Does anyone remember Hazel Motors North Parramatta?

One of the boys had a near purple 504 at one stage, was a very striking colour

They also used to be chev dealers before that and had, maybe still have some 20's models kicking around
 
I used to frequent Hazells in the late 70's and 80's as they carried a good parts stock. Neville and Fred were, I think, brothers and Fred would invite you in for morning tea on Saturday provided you brought the biscuits.
 
seasink said:
Is this the former dealer who had a shed full of old model Pug parts out Wilberforce way?
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Most likely. Neville had a house on Windsor Rd Box Hill and a shed or two beside/behind the house that had some old spares for Reno’s, Pugs and Alfa Romeos of all things if I remember correctly. His son Craig used to live out near Ebenezer as far as I know. It might be Craig you’re thinking of unless Neville moved out that way when he sold Box Hill. I thought he moved much further north.
 
i bought a timing gear from a dealership that had closed down at Medlow Bath in the blue mountains just up the road from the Hyro Majestic ,someone told me to call by, ask the lady in the house nxt door if i could have a look around ,it was an old school fibro servo ,she let me in and i spotted the gear new in the box on a shelf behind the counter ,out the back there was lot of parts scattered about including a Dauphine Gordini carb that i had to pass on as i didnt have the cash on me ,i had intended to return but never got there, and was told the place was dozed a short time after ,anyone remember that place .also about that time i sold the plates off a 4cv i was wrecking well technically, the complete car ,but he just took the plates, as he was trying to rego a car he had restored for his daughter, was a lot easier for my car to be mystical restored ,than go through the rego process, the old guy had a servo on the corner of Spit rd and Bickell rd Mosman in Sydney ,bought lots of parts from Chris, the E and A parts guy from the old house/ shop across the road in Ernest st crows nest all gone now
 
I asked Neville for a discount on a part once (at the Parramatta dealership) and he proceeded to fetch the company account books and showed me that they weren't making much money and therefore no discount! As mentioned above, when the Parramatta operation closed Neville worked from his home on Windsor Road at Rouse Hill, almost opposite the Mean Fiddler Hotel, about 5km from where I live. I remember once my 504 was off the road and I cycled down to Neville's to buy the part I needed. He had a very large shed there, with hoists, and had a couple of mechanics working there for a while (this would be early 1990s). That area is now covered in new apartments. I know he used to travel to all the country swap meets selling old car parts. He told me an old Chev story once where they had replaced a steering box with one from a different model Chev - when they test drove the car they turned the wheel left but the car went right!
Other dealers: I bought my first car, a pink 403, from Saville Motors at Flemington in 1969 and often bought parts from them.
I remember Don Simonetta from when I worked at Dee Why around 1972. He did a couple of jobs on my 403 - a nice guy.
Seymours on the Pacific Highway at Roseville where Rowley Pym was chief mechanic. Handy for me to buy parts on the way to work at Dee Why.
In more recent years I have used Colliers at Granville for work on various model Pugs.
Aaah the memories!
 
I am guessing that Neville was the one who moved the shed to Wilberforce later.

The Mean Fiddler is now in the middle of a vast suburbia feeding the new railway.
 
I purchased at least one of my 504s from Neville Hazell. He was a true gentleman and the way that he looked after customers was amazing. That's how I ended up going there to purchase my first 504. The recommendations from other Peugeot owners I knew at the time all pointed me to North Parramatta. And he didn't disappoint me.

About 3 months after purchasing my first (used) 504, I was out near the Warrumbungles National Park on a weekend away and had the clutch fork snap. I drove back to Sydney over the Blue Mountains, using Bell's Line of Road thinking it would have reasonable flowing traffic on a long weekend (it didn't!) and parked the car in Hazell's service driveway and dropped my key in the box. The next morning Nevill rang me at work. "What's the problem with the 504, Andrew?"
"I'm not sure, Neville. But the clutch isn't working. I can depress the pedal but it doesn't disengage."
"Hmm. We'll have a look at it for you. But do you realise that the car is out of warranty?"
"I wasn't sure, but I thought that it must be getting close."
"It isn't close, Andrew. It's 3 weeks out of warranty. But we'll see what we can do."

I got off the phone wondering where on earth I was going to find money to pay for that repair. He rang me the next morning to tell me that it was the clutch fork that had snapped. But they had repaired it already. Yikes!

Then he said, "When we sold you that car, it didn't have air conditioning in it, did it?"
"No, Neville, it didn't."
"I didn't think so. We had to remove the air conditioning to get to the clutch to repair it. How about you pay for the air conditioning to be re-gassed, and we'll cover the clutch repair. That shouldn't have happened."

Gulp. "Thanks, Neville. That's extremely kind of you."
"I like to look after my customers, Andrew. That way, I know they'll keep coming back."

This one did. And he told every other Peugeot and Renault owner where they should go for the best car service and customer service.

That conversation took place many years ago but I'm as sure as I can be that they were the exact words spoken. It is etched in my memory.

