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| Image found and taken from internet |
Sometime in 1980-1981, my father, Sir Samuel E. Udeagwu,
travelled from katsina town to Kaduna (the then Kaduna state), in his 4 years old
immaculate white Peugeot 504 GL he acquired brand new in 1976. On his way back
to Katsina (his family), he picked up his dear friend’s wife at Kaduna, who was
with her about 1 year old baby girl, to drop her to her family at katsina, as a
favor to his friend
.
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While in the journey back to Katsina from Kaduna, they got
to a narrow bridge (single lane). On the bridge, a car was coming towards them
on the other lane, while a big truck was trailing behind the car. Suddenly, the
truck switched to the on-coming car lane to overtake the car it was following
behind into the bridge. There was no way the truck could overtake the car, at
the speed they were both moving, before my father (504 GL) would meet them.
Three options were left for my father: keep driving straight and crash into or
collide with the truck; pushed down the brake pedal to stop his car while the
truck comes and climb them or crush them were they were stationary; or swerve
his car out of the road on the narrow bridge. So he followed his
instinct/impulse, which is always about to preserve life. He swerved the
steering wheel of the car.
His Peugeot 504 GL nose hit and pushed aside the metal
barricade on the right side of the bridge, the car flew out of the bridge and
started descending under the bridge, with the occupants (my father, his friends wife and her 1 baby girl). As the
Lion landed under the bridge (dry rocky ground) with the 4 tyres, villagers
around the bridge that saw the incident started wailing, believing no one would
come out of the 504 alive. Well, the Lion was pulled out from what looked like
a hole under the bridge. It was amazing to the villagers and other motorists
that gathered, that no scratch was found on occupants of the 504 GL (my father,
the mother and her baby), including the Lion, except the front bumper that hit
the metal bridge barricade and the tyres.
Of course, the Peugeot 504 GL had no Airbag, yet it protected 2 adults
and a year old baby in that incident.
About 20 years later, the 1 year baby girl, Adaobi, who was
now older, visited us at home (Awka) for clarity, aside the story her mother
had narrated to her. The same Peugeot 505 GL that protected her that day was
parked in front our house as she was walking towards our house, with same body
colour, same engine, and same body and still running. It was not just a
memorable re-union for her, the Lion and my father, but a wonderful moment for
me and the Lion as well. Because while she was on her mother’s arms in the lion
that day, I was in my mother’s arms at the same time at katsina, probably
breastfeeding.
Peugeot 504 GL was one of the 504 phase one produced in the
late ‘60s and ‘70s. It possessed characters which some other 504 models didn’t possess,
like the SR, GR, L, etc.
The Peugeot 504 GL front seats (except Nigerian Assembly)
were one of the best comfortable car seats I ever sat on. It was uniquely
designed and mounted, different from phase II models and L model. The dashboard
was unique, similar to that of 504 TI phase 1 (except TI had tachometer on
instrument panel where clock was positioned in GL instrument panel).
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| Image found and taken from internet |
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| Image found and taken from internet |
The 504 GL had brake discs on the 4 wheels (front &
rear) as standard (except Nigerian Assembly GL that had drum brakes at the
rear). The GL also had single pinion brake master cylinder, unlike the phase II
504 that had 2 pinions/chambers brake master cylinder. The GL also had brake
booster, otherwise known as brake servo. Each wheel had brake calipers, with 2
handbrake cables attached to the 2 rear brake calipers.
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| Image found and taken from internet |
The Peugeot GL had independent rear differential/axle, with
drive shafts & CV (Constant Velocity) joints attached on both sides of the
differential, which made road handling of 504 GL one of the best. It also had
rear stabilizer/anti-roll bar and linkages on both sides of rear wheels. The GL
with rear brake disc, had unique brake fluid distributor, bolted close to rear
camber, on left side rear wheel.
The GL, being a Rear Wheel Drive, had propeller shaft inside
torque tube that connected 4-speed manual gearbox or 3-speed ZF automatic
gearbox to the rear differential, with no knuckles.
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| Image found and taken from Internet |
Peugeot 504 GL had XN1 Engine, a 2.0 liter inline-4
naturally aspirated petrol engine that had twin/double timing chain. They had
double barrel Carburetor. The water/coolant pump was driven by
auxiliary/alternator belt. Mechanical fuel pump was attached on the engine.
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| Image found and taken from internet |
Peugeot 504 GL was a fantastic Lion such that my mother wouldn’t
agree with my father to let go of the Lion when it started ageing. Because she couldn’t
let go of the Lion that protected her husband, her children & herself for
all the years her family was touring the whole country Nigeria in the Lion,
both day and night, with no scratch on anyone, for more than 20 years with same
engine. The Lion was already part of the family to her.
I could remember an incident that happened sometime in year
2000 or 2001, when the Peugeot 504 GL surprised me with it braking system. I was driving on Onitsha-Enugu expressway in
the Lion. Suddenly found myself in situation where exceeding few meters ahead
could end me and the lion. Swerving into bush was an option for me to take. Instead,
I pressed down the brake pedal and the Lion immediately came to a halt, with no
screeching of tyres on the road or locking of wheels, even when the Lion had no
ABS. It was an amazing experience for me, how a 1976 braking system could be
that good and powerful without ABS. An outstanding technology!
You were born to be happy and born to make yourself happy
with choices you make every moment of your existence. You probably didn’t experience
Peugeot 504 GL, a memory that would leave smile on your face whenever you
remember every second of the ownership, otherwise known as good life. Like I earlier
said, you are here to be happy and there are things that can help keep that
momentum of happiness constant and increase to another level called “Fun”. Peugeot 504 GL is now a past.
Those of us that made the choice or had the opportunity to experience Peugeot
504 GL could tell you the experience was blissful, fun. However, it’s no longer
about the past. It’s about now, this moment. Peugeot is constantly rolling out
newer Lions as fun as 504 GL was and even more fun. You have another chance,
opportunity or choice to tell your own fun stories or experiences. Because, truly, these Lions got some
attitude!
Ikenna, Lion King.
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