 2023 Thanks guys, it was a lot of effort to get it to this point, but well worth it. A friend of mine joked that it was a labor of love, and I quickly replied that he should also consider the amount of hate involved as well… Jokes aside, as you all know, bringing a car from the state it was in to where it is now can be very consuming, especially when you’re trying to do everything correctly. Now onto some of the deferred maintenance items… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bean Posted June 12, 2023 Report Share Posted June 12, 2023 The opposite of love isn’t hate, it’s indifference.  Love and hate are usually two sides of the same coin… Also stumbled across this so had to share:  https://www.thegentlemanracer.com/2013/06/why-i-miss-peugeot.html Rabin  Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
91MR2 Posted June 16, 2023 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2023 Well guys, the red car is pretty much done. Finished most of the loose ends this week, and gave it a good shakedown run of about 50 miles, everything seems great. Still some deferred maintenance to tend to but that will get done soon. Hoping to take my daughter to this Sunday’s cars and coffee for its official re-debut to the world… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
91MR2 Posted June 19, 2023 Author Report Share Posted June 19, 2023 Yesterday was the car's reveal, on father's day at cars and coffee. Was a great feeling to finally drive this thing and feeling like it's actually done. Of course there is still some deferred maintenance to catch up on, but that's the easy part. My daughter was happy, and we can say another Peugeot has been saved from parts car status... Â Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
91MR2 Posted July 12, 2023 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2023 Have continued driving the red car, mostly shakedown runs to be sure all is well. It's performing very well, I must say it is starting to feel like just another car in the fleet, no real issues have popped up. It will see some more regular use this summer before we tackle the timing belt in the fall. Enjoying it for now... Â Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
91MR2 Posted August 13, 2023 Author Report Share Posted August 13, 2023 Hey guys, have had a bit of a break from the Peugeots this summer, as I picked up another Lotus recently. Very nice conditioned 1994 Esprit S4, purchased from a friend. I had considered another Esprit back in the fall, but thankfully it didn't work out or else this one would have been a tough acquisition. This is also a much better car than that one was. Very pleased with it so far... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouvenirCup Posted August 14, 2023 Report Share Posted August 14, 2023 That red car is looking great, its nice to see one of these cars saved and had some love put into making it nice again. Its easy to underestimate the sheer amount of work and time it takes to fix up a car. One of these days I have to drive the 405 with all of the praise they're given. Enjoy your break from working on the Peugeots, and the new Lotus . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
91MR2 Posted October 12, 2023 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2023 Hey guys, now that summer has come and went and we are settling into fall, it's back to more Peugeot stuff for a bit. Had a nice driving season, especially with the new Esprit acquisition, but we are about to get cracking on some much needed attention to the mechanicals of the red car. To do list items are the timing belt / tensioner / water pump, and whatever else we run into, which I'm sure will be a lot. While much attention has/had been given to the car's cosmetics, I haven't done too deep of a dive on anything mechanical, save for changing the oil and gear oil. The car will be going on the lift next week, so updates will follow... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
91MR2 Posted October 12, 2023 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2023 Unrelated, the white car, to which this thread was originally meant for, continues to run great, although rarely used this summer. Ironic, I know, but that seems to be my M.O. these days, get a car fully sorted and then kind of forget about it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRDT Posted October 12, 2023 Report Share Posted October 12, 2023 Aside from the color both 405 are pretty much the same so the more you drive the red one the less you feel the need to drive the white one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bean Posted October 13, 2023 Report Share Posted October 13, 2023 Thanks for the updates! Love the mid wing on the S4, and amazing to see how nice the dash/interior is! Looking forward to hearing/seeing what you find in the red 405 when you tear into it. Rabin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
91MR2 Posted November 15, 2023 Author Report Share Posted November 15, 2023 Hey guys, we finally dug into the timing belt on the red car. Not too bad of a job, so far got it all torn down and the cam gears locked, plus we got the new water pump on, which was a bit tricky with a few of the top bolts, but my mechanic has all the best tools, certainly makes a difference. Hoping to get the new belt on Thursday, updates to follow... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRDT Posted November 15, 2023 Report Share Posted November 15, 2023 Not sure if I posted this: Â Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
91MR2 Posted November 19, 2023 Author Report Share Posted November 19, 2023 SRDT, thanks for posting that, but I had fortunately found that link years ago. It kind of helped, but with the engine still in the car, it obviously changes the scope, ha. Either way, we got the job done, made some square pins for the tensioners, but they proved to be useless due to space constraints. Breaker bars turned out to be the best tool to move the tensioners appropriately. Serpentine belt goes back on tomorrow, as well as the buttoning up of everything else... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
91MR2 Posted November 24, 2023 Author Report Share Posted November 24, 2023 Happy thanksgiving to everyone. We got the timing belt and water pump done, and now everything else is buttoned up. Car fired right up, so that’s encouraging. Found a few other little things that will need tending to, one example being that the breather hose looks pretty perished, also going to pull the plugs cap and wires and refresh all that as well. Little things can go along way… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
91MR2 Posted December 9, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 9, 2023 Hey guys, work resumed on the red car today, found a few issues... For starters, the cap and rotor don't look too great, so likely going to order those, although might just clean them up a little first and see how they look/work. New plugs will be going in for sure. Wires look fine/newer. Next up, upon pulling out the plugs, we found them to be a little wet, so off came the valve cover to clean all that up and prepare to reseal. The gasket looks good, just some bad/wrong sealant was used. Finally, an effort to un-stick the front passenger caliper led to another fun finding, an ever so slightly leaking brake hose. So I just order 2 new front brake hoses, as well as 2 front caliper rebuild kits to be safe. Let the fun continue... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goce Posted December 9, 2023 Report Share Posted December 9, 2023 Haha, i just did the same job on my brothers Skoda, but typically my luck the valve cover contains the camshafts. It's a much harder and more involved job, because i had to deal with the timing belt also i have to pump down all 16 hydraulic lifters. And the drivers side brake caliper was so stuck the steel piston broke on removal, discs, pads everything was cooked everything got changed. One by one you're doing great job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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