Panda (Classic) 1993 Fiat Panda Fizz "Pandino"

blu73 said:

i think you should have a trolley jack and axle stands on your christmas wish list things that you will use more than any other tools you ever own more than likely.. Mine are a xmas pressie from when i first started driving, still serving me well - must be like 15 years on i think, something like that anyway

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I might have to! It's something I can borrow from my mates or my dad's mates though, my dad's friend just offered me a trolley jack and axle stands for me to do some work over the next couple of weeks - he said he may have spare axle stands that I can keep so I might be alright there! As for car jacks though, is there much I should look for in one or is a cheap one like this good for the job? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-Ton-Hyd...326858?hash=item25c7d3a74a:g:~uYAAOSwB09YGaGH

Michael Dranfield said:

The only down side if you have picked the wrong time of year,I do my cars in the middle of summer when it's baking hot which makes the wax run better,however all is not lost what you could do is get a fan heater in your garage and leave it running on full for a good few hours to get the car body temperature up,let the waxoil down with some white spirit,and then put your can of waxoil in a bucket of boiling water,this will ensure the wax runs into every crevice,park your car uphill on your ramps and then downhill to make sure wax runs everywhere,some carpets may need to be lifted to get access to the sills.

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You're right Michael, though unfortunately I was new to owning a car in July/August so I didn't have my priorities completely straight on getting waxoyl done quickly! Now I know it's important and I know how to do it I'll be doing it earlier on annually. But I'll have to make do this year with doing it this December, hoping to do it this weekend specifically.

Thanks for the advice there, I was going to let the waxoyl can sit in the boiling water for a bit but what did you mean with the white spirit? Cheers

that one looks a little short and stubby which is going to mean it can't lift very high... I'd go for one with a longer chassis and from a known decent tool brand or even just halfords one, they usually pretty cheap the halfords branded ones and its what i was bought, i also have my dads old one which was from halfords years and years ago when i was a little nipper, its in perfect working order still.

blu73 said:

that one looks a little short and stubby which is going to mean it can't lift very high... I'd go for one with a longer chassis and from a known decent tool brand or even just halfords one, they usually pretty cheap the halfords branded ones and its what i was bought, i also have my dads old one which was from halfords years and years ago when i was a little nipper, its in perfect working order still.

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Halfords do the following...

Smaller: http://www.halfords.com/workshop-to...alfords-2-tonne-trolley-jack-short-wheel-base

Bigger (probably best/worth it for extra tenner?): http://www.halfords.com/workshop-to...cks/halfords-2-tonne-trolley-jack-low-profile

Not too bad. I can always get Trade Discount if I go to Halfords for things as well

EDIT: after looking again at those jacks, not sure if they would do it. What do you think?

don't think you need a low profile one, not that it will hurt none.. the normal one is cheaper though.

http://www.halfords.com/workshop-tools/garage-workshop/trolley-jacks/halfords-2-tonne-trolley-jack

FDNY21 said:

I might have to! It's something I can borrow from my mates or my dad's mates though, my dad's friend just offered me a trolley jack and axle stands for me to do some work over the next couple of weeks - he said he may have spare axle stands that I can keep so I might be alright there! As for car jacks though, is there much I should look for in one or is a cheap one like this good for the job? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-Ton-Hyd...326858?hash=item25c7d3a74a:g:~uYAAOSwB09YGaGH

You're right Michael, though unfortunately I was new to owning a car in July/August so I didn't have my priorities completely straight on getting waxoyl done quickly! Now I know it's important and I know how to do it I'll be doing it earlier on annually. But I'll have to make do this year with doing it this December, hoping to do it this weekend specifically.

