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Panda (Classic) I'm Back With The Panda 750L 1991

Introduction

My Story

Hi folks, its been a while since I had a panda after selling Purple Haze the Parade and Engelbert the Sisley (to Freebo ) the former I sold because my wife was pregnant and I felt (wrongly) that I needed a bigger (and to my mind at the time safer) car for ferrying my son and wife around in.

A very short while after I sold the pandas I developed Generalised Anxiety Disorder, I have had it now for nearly 2 years and I am FINALLY starting to get better it seems. The paranoid thoughts that I was going to put my son and wife in danger in the panda were part of this in my opinion.

Selling the Parade was a huge mistake on my part (and as older forum members were know it was subsequently written off in a low speed crash by the new owner) though the Sisley is much better off with Freebo as he appreciates the 4x4's (they are not to my taste on the open road but are amazing in a field IMHO) and I have regretted it. I have not had a car for some time now partially due to my illness and partially due to the fact I have lost my job due to my illness, though as forum members will remember I am a Youtuber too.

Fast forward to last night and I was browsing the forum and I came across an ad for a 750L in Glasgow (I am in Prestwick), and it was free but had to be collected today or in 2 weeks time. Being the impatient (and obviously anxious) type, I arranged through a friend of a friend to have it collected today. It arrived at 1pm and I am utterly flabbergasted at the condition. Out of my 3 Pandas it arrived in the best condition IMHO. So I am very thankful to the seller but forgotten their forum name cos the ad has been deleted! So thanks Ian (I am sure you are reading)

Ian reported that it has an oil leak under pressure, and as far as I can tell so far the problem is the oil filter housing which would be a super easy fix :) the rear arches need cut out at the base and refabricated, though this is not a huge job to my knowledge and I have a friend who is potentially going to do that for me all being well. Aside from that as far as I can tell it just needs new seatbelts, a new passenger rear brake cluster, new door locks, the front seat cover sewed up or renewed (the rest is immaculate) and some rust spots in the usual places taken care of. And a good service just to be on the safe side!

I couldn't be happier at this point and I cant wait to share my progress on here and Youtube for you all to see :)

Cameron

How did you apply the paint? When I first did a touch up I used a brush and second time I used an aerosol and masked off the area around it. I think the brush worked better but because I had used an aerosol into a pot and then brushed it on it still didn't turn out amazingly. I need to find a bottle like you did I think!
 
How did you apply the paint? When I first did a touch up I used a brush and second time I used an aerosol and masked off the area around it. I think the brush worked better but because I had used an aerosol into a pot and then brushed it on it still didn't turn out amazingly. I need to find a bottle like you did I think!

It was a small bottle with a brush in it attached to the lid. put your paint code into ebay and you should get something :)
 
I like the 'made in Czechoslovakia' bit on the windscreen! Dates in nicely:D. Looks like mine was built about 3 months after the country split so will be interesting to see what my windscreen says, though I suspect it may have been made elsewhere anyway!
 
I've still got the dealer sticker on the back windscreen on mine, which I recon I should leave there... though that does mean no window tints!
 
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I've still got the dealer sticker on the back windscreen on mine, which I recon I should leave there... though that does mean no window tints!

I wouldnt have minded with this one as it was the original dealer sticker (which as I said before my grandad used to work there in a wierd coincidence) but it had been removed before but the "ghosting" of it was still there when the car steamed up. So it had to go due to my OCD

Found this one but a bit more expensive than yours :p It's cheaper to buy an aerosol but the problem there is it isn't as easy to brush on unfortunately as you have to spray into a pot and then brush it on from the pot! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FIAT-HIGH...872087?hash=item56591713d7:g:mfYAAMXQGQRR8Uyz

I've used Victoria Autoparts a few times for paint, £8.99 seems a bit steep to me, (but I am Scottish haha)

You should be able to get yours mixed for the same price as mine http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FIAT-402-...235133?hash=item4151527ebd:g:faIAAOSwCU1YsM13

The seller is this company here if you want to phone them outside of ebay, just mention the price on ebay: https://www.facebook.com/Wilson-Lendrum-Weir-Ltd-197988326928583/
 
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Bought an Autoglym Clay Bar Kit today and used it to clay bar the outside of the rear window (I looked it up and apparently its pretty great on glass too, who knew) because there was quite a bit of overspray. I missed some on the first pass, but got it all on the second pass. Really happy with the results so finished it off with Autoglym Glass Polish. Surprised even me just how much was removed
 
Bought an Autoglym Clay Bar Kit today and used it to clay bar the outside of the rear window (I looked it up and apparently its pretty great on glass too, who knew) because there was quite a bit of overspray. I missed some on the first pass, but got it all on the second pass. Really happy with the results so finished it off with Autoglym Glass Polish. Surprised even me just how much was removed

This is a level of detailing I've never been involved in, are you not worried you might need sunglasses just to look at your car on a clear day??(y)
 
I removed the front rubber mat (didnt break a single clip or piece of trim, mega proud of myself) to clean and inspect the floor. Generally really pleased with what I found apart from a hole showing through to the top of a piece of box section. This will need addressed at some point though I plan to do it myself after I have done my welding course later this year.

I cleaned the floor thoroughly and removed all debris etc then cleaned again. Then painted the parts that had surface rust with blue hammerite. Not content with the look of it I then went over it with the correct colour paint. Must say I am very pleased with the finished article. I need 3 screws as 1 was missing and 2 were stripped beyond use but I will take them to screwfix tomorrow and acquire some that roughly match. Unless ebay have the actual screws in which case I will just get them.

All reassembled now (pending the 3 screws) and I am very happy with it. It was bothering me that I could see grime etc in the gaps in the mat at the handbrake etc. I also took the time to fix the gearstick gaiter on its points.
 
Strange place to rust, is that normal for Pandas? Can't see water pooling there. A bit nervous about taking my carpet out now!
 
Well it's not a bad place for a first welding repair job, no one will ever see it, it does not look to be structural and it looks like it won't take too much forming getting the steel to shape, though that anti vibration stuff will want taking back a bit which might be an effort (I had to trim mine back a little in the boot floor, I'm sure there is a technique for this but I don't know it!).
 
Well it's not a bad place for a first welding repair job, no one will ever see it, it does not look to be structural and it looks like it won't take too much forming getting the steel to shape, though that anti vibration stuff will want taking back a bit which might be an effort (I had to trim mine back a little in the boot floor, I'm sure there is a technique for this but I don't know it!).

I am sure I will be asking for your guidance nearer the time :)
 
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