What did you do today to your Pug

[504gld]

Thought it would be good to start a thred with what you had done to your Peugeot today, e.g. maintenance, enjoying it!

So starting off, me and the 504. Today removed all the road wheels, power wire brushed them, two coats of primer and a two top coats of wheel paint. Managed to brake a wheel trim thred cube but its great now. All this on top of Mondays paint touch up from the rusty bonnet edge!

[Admin]

Not strictly today, but washed it at the weekend. Tried to get the wheels nice and white...failed at the rear. Out with the toothbrush next weekend.

;D

[mikem]

Where on earth do you find the time to mess with cars midweek? I seem to spend all my time working. At the weekend it's a bit better though. Last Saturday was spent getting the rear suspension out of a 505 gti saloon, and Sunday was spent lying under a 203 wondering how I will make it fit into that!

Hmm, I'm not quite sure, I was told it was difficult if not impossible, but I have a cunning plan.......

Anyone got a 505 saloon rear upper crossmember they don't want?

[504gld]

Thats the joy or not of working in retail, somebody has to do the late shifts from time to time. Tomorrow if the rain stops means I should be fitting the wheel trim thingy I broke today, fitting a new rubber gaiter to the gearstick surround and the spare wheel. The spare was buckled when I bought it, found Dean Hunter had a second hand one cheap so it should be somewhere between Yorkshire and Bournemouth now if Royal Mail are up to it. Talking of which where has my copy of Practical Classics got to this month, something tells me there is a metalic beige 504 in it......\!/

[Alfasudcrazy]

I must do the wheels on my 504 like you did as well GLD - if you don't mind m asking - what types of paint did you use - both primer and finish coat. Had you to mask around the tyres or did you remove them while spraying. (masking tape does not stick to tyres I have noticed)
A clean unblemished set of wheels set off a car pefectly.

My main job is to fix my front bumper - its a little lower at the drivers side than the other - only about quarter of an inch but it is noticed by my worst critic - me

[504gld]

Your wheels in the pic on the red 504L look ok, they cannot be as bad as mine were. I only did them quickly really, as they will get sand blasted if and when she goes for a full body respray.

I used Halfords grey primer and wheel paint both in spray cans, they have 3 for 2 promotion on at the moment.

I simply whipped the wheel off the car, ran the wire blush attachment on my drill around them to clear away any flasky rust, then sprayed two coats of primer. Tip dont brush off any smooth paint its shows the scratches and fine sand papering the wheels isn't going to be easy.

Two coats of wheel paint, which at first looked dredfull, like a smokey dark alloy. With the trims on, they look ok!

I used 1 inch masking take in small strips of about 2 inchs to curve around the rim, then longer sections to mask the rest of the rubber. It stuck ok, I only used cheap £1.99 a roll from Wilko.

It got a T-Cut and polish today, ready for London on Sunday, Classic Cars Live! thanks to CPUK Forum ticket (they arrived thanks Andrew).

On top of all that she is in Practical Classics magazine on page 28 this month as Star Car! so I'm like a kid at Christmas.

On the down side, since removing the wheels and doing the job, and getting them back on I have gain a very slight wheel wobble at about 50mph. Not sure why all of a sudden? maybe the weight of the removed rust and added paint has effected the balancing. Seems really strange. Kwik Fit dont have a wheel adaptor to re-balance them (no centre hole), so it will have to wait until after London next week.

Mat.

[504gld]

260 miles later and I'm home, the longest return journey so far in the old girl. To recap, I ended up winning the forum competition, tickets for the EMAP Classic Cars Live! at Alexandra Palace.

Left Bournemouth at 430am Sunday morning, and a steady 55mph cruised up the M3. Stopped for a short sleep (those 504 seats turning in to two bed are so handy), and a wipe over with the cloth. Arrived at The Ace Cafe on the North Circular at 730am, I was only the second person there! The stuard parked me up next to a Ford Capri :-(

The Ace Cafe is a great place ( www.the-ace-cafe-london.com ), and quickly filled up with classic cars and bikers. I had to register and collect my map, as all the cars had the chance to drive in convoy to the show. By 830am, the car park was full.

I was the only Peugeot represented, both at the drive in and the show. French classics on the drive in, included Citroen Traction convertable, Citroen DS23, Citroen SM, and out off all of the cars, mine being the only diesel.

After breakfast I returned to the 504, and just getting my camera out, was greated a chap who said "you must be Matthew". It was Martin Moore, editor of Practical Classics magazine, who was pleased to see the 504 and that I had driven up from Bournemouth. He of course recognised the car from this months magazine! and he wasn't the only one.

9am sharp and we all pealed out of the car park and were marshalled in to the road to form a huge army of vehicles, and we left in convoy on to the north circular. It didn't take long to loose most of the cars at roundabout, traffic lights and junctions. I kept my eye out for the DS which rode high above the rooflines of the other cars which helped.

Once we'd found our way to Alexandra Palace, all the drive in cars were allowed to park in a private security patrolled car park together.

