There are a few updates from my personal garage that I need to share; among them, I am a newly minted owner of my first-ever French car, a 1988 Peugeot 505 Wagon that has been upgraded with a 3.0L V6 and independent rear suspension from a sedan of the same vintage. More on that later, but I have to say – and I’m covering myself in virtual armor when I say this – but I am shocked by how much I dig my first French car. It’s a neat machine. I’ll dedicate a post or two to it in the coming days, but that’s the motivation behind my love for this exceedingly rare 4WD version of the 505 wagon, known as a 505 Break 4×4 Dangel. It’s a rare beast and as you can see here on the dealer website, it’s got some serious off-road chops. The Dangel is offered for sale at €59,000.
This is essentially an Audi All Road or Subaru Outback decades before those became a thing. Dangel is the name of the business that converted popular Peugeots and other marques into lifted four-wheel-drive machines, and while we don’t hear their name very often stateside, it’s a known quantity overseas. The details of the specific work done to the chassis of the 505 aren’t something I was able to readily find online, but only 500 of the Dangel-converted 505 were made – so it’s a rare beast. The 4×4 did have shorter gear ratios, so the conversion was certainly more than just a lift kit. This 505 looks sharp with its cargo basket roof rack and OEM steel wheels.
Inside, it’s the standard-issue 505 interior that is in exceptionally clean condition. 505s are becoming more collectible, and there’s certainly a strong audience of French car enthusiasts both in the U.S. and overseas that are keeping these grand touring sedans and wagons on the road. The owner of this 505 Dangel has added the must-have inclinometer on the dash, sort of a staple for four-wheel-drives of a certain vintage ever since Mitsubishi and Toyota started putting them in the Pajero and 4Runner. The Peugeot has just 111,022 kilometers, which works out to be just under 70,000 original miles.
The engine should be a Peugeot 2-litre, four-cylinder mill that made around 97 horsepower. Certainly not powerful, but if you needed this rig to be your trusty mountain goat more than you needed it to be a highway cruising powerhouse, it should be just fine for making it up the perilous mountain road. The condition is outstanding no matter where you look and is in keeping with the notion that many of these rare Dangel-conversions were gobbled up by collectors. There’s likely a limited pool of buyers for something this obscure, but I’m sure it will find a home in a collection without too much haggling over the asking price.
When I see this, I am even more convinced that AMC chose the wrong French company to partner with.
Great write-up. I have always wanted a 505 wagon. They look so unique and classy. I tried to get one as my first car in the 80s. When I found one, though, I was discouraged by the lack of places to get parts that I would need to get it back on the road. Of course, a non-running car would have made it a safe vehicle for a 17-year-old, but challenging to take a date out on the town in.
I had no idea that such an off-road beast even existed. I love how much I learn on this site.
Jeff,
You publicly admit to owning a French car?
Now us British car owners have someone to look
down on!
The problem is, as the quintessential British car owner, I wish I still had my 1980 505 wagon. Wonderful, comfortable, capable car (base model with ac, aftermarket cruise, 5-speed, non-turbo gas four cylinder). I’d own another one in a heartbeat.
“Hello, Autoplace, can I help you”? “Um, hello, I need a cap and rotor for a 1985 POO-joe DANGEL”?( parts people today are generally old gearheads, but some women are showing up,, and the sound of uproarious laughter in background) Not the best choice for a car name, however, it is pretty neat. Blow these “Rubicon” yuppies away out here. IDK, when I think of France, beautiful women in bikinis on the Riviera come to mind, I suppose there is a market in Europe for something like this. I know angliagt kids, British car, or any car owners, for that matter, like to pick on what they think, is the next in line, but it’s nice to see the Asians aren’t the only ones to do this, AWD family movers.
Now, before making out that check for some seemingly, to us Yanks, paltry 59,000 Euros( had to look that symbol up,,don’t deal in Euros too much) that comes to over $66,000 dollars, PLUS shipping( where is this located again?) That dealer name doesn’t sound “Gringo” to me,,I suppose one plus for the Rubicon crowd. Cool find.
