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The Peugeot 404 is among the oldest vehicles still rushing around the streets of Africa. Visit virtually any African country and you are bound to see them in many remote parts and even cities and in spite of the manufacturers having stopped production decades ago, the humble jalopy has just refused to go away.

It was the darling of taxi drivers in the 1970's and the proud owners boasted about its comfort and durability not to mention its modest consumption of fuel and it's stability.

That was then but even today, the cars are still seen gracing the streets of Nairobi and other major towns in the country with ease and moderate speed as they trudge on in a world that has seen great strides made in automotive engineering.

Leading vehicle manufacturers have revolutionized the way we drive cars today bringing in stuff like anti-lock braking systems and power steering but this does not seem to have cowed the 404 which can be seen struggling with the modern models but is not showing any signs of leaving the city streets and rural roads any time soon. In fact it is clearly still holding its' own against modern automobiles mostly from Japan that rule the roads these days.

Apparently most of them are white and light blue in color though on rear occasions you could see a maroon or red one but they all have one thing in common – they are very well maintained and hardly break down. It is amazing how these workhorses were built, and their durability and reliability is one of the reasons why many owners of these ancient Peugeot 404 autos will just not let go.

The big question many other motorists ask themselves is where on earth do the owners of these vehicles get the spare parts yet they have not been in production for more than three decades? One thing is for sure, Peugeot stopped selling the parts for this vehicle, years ago.

Surprisingly, the owners seem to have improvised a lot and usually replace faulty parts with those of the newer 504 model and though all parts don’t always fit, the owners are forced to replace some entire units of the vehicles and install them with those of other Peugeot models. They are just determined to do whatever it takes to keep their cars running and on the road and it seems that they have largely succeeded against the odds.

For instance, the gear lever of the 404 could be irreplaceable and those of new models are not compatible so it could require that the entire transmission be replaced with a complete gear box unit of the newer 504 model.

But there are also alert entrepreneurs who specialize in manufacturing parts that are no longer in production, although the problem is that they usually charge dearly for them. Sadly in most cases these fake parts will hardly be as durable as the real thing, but at least they keep the beloved 404 running without causing too much trouble. There is no doubt that had car manufacturers continued building cars the way the 404 was built, many parts dealers and businesses would have closed shop by now. Sadly the modern car manufacturing company makes a sizeable amount of its' revenues from parts that are forever being replaced. This is the view of car owners based in the harsh African environment where roads hardly exist and even city roads are in bad repair and are bound to have plenty of potholes and ruts.

Interestingly, the main problem with the old Peugeot 404 seems to be with its' doors. Most of them that are still operational do not have all the four doors working with one or two of them having jammed the locks over the years and replacing the entire door locks seems not to be a priority of the owners.

Those that are in very good condition are still being used as taxis in many African cities and towns and a quick visit to the outskirts will amaze the keen observer because of the number of old vehicles that are still in use.

It is obvious that these vehicles are more expensive to maintain than new ones and other second hand cars that are still in production, but it seems the 404 owners have simply fallen in love with them and do not wish to discard the "ancient" cars, which could easily get a well-deserved place in the museums of automobiles.

Getting a good deal on a used car does not have to be a hassle. It simply requires that you know what you are looking for and what the car is worth. Buying a used car does mean a bit of research on your part, but you should plan to do research for the purchase of a new car as well.

First you will want to get an idea of the lemon laws in your state. These laws will tell you the responsibility of someone to take a car (or other consumer item) back if it has continual problems. Also find out if these laws apply to car dealerships only or if they also are applicable to individuals selling you the car. The next bit of information you want to know is what the laws are regarding full disclosure in your state. In other words, if the owner tells you the car has a great engine, but it goes kerplunk on you a week after you get it, then can you return it? Knowing where you stand on these laws will let you know how cautious you need to be.

Now that you have an idea of the laws in your state, it is time to begin your search. You should decide if you want to purchase from a dealership, an individual, or either. If you want to go to a dealership, head out to your local supermarket. Look in the freebie magazines and newspapers for a used car guide. The cars in these guides probably are not available anymore, but they will give you an idea of the types of cars at each dealership. Some specialize in less expensive cars while others will sell only Mercedes. You can decide which dealerships fit your needs so that you will know where to go.

If you plan to buy from an individual, then set aside some time to sit down with the Sunday newspaper. That is where you will find most of the car ads. You should go through each ad looking for several key pieces of information. First check for the price. Immediately X out any cars not in your range. If an ad does not have a price, you may want to call if you are really interested, but it should be a red flag to you that either the car is priced too high or that it does not live up to what the ads says.

Once you have looked at a few choices from each place, you should check out the Blue Book Value of the car. This term has become a big part of the car-buying culture. Kelley Blue Book is a way to find out how a car is assessed. You can check the book out at the library, or you can go online to www.kbb.com to check out the same information. You are looking for the resale value of a used car. The site will ask you to enter the year, make, and model of the cars. You also will need some information, such as the mileage, the general condition, and any non-standard features that the car has. You should find this information out to get an accurate estimate.

Once you have completed the information, you will get an estimate back. For example, I looked up a 2002 Buick Regal with only 15,000 miles and in excellent condition. The Blue Book Value for the car was $9,045. You can use that number in general to determine how much you are willing to pay for the car. Anything under it, and you are getting a good deal. Anything over it, and the seller is trying to make additional money on the car or possibly pay off a loan that has too much left owing on it.

Be sure that you make it clear you have looked at the value of the car and that you know what it is. While you do not have to be snide or snarky about it, you should not let someone else try to take advantage of you by telling you how great the car is. Some people legitimately do not know how much their car is worth before they try to sell it, so you should be nice about the value of the car if you want to pay less than advertised.