Thanks for the advice there, I was going to let the waxoyl can sit in the boiling water for a bit but what did you mean with the white spirit? Cheers

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You can add some white spirits to Finnegan's waxoil to make it even thinner which makes it good for pouring into box sections from above .

blu73 said:

don't think you need a low profile one, not that it will hurt none.. the normal one is cheaper though.

http://www.halfords.com/workshop-tools/garage-workshop/trolley-jacks/halfords-2-tonne-trolley-jack

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That normal one would make more sense. Just checked and that one was 5 lines down rather than with the other 2 I linked at the top of the list, strange that! Cheers for that though, if I need to get one then that's cheap enough so no worries there

Found this handy kit too. Only £40, so about £10 or so more expensive than just the jack but comes with stands and a car creeper. Real shame that it's the short base one and not the normal size one though! Would be a nice investment I think, but normal trolley jack would be better than the short wheel base one I assume...

Sisley Bits
As some of you know, I've obtained a lot of Sisley parts, more info on that in the following thread: https://www.fiatforum.com/panda-cla...panda-sisley-parts-panda-sisley-breaking.html

Some of this Sisley stuff will make its way onto Pandino. The boot interior trim, seat belts, ashtrays, door pocket and window/door seals can go straight on without too much hassle after a good clean. The dash is tempting though I'd want to switch the clocks...

Little bits to keep on the side for now are the badges, hubcaps and the neat little Sisley instructions. The grille and the bonnet vent may both be used in the future but they would both need refurbishment/repainting before going onto the car, especially seeing as how they are blue right now! As for the steering wheel, I don't really need it, so I'll see what happens.

I'd like to put the mudflaps on the car but my issue there is that all of the metal mounts are rusted. The mudflaps themselves will clean up well but I'm not sure how I can mount it as I don't want to re-use the rusty mounts really.

Does anyone know how I'd be able to mount them without reusing the old rusty mounts? Need new mounts/cleaning up or?

Picture of bits attached to this post.

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Etc...
I have waxoyled the doors. Because I went to see the Sisley, I didn't have time to do the rest of the car. I really need to give Pandino a clean as well. Slowly but surely, I'll get it done You can tell I've done the doors though, there's a slightly foul smell inside the car now...

Also, the radio is broken in my car. Any ideas? Might be a fuse or something. It just doesn't turn on anymore :bang:

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Christmas!?
Apart from the slight desire to wrap tinsel and Christmas lights around my car like a bloke in my town with a classic Mini has done, I've been thinking about what else to get Pandino for Christmas.

I've looked into suspension, alloy wheels, and the Lester overfenders. Lester overfenders look pretty neat, but they are fairly pricey for bits of plastic, and I'm not yet sure of how they would look/how they would fit on. Suspension and alloy wheels are self-explanatory but are actually even more pricey than the overfenders, and I'd have to declare those on my insurance so that could bump up costs further.

I know it's perhaps odd to ask for advice on it, but what do you guys think? I've been thinking about them and it's a hard decision. If anyone has any pointers then let me know. This is the problem with me being indecisive!

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Questions Condensed
What can I do with my mudflaps?

Why is my radio broken?

What do you think Pandino could benefit from next?

For your mudflaps I would think making new metal parts and riviting them to the rubber would be a straightforward job.

Radio. No idea.

You need to think about what you want Pandino to look and drive like when he's finished before you do anything else to change him. Once you have a final design you will then know what to buy in order to achieve it. Nobody can tell you what to buy/do next until you have a final destination.
How you want Pandino to end up is very personal to you so any suggestions should be used for inspiration but sat on until you have decided on that final design. You will find that even with a plan of where you're going it will be tweaked slightly along the way, but without it there's a danger of ending up with a bunch of mismatched accessories.

VmanC said:

For your mudflaps I would think making new metal parts and riviting them to the rubber would be a straightforward job.

Radio. No idea.

You need to think about what you want Pandino to look and drive like when he's finished before you do anything else to change him. Once you have a final design you will then know what to buy in order to achieve it. Nobody can tell you what to buy/do next until you have a final destination.
How you want Pandino to end up is very personal to you so any suggestions should be used for inspiration but sat on until you have decided on that final design. You will find that even with a plan of where you're going it will be tweaked slightly along the way, but without it there's a danger of ending up with a bunch of mismatched accessories.

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Probably the best thing to do. I'll look into doing that when I get some time, thanks

Still stumped on the radio. Might have to take a look at the fuse or something, and test to see if the radio works in something else/another radio in my car.

