Bramz cars. A new thread. ANOTHER one

[bramz7]

I remember buying that from an old couple in Brixton who towed it behind their ancient Merc campervan, which they'd also been selling. It was listed so badly and in the wrong section (campervan spares I think), and I got it super cheap. Probably one of the best cheap cars I ever bought. 

Unfortunately it's long dead. 

[Six-cylinder]

2 hours ago, bramz7 said:

Does anyone know what happened to the Forte which Bucketeer ended up with? That was a great AX too. 

It seems to have been off the road since Oct 2021.

It was a really nice car and I only sold it because Bucketeer was so in love with it.

The picture was when Bucketeer had both.

[bramz7]

I've clicked with this car. Utterly. New tyres now fitted (4 x Kumho), and the fog lights, to my delight, work! 

No I didn't drive around with them on, I'm not that type of person. Yet?

[bramz7]

So with two cars outgoing, I now had a reason to get another. So something simple and known for being reliable?

Nope.

Here's a clue. 

[bramz7]

And another 

[HMC]

607+ v6?

[bramz7]

Not a V6, that would be far too spicy for a mid week collection. 

Yes, I spent this morning going to Southbury (if you know, you know) to collect a £485 Peugeot 607. I was expecting some kind of drama, but the journey back was very uneventful, the gear change is incredibly smooth and the car is devoid of any peculiar noises. There is a warped disc or something, or some sort of brake bedding in, but it stops fine. Bodywork shows signs of being a big car, with marks on all four corners but little else. It was a total loss in 2016, the then (and long term owner) got it fixed and the damage appears to have been to a C pillar judging by a paint defect. It tracks straight, so it's not likely to break in half any time soon. 

There is a TPMS fault lamp screaming at me, which was convinced of a flat tyre the whole journey. Front tyres are 4 months old. Last service was last year. 

At this end of the market I need to run the car a little while before I decide what to do next. It drives far better than I thought it would, so let's see. 

[wuvvum]

2.2 HDI auto probably the best spec for one of those.  I had a 2.0 HDI manual which was a little bit underpowered and the manual 'box spoiled the waft a bit.

[mercedade]

Love these.

They did frustrate me at the time though, because they were so close to being beautiful, but never quite crossed the line. I think it's because rather than a distinct identity, it looked like a biggish 407 and a bit dumpy in the end.

Still would.

[bramz7]

@mercedade

Interesting and true observation, the same criticism aimed at the 605 in regards to the 405 although obviously a far nicer car to look like!

@wuvvum

I was trying to be stubborn and wait for a 2.0 manual but I'm glad I ended up with a 2.2 auto. I'm also glad I didn't spend what all of the mental traders want for them! 

[Schaefft]

I'm still genuinely tempted by these, especially in highest spec V6 trim. The pre-facelift could still be had with a manual and the V6 (in lhd form anyway), the much modernized facelift unfortunately didn't. I saw one of these on a busy dusty road in Marrakesh, compared to the completely trashed Renault 9s and 11s so common there it truly looked luxurious.

[HMC]

Im loving the 405 / 607 fleet- great combination. A 306 sedan would make a great trio. 

Ive often looked at 607s. Theres one close to me where the main listed car has a noisy gearbox and theres a free extra car as a gearbox donor. 

[HMC]

Or maybe a 605? 

[bramz7]

4 minutes ago, HMC said:

Im loving the 405 / 607 fleet- great combination. A 306 sedan would make a great trio. 

Ive often looked at 607s. Theres one close to me where the main listed car has a noisy gearbox and theres a free extra car as a gearbox donor. 

That's one of the very earliest 607s too. 

 

Unfortunately a 306 sedan is very unlikely! I think something Japanese to balance the two French automatics is most likely. 

[HMC]

Just now, bramz7 said:

That's one of the very earliest 607s too. 

 

Unfortunately a 306 sedan is very unlikely! I think something Japanese to balance the two French automatics is most likely. 

This is where i often fail- getting the right balance with the mix of vehicles. Would you consider JDM or prefer to stick to uk market stuff?

[bramz7]

I actually have a car from a friend in the 'pipeline' so to speak. UK market, not JDM. 

[95 quid Peugeot]

Well done Bramz, top 607ing that 2 of us with 2.2 Autos, has yours got the cool electric rear blind and heated rear seats

 

[HMC]

Do these share any underpinnings with the c6?

