Description
A very rare and beautiful little PEUGEOT! You'll love it from the first moment you see it - we love it! History The story of the 304 began in April 1965, when Peugeot launched the 204. It was the marque's first front-wheel-drive car: a resolutely modern design with a transversely mounted all-alloy 1. 1-litre OHC engine, fully independent suspension and front disc brakes, all wrapped in a 4-door body designed by the PEUGEOT styling office at La Garenne-Colombes, headed by engineer Paul BOUVOT. The 204 soon spawned a number of variants, including a station wagon, a coupé and a cabriolet. But the little Peugeot, although very successful, was somewhat limited in its appeal. To win over a wider customer base, Peugeot had to offer a little more car. At the Paris Motor Show in October 1969, the 304 was unveiled: it was clearly a 204 body with a boot 15 cm longer and a somewhat new face (the distinctive trapezoidal headlights of the 504), but in between, everything was strictly identical to the 204. Except for the engine, which was a 1, 288 cm3 with 65 bhp to power the slightly longer saloon. It was called the XL3. The gamble paid off, with the 304 boosting sales in the brand's mid-range segment in the early 1970s. It was a real commercial success with the 204 in all its variants. PEUGEOT sold 1. 2 million 304s in addition to the 1. 6 million 204s. 60, 186 304 Coupes were produced between March 1970 and July 1975. Description: This is a little PEUGEOT that will bring back memories. Personally, as an early member of the 204 / 304 Cab & Co Club with my 1973 304 cabriolet S, it is with great nostalgia and pleasure that we present for sale this magnificent Coupé that we have prepared to present at the RETROMOBILE show. A nurse's car, this little PEUGEOT has been lovingly cared for and has not suffered from corrosion. We gave it a complete overhaul, taking care not to find any rust in the wings or door sills, which was absolutely not the case. What luck! All the moulding fasteners were changed, as well as as as many gaskets as we could find, and the engine compartment was repainted in the original colour. Mechanically, the engine underwent a complete restoration, including a new sleeve/ piston, connecting rod bearing, crankshaft, cylinder head inspection, new water pump, new hoses and new water pump. As for the gearbox, we changed all the gear selector rods and the gear lever bellows. The car runs like clockwork and you're ready for new adventures with this solid, reliable engine. As for the brakes, we changed the master cylinder, the wheel cylinders and all the brake hoses. In addition, we changed the 4 tyres, the exhaust, the 2 universal joints, the fuel pump and the block cylinders, all while keeping the front cradle in perfect condition, which is the bête noire on these little PEUGEOTs, which tend to corrode. The interior is in perfect condition, with no tears in the seats, which are comfortable, and the dashboard is as it was originally, with no creaks and very vintage. The carpet is clean, the door panels complete and so is the roof lining. There is a small hole in the headliner in the boot lid area. The windscreen is in perfect condition, as are the headlights. Note that the front lights are bi-iode, which provides more powerful illumination at night when the headlights are on. The rims have been repainted, which gives the car a nice look. Importantly, when you look at the car, it's in line with its suspension, not too low at the front and not too high at the rear. The shock absorbers fitted are the right ones, because often those fitted to an estate or saloon were not at the right height. The bumpers are in perfect condition, with rubber seals. On the road, it's a delight, the 304 goes well and you get the same driving sensations as in the past with this rear-wheel drive car, which is new for PEUGEOT, the gearbox is well spaced and the gears shift well. Comfort is optimal, the seats are well padded and the driving position is unique. What a treat! It's a very modern car to drive with the gears on the floor, a popular little French car that's rare on our roads! Our verdict This PEUGEOT, which bears witness to the company's own design and which, along with the 204, will enable PEUGEOT to maintain its strong position in mid-range vehicle sales. It will have marked generations and will fall victim to the Jupette and Balladurette trade-in operations, which will wreak havoc on our fleet...
