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Panda 2007 'Wicked Black' Panda 100HP

Introduction

2007 'Darkwave Black' Panda 100HP

Thought I'd paste in my progress here.

This is my 2007 Panda 100HP Darkwave Black (Nero Cattivo 601).

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An Intro

As a brief intro, for once this isn't a first car! I'm in my 30's and have had 50+ cars up until now; this was mainly when I was younger, as I grew up in the countryside where you could keep 3 or more cars and easily have a big empty barn as a garage. I've had quite a few hot/warm hatches before, as well as some more hum-drum things. I'm basically a petrol head that struggled to grasp the concept of car monogamy when I was younger - the usual pattern would be:

buy unloved car > spent thousands making like new > get bored and sell at a huge loss

:cry:

Because of all this, I've got a bit more contrast to compare the 100HP against. I quite like cars that are a bit 'different', and so I first set out to find a Multipla. Having looked for months, and struggling to find one that was realistically priced, non-facelifted and didn't look like it had been used as a monkey cage, I gave up. This lead me to look for a Panda.

Again, on my searches, I did a LOT of research on these - common fail points, weaknesses, part costs, options etc. I then knew exactly what I was looking for, and how much I wanted to spend. The funds from my previous car are earmarked for home improvements, so I had a budget that would be beneficial to stick to.

It seems that these cars (with decent mileage) were £3k+ only 18 months or so ago, and a quick look on eBay/AutoTrader suggested that the traders and owners thought the residuals were still there. eBay auctions suggested otherwise, with very few reaching over £1500 at this time of year. The going rate for a non-abused example seemed to be between £2k and £3k, depending on how close to 90k miles you wanted to be.

From experience, I know that you can tart a car up, replace every nut and bolt, but you can't (legally!) take miles off the clock, or add to the history - so that was where my persuasions lay.

Eventually, I found a nice little example that was local (sort of) and on sale at a decent price. I'm not a tyre kicker or haggler, so having asked the seller a few key questions, then researched the risks of everything in between, I asked him for his best price so I could sort out some money. I knew from some research that he had probably owned the car for just under 2 years, and would probably be losing a lot of money, so I'm not one to kick a man when he's down.

(y)

To cut the story short, a deal was done and I bought this little example.

Some battle scars evident, but a full HPI check showed not concerns, as did the MOT history.

A further investigation led me to scrape out some very old cached images from the bowels of the internet. A few years and owners ago, she looked like this:

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But then, not long after, like this:

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Which is where the scratches started to appear (note missing tow eye cover). Whilst a shame, it's interesting to see. If you recognise the car, and think it was yours, get in touch - I'd be interesting to hear the history.

Anyway, initial impressions and a little summary:

Ride

This was my biggest concern. I'd previous had an R50 MINI Cooper which had 17" runflats and the 'sports' pack - it was a hoot to drive, but the suspension was horrific. Crossing the white lines in the road was like driving up a kerb. :yuck:
I'd heard similar about the Panda 100HP, with lots of people saying the ride was awful, and franticly looking for solutions to fix it. It had me worried, and I was already planning Koni Sport adjustables with a larger tyre sidewall.

The reality? Absolutely fine. The history shows the rear shocks were replaced for OE jobbies about 14 months ago, which may help, but otherwise I'm not sure why people were fussing so much. Maybe if you came from a shopping car with cloud like suspension it could seem too firm, but these people have obviously never driving a MINI like mine, or perhaps anything 2 seater and small (MX5, Boxster, Z3 etc). Or maybe I have a freak of a car...

Either way, I'd suggest that the ride is comparable to a 207 or similar car. Nothing overly smooth (it was a cheap car when new, after all), but certainly not anything I'd call "harsh". Yes, you know where the bumps are, as you can sort of feel/hear them, but they are damped out. I've yet to experience the crashing and thudding suspension that is common on many warm/hot hatches and roadsters.

Handling

I've yet to test this fully. I believe the owner-before-last had Eagle F1s fitted, but it now has ditchfinders on 3 corners. Not the previous owner's fault, but the receipts show they went to Kwik Fit and got charged Goodyear prices for Goodride tyres (or 'Arrowspeed', to be exact. £80 a corner for 15's too!). Due to this, I've not been keen to explore the immense understeer screeching and panic that come with tyres called things like 'jinling'.

