Our old hero: 504GL

This was a car with a solid unit construction chassis built to withstand the terrains of the Nigerian road and yet still survive. After its production ended, a few decades it became extinct. What happened? I don’t know but I guess since most of us are not good at keeping things, that’s why they disappeared. […]

This was a car with a solid unit construction chassis built to withstand the terrains of the Nigerian road and yet still survive. After its production ended, a few decades it became extinct. What happened? I don’t know but I guess since most of us are not good at keeping things, that’s why they disappeared.

Ooh! For goodness sake we’ve lost a great hero! This is one of the cars that put Peugeot on the map with it mechanical chassis and independent suspension which produced that Mercedes wanna be ride feeling. I remember it was good on the mid-corner tackle with full load. It was just sweet. The two litre engine, though audible had a sweet and smooth note of immediate response to throttle kicks. It was pure mechanics that separated the men from the boys. Nobody talked about stability control when these cars could do what was expected. Your speed couldn’t be cut off by a traction control unit in bends like what you get in the Mercedes today. You just had to whisk your way through the like lord was hovering you without dashing a toe nail upon rocks.

I must admit it did have problems like the door hinges would become weak, the brakes would vibrate and many other little things with their little noises. But it could be taken care off under regular attention. It was also a fuel burner- can’t deny that.

When it was replaced with the SR model, which still drove well, much of the suspension were revised. It still managed to retain ride and handling quality but it felt excessively light on straights and painstaking to manoeuvre.

But now everyone has gone digital, allowing some sort of super chip to do everything while they just sit. There is a saying in Ibibio that ‘the first wife is better.’ That’s because she does everything to give pleasure you (perhaps because she growing old) while the present may want to control you. I would still keep the first. So if you come across this great hero any day, you’ve got to ‘respect the oldie.’