The show was smaller than I expected, and there were no Peugeots. Citroen were out in force, with another DS, SM and H Van on show, and another car club with a 2CV in true convertable form. Some stars for me were the mark 1, Renault 5 turbo, a Fiat Strada (when did you last see one?), and a Hummer. The saddest car for me was a Delorian made to look like Back to the Future, kitted out with home made assessories, but using odd bits and pieces and clearly they were Scart Cables!

By lunch time I had seen all I could, and drove the 504 across London to Docklands where I stayed the night (with clubbing!). Drove home Monday morning and it took hours of stop start, so gave up on the south circular route and went via Crystal Palace and Croydon, cutting across country after that.

I think I know what the trouble is with the odd bit off wobble. I swopped the wheels front to back to check, and it only slightly improved if anything. Front drivers wheel bearing started to squeek, so that the little culprit. Don't know if I'll get another one, and get it fitted so haven't confirmed Eastbourne, and besides early hours of the Monday will be leaving for Gran Canaria!

So what did you do today to or with your Pug!!

[Admin]

Saturday was a bit of a belter of a day with the sun and all so I thought I'd take the ZS out for it's first run since the group B vented front discs and Koni adjustables went in.

We had a good blast around the cotswolds with some excellent lanes that were nice and empty. Once the brakes had heated up properly (racing pads) the new 4 pots worked really well with loads of extra pedal feel and the ability to halt the ZS as f it had run into a brick wall. The Koni shocks are a tiny bit softer than the PTS tarmac units that used to be on the car, but the overall handling is better balanced with fantastic grip.

Having owned a Citroen Visa GTi (whaa?) in the past I would happly challenge any 205 GTi to stay with the ZS on the lanes now! Not bad for a24 year old girl! Roll on the track at the French car Show!

[504gld]

Yes, that will upset a few chavs, good on you!

[mikem]

A beautiful weekend weatherwise, and where was I? In the garage cutting out the rust and patching (or should I say invisibly mending) the trailing arms of a 505. Never mind, at least they are stronger now than they ever were. Did the top half on Saturday, took the torque tube and prop shaft off, and turned the trailing arms (complete with diff.) over to have a good start on Sunday. Yep, you guessed it. Who forgot about the breather hole in the diff, and had oil nicely spread around the floor when I opened up on Sunday? Ah! The joys of motoring.

I can feel a whinge coming on.

Sorry I can't help myself, here it comes!

I bought this 505 gti last September, with 11 months MOT, but the more bits I take off it, the more I shake my head and think fool, you should have had a closer look underneath before you paid for it, rusty front struts with the lower end of the spring trying to make a bid for freedom, rusty trailng arms which take a weekend to fix, a siezed rear brake compensator, power steering ram bolt finger tight, front rubber gaiter torn, a duff balljoint, and no oil in the diff. (sorry, that was my fault, Sat. night Sun. morning). Considering the car had been supposedly "pre-enjoyed" by a Peugeot technician I'm slightly cheesed off to say the least, and as for the garage who carried out the MOT, they should hang their heads in shame. It's probably a forum rule that they shouldn't be named, but they're in T*v*rsh*m, C*mbr*dg*sh*r*.

Anyway that's got that off my chest. Other than that it's been a great weekend.

Oh, apart from being twined at for not mowing the lawn!

[Alfasudcrazy]

Nice account of your trip GLD - I worked hard to win that competition but there were a few that I could not name.
My 504 is stubbornly reliable and refuses any need for any sort of attention. I did notice the other evening though that the left front headlamp has died. Its just needs a new bulb.
I tried out the bed seats - just so comfy ;D
I have a slight vibration coming from the front weels at 60mph - did someone say that the Peugeot wheels are not possible to balance in the normal way?
Well thats all from my 504 - all I seem to have to do is drive & wash it

[504gld]

Alfasud, Yes the Peugeot wheels (like Citroen/Renault) which have no centre hole in them need an adaptor plate for the wheel balancing machine. It can be a tricky job to get right and most fast fit tyre places fob you off. Bathwick Tyres are helpfull and did mine, but they only have branches in the south west uk. I guess Express Fit at Peugeot dealers should have one? or similar at Citroen for those 2CV wheels.

My 504 has started the slight wobble at 50-60 too, but I am sure this is the wheel bearing. Jack up the front of the car the see if there is any play by trying to twist the wheel top to bottom (not left to right !).

[macaroni]

Hi, newbie here.
Today I thrashed the living daylights out of my 205xs, as I do everyday driving to work.
I am still tuning my new Weber 38dgas carb to get rid of the flat spot, so do a few tweaks every night.

[504gld]

Hello, welcome to the forum.

Only thing I've done is spend money on ebay! Two new rear light lens for the 504 (from a bloke in Argentia!) $23, and the new wheel bearing for £8. Still have to fit the new ebay alternator £10 (yup new in the box!).

[Alfasudcrazy]

He He ;D I bought two light lenses for my 504 from the same guy a few weeks ago - one of them arrived though with a small crack on the chrome surround. I did not need them but u never know.
My 504 had its first 'moment' today when the drivers window became derailed from its runners - window could not then be closed,
Result - My 75 Daimler has been dislodged from the garage and the 504 kept indoors pending further investigation in the morning.
The chrome strip that runs at the base of the drivers door window which was always a bit loose decided to fall off in sympathy.
So much for being stubbornly reliable