VolvoS60:

I was surprised in the early years to find out that it had almost the same suspension layout (swing axle and trailing arms) as the W124 Mercedes Benz of that era (another indestructible workhorse). Would like to know if your 505 & 605 have the same kind of suspension?

Emperoh:

Can Ikenna or Siena tutor us on how to do this 'clutchless' manual tranny driving?

Siena:


The Peugeot 504 GL saloon was the only 504 that had independent rear suspension. All other models - L, GR, SR had live rear axles. The live axle was also used on all station wagons, including the GL, the live axle was carried over from the Peugeot 404.

The Peugeot 505 and old 604 had the same independent rear suspension (IRS) set-up as the 504 GL. The 505 however has twin coil springs per side though, from memory. Again, like the 504 station wagon, 505 station wagons had a live rear axle. The live rear axle was also used on most 505 sedans built in Argentina, these were poverty-spec versions, and were not built that way anywhere else, not in France or Nigeria.

The Peugeot 605 is FWD, and very different at the rear compared to the RWD models. The 505 was the last RWD model produced by Peugeot.

Ikenna351:


@ VolvoS60,

I also inherited '76 504 GL from dad in my University days. The car was a "NO SAY DIE". The performance with the bullet-proofed engine (XN1) was so impressive that enjoyed the car till i graduated. Even after 30 years, it still had the original engine. The independent rear differential/axle in it made it a very good road handling vehicle. In fact, it was the car that made me a Peugeot man. It was that that lead my purchasing my first car, 505 V6 5-sp manual, THE KING OF THE LIONS! I love that car so much that i would do anything to keep it on the road, as long as it takes.

Ikenna.

VolvoS60:

those cars really were something else. i found a big difference in the ride comfort of the (swing axle) GL, compared to that of the live axled GR. The GL's suspension was definitely in a class of its own. My one regret with that car was that we changed the "double carburettor" (as it was called then ) to a single chamber carburettor because we were told the double carbs were exceptionally heavy drinkers. i wish we had kept the original carb instead.
those were the days. . .

VolvoS60:

Exide (batteries)
Ferrodo (brake pads)
Eyuum (or Equum or whatever the hell the name was ) (spark plugs)
Cogefa (contact sets)
Automotor (a variety of parts)
purflux (oil filters)

any others, gentlemen?

The stunts I pulled to take that car to school! I remember disconnecting the feed to the coil (terminal 15) so the car wouldn't start. I would leave for school, hide round the corner with my pals. I would watch my mom trying to start the car, then she would eventually give up, and share a car to work with my dad.

Then I would rush back home, dig out my spare key (yes, I had one cut for my personal use ) plug back the coil, fire up and myself and my pals would drive to school. I remember during break time, we would cruise into UNIBEN, Ugbowo Campus (with change of clothes) and chase the girls there. Those were the good old days, my college was pretty much opposite UNIBEN, Ugbowo.

Or we would go tearing along Benin-Lagos Expressway. Of course, school was out way before my parents finished work, so the car would be back home, and the engine cooled by the time they were home.

More escapades to come.

VolvoS60:

Its been almost 3 decades and I still can't figure out why some window parts were called "winding glass" and "engine glass" - their strange names may have been the reason why they had to be replaced nearly every other week. Not to talk of the car part called the "boris" ( I first heard that in a mechanic's workshop in the late 80s). Does anyone have any idea what a 'boris' is? Other best forgotten memories of my lion ownership include routinely injuring my fingers on rusty, jagged wheelarches while washing the car . Not pleasant at all.