Panda My Green Panda!.

tenpastnine · Sep 8, 2016

SB1500 said:
Dammit. We're more concerned with the whole 'ordering it tomorrow means no car until Wednesday next week' thing. :-/ Hence my big thread asking everyone what I should order.. hope we don't have any problems!

Nice fleet you have there tenpastnine, how is the Sandero compared to your Fiats?

Dacia is my jump ship brand should Fiat ever go in a direction I don't like (e.g. too German, big, expensive and powerful) haha

If you have trouble with missing parts most car parts places can get them next day or same day, most of the items for a 1.2 FIRE engine would most likely be in stock anywhere though.

The Sandero feels big and comfortable, It feels more Golf/Astra sized then the Panda.
Build quality feels much the same as the 03 Panda, Just has annoying Tyre pressure monitoring sensors that are always giving me dam warning lights even when pressures are correct! :bang:
But all new cars have that stuff now. :yuck:

I wanted to buy a Panda or Suzuki Celerio when I got the Sandero, but Suzuki wanted to sell me a much higher spec then I wanted, saying the base specs take months to arrive and stuff.. and Fiat wasn't interested in my part ex and paying £9,000 for a car with the same equipment level and less warranty didn't make any sense!

But It gets me to work comfortably and reliably, just a bit boring compared to Cinquecento's and Panda's

DaveMcT · Sep 9, 2016

SB1500 said:
Dacia is my jump ship brand should Fiat ever go in a direction I don't like (e.g. too German, big, expensive and powerful) haha

Dacia is owned by Renault

SB1500 · Sep 9, 2016

DaveMcT said:
Dacia is owned by Renault

I know, I know.. not ideal. Hey, I hope that never happens.

I'm confident that as long as there's Fiat, there'll be a Panda.

As long as there's a Panda, it'll be my number one choice.

Unless they do to the current model what they did to the 80s model with the 160 - change direction completely. Which I doubt, otherwise they'd probably drop the Panda name and it would then in fact be a different car.

It's the engines I'm worried about for the future.. I don't want a fussy, expensive to fix DPF flawed diesel and I dont want a tinny little 2 or 3 cylinder petrol with a turbocharger on it that'll last 6 years before it's dead of power

#KeepTheFIRE but I doubt that'll happen at the same time

tenpastnine · Sep 11, 2016

Putting it back to work!

Nice big tip run then a trip for some DIY shopping!

tenpastnine · Feb 19, 2017

So the engine dropped to the floor last night.

Thinking the mount had gone, Started to dissemble this morning and the mount was fine, however the bolt has sheered. :bang:

Anyone else had this before?

tenpastnine · Feb 24, 2017

Bit of a update, gearbox mount has been replaced with a 500/2012+ Panda, as I couldn't get a 2003-12 one for some reason, only difference is the big bolt, so had to buy the bolt from fiat for £6.

(new mount part number is 52154 and the bolt is 0051771379 - 001 if anyone else has the same problem.)

tenpastnine · Apr 8, 2017

MOT Fail! :bang:

Rear brakes is down to a slightly leaking slave cylinder, so doing that tomorrow.

Both Anti-roll bar linkages are now replaced.

Track rod end is slightly worrying as I have done the ball joint up as tight as I can and there is still slight play, figure maybe something bigger is damaged after the engine fell out.

An trying some fuel cleaner stuff to fix the emissions as a sensor was dirty a couple weeks ago and it used a lot of fuel for a little while, so hopefully just a build up that can be cleaned out.

george2596 · Apr 8, 2017

My MOT is due in June and this is literally my worst nightmare! Ahhhh

bluejohn125 · Apr 13, 2017

Literally?

So you actually remember having a horrific nightmare where your car failed its MOT, and it was the worst you had ever experienced?

If you can't handle the occasional replacement of consumable parts on a cheap tinny Polish-built Italian runaround, get a Golf or something and not a Panda!

SB1500 · Apr 13, 2017

bluejohn125 said:
Literally?

So you actually remember having a horrific nightmare where your car failed its MOT, and it was the worst you had ever experienced?

If you can't handle the occasional replacement of consumable parts on a cheap tinny Polish-built Italian runaround, get a Golf or something and not a Panda!

A Golf?!

If you want a car where parts fall of just as easily after usage, but you pay more than what the parts are worth, and you get very little actual benefits <soft touch plastic is still plastic> then get a Golf ;-)

Parts fall of of any car at the same rate as the Panda as far as I can tell. Least we don't need to pay much when they do! Cheap switches and dashboards might not look as fancy but then again they tend to cope with being battered better than gloss black any day.

All cars are built equally as well today around the world. Design choices and material surely has more impact on quality as it affects owners.

Now... if you want a car that truly wont fall apart buy a Honda or Toyota. They go down to the quality of rubber seals, steel gaskets and a LOT more metal under the bonnet than any European consumer car. I believe it's due to the stricter rules about oil leaks etc in Japan.

It's only then you realise German build quality is a marketing term and has more practical use in ones ego than being a tangible aspect of what they build. Not bad by any stretch, but not better either IMO.

bluejohn125 · Apr 13, 2017

Yep I certainly take your point about Hondas and Toyotas, very solidly engineered and well put together.

German stuff may have declined in quality lately but I still reckon that e.g. suspension components for say a Golf or 3-series will last twice as long as in the equivalent Fiat, Ford or Vauxhall. God knowes how many front wishbones I've been through with my various Tipos and Brava...

bluejohn125 · Apr 13, 2017

Back on topic... to the OP, congrats on your little project, it's coming along great.

I see you've painted the original 13" steel wheels and got nice new tyres... I understand that for now you may like the "tough" black look for the wheels but I'd suggest that you splash out on some proper original Fiat wheeltrims to make the car look extra sharp, there's a great selection here for good prices...

https://www.shop4parts.co.uk/?name=...m=Fiat_Panda_II_(04_to_09)_1.1_8v_Wheel_Trims

Cheers

tenpastnine · Apr 13, 2017

Not that into wheel trims to be honest, we have tall sharp curbs.
It has got Fiat center hubs that I think are from a Seicento.
They need repainting now its been a while since they where done.

john68 · Apr 14, 2017

Re: My Green Panda!

richardllew said:
I like the colour !!
Although its needed a bit of TLC, the body looks very good.

Any rust on the floorpan? I'm just wondering whether I should be giving my Panda a corrosion check and if there are any places susceptible to rust.
Keep up the good work
Richard

The main rust area on pandas seems to be the rear axle spring cups, (where the coil springs sit). They rot out and end up with the spring falling out.

bluejohn125 · Apr 14, 2017

Well done on the MOT - can't believe the mileage on the little thing! :slayer:

I'm sure your fat new tyres would protect your slick new wheeltrims from the kerbs...

tenpastnine · Apr 14, 2017

Re: My Green Panda!

john68 said:
The main rust area on pandas seems to be the rear axle spring cups, (where the coil springs sit). They rot out and end up with the spring falling out.

That is why my other Panda has a KA axle.

I noticed the bump stop mounts on the rear of the other panda are rot.
So would be worth taking the bump stop off and having a look there.

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