Jeff, I look forward to hearing more about your 505!
While I think it looks good and I am sure that it is a capable machine, I was cured of the love of “orphans” a long time ago.
My epiphany came courtesy of a Can Am TnT 250. Whenever ANYTHING broke, it was the same refrain, “Uh, we’ll have to order that from the manufacturer in Austria. Expect to get it in 4-6 weeks.” It got so that I would order headlights (which would pop regularly if/when you got into the high revs) by the case.
Lest I give the wrong impression about Can Am dirt bikes, let me say that the parts availability was the ONLY concern that I had with that bike. It ran like a stripe-ed a**ed ape. Scary fast.
I hear ya’, pal, I went through that with my Bultaco Pursang. There was one(1) dealer in Milwaukee at the time,( 70’s) Competition Cycle, on National Ave. that had some parts, but most was order with an open delivery date. In the Bultacos favor, I beat the crap out of that bike( and visa versa, it beat the crap out of me,) and it never failed, broken spokes maybe, but it was a good bike. Shipping horror stories, and the inevitable credit card theft, I try and buy close to home, cash, if possible.
Ha! Bultaco dirt bikes were my brother Bill’s addiction. Funny thing, for years after his wife decided that he was too old to go hellin’ around the local “retired” quarry anymore on his Bultaco du jour, he made a pretty good side income out of buying and selling Bultaco bikes and parts.
ah, Bultacos…….growing up on a dead end street off a 2 mile dead end road, [bordered by a rural gas pipeline] the older neighborhood teenagers all had various bigger dirtbikes, and one guy up the street had a couple Bultacos he was always wheeling up and down the street as our dead end street led to a trail to said gas pipeline
I had a TNT 250.Bought it new.
Never had a problem with parts,but
did have a problem with keeping the
kick starter tightened.
I still have a factory poster of all
the TNT models around here somewhere.
>> There are a few updates from my personal garage that I need to share
Whatever happened to your Cosworth Mercedes 190E? You left us high and dry with that one. The last video I saw was you were days away from trying to start it. That was two years ago.
2X ^^^^ Brian.
I think theira good rig for cruzin…fast.
Just wanna C wasss sup.
French cars are no more all the same than American cars (up until the 2000’s when cars have become “universal”). Citroens were, engineering wise, ahead of their time, but as expensive to fix as Teslas are proving to be, Renaults were inexpensive, simple, and prone to breaking down, but easy to fix, and Peugots were just fine, reliable, long lived, easy to fix, comfortable transportation. I was in Egypt in 2010 or so, and old Peugots were the taxi’s of choice, we hired one for a week in Cario, it was 40 years old, driver/owner loved it, rough roads, smooth roads, one window crank we passed around, wiring under dash caught fire one afternoon, back in service in the morning. This one would be a great weekend back country vehicle. Get a few spare parts like starter, alternator, a headlight, belts and hoses, fuel pump, water pump, and go. Don’t forget the metric tools.
That time in the Peugot boardroom when someone said “You know, that AMC Eagle is pretty cool” and the design team head said “BRB”
66K wow that’s pretty special, 1of 500.
But i think someone needs to take a spin around the panty for 66k.
I would much rather be caught alive in my 85-87 Gl turbo wagon with a dual range transfer case and Digital dash.
Not to mention keeping tge other 60 geez in the bank.
Buttt i do wonder if thier 4 cyl diesels will bolt where the 6 is
‘ello, Auto Club? My Peugeot, she is stuck on zee sand dune.”
The answer to the question nobody asked.
