Launched in 1968 at the height of a period of industrial and political unrest in France, the four-door Peugeot 504 was complemented by the motoring press of the day for its styling, ride, interior comfort and refinement and the following year was voted European Car of the Year. A column-change, four-speed gearbox driving the rear wheels was fitted as standard and a three-speed ZF automatic gearbox was offered as an option, while independent suspension soaked up the bumps.
In 1969 Peugeot upped the game and added the now rare and expensive Pininfarina-built two-door coupé and cabriolet versions to its top-selling 504 range. Prior to 1970, the 504 saloon was offered solely with a 79bhp 1796cc four-cylinder petrol engine with the option of fuel injection. After 1970 a new range of engines was offered alongside the original 1.8-litre unit. These included a carburettor-fed 1971cc four-cylinder petrol unit, again available with optional fuel injection, and a frugal 2112cc 65bhp naturally-aspirated diesel unit.
The 504 range was expanded again with the addition of a five-door estate (including a seven-seater ‘Familiale’ version) and a two-door pick-up. Both the estate and pick-up versions of the 504 had their independent rear suspension replaced by a live rear axle dampened by four coil springs, shock absorbers and torque tubes.
In 1973, Peugeot boosted the appeal of the 504 coupé and cabriolet by offering a 136bhp 2664cc V6 that had been developed in conjunction with Volvo and arch-rival Renault. Peugeot continued to improve and uprate the popular 504 range throughout the ‘Seventies and in 1976 introduced a more powerful 70bhp 2304cc diesel engine. Although production of the 504 came to an end in France in 1983, a five-speed version of the pick-up could still be purchased in Europe right up to 1993. The hard-wearing Peugeot 504 was a real ‘world car’ and was produced in Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, South Africa, Taiwan, Egypt and remained in production in Kenya until 2004 and in Nigeria up to 2005 where it was known as the ‘Lion of Africa’. However, even that wasn’t the end as it wasn’t until 2009 that the 504 faded into history when the four-seater pick-up ended production in China.
BODYWORK
Although this Peugeot’s bodywork is robust, rust dealt the death knell to many a 504, so it’s important to check the following areas for corrosion:
* The front wings along the seams with the lamp panel, lower valance, inner wings, behind the wheels, bonnet slam panel, all down the rear edge, as well as the front and rear of the top edges
* Check to the seams of the inner front wings, especially around the MacPherson strut suspension mounts
* The floorpans along the joins with the sills, transmission tunnel, both the bulkheads and the reinforcing crossmembers on the cabriolet versions
* The lower part of the rear wings and inner ‘arches
* The front and rear of the sills and along the bottom of the entire panel (check the drain holes are clear)
* Under the front and rear screen rubbers and the air box in front of the windscreen
* Bottoms of all four doors plus under rubbers and trim
* Around the sunroof opening as well as the sliding panel (check the drain exits are clear)
* The boot floor, sides and spare wheel well
* The base of the A- and B-pillars (also check where the door hinges mount)
* The leading edge of the bonnet and the bottom lip of the boot lid
* The base of the tailgate on the estates, plus the load bed area on the pick-ups
* The chassis rails, especially where the torsion bars and suspension arms are mounted
* The front and rear valences and bumper mountings
ENGINE
As well as the V6 fitted to the 504 coupé and cabriolet, two four-cylinder petrol engines (1796cc and 1971cc) were offered in Europe along with three diesel options. Spares are in reasonably good supply, especially for the oil-burners as some of these units were also fitted to the Ford Sierra and Granada. The main points to check at each service are as follows:
* Drain and refill the engine oil and renew the filter ever 3000 miles or annually, whichever comes soonest
* Change the air filter every 3000 miles or annually, whichever comes soonest
* Check the concentration of the anti-freeze at every service and renew the coolant every 6000 miles
* Drain and back flush the radiator every 12,000 miles
* Change the fuel filter (model dependant) at every service
* On the petrol engines, check and clean the ignition points gap every 3000 miles and adjust if necessary
* Renew the points every 12,000 miles together with the condenser
* Inspect and adjust if necessary the non-hydraulic tappets every 3000 miles
* Inspect the condition of the ignition leads and the distributor cap every 3000-miles service
* Lubricate the distributor spindle with a few drops of light oil at every service
* Check the fuel/air mix on the carburettor-equipped models at every service and adjust the idle speed if necessary (petrol and diesel injection system adjustments should be left to an expert)
* Carefully inspect the condition of the auxiliary drivebelt at every service and renew if frayed or cut
* Keep the battery fully charged if you’re storing the car for a prolonged period
GEARBOX & DRIVETRAIN
* Check the level of the gearbox (including the automatic option) and rear axle oil every 3000 miles or annually, whichever soonest
* Drain and refill the gearbox and rear axle oil every 15,000 miles
* Replace the fluid and filter in the automatic transmission every 45,000 miles
* Check the gearbox rubber mountings every service
* Replace worn bushes in the gearchange linkage if gears become hard to engage
* Synchromesh on second gear can wear and worn bearings will make the ‘box noisy
* Inspect the condition of the propshaft centre bearing and universal joints (plus the ones in the driveshafts on the independently sprung models)
* Severe oil leaks from the tail of the gearbox, the nose of the differential or the rear hubs will require new seals
SUSPENSION, STEERING & BRAKES
* All the steering and suspension joints should be lubricated for life – so there’s no need to grease
* Carefully inspect all the steering joints and the rack for wear and check the rubber boots and gaiters for tears and splits
* Have the steering geometry checked if any new suspension/steering components are fitted
* Lubricate the steering rack every 3000 miles or annually as per the instructions in the owners’ manual
* Check the front and rear discs and pads for scoring and wear, including the rear drums and shoes where fitted
* Inspect all the brake lines for signs of corrosion, chaffing on the bodywork and fluid leaks
* Check the automatic adjustment of the handbrake at every service and lubricate the cable pivots and quadrants with copper-based grease
* Re-grease and adjust the front wheel bearings every 24,000 miles
* Check the brake master cylinder, servo, callipers and back plates on the drum brakes for leaks at every service
* Regularly inspect the condition of all four tyres and rotate the wheels to avoid flat spots developing during storage
TECH SPEC
YEARS MADE: 1968-1983
NUMBER BUILT: 3,276,288
PRICE NEW: £1499 (for the 1.8 four-door in 1969)
RANGE OF ENGINES: 1796cc & 1971cc 4-cyl & 2664cc V6 petrol (coupé and cabriolet) 1948cc, 2112cc & 2304cc 4-cyl diesel
POWER: 87bhp (1.8-litre)
TOP SPEED: 98mph
0-60MPH: 15.9 secs
GEARBOX: 4-spd man
ECONOMY: 25.8mpg
WEIGHT: 1223.5kg
HOW MUCH?
Right-hand drive Peugeot 504 saloons and estates are rare beasts (especially the once popular seven-seater ‘Familiale’ version) and finding ones in good order can be challenging. The rare coupés and cabriolets are the most expensive and while the pick-ups are more plentiful they aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. It’s probably easier to purchase a decent 504 in left-hand drive, but whichever side of the car the steering wheel is on you should expect to pay anywhere between £2500 and £4000 for a really good example. Beware that African imports may’ve covered many thousands of miles on unsurfaced or poorly made roads. They’re also unlikely to have received the same level of underbody protection at the factory as European cars enjoyed. Our sister website (www.carandclassic.co.uk) is currently advertising a handful of 504s, ranging from a clean looking ‘extensively restored’ 1974 two-litre petrol-powered Super Deluxe estate for £3950 to a ‘100 per cent original’ project saloon for £1500. We wish you good hunting.
