I've only owned one French car, a 405 diesel which was the most reliable and economical car I've had, and lovely to drive. I'd have bought another one if I wasn't so besotted with Mercs now.
I think the 'x05' ranges were Peugeot reaching some of their best, kinda like MB with the 124 series. I hear more recent cars suffer from poor build and reliability.

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1993 320TE M104
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past:

1983 230E W123 M102
1994 E300D S124 OM606 (x2)
1967 250SE W108 M129
1972 280se 3.5 W108 M116
1980 280SE W116 M110
1980 350SE W116 M116
1992 300E W124 M103
1994 E280 W124 M104
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"music and women I cannot but give way to, whatever my business" -Pepys

In Germany, engineers control both engineering and styling, in Italy stylists control both engineering and styling, but in France engineers control styling and stylists control engineering.

(In those days the rest of the maxim lamented that in the US the cost accountants controlled everything.)

hehe- though from what I've seen, I don't think they have stylists at all in America

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1993 320TE M104
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past:

1983 230E W123 M102
1994 E300D S124 OM606 (x2)
1967 250SE W108 M129
1972 280se 3.5 W108 M116
1980 280SE W116 M110
1980 350SE W116 M116
1992 300E W124 M103
1994 E280 W124 M104
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"music and women I cannot but give way to, whatever my business" -Pepys

I wouldn't buy a French car because I did once (in my younger, more foolish days).

Wes

[QUOTE=MS Fowler]
...that frustrating French attitude of superiority...QUOTE]
that wouldn't be the cousin to the American arrogance and hubris would it ?

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1983 240D 4 speed running on B100 and SVO
www.b100wh.com/b100wh.html#reactor
My Biodiesel Reactor/Processor

[QUOTE=Legal Eagle]No....but is a sibling of the Quebecoius sepratist mindset.

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Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
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Section 609 MVAC Certified
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"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

...isn't the phrase American hubris redundant?

Only if you are naieve enough to believe that other countries don't do the same silly things as we do. They have it better tho. They have citizens that condemn us for doing the same crap they do and their citizens are actually supportive of the stunts they pull at the same time. We unfortunately have their rejects that condemn the governemtn for it's stunts and feel that other countries can do no wrong.

But I suppose, they did something right. They kept the smart ones there that would support their govenment and point to someone (us) and make them the whipping boy and gave us the dumb ones that condemn our own governemt for what it does and praise the others who can do no wrong. So I guess they have something to be proud of. The fact that they got rid of their rejects. It would be like if my company had a bunch of reject products and we gave them to someone else and it brought down our competition while it leaves my company alone.

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01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

I've never known american hubris to get in the way of capitalistic enterprise. For true capitalists, nothing gets in the way of a sale.
When I visited the Peugeot dealerships I always felt unworthy to be there.

This went from a rust thread to a political thread quick! I'd better not ask what I wanted about the side cladding of W126s, might turn into a thread about social security somehow.

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'81 MB 300SD, '82 MB 300D Turbo (sold/RIP), '04 Lincoln Town Car Ultimate

Sooner or later every car falls apart, ours does it later!
-German Narrator in a MB Promotion Film about the then brand new W123.

OK...

Question : what rusts out faster than an Italian car?


Answer: A French car....

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Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
---------------------
Section 609 MVAC Certified
---------------------
"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

If I recall correctly from my old Piggout 504 years ago, I think the fenders were actually made in Italy. I never had any rust problems as the car was in Texas, but as it got old, the paint faded on the Italian fenders.

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Palangi

2004 C240 Wagon 203.261 Baby Benz
2008 ML320 CDI Highway Cruiser
2006 Toyota Prius, Saving the Planet @ 48 mpg
2000 F-150, Destroying the Planet @ 20 mpg



TRUMP .......... WHITEHOUSE
HILLARY .........JAILHOUSE
BERNIE .......... NUTHOUSE
0BAMA .......... OUTHOUSE

Think about it: unless you are a Native American, everybody is one of those rejects.

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Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

My point was that europe got rid of their rejects and kept the people who support their government in their hijinks and condemn others for doing it. The rejects they got rid of were defective because they would beat themselves up for the acts their government does that the rest of the world does too to a degree, while singing praises of the foriegn governements as being pure and wonderful. Sounds like they got rid of some defective products that weren't performing up to spec. You think any of those governments don't pull stunts that benifit them? I'll bet they do. Even third world countries do the same thing but we and they gloss over that. When USA does something, not only do others condemn the American government, it's own citizens feel shame and follow the other countries example. Sounds like they kept the good product and got rid of the defective one to me. What do you call it?

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01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

My Dad used to work for McDonnell Douglas. He won't fly in an Airbus plane, its the Peugeot of the sky. Mostly French, nuf said

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84 300DT Puke Yellow. Totalled after 438,000
84 300DT Orient Red. 169,000 (actual mileage may vary)
2002 Explorer EB (wife's)