I've always wanted mudflaps/bonnet vent and that sort of look for Pandino, but I'm not sure where else to go with it. Things like wheels and suspension are things that could happen, but as you say, it's down to what I want the look to be, and how far I want to go with it. I'm not asking for people to decide for me, I'm just asking for people's thoughts really. It's finding where I want to go which is where I think I need to explore next. The final destination changing is something that you must often do with your cars that you restore. Have a plan for how it needs to look, aim for that and make changes along the way. I need to find that final look for my car and then aim for that, though I'm not sure how I will think of that yet. There's so many directions it could go, which is part of the problem in deciding I suppose!

Maybe I need to look at more inspiration for a final product... maybe the final destination is to have 10 Pandas

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It was raining so washing/waxoyling had to be put off till later in the week. Instead, I got to work on some more things with the new Sisley bits! First up, I cleaned as best as I could the boot trim panel, zip tied the electric cables that go from the wiper and then slotted the trim panel in. It doesn't go in perfectly because one or two of the plastic plugs don't work but as you can see from the picture, it fits so it sits


Next up, I took the full length Sisley door/window seals I nabbed to replace Pandino's old shrunk ones...


And you can never have too many front ashtrays!


Unfortunately, I do have a scratch on the boot. I'm not sure how it got there, but I suppose there's no point sulking about it and I should just get on with it... I need to get around to touching up paint anyway. Onwards and upwards

I want boot trim panel!!! *spits out dummy*

Regarding the radio, the standard loom takes the positive feed running out of the headlight switch I believe, it's a yellow wire with a small red stripe on. It should also be on the same spur as the cigarette lighter - does this still work?

If so, check your ISO connector in the back of the head unit. Make sure the live connection within the ISO plug is still in there and not loose. If you have a remote live connection within the ISO (blue wire) check that this is still connected within the ISO plug.

If the lighter socket is still working and the wires within the ISO plug are OK, I'd say you most likely have a problem with the head unit itself - what make is it?

FDNY21 said:

Unfortunately, I do have a scratch on the boot.
View attachment 174405

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Is there enough clearance between boot lid when open and you 'slide and over' garage doors?

FDNY21 said:

The final destination changing is something that you must often do with your cars that you restore. Have a plan for how it needs to look, aim for that and make changes along the way. I need to find that final look for my car and then aim for that, though I'm not sure how I will think of that yet. There's so many directions it could go, which is part of the problem in deciding I suppose!

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If you end up finishing with 80% or more of your original plan you'll be doing well. When you start out you need to experiment with ideas so it's quite likely that the percentage will be lower. Fortunately these days with apps like photoshop, Procreate etc., you can carry out most of the experimentation before you even touch the car. Google Classic Panda images, custom, modified, and original, then save what you like on a pinterest board. Once you have enough inspiration choose what you want for your car and test it out by using Procreate to add the mods to a picture of your car. This is only for visual changes of course, for mechanical changes you need ask people who have already carried out the mods, or better still nab a ride in their car.

Also, when searching images, you don't have to stick to Pandas, inspiration can come from any car, boat, lawn mower, toaster etc.

VmanC said:

Also, when searching images, you don't have to stick to Pandas, inspiration can come from any car, boat, lawn mower, toaster etc.

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I wonder what a Panda would look like with the controls and seat from a ride on lawnmower affixed to the bonnet ?? hmmmmm

blu73 said:

I want boot trim panel!!! *spits out dummy*

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Speaking of the panel, I know it's rare, but I'm not actually sure how much it would cost if I were to sell it... I think I'll keep it for now though

AndyPanda4x4 said:

Regarding the radio, the standard loom takes the positive feed running out of the headlight switch I believe, it's a yellow wire with a small red stripe on. It should also be on the same spur as the cigarette lighter - does this still work?

If so, check your ISO connector in the back of the head unit. Make sure the live connection within the ISO plug is still in there and not loose. If you have a remote live connection within the ISO (blue wire) check that this is still connected within the ISO plug.

