Peugeot 404 Fuel Injected in Australia
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I recall seeing one in Canberra in the late 1970's. It was rare then. Would be even rarer now.
Ian.
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Not sold here.
There were a few privately imported. The old dealer in Ballarat (Vic Wendt) had an English specification KF2. They were not cheap in England and the price here would have been steep. They were sold by Kriewoldts in PNG, quite cheaply because they didn't have much duty. They used to be offloaded in Sydney and reloaded. They were quite a temptation sitting on the wharf with the keys in next to 204's.
The only time I recall ever seeing one here was when I had my white 404, which dates it to somewhere between 1977 and 1981.
I was driving up Wakehurst Parkway and there was a white 404 sedan on my rear, and he went to overtake. I remember thinking "yeah good luck with that mate".
Well he shot past so fast that I nearly got out of my car to see why it had stopped. I do recall thinking that there must be something special about this one. I looked at the back, and saw the Injection badge, somewhat expecting that that was what I might see.
First and last one I've seen here or heard of (that I can recall).
The injection engine was first shown at the Geneva Motor Show of 1961, and first used in the 404 Cabriolet which appeared at the 1961 Paris Motor Show, making it a 1962 model year.
It had 85hp SAE, versus the 72 of the standard engine. Curiously it was still rated at 9CV fiscal. The motor found its way into the Coupé and Super Luxe sedan for my1963.
The normal sedan cost 11,200 francs and the SL was 12,500 francs, so it was 11.6% dearer.
It was discontinued in 1969 with the imminent arrival of the 504. By this time, the carby engine had been tweaked to 80hp SAE, and the injection had similar % gain, up to 96hp.
I was driving up Wakehurst Parkway and there was a white 404 sedan on my rear, and he went to overtake. I remember thinking "yeah good luck with that mate".
Well he shot past so fast that I nearly got out of my car to see why it had stopped. I do recall thinking that there must be something special about this one. I looked at the back, and saw the Injection badge, somewhat expecting that that was what I might see.
First and last one I've seen here or heard of (that I can recall).
The injection engine was first shown at the Geneva Motor Show of 1961, and first used in the 404 Cabriolet which appeared at the 1961 Paris Motor Show, making it a 1962 model year.
It had 85hp SAE, versus the 72 of the standard engine. Curiously it was still rated at 9CV fiscal. The motor found its way into the Coupé and Super Luxe sedan for my1963.
The normal sedan cost 11,200 francs and the SL was 12,500 francs, so it was 11.6% dearer.
It was discontinued in 1969 with the imminent arrival of the 504. By this time, the carby engine had been tweaked to 80hp SAE, and the injection had similar % gain, up to 96hp.
Hi Alan
Private import only, as noted
Must have been a few private imports as I have managed to get my hands on 2 KF2 pumps, one of which is in my 404
My spare pump has just had an expensive holiday in Germany and we are still battling to get the tune right, but with the other pump ( once tuning sorted ----) it did make a big difference, the main one being much better performance between 100 and 160 k than the carby version. Mid range power meant rather less gear changing too.
It also gave quite good fuel economy once sorted, even when flogged hard. When moving house a couple of years ago it did many k towing rather overloaded trailers up into the dandenongs, overtaking at will when safe opportunity presented and gave 25 mpg doing so
Cruising at 150k , when one could get away with it, was rather less economical, but 32-35 mpg on brisk cruising(100-130 ) on good roads was usual.
Currently battling to achieve this with reconditioned pump, but will get there . The reputation is that they are tricky to tune but then bulletproof provided you leave them alone, ensure clean fuel and keep full of oil. This was experience with previous pump but I had to go for reco because of major oil leak from it.
It is a pity that more did not come out
Best Wishes
Andrew
Private import only, as noted
Must have been a few private imports as I have managed to get my hands on 2 KF2 pumps, one of which is in my 404
My spare pump has just had an expensive holiday in Germany and we are still battling to get the tune right, but with the other pump ( once tuning sorted ----) it did make a big difference, the main one being much better performance between 100 and 160 k than the carby version. Mid range power meant rather less gear changing too.
