1964 Peugeot 404 Superluxe Sedan from Finland
- I. Leinonen wrote :
"... I sold my old computer and some av-equipment to get some
'spare' money to spend... well... I followed ads about 404s for
several weeks and found the SL model, 1964, museum registered with
well-known history, 170 km away from Helsinki. So I took my friend
and went to see this car. Owner was a nice elderly fellow having
several Peugeots, he was just about to finish restoration for his
blue 404 and had already decided to sell this other 404, a red one
when his own project was ready; he didn't have a place where to
put this second car for the winter. He had bought this red one seven
months earlier from another museum car collector, who is also an
official museum car inspector. He went just to buy some spare parts
for his restoration project but after seeing this red car he wanted
to buy it. This museum car inspector had redone the leather interior
by a specialist, it's handmade and the quality of the labour is
really good.
So the car changed owner, new owner added some more details and
got it museum registered easily afterwards. He had done 3500 km
while owning the car seven months, so I believe it must have been
in reliable condition.
We searched for rust on the car but couldn't find any. The engine
was working nicely, leather interior looked superb. Owner honestly
told us the weak points: one tooth missing from gearbox first speed,
which could be heard and the famous rear axle was making some noise.
Being a nice person, he gave me a complete spare gearbox and a whole
rear axle! Dashboard was a bit worn, so he also gave me a much better
looking one from his spare-parts car, which he had bought while
doing his own restoration project. He promised other parts free
of charge, if I just happen to need something that he still has
on his spare part car " ....
"I've joined Finnish Peugeot Club, we have meetings once in
a month. They are a nice group of people, they have promised to
help me to take good care of my car.
There is a very good collection of spare parts for most old Peugeots,
also for 404. The previous owner of my 404 belongs to this same
club, there's no way that club members cheat each other... I drove
about 500 km before putting it up for a little rest during the winter
time. It does easily 140 km/h, it's really rust free, engine is
very good, oil has been changed 6 months ago and it's still clear
and the leather interior is just lovely! I will get the other dashboard
painted in the nearby future and then I change it. The Club has
a fellow who knows everything from transmission and gearbox, he'll
fix it next spring."
"Why did I want to buy a 404? Well, my father had, in Sixties,
some Peugeots, first a 403, then three 404s. I liked the design
of the car then and I still do. It's ageless, looks always modern
and classic with real style. I like the colour too, suits perfectly
the 404. Door panels are originals. The metal frame for the windshield
is missing, it will be added before next summer."
It certainly is a very nice looking 404!
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