Hi everyone. I just bought a light blue 1988 1000cl Panda from a neighbour who has had it sitting up off the ground but uncovered for two years. It has been mot'd in 2014 and not driven since apparently. To the untrained eye the bodywork looks in very good condition and it has 61000 on the clock. It doesn't start...yet. I paid £300. I know next to nothing about cars. I bought her to cut down on fuel on my 20 mile commute in a 2001 LR TD5 and to do smaller deliveries from my market garden into Belfast. I love the boxy shape and the Fiat link with agricultural vehicles. Am I mad or could I learn the skills to do at least some of the work that will need done? It doesn't have to be an immaculate restoration but I would like to look after it and keep the integrity of the original design. Love this forum and reading about the projects some of you have been involved in. Any comments or suggestions on where to start would be very welcome.

Welcome to the Fiat Forum! The classic Pandas are great, it's lovely to see someone else has got one.

I'm sure you could learn the skills to do some work, a lot of things you may want to do may already be mentioned on the Fiat Forum or have guides in the Fiat Panda Haynes manual (recommend one of them), but if you need any further help you can always create a new thread in Panda classic. I'm not the most mechanically minded yet, only learning, but there's some people here who may be able to help out!

As for where to start, I'm not 100% sure with the engine. Check the systems i.e. ignition system and that everything is there for a start, if it is then you can then start fault finding I suppose, but someone else will be better suited to help you there than me! As for the body, likely rust spots are usually the bottom of the doors and the boot panel, I believe. Look under the car, at the sills and inside at the bottom of the doors. If anything needs sorting, it's best to do it sooner rather than later (though the door could almost look like Swiss cheese from an MOT standpoint).

Some of us post a good few pictures and make a thread for the car, you can do that too if you want - you'll generate some interest, get our eyes going at a new Panda and hopefully get some help directed your way too!

Ah thanks for the reply and welcome. Sounds like good advice. I've yet to give the car a good look over so when I get the chance I'll create a thread and post pictures. Just ordered a Haynes Manual to help get started. Now to get insurance...

Gardeneraceae said:

Ah thanks for the reply and welcome. Sounds like good advice. I've yet to give the car a good look over so when I get the chance I'll create a thread and post pictures. Just ordered a Haynes Manual to help get started. Now to get insurance...

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If the car is going to be off the road, you can just SORN it - if you plan to drive it soon or protect it though then go for insurance. Sounds good! The Haynes manuals help with all sorts of little things, and the internet will be a great resource as well

Hi and welcome to the Forum!

No you're not mad, it is possible to learn and do stuff yourself, I've finally taken the plunge into doing some repairs after years of avoiding it and managing ok, I do swear abit and spend half the time looking for tools but jobs are being done!


If it's been stood the fuel will be stale and the battery flat at the very least!

If it were mine I'd jack up one of the front wheels off the ground, engage a high gear and try to turn the wheel to make sure the engine isn't seized.
The old trick with pouring a bit of fresh fuel into the carb might get it to start with a fresh battery.
Brakes could well be seized too sat for that long. If it does start and run and stop and things aren't hanging off it after a good poke around I'd book it in for an MOT, it'll fail but will tell you what needs doing.

That's what I'd do, others may be along with different opinions later.....

Oh yeah and pictures, we love pictures!

the panda is one of the