Quality

As previously mentioned, this was a cheap car. Many of them were sold new for between £8,000 to £10,000, even in full 100HP guise, so it was a lot less than the Fiesta and Clio offerings.

The panels feel almost like plastic, but are just thin metal. This obvious contributes towards the low kerb weight (less than 975kg full laden, according to the stats). The paint sort of looks like aerosol, rather than a thick clear-over-base you might expect on a car worth more money.

Interior & Equipment

The seats do have a bit of adjustment but, rather than height, you get a lever which determines how low only your arse goes, leaving the lowest position feeling like you're squatting for a poo. I'm over 6' tall, though, and found a comfortable driving position. Unlike the Citroen Saxo, FIAT decided that the brake and accelerator don't need to be touching each other, meaning my wide feet are comfortable on the pedals.

The Dash is laid out in the same style as the 500/Ka/Multipla/Idea/Others. You get a dash-mounted gear change with an uncluttered floor - meaning you could scootch across from the passenger side without too much fuss (if you needed to).

The usual wear is common - the plastic/rubber "leather" will split and crack on the steering wheel. Mine hasn't done this, so I expect it's a reaction to either rings or a toiletry that does this over time. The gear knob does also wear and look tatty (as had mine), but I was able to fix that quite easily.

Beyond this, the interior is more spacious that you'd expect. I have plenty of head room (perhaps 2-3 inches), and the boot is enough for shopping and day to day stuff. I can just about fit a big bulky pram in, but the seats look to have ISOFix and are split/fold too.

You get built in Bluetooth for calls (independent of the radio), a trip computer, and steering mounted controls for the bluetooth/radio. There are a few options in the display that can be set, which include automatic locking when you drive off. This complements the A/C, Climate Control, Electric Front windows, Tinted rear windows and Remote locking you also get with the car.

There's no leather on offer, although I've seen on for sale with it, which is curious. The seats do have anti-submarining, with chunky bolsters offering a good level of comfort.

Controls

The gearchange isn't sloppy, but it's quite floppy! It's a bit like stirring plaster, for want of a better way of putting it. It would benefit from a shorter throw, but otherwise is quite nice and easy to use. The clutch/accelerator are also quite light, which has it's benefits and drawbacks. A nicely sprung accelerator can make long journeys easier (as you don't have to keep your foot at a high angle, more rest it lightly to cruise), so it missed out on that. The steering is also very light - pinky finger light. The sport button on the dash makes this slightly heavier (and throttle sharper), so you miss out on the feedback, but end up with a very easy-to-maneuver car.

The gearchange position is great, otherwise. The only annoyance with the controls I've found so far is that the intermittent wiper is too quick for a light drizzle, and operating a wipe manually gives a frantic sweep (unlike ever other car I've owned).

Servicing

The cheaper option can some times be a bonus. Under the bonnet is the same 1.4 engine that FIAT have used for donkey's years. This means that there's a traditional dipstick, no big plastic covers, and you can actually change a light bulb without removing panels, trim and completing a course in double-jointed contortionism. There are normal screws and everything looks like it's been put together with a certain amount of reassuring simplicity. Because of this, the servicing and parts costs look to be very low (£200 for a timing belt and water pump change from an indy in the receipts).

Performance

On paper, it's a quoted 9.5 seconds 0-62. Not exactly 'fast' by modern standards, and that is echoed by a selection of owners.

Despite this, it feels very pokey. You can feel how light the car is, and getting up to speed is very easy using the 6 speed gearbox, especially due to it's relatively close-to-the-wheel location. Regardless of what the stats say, mine feels like a very capable little car, and I have already experience some irritation from the usual Audi/VW bunch who try and undercut you at traffic lights - it's certainly no slouch.

Overall Impressions

I think based on what I have read, in both reviews and from other owners, I think there's a lot of criticism I can't recognise. The ride is perfectly fine to me (and the roads are awful round here), so I can only assume that people are blaming worn out suspension components as being 'the ride'. It was built as a cheap car, and the parts are cheap too, so it could well be a case that they need refreshing to solve the harshness? As for performance, it's such an easy and fun car to drive, I don't think I could knock it. Even wringing it's neck will return a minimum 30mpg indicated (or it has thus far), and I've not found 50mpg too hard to achieve.

