5k Flash: French Fries: 1979 Peugeot 504D Diesel Wagon, Rare

We’ve never seen a Peugeot 504 wagon in the flesh and find this diesel estate to be somewhat of a conundrum.  The driving experience and build quality are below par, but somehow we are still drawn by the sweet aroma of diesel fuel and the clack-ity-clack of its compression ignition engine.  Find this 1979 Peugeot 504D Diesel wagon in San Diego, CA for $3,999 on ebay from one of the more interesting re-seller of ‘one-owner’ vehicles and cereal marshmallows — pebbleandrock!

This 504 isn’t in mint condition and it is being sold by (at the least) its second owner who says it is a one-owner car…but he purchased it making him the 2nd owner.  Pre-carfax/autocheck cars also have no reliable way to verify ownership history, so you have to use names on old registration slips, calls to backwater DMV offices, or some other method to determine owner history.

The oil-burning lump under the hood is a 2.3 liter inline-4 cylinder diesel engine that puts out 69 horsepower and 97 ft-lbs of torque on a good day. With a decent tail wind you can expect 0-60 mph in just under 20 seconds and a top speed of 89 mph. 

This 504D actually doesn’t look that bad on the inside and we would expect at least half of the switches/buttons to still work. Maybe that is a bit generous. At least the seats look very Mercedes-esque and should be quite comfortable.

Adding additional mystery is the use of vintage California blue plate on the front and Montana plates on the rear…perhaps this car has some sort of rare dual-registration status that allows it to violate California vehicle code section 5201.  Anyway this thing needs to be converted to veggie oil for the ultimate french fry machine!

See a nicer French oil burner? email us here: tips@dailyturismo.com