If the lighter socket is still working and the wires within the ISO plug are OK, I'd say you most likely have a problem with the head unit itself - what make is it?

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Cheers for the info Andy, I'll have a further look into it when I have time. Cigarette lighter still works but radio doesn't. Might have to check this ISO that you reckon it could be?

The head unit is a Pioneer MVH 270-DAB. As far as I know, it isn't that old

VmanC said:

If you end up finishing with 80% or more of your original plan you'll be doing well. When you start out you need to experiment with ideas so it's quite likely that the percentage will be lower. Fortunately these days with apps like photoshop, Procreate etc., you can carry out most of the experimentation before you even touch the car. Google Classic Panda images, custom, modified, and original, then save what you like on a pinterest board. Once you have enough inspiration choose what you want for your car and test it out by using Procreate to add the mods to a picture of your car. This is only for visual changes of course, for mechanical changes you need ask people who have already carried out the mods, or better still nab a ride in their car.

Also, when searching images, you don't have to stick to Pandas, inspiration can come from any car, boat, lawn mower, toaster etc.

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I've got photos of quite a few of the Pandas I've really liked saved, so I can take some inspiration from those. Part of me wants to keep it ongoing though, rather than being finished and that's it, if that makes sense. Most of what I am doing can be easily reversed, so that I can change styles and looks quickly and easily

Thanks for the info. I'll have a think on it. I don't want to buy something for the sake of buying something, I need to have a proper thing to aim for that I know I want. Or I can save lots of money and buy even more Pandas eh

kolza said:

Is there enough clearance between boot lid when open and you 'slide and over' garage doors?

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When the boot opens, it just about fits under the garage door when open with a couple of centimeters to spare. It's hard to tell what did it. I wouldn't rule out the garage door, but the way the scratch looks like it went from the bottom up and it's fairly long and think seems like a strange scratch to be made. I'm not sure how the scratch could be made like that with the garage door but then again I can't think of anything else that would have done it too... maybe I need to look for any little bits of red paint stuck on the door

werdna said:

I wonder what a Panda would look like with the controls and seat from a ride on lawnmower affixed to the bonnet ?? hmmmmm

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It would look interesting... though I won't be taking that general direction with Pandino

Try considering a good set of alloy!
[emoji106]

lukmek said:

Try considering a good set of alloy!
[emoji106]

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I'll certainly be considering a few things mate I won't buy anything on a whim just for the hell of it when it comes to something like that though, I'll make sure it's something I want first!

I had a go (finally) at removing the growing greenery from my light assembly. I was going to go with a cotton bud using some water and washing up liquid but it soon came apparent that the green was grown between the plastic and the lens, therefore nothing was going to get to it. I tried with a feeler gauge to scrape it out, but it seems that the bit I can get to is not the bit where the green has grown, so I'm having trouble getting to it. Does anyone have any tips?

It's not too bad and I wouldn't buy another lens just because of it. But if I can remove it, that would be great. Just wondering if any of you have any more clever ideas, cheers

kolza said:

Is there enough clearance between boot lid when open and you 'slide and over' garage doors?

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I inspected the garage door. In the center when the garage door is open, there are a few screws that hold the lock together on the back of it - one of the screws has red paint on it. Strange, because when the boot is fully open, it doesn't touch the garage door. My assumption is that the garage door was only say 95% open, and so I didn't have that same space when I opened the boot recently, and then the scratch occurred. Either way, what's done is done, I will have to touch up the paint on there now - was meaning to get to doing other bits touched up on the car as well

FDNY21 said:

. Does anyone have any tips?
Just wondering if any of you have any more clever ideas, cheers

... one of the screws has red paint on it. Strange, because when the boot is fully open, it doesn't touch the garage door.

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I bet that scratch occured while you was banging in boot lid to push them clips holding the back trim.

Re the Green stuff, go to Wilko and buy bottle of Aquarium Green Algae control, make solution and dip the lamp lens in it for some time. This might help.
ps. make sure your drain hole is free from blockage.