Time will tell, and I've got plenty of bits to do, but these will soon be well within SOTW territory. Only around 1700 or so appear to be registered at the moment, but there are quite a lot to be found in the classifieds. I think I recorded around 50 different ones either for sale or being broken at the moment.

The plan is to keep her as a long term fun car - it will fit in the garage, so why not! Happy to keep this going on with some details of updates - have quite a bit I could put up at some point. I'm generally trying to restore her to a decent condition, whilst adding in some subtle changes to just make my one a little more individual.
:cool:


I've already done some bits, as this original post was written a while ago, so I'll update in time...
Enjoy! My Bellezza Nera is almost identical (only has the steering wheel on the right side (left that is:D)).
Ride and handling is great (for a small hatch). Just needs good tires.
Feels so much quicker than it really is, but you can use all of it's performance almost everyday.

gr J

PS turning Sport off is not allowed in my rulebook;)
 
Good to see another Black 100HP in Wiltshire, the car is a hoot on side roads especially across the plain! I find the ride OK but the kangarooing at low speeds I couldn't take; Koni rear shocks have sorted that out and 50 profile tyres and Fiat Coupe bump stops have made the ride totally acceptable. The only real downside is the range, 260 miles taking it easily. I use super unleaded BTW, the engine is smoother and more responsive.
 
Good to see another Black 100HP in Wiltshire, the car is a hoot on side roads especially across the plain! I find the ride OK but the kangarooing at low speeds I couldn't take; Koni rear shocks have sorted that out and 50 profile tyres and Fiat Coupe bump stops have made the ride totally acceptable. The only real downside is the range, 260 miles taking it easily. I use super unleaded BTW, the engine is smoother and more responsive.



Top tips, thanks.


The only downsides so far I have found, are the Van-like driving position. Shame the seat lowering is actually just "how low do you want your arse".

I like the pedal feel now, but do have issues with my lower leg muscles, so it could be a PITA on a longer run trying to balance the pedal for motorway speeds.
 
The first morning had seen some light rain, highlighting the poor state of the protection on the paint..

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The priority at this point was to add some protection, rather than a full detail, especially with being so close to Christmas and both daylight and free time being a luxury.

With that, she had a quick rinse and then snow foam. One that had settled, a sponge wash with Autosmart Autowash.

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The lack of decent protection was evident by the water adhering to the paint...


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I decided that I'd have a go at some of the many scratches and marks whilst I was at it.

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With little time for the rotary, I used some G3 Scratch Remover by hand. It's quite decent, and breaks down as you apply it.

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Despite the scratches on the bumper being deep enough to feel, I managed to remove them by hand..

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Also, odd scratches on the roof and spoiler..

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Also found and sorted these..

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There are quite a lot of heavy scuffs on the driver's door too - see between my right hand and the handle

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The rear bumper trim was also broken/dislocated..

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Quick fix...(behold the ditchfinder!)

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Next up, to sort out the sandpaper paintwork!

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Then a quick pass with AG Clay. My clay needs replacing, but still picked up plenty of gunk..

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She was ready for some protection on the two panels now. I started off with Autosmart Quartz. Before

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After:
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Quick spray to test the bead...

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I then added some Natty's Blue to test, and repeated on the rest of the paint. Roof took what felt like forever to clay!

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Next job was to fix the blocked scuttle I noticed on viewing..

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Drain holes weren't blocked at all....

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Job done..
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Bodywork protected for now...

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Next task was to fix the common worn gearknob..

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Sanded down with 300 grit...

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Primered..

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Then some tetrosyl I had knocking about...

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A few coats of clear..

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Left to dry for a while by the radiator, then put back on...

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As can be seen, I'm missing the trim pieces that sit in the cupholders - don't want to pay £20+ for them, either!
 
Great post. Having seen your photos I'm going to get some of that scratch remover.

Don't get me wrong, there's technique involved - it's not a miracle rub - but it's quite effective stuff. I think Halfords sell it, in fact.

It's quite gritty at first, but then it breaks down, meaning if you keep rubbing an area it should get less coarse. This means you shouldn't get any scratch marks etc.