Cheers
 
Cruise504 said:
Thanks for the input guys. I'd really like to reproduce a dealer sticker (I'll go with Hazell Motors as it's the place I remember the best), but I'd need a template or something to copy. That's the hard bit!
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Hello look at modern motor and practical motorist magazines also wheels publications you find sellers at swapmeets look them up on google cheers john.
 
I used to love the Geoghegan's on Victoria Rd at Gladesville. Always a good selection of Pugs and the occasional Citroen. Now a tyre place. We lost a good mechanic too - he is now in Carlton.
 
I may have posted this but Neville’s son (Craig?) used to be on here but I can’t remember his username - something about snakebite maybe?

maybe see if you can send him a message, he may have some info on them.
 
59 Floride (sold) said:
I'm so old I can remember tony Packard. Up the Windsor road from Balkham hills

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I’m not going to play the ad at this time of the morning. I wouldn’t live to see another day if I did play it. But I’m sure that I can still hear that voice screaming at me, ‘and let me do it right for you!’

Cringe
😬
 
dvr said:
I remember them and also Cloughs on Canterbury Rd Bankstown. They were my "go to" back in the early 70's. And I'd often drop in Colliers on Woodville Rd too.
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I missed this post when I was looking at the thread before.
My neighbours in Summer Hill in the early to mid 1970s bought their Renault 10 (which they were both smitten with!) from Cloughs.

And talking about Canterbury Rd, Bankstown, reminds me that I used to go to an independent Peugeot mechanic also on Canterbury Rd. It was down a short but steep driveway, between two buildings and very easy to miss. That was in the mid ‘70s as I had purchased my 404 in 1974.

Later on, with a 504, or two, I used to go to Steve Dixon who was in Punchbowl in an industrial complex.

After my wife had written off the 1978 504 ‘Special’, we purchased a ‘76 model LTI from a French panel beater in Sefton Park, I think. That car was expertly looked after by Peter Portelli just at the train station at Turella. Ian Robbo also worked there. Dr Karl with his 504 wagon, I think, was one of the regular customers at Peter Portelli.
 
505604 said:
I missed this post when I was looking at the thread before.
My neighbours in Summer Hill in the early to mid 1970s bought their Renault 10 (which they were both smitten with!) from Cloughs.

And talking about Canterbury Rd, Bankstown, reminds me that I used to go to an independent Peugeot mechanic also on Canterbury Rd. It was down a short but steep driveway, between two buildings and very easy to miss. That was in the mid ‘70s as I had purchased my 404 in 1974.

Later on, with a 504, or two, I used to go to Steve Dixon who was in Punchbowl in an industrial complex.

After my wife had written off the 1978 504 ‘Special’, we purchased a ‘76 model LTI from a French panel beater in Sefton Park, I think. That car was expertly looked after by Peter Portelli just at the train station at Turella. Ian Robbo also worked there. Dr Karl with his 504 wagon, I think, was one of the regular customers at Peter Portelli.
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Where is Steve now ?
 
pugrambo said:
Where is Steve now ?
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Good question, ‘rambo. And one to which I don’t know the answer.

As you no doubt are aware, I don’t live in Sydney, and I haven’t done for many years. I also try my hardest to not visit the place, either! Any time I do get the urge to visit Sydney for whatever reason, I lie down until the urge goes away.

I can sort of visualise the location and the workshop. But all that was 25 plus years ago and I have no idea if he is still ‘there’. I would really like to see him (and his office) again. He had a good ‘mechanic’s monthly calendar’ on his office wall which I was very negligent in not getting a copy. I haven’t been able to find it anywhere since. As I remember it, It had no Fridays or dates 30 or 31. There were other peculiarities, of course, but those two stuck out for me. No Fridays? Everyone wants their car back by Friday, so if there are no Fridays, then he’s not going to be rushed. And no 30/31 dates because all of the bills are due on one of those dates and so accounts never have to be paid. The logic is flawless!

And Steve really disliked being called a mechanic. According to him, he was an engineer.

What’s your connection to Steve, ‘rambo?

Cheers,
Andrew
 
Neville moved to rouse hill and sold many renault/peugeot parts from a shed and had a workshop at his residence there. Last I was there was I reckon in mid 1990s, I bought a very nice steering wheel for 504 from him.
 
Cruise504 said:
How about any old dealer memories? I remember another small Peugeot garage in Moss Vale, that may still be there. Then there was Roy McPhee and Leo Geoghegan's place on Victoria Road. Any good (or bad) memories?
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I only found my receipt from W.Roy McPhee the other day for my 205GTi. Man I paid too much for that car ! What a funny little setup down there in Concord.

Wasn't Paul Vassallo in the back of Leo Geoghegans place ? We both moved to the other end of Sydney from each other but I still go to him !

Cheers

Justin
 
Wasn't Paul Vassallo in the back of Leo Geoghegans place ?
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Yes. It was a place to stop, and look about. Damon Beck had it after Leo, even though he was quite unwell.
 
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