[somewhatfoolish]

A handsome old hector. At least PSA didn't repeat the 605 mistake and make it like the 407 but slightly bigger.

[bramz7]

3 hours ago, HMC said:

Do these share any underpinnings with the c6?

As far as I know, far more similar underneath to a 605. 

It's very compliant. Ride and handling are good, but there is no mistaking it for anything other than a big car. 

 

@95 quid Peugeot your 607 is lovely. I think I remember it from Gumtree?

[Lord Sterling]

Nice looking car, but Peugeot & Diesel, oooh, I don't know how I feel about that....

My 407 was honestly a great car, at the time. Also, the newest car I'd ever owned, but, I had just got it to almost fine fettle when it decided to implode on me, week before my holiday.

It's bean tins now. I gave to a mechanic who rather than repair it just scrapped it.

[wuvvum]

2.2 HDI generally not a bad engine to be fair, pre-emissions bollocks anyway.

[bramz7]

This helps too. Quite a bit of history with this owner. 

[Leyland Worldmaster]

22 minutes ago, bramz7 said:

This helps too. Quite a bit of history with this owner. 

Cover your personal details! ⚠️⚠️⚠️

[Tenmil Socket]

6 minutes ago, Leyland Worldmaster said:

Cover your personal details! ⚠️⚠️⚠️

I don't think they're his from 12 years ago!

Can anyone enlighten me on this 20p in the handbrake thing?

[bramz7]

They're not my details, I'm not Rod from Grays.

@Tenmil Socket

IIRC some quite angry guy on eBay was selling a white 405 a few years ago with a 20p stuck in the handbrake mechanism, and he was getting upset at loads of viewers and watchers (as the best* ones always do) and his relistings got increasingly madder. 

 

[Tenmil Socket]

26 minutes ago, bramz7 said:

They're not my details, I'm not Rod from Grays.

@Tenmil Socket

IIRC some quite angry guy on eBay was selling a white 405 a few years ago with a 20p stuck in the handbrake mechanism, and he was getting upset at loads of viewers and watchers (as the best* ones always do) and his relistings got increasingly madder. 

 

Thanks… so you mean he was unable to retrieve it? I always thought it was a way of fixing something. 

[mk2_craig]

It was a fairly basic 405 and for the time probably somewhat overpriced. Seller couldn’t understand how there was so much interest* in the car and yet nobody was convinced to pull the trigger, but the “20p coin stuck in the handbrake” issue has firmly embedded itself in Autoshite legend. 

[Lord Sterling]

3 hours ago, Tenmil Socket said:

Thanks… so you mean he was unable to retrieve it? I always thought it was a way of fixing something. 

Lol, yeah, as alluded to, when we first had an eBay thread on Autoshite some years back (waay before the non-car open forums etc..) there was soke bloke on eBay who was attempting to sell a white Peugeot 405, he mentioned that there was 20p stuck in the handbrake and that it was on his Nan' driveway, he kept on re-listing it and at one point complained about the amount of watchers there was on his listing. So a bunch of us here started adding his 405 to our watch lists and watching him get madder and madder at us watching his 405 yet attracting no bids 🤣

I also seem to remember some mad-as-a-hatter bloke who used to sell pianos and old rammle (shite cars) he had strange listings and even stranger videos. I seem to recall his name being raymanboy? And at one point he had a Chrysler Le Baron in which he put up a video of him rattling around his garden in it.

[bramz7]

 

I think it has aged fairly well from some angles. I can immediately see the 307 in it though, which given they share the same designer is a foregone conclusion. 

The interior is way better quality than I could have imagined, although the use of plastic wood is bordering insanity. 

I doubt these work, but cool. 

Patina.

It is absolutely massive, even by 2024 standards. Makes the 405 look like a car for ants. 

 

In other news, the 405 was wet as heck earlier after a serious downpour since yesterday. I knew about it already, but I don't live on a particularly hilly road. I suspect a sunroof drain is blocked by the way the water is pooling in both the rear footwell and the end of the boot, I tried the watering can trick and it didn't do anything. So I tore out all of the boot floor insulation as it was sopping wet, dried it out with kitchen roll and dumped an old towel in the footwell to soak it up. I suppose a car so well presented was going to have one or two 'moments' but wet floors really bother me. I better not look at it for a day or two.