Can't beat a rotary/DA, but it's decent if you either don't have time, or if you don't have the means/confidence for machine polishing
 
Don't get me wrong, there's technique involved - it's not a miracle rub - but it's quite effective stuff. I think Halfords sell it, in fact.

It's quite gritty at first, but then it breaks down, meaning if you keep rubbing an area it should get less coarse. This means you shouldn't get any scratch marks etc.

Can't beat a rotary/DA, but it's decent if you either don't have time, or if you don't have the means/confidence for machine polishing

Blimey! Top work, how did you manage to remove the scratches on the spoiler, looks like they were down to the primer?
 
It did look like it, but they turned out to be paint transfer. Not sure what it was, but there were similar marks near the aerial and nearside rear corner of the roof

I see, the paint on mine is rougher than the proverbial Badger's haven't looked too deeply at it because it's very likely to freak me out. She's had a coat of Insulator Wax, which is mental, and topped with Sonax Xtreme Brilliant Shine... until the weather cheers up and then she'll get the full works.

Fingers crossed that some of my scratches won't be as bad as I thought on closer inspection :)
 
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A bit of ice lately has meant my Panda has been more Panda coloured than usual! Roof was still white here...

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Onwards, and with a few little touches...

First of all, my cupholder trims were missing, and they would be over £20 to replace from FIAT..

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So I used some Velcro I had lying around and made some replacements..

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I also picked up and fitted some Heko Wind Deflectors, which is pretty standard as far as additions go.

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Also bought a single DIN adaptor and added a sticker onto the tailgate glass Ahhhh

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Not sure if it's normal, just me, or the fascia, but it doesn't fit too well. Hard to see actually how it's supposed to fit :confused:

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Hi do the steering wheel stereo Control's still work? I have a pioneer sitting around and I am keen to install it.

Top motor BTW. Love the subtle changes and rejuvenation.

Thanks
 
Hi do the steering wheel stereo Control's still work? I have a pioneer sitting around and I am keen to install it.

Top motor BTW. Love the subtle changes and rejuvenation.

Thanks

You need an Autoleads CTSFA006 (Panda with CAN BUS) and then the appropriate conversion from the headunit to the loom.

I have mine on order, so not tried it yet
 
[/QUOTE]Not sure if it's normal, just me, or the fascia, but it doesn't fit too well. Hard to see actually how it's supposed to fit :confused[/QUOTE]

aftermarket fascia is absolutely awful mate overhangs and the terrible clips pop off and vanish i bought the genuine fiat one from fiat but are 45 quid but night and day maybe try get one from a scrappy. https://www.fiatforum.com/panda/434375-aftermarket-headunits-ugly.html?p=4141822
 
Not sure if it's normal, just me, or the fascia, but it doesn't fit too well. Hard to see actually how it's supposed to fit :confused[/QUOTE]

aftermarket fascia is absolutely awful mate overhangs and the terrible clips pop off and vanish i bought the genuine fiat one from fiat but are 45 quid but night and day maybe try get one from a scrappy. https://www.fiatforum.com/panda/434375-aftermarket-headunits-ugly.html?p=4141822[/QUOTE]

Not just me then!

I'll probably try and modify mine
 
aftermarket fascia is absolutely awful mate overhangs and the terrible clips pop off and vanish i bought the genuine fiat one from fiat but are 45 quid but night and day maybe try get one from a scrappy. https://www.fiatforum.com/panda/434375-aftermarket-headunits-ugly.html?p=4141822


I've requested a refund on mine now - tried to fit it again now I have the correct cage, but it's absolutely dog plop.

There's absolutely no way whatsoever that it is describable as 'useful' in any way. There's no way to secure it, it doesn't fit without protruding by 5mm. I can imagine it would fall out, with an expensive stereo attached, on the first time you pulled away.
 
I've requested a refund on mine now - tried to fit it again now I have the correct cage, but it's absolutely dog plop.

There's absolutely no way whatsoever that it is describable as 'useful' in any way. There's no way to secure it, it doesn't fit without protruding by 5mm. I can imagine it would fall out, with an expensive stereo attached, on the first time you pulled away.

speak to your local fiat dealer and get yourself the genuine fiat singledin fascia or get one from scappy they are actually screwed in place and look 100 times better , trust me you wont regret it mate. thats the link for someone who has done same as me sure you can see the difference.
 
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