Along with the advice about looking for a blown headgasket, some other
things to look for:
- Does the cooling system work as it should? Temp gauge shouldn't
spike or go much more than 1/2 way up.
- If it has ABS, does it cycle routinely?
- Auto should shift fine. Don't put it in neutral and punch it.
Stick is better.
- No boost spikes? Shouldn't be any.
- Does the detonation sensor work? Lug the car - see if you can
induce detonation. Timing should automatically back off when this event
occurs.
- General condition.
The general condition is the most important thing to consider. Does
everything work? Flashers, brake lights, backup lights?
These cars cannot have survived without a lot of luck or regular
maintenance. Everything should look great. Engine should be clean.
Are they any "ghetto" fixes? This is a common issue when someone hacks
on the car.
Some items inoperative on 50% of the cars.
- Sunroof. Probably 75% have a inop cable.
- Heated seats.
- Taillights
Items you don't want to have to shell out money for
- Sunroof cable ($350)
- Turbo (~$500)
- ABS booster / unit ($1-2000)
- Rims for ABS car (it's not the price, it's finding them in the first
place)
- Water pump & electromechanical fan ($400)
Parts for EVERYTHING can be hard to find. Smart owners get a parts car.
Smart owners also get the factory manuals (there are six - took me 18
months to get all ORIGINALS [not photocopies]). Smart owners also turn
their own wrench (or have a TRAINED mechanic close by). Most mechanics
won't work on the car as there is little current documentation and few
parts the jobber can get. The also take the time to do things
meticulously that no shop can afford to do.
I'm a pretty decent wrench (if not very slow) and a general car nut. I
come from the Toyota Supra world. I've owned my 87 turbo for 2 1/2
years and still have a lot more to learn about the car. But, there are
only a couple of issues left. It's my daily driver. We did a poll here
and about half of the 505 owners use their cars as daily drivers.
Great cars. Nothing really compares. Handling, comfort, power,
balance. But you gotta kind of love 'em to live with them. You're
pretty much on your own (or this list) when it comes to support. Three
major vendors for parts. 85% is available. Parts prices cost a little
less than Toyota parts (but, that is EXPENSIVE).
If you want a turn-key, hammer-the-car, turbo commuter, get a Volvo or
Saab. Decent cars, tons of support all over the map. But, they're not
Peugeots. Turbos have their own engine and are more "high strung" than
the normally aspirated 505s.
In short, it's an adult car. Backup car mandatory. Oftentimes you're
waiting for parts. Although it has only left me stranded once, I can
pull it out of service for a month or longer to correctly attack a
problem.
-----Original Message-----
From: peugeot-L@yahoogroups.com [mailto:peugeot-L@yahoogroups.com] On
Behalf Of wholesalebyjosh
Sent: Tuesday, May 03, 2005 11:07 PM
To: peugeot-L@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Peugeot-L] Im looking at buying a 505 turbo. Any thing I
should be looking out for?
There is a 505 turbo down the street from me. When I first saw it I
liked the "mean" look of the headlights and wanted it. I know better
than to just buy it without asking around first. What should I be
looking for? What kind of problems do these cars have? WE took a drive
in it and it seemed to shift fine, had plenty of power and the car ran
good. The body is straight and when I looked over the car quickly I
didnt see any rust. It smoked a little on startup but it smelled like
gas so I guess its running a little rich. After the test drive there
was no smoke at all. The brakes squeaked a little when stopping and I
have heard that the brake parts are expensive, anyone have any sources
for brakes? Please give me some tips and sugestions and some more info
on these cars. I dont know what year it is but Ill go by there again
tomorrow and find out.
Thanks, Josh in arizona
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Received on Wed May 4 10:05:32 2005