That dash mounted pitch and roll gauge pack is lifted straight off a Gen 1 Mitsubishi Montero…even the graphic is a Montero lol
i remember when i was a pre-teen/early teenager [too young to drive] there were Peugeots running around and for a while shared a dealership lot with Fiats [i was a big fan of X1/9’s and went on to buy a new one in 1980]
That asking price is a mistake or a joke right ? Isnt that almost $70 grand lol
The price of this Peugeot is based on its history which is detailed in the lower body wrap. Unfortunately the text is not legible on most photos even when enlarged. Photo #13 of the right front tire, the one pic of text only, and the base of the rear lift gate are legible. The catch is that it’s difficult to piece together disparate phrases.
This Peugeot’s history from diplomatic service, to use by a petroleum company researcher to travel Libya and Mali, an Italian archeologist working at the ancient Roman city of Leptis Magna in western Libya is impressive. The names of previous owners, registration numbers in Libya, Europe, shipment dates, engine replacement, the body restoration begun in 2017, etc are provided in detail . Even the fall of Gaddafi is noted in the timeline. The 505 was exported from Tripoli to Italy by an Italian collector and the researcher working at Leptis Magna was Italian. Thus Italian flags on the side of the car and back of the center consul.
The dealer’s price reflects the storied history of this one particular 505 Dangel 4×4 and is around €40,000 more than the three 505 break Dangel 4×4’s found on Leboin dot fr (French Craigslist) today. One is a diesel.
Leboncoin link to a 1987 505 4×4 Dangel offered at €17,700 with 176,182 kms on the clock first registered 15 July 1987 – Ex République de Cote d’ivore. Dealer notes it’s very clean without rust, has tow bar, new brakes, etc,:
https://www.leboncoin.fr/voitures/2055961820.htm
voiture proposer a une vente aux enchère en octobre 2021 a 11000 euro et pas vendu
Merci. C’etait trop cher.
You know the angle of the Dangel is proportionate to the heat of the meat!!
Don’t knock Peugeots. I have an ‘84 505, bought new, with 270,000 miles. I had to put in a new clutch. That’s the only drive train work done.
Hello to all of you
I’m French and my first reaction when I’ve found this add was to share it on Facebook to any one have a 505 Dangel, to restore them and sell it on Ebay.com
As James HGF wrote it on, Le Bon Coin there are two in perfect condition, the maximum price 17700€…
https://www.leboncoin.fr/voitures/2055961820.htm
I’m happy to learn than few American people appreciate Peugeot 505 Dangel, my father in law bought in the late 50’s a new Renault Dauphine in Memphis Tennessee, everything is possible in the USA!!!
;)
boss hada ’87(?) 405 diesel waggy (may have been frm UK?). He wuz a multi millionaire (family, back for 3, 400 yrs). Nxt wasa subbie outback (new in ’95?). 7 yrs of it were enuff 4 him as he drank.
Also went to the track. By the time I wuz hired on he had become a trainer (Y I joined, switched from cattle to horses). Mostly ‘training’ so as to get into the back (at track’n learn abt what horses were juiced, etc). All a tax write off anyway (inc my salary & livin expenses). He offered me the 405, I declined as I had the ’66 bronk I got now.
505’s are nice things; an ex’s dad had a turbo petrol one which was quick and handled well – and the pillars are skinny so the visibility’s good (Dinnae roll it, mind).
I’m not sold on the conversion, but it’s bound to be up someone’s strasse.
I drove two different 505’s (XD2S) for several years . . . ran them on waste veggie oil (cruel and unusual punishment at a red light, especially if you were hungry). The 5-speed was much nicer to drive than the 3-speed auto.
Still have three 505’s and a 604 hanging around, waiting for me to discover time to play with them.
Very comfortable seats/ride.
Having served time as service manager at a Poo-go dealer I will only say that if you park this in my drive I will call the police.
Worse cars I have ever been associated with.
I have had three–all have been excellent. But they NEVER were taken to the dealer because the dealer had a horrible reputation for Peugeot service. Maybe the service manager was the problem at your dealership.
I restored and updated a 504 diesel wagon and I love it.
Had to get parts from 8 different countries but the internet made it all possible