I'm writing from the Vancouver, B.C., Canada area.
Background...
I'd never really considered a Peugeot until I test drove a 1984 505 S back
in 1991. I'd always liked the styling and still think that the 505 is the
best looking Peugeot since WWII, including current models. The first thing
that impressed me was the seats; probably even better that in my
earlier-owned Citroen ID 19. The next item was the incredibly beautiful
smooth gearshift linkage. The acceleration was only adequate but the engine
was very flexible, so much so that the first gear ratio seemed much too
low. However, on the road the car moved along quite well once you got it
rolling, and it was on the road where I fell in love. A car hadn't grabbed
me this much since my old 58 Mercedes 219 sedan. The suspension and
steering were everything that S&S should be. I found that you could
maintain a very fast pace through corners on a poorly paved road. The
suspension just soaked up everything, without pounding the car or upsetting
the balance and feel. I was impressed and HAD to own this car!
Well, to cut a long story short (there was a potential major cylinder head
defect) I didn't buy it, and spent the next four years looking for the
perfect Peugeot. I ended up buying the 86 505 STI mentioned as the subject
of this e-mail. I bought it from White Rock Sports and Imports and probably
paid too much but the body and interior were in excellent shape, and it had
those beautiful STI mag wheels. For those of you in the Vancouver area
reading this...DO NOT DEAL WITH WHITEROCK SPORTS & IMPORTS. If you must buy
a car from them (being a Peugeot dealer they get them as trade-ins and
sometimes have a selection) cut the best deal you can on the car and run.
Then take it somewhere else to get it sorted out. Two very good places are
John's Thistle Auto (946-6626), in Ladner, and PCM (266-3309) located at
8850 Osler in Marpole. PCM was a Peugeot dealer and carries about $40,000
worth of inventory.
I really like my STI and intend to keep on gradually restoring it until
everything mechanical is working as new. One thing that is really
disappointing though, is the suspension. Although the car handles very
well, the suspension doesn't have the compliant feel of the first 505 S
that I drove back in '91. It's much harsher and detracts from the enjoyment
of driving. At higher speeds it gets better, but around town it's annoying.
I've replaced the rear shocks (which made no difference) and the front
struts seem to be OK. I've been told that the STI has firmer suspension
than the 'S' but what I'm putting up with is ridiculous. Anybody got any
comments or solutions?
The car had about 245,000 km on it when I bought it and I added Duralube
when doing the first oil change. I've found that this product works very
well but don't expect instant results. It takes several months of normal
driving before it becomes noticeable. The engine seems to spin up much
better now and, depending on the humidity, temperature, and which French
holiday it is, the car will really accelerate quite well. You can actually
feel the seat rest more firmly against you back during the process.
I've mail-ordered parts from Maywood Peugeot (Maywood, NJ). They are very
co-operative and extremely knowledgeable. Talk to John.
OK, some questions...
Anyone got any advice, comments, solutions about the rock-solid suspension
on my STI? It's almost as harsh as a bug-eye sprite.
Anyone got any experience with the 505 Turbo? Every one that I come across
is an automatic, and any that were 5 speeds seem to have a non-turbo engine
retrofitted. Are the turbo models prone to self-destruction or are they
fine if you're not stupid about caring for the turbo?
Are there any places like the French Revolution (Austin, TX) who restore
Peugeots, but more local to the Vancouver area? Seattle wouldn't be too far
to go.
That's all for now, except that I hope these cars become cult classics sometime.
Steve Coleman
SCN@MDA.CA