A
very rare cat here in Germany:
This is my 504 Break GL, still in mostly original condition.
Built in September 1974, it's already a 1975 model
- and it startet life as a hearse! As a fast one, with
XN1 engine, 1971 cc, and 93 bhp. But let's start from the beginning.
Since I became the proud owner of a 504
Berline in 1993, I knew I needed also a Break some
day to keep me happy. Now the 504 Break is a rare breed
over here in Germany, either rusted away or exported to Africa.
You can still count the number of these cars with your fingers...
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Anyway, one day my friend Lars Thieme told me that he bought
himself a 504 Break GL hearse. First registered on September
10th 1974 for the undertaker Adolf Schmitz near former capital
Bonn, it spent obviously a hard life but remained in a fair original
condition.
Some day it was sold to an unkown woman, who sold it again to
a policeman. This guy parked the car in a police garage for a
couple of years because his girlfriend refused to drive in it
(he should have left her). Then Lars stepped in.
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click
on image to enlarge
Lars
Thieme did most of the conversion work back to a standard
504 Break, mostly a bolt-off and -on job, but parts were
and still are hard to find. After some use, the Break began
to show its age, and after Lars' garage was canceled, he
deceided that it had to go to a good home. I'm very grateful that
Lars asked me first if I would buy it, and so I became
the 5th owner.
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I collected my 504 Break from Lars one cold December
evening. Karen (she likes the
car as much as I do) drove it back the 300 km from Lars'
home, and I followed both in my 505 STI.
Oh what a night!
Since then, I've sorted out a number of mechanical
jobs and done lots of TLC.
It's not as good as new though, and it never will, because I intend
to keep this Break in the best original state that's possible.
And don't ask, I'm not selling it. No way.
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