New member from California!

[norcal505]

Hello everyone.
I am from California in America. I own a 1983 Peugeot 505 Sti 5-spd USA spec. I am working on a XN6 Build-up and I am still debating about a N9T swap.
Here is a picture of my car, it was bought new in July 1983 by my father, in Burlingame, California. It has been in my family for 24 years!! I have a french license plate in the front of the car. It has many modifications, such as 2 Kicker Subwoofers in the trunk, Pioneer Head Unit, and Pioneer Mid-range speakers. I also have many other mods, listed on my signature.

Brownie, can you please translate this to dutch? Thanks.

[Brownie]

Most people here will understand your explanation without problems. I like your 505. Nice colour and original, at least from the outside. But you're driving with a french license plate? Is that legal? In Europe we must have the same license plate on the front and the back!

And the white racer in your avatar, is that also yours?

[Mark]

Welcome A lot of us will not have any problems writing and reading messages in English.

[Gerard2]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._and_Canadian_license_plates
In the U.S. states of Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia, however, license plates are currently only required on the rear of the vehicle.

Therefore it is legal to attach fun plates to your front fender.

(California is not in the list of Wikipedia. Did Wikipedia forget California?)

[pEus]

Welcome norcal505,

Nice car, my father drove the same color in 1984 (till 1990).
In 1990 he bought an imported Canadian model 405 S.

Have a nice time at this forum

[505V6]

Hello there, welcome
I also had a 505 with that color from 1984. I had him from 1988 - 1998.

[norcal505]

thanks you guys about the comments on my car.
Yes, it is very (extremely rare) to see a peugeot in america now. You have a better chance of getting struck by lightning, than seeing a new peugeot. The only times when americans see peugeots, are when theyre in cities that are close to the US-mexico border, because usally mexican toursits drive in with their peugeot (but even with this, you still have a better chance of being struck with lightning)
also, there many auto plants in america, of major automakes. Sometimes, there are cars seen (withing the vicinity) of the factories/head quarters where the company might have bought a peugeot, or for example, a alfa romeo (also not in the us) to compare with their OWN future cars, or to copy or get ideas from their car specs.
Another time when we see peugeots are in places of extreme weather conditions. For example, Death Valley,CA (7 hourse from where i live), is a place where MANY car makers (european, japanese, and american), bring their cars to test things like the engine, and a/c. Also, in places like death vally, you get to see future cars, prototypes, wrapped up in black tape (most of the time), being tested on different things. For example, I was down by that area a few months ago on vacacion, and I saw: a all new Volvo S60 Mule (2009 model year), a Opel Astra (opel is not even sold in america since 1980... i believe), a Fiat (i dont know what model, but it was small, also fiat hasnt been sold in america since the mid-80's), and finally, i saw, what looked like, a Volkswagon (i dont know what kind, but it was a minivan..also not sold in america ever).

America has very boring general cars, on the most part, in my opinion. It would be a MAJOR culture shock if makes like Peugeot, Renualt, or Fiat, came back to america..


Lets get back to business, here are ONLY some pics of interesting 505's that I have (the main purpos of this thread)

[Gerard2]

a Opel Astra (opel is not even sold in america since 1980... i believe)

In the mid nineties, I have seen a number of Opel Kadett E. They were sold as Pontiac LeMans. This model was quite different from the seventies LeMans. I found out on the internet that the Opel/Pontiac was sold until 1993. I guess that’s what you call a college car.

[norcal505]

a Opel Astra (opel is not even sold in america since 1980... i believe)

In the mid nineties, I have seen a number of Opel Kadett E. They were sold as Pontiac LeMans. This model was quite different from the seventies LeMans. I found out on the internet that the Opel/Pontiac was sold until 1993. I guess that’s what you call a college car.

Yeah, but the funny thing is that you barely ever see one anymore. They're classifed by the young people, like me, as junk. There are WAY better highschool and college cars around. I would say, at least in California, the most popular college and highschool cars are: Volvo 240 series/740 series/900 series, VW's, Honda Civic, Acura Integra, BMW E30, Toyota Camry Gen 2's, Jeep Wrangler, and many other cheap 80's and 90's cars.

[Riko]

Those aren't quite college cars over here. The Jeep Wrangler is quite a car, especially in fuel economics it is not a car for the people with a light financial plate.

[Brownie]

Those aren't quite college cars over here. The Jeep Wrangler is quite a car, especially in fuel economics it is not a car for the people with a light financial plate.

That's true, most students here even don't have a car. Keep in mind too that petrol in the USA is much cheaper than in Europe.

[Edzo]

Welcome!! Nice to have an American Peugeot-owner here, and nice to read your stories about Peugeot in America.

Keep up the good work!

[norcal505]

thanks edzo.

I am trying my best to keep the "euroness" of my car in tact .
My goal is to convert this car to as much as I can, euro spec(but of course the gas tank is mounted on the right side )

[307204XSI]

Welcome, Norcal to our Peugeot-forum, interesting to read your stories.
Like your five-O-five a lot, especially the round headlights. Fantastic colour also!

I have seen on the internet before that altough peugeot's are rare in the US, sometimes they are used on the race track. Thankx for the pictures by the way.
Esecially the Nr. 87 in your avatar; that is quit a piece of machinery!!

keep up the good work for us over there, lots of fun to hear from you every now and then,

Regards,
AJ

[norcal505]

-Thanks AJ.

-oh yea, also about that license plate thing...
they're both reqiured in California, (these days), but I've been pulled-over a few times, but I dont listen .
Some police officers in some cities allow it. That's whyI I've got mine on.

Oh yea, btw...my old (registered) plate from the California DMV was..

"1FST505"

Too bad the car got in an accident, and was re-classified as salvage titile