It is a Canadian model 404 Coupé with second generation Kugelfischer mechanical fuel injection. Canadian cars had a few differences from EU market ones: red rear indictor lenses (I still have red ones plus one spare red one, but I will use orange), sealed beam headlights (mine's been refitted with SAE mount Cibié Z-Beam H4s), MPH speedometer and the Nardi floor gearshift. Peugeot Canada Ltd. decided that a car like this must have "four on the floor" in this market.
It was built in April 1966 and sent to Canada in May 1966. Likely arriving here in June, it was in Peugeot Canada's stock for nearly a year before it was sold by Kalsbeek Motors Ltd. in Bramalea Ontario, near Toronto. I am in touch with the Kalsbeek family today and they remember this car well. Why? Because a lawyer from Victoria British Columbia - Lloyd McKenzie (later a justice on the BC Supreme Court) bought it from them in early summer 1967 on the condition that after he had finished using it to drive to Montreal to visit Expo'67 that the owners themselves would drive it out to him on the west coast. They did, and upon seeing BC for the first time, they decided to sell the dealership and move to Vancouver.
I spoke with Lloyd McKenzie in 1990 and he told me that he enjoyed this car a lot, driving it daily until 1974, when he traded it in on a new BMW 3.0 CSi in Vancouver, upon his appointment to the bench. He recalled getting a speeding ticket in 1967 on Ontario's Highway 401, for doing over 100 MPH, on his way to Montreal!
The second owner was Hugh Roberts of West Vancouver and he drove it until 1980. I saw this very car on the road in 1979 - ten years before I bought it - but I was unable due to traffic to chase him down to get more information. Around 1986 this car reappeared at a small workshop in North Vancouver and a friend - Dave Price - told me about it. I went to see it but the owner wanted too much money for me, being a student in university. It was starting to get rusty. Then in early 1989, after the car had been left outdoors in rainy North Vancouver for two years, I contacted Hugh again and managed to convince him to part with it for $500, on the promise that it would be restored.
And then it sat for decades in my garage....I drove it a total of only 2000 km in the 27 year period until the restoration began.
Sadly both Lloyd and Hugh have passed away now but I did keep my promise!
Last edited by Mike T on 02 Oct 2021, 07:13, edited 1 time in total.
The NOS body panels that I had were blasted too and returned to the shop in Victoria. Two floor halves, all 4 wings, one sill, McPherson strut reinforcements, headlight rings the bucket is bolted to, among others.
This is what I hoped for. The level of detail and sharpness of the images make it easier to define the construction. These images will sit here for others to see and study - thanks.
And for anyone else out there with photos of "things" from other models (old or new) then this will help others to study and figure out the location and function/relationship of parts. Even wiring harness details are so invaluable. Boring to some, not to others. Posterity will thank you, trust me.
Cut off one of the McPherson strut damper nuts as it was seized:
Rebuilt the dampers with NOS units by Peugeot (the aftermarket cartridges are all rubbish: Koni and Boge at least, both of which I tried in other 404s)
That's Mike grams, the owner of Coachwerks, waling on the left of the car.
This fellow, Patrick Higgins, did the metalwork on the car. Here is is describing taking the front crossmember off and shaking it like a Maraca, so much crusty rust was inside. A new one replaced it, of course.
Last edited by Mike T on 03 Oct 2021, 06:41, edited 1 time in total.
In the second post in this thread I mentioned that the car was from Kalsbeek Motors in Bramalea. Well, one of the Kalsbeek family members, Harry, had a set of exact replica dealer stickers made up and gave several to me! He also had some door jamb stickers made up too. Very lovely gift.
Cleaning and checking the Nardi shifter. Notably, it has a tiny sump under the shift lever, to lubricate the mechanism.
Removing 2 Circlips and you can see more....
Bronze shifter bushing....
Closeup of the bushing:
Reassembly begins.
Closed up with Hylomar Blue.
Mini-sump plug (for refills).
...et le plein avec Yacco huile de ricin ( pourquoi pas ? ). Fini !