It also gave quite good fuel economy once sorted, even when flogged hard. When moving house a couple of years ago it did many k towing rather overloaded trailers up into the dandenongs, overtaking at will when safe opportunity presented and gave 25 mpg doing so
Cruising at 150k , when one could get away with it, was rather less economical, but 32-35 mpg on brisk cruising(100-130 ) on good roads was usual.
Currently battling to achieve this with reconditioned pump, but will get there . The reputation is that they are tricky to tune but then bulletproof provided you leave them alone, ensure clean fuel and keep full of oil. This was experience with previous pump but I had to go for reco because of major oil leak from it.
It is a pity that more did not come out
Best Wishes
Andrew
The KF1 was a problem. Suffered bearing failures with the 3 bearing crankshaft. The French used car trade wouldn't touch them.
Many years ago I remember someone at a PCCV meeting tell how Regan Motors imported kits to modify carb 404s to injection 404s. Don't know if it is true but there was the odd one around. In the late '70s I drove a 404 Injection from Melbourne down to Hastings. Great memories of that drive.
I remember driving up from melb to Sydney in 1968 on highway 1 in a 61 citroen ID struggling up a hill and being passed by a white 404 injection with WA plates. I used to see a white one around hawthorn with plates JR404 apparently owned by John Regan of Regan motors
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Wrong
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In later years JR 404 had been converted to sidedraft Webers. Driven as a daily by Albert Johnson, the head mechanic.
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3 main bearing engines used to rattle a bit in carby form but never gave any problems. 1.6 engines in general where a bit rough with vibrations when revved. Problem was cured with the 2 litre for some reason.
Around 1970 Torque published a translation from a French magazine detailing the problems with the KF1. I don't have a copy but it will be in the PCCV archive.
Distributors Peugeot in England would facilitate the import of Peugeots into Australia. A 404 imported in 1961 cost on the high side of 1600 pounds and an English spec KF2 was closer to 2000 pounds. The English KF2 was top of the range specification with leather and metallic paint.
There was never a prospect of the 404 injection being marketed Australia when the right hand drive KF2 became available in 1965. Continental & General had enough problems as it was. The standard 404 had proved too expensive to sell at 1450 pounds and a dearer model would have been in a lonely price range.
Distributors Peugeot in England would facilitate the import of Peugeots into Australia. A 404 imported in 1961 cost on the high side of 1600 pounds and an English spec KF2 was closer to 2000 pounds. The English KF2 was top of the range specification with leather and metallic paint.
There was never a prospect of the 404 injection being marketed Australia when the right hand drive KF2 became available in 1965. Continental & General had enough problems as it was. The standard 404 had proved too expensive to sell at 1450 pounds and a dearer model would have been in a lonely price range.
Correction:
The XCKF1 had 5 main bearings.
The XCKF had 3 main bearings.
The XCKF2 had - of course - 5 main bearings.
We never had any dealings with the earlier engines. I incorrectly assumed they were all defined as KF1. The French magazines never used engine designations when talking of the early injections.
The 404 KF2 in Super Luxe trim was 400 pounds more that the standard 404 in England on release in 1965. At 1495 pounds about the same as a Jaguar 3.4 and 200 pounds more than a Rover 2000. That would have translated into an impossible Australian price of nearly 2000 pounds.
The 404 KF2 in Super Luxe trim was 400 pounds more that the standard 404 in England on release in 1965. At 1495 pounds about the same as a Jaguar 3.4 and 200 pounds more than a Rover 2000. That would have translated into an impossible Australian price of nearly 2000 pounds.
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if I remember correctly from my regan motors days in late 70,s Albert commenting how he had taken jr 404 out to about2.1 litres and having many happy times on the hume highway surprising the holden/ford boys with a bit of show of acceleration capabilities. just a bit of brain backspace.......jim
To my knowledge I do not believe that to be true. The plant managers of the 404 period, both C&G and Renault, have passed. There were many differences between the carby 404 and the injection including brakes and suspension. Heidelberg did not take cars back into the plant. In Renault days they used Richmond for major warranty repairs.