Restoration of a Canadian 404C

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Mike T
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Restoration of a Canadian 404C

Unread post by Mike T »

Coachwerks in Victoria BC restored the bodyshell of my 1966 Peugeot 404C Injection, number 4598609.

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Note the KF2 Injection engine, now on the stand in the photo

The new old stock body panels (floors, front and rear wings, other panels, all in NOS) were dropped off at the blasting shop in November 2016.

I'll update this from time to time and eventually get it up to date.
1966 Peugeot 404 Coupé Injection
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Mike T
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Re: Restoration of a Canadian 404C

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First, a bit of history about my car:

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.
1966 Peugeot 404 Coupé Injection
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xantia_v6
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Re: Restoration of a Canadian 404C

Unread post by xantia_v6 »

That will be a very nice car when it is done. The coupe and cabriolet are some of the best proportioned cars of their era.

It is nice that you know the history of the car.
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Mike T
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Re: Restoration of a Canadian 404C

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After blasting....
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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.
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Mike T
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Re: Restoration of a Canadian 404C

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floor work commences on the rotisserie

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Left front floor detail

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Seen from front

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Work in progress seen from inside the car.
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Mike T
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Re: Restoration of a Canadian 404C

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Meanwhile in early 2017 I began work on the mechanical components, with everything being replaced with Peugeot new old stock parts.
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Mike T
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Re: Restoration of a Canadian 404C

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New foam for the seats. We hd heater elements installed under the leather, to be shown later....
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Mike T
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Re: Restoration of a Canadian 404C

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Floors were completed by the end of January 2017 and work began on the rear end.Image

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Mike T
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Re: Restoration of a Canadian 404C

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After the rear jack mounts and inner wing areas had been tidied up, the right rear NOS wing was welded on. Left rear still to be done. February 2017.Image

A week later the other was done, again after all the innner metalwork had been redone, including the installation of two new jack mounts.Image

Repainting and replacing seals and vegetable oil on the worm driven torque tube rear axle....Image
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Dormouse
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Re: Restoration of a Canadian 404C

Unread post by Dormouse »

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.
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Mike T
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Re: Restoration of a Canadian 404C

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AEG electric fuel lift pump cover painted in POR-15

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Rebuilt wiper mechanism with new spindles (different part from the ubiquitous saloon!)

With the rear of the car and the floors and sills done, the serious work on the front end began:Image

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Mike T
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Re: Restoration of a Canadian 404C

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More metalwork underway:
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Cut off one of the McPherson strut damper nuts as it was seized:
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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)
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That's Mike grams, the owner of Coachwerks, waling on the left of the car.

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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.
1966 Peugeot 404 Coupé Injection
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Mike T
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Re: Restoration of a Canadian 404C

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Coachwerks also painted a few mechanical parts for me. Front brake backing plates, vacuum tank, fresh air intake grille.
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Rebuilt pedals and cleaned rust off pivot shaft
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Body in white, so to speak, with me next to it.
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Mike T
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Re: Restoration of a Canadian 404C

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First colour coat: engine compartment
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Strut reassembly:
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Primed and final blocking underway, May 2017:
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Checking trim fits:
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Mike T
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Re: Restoration of a Canadian 404C

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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.
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Cleaning and checking the Nardi shifter. Notably, it has a tiny sump under the shift lever, to lubricate the mechanism.
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Removing 2 Circlips and you can see more....
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Bronze shifter bushing....
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Closeup of the bushing:
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Reassembly begins.
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Closed up with Hylomar Blue.
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Mini-sump plug (for refills).
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...et le plein avec Yacco huile de ricin ( pourquoi pas ? ). Fini !
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1966 Peugeot 404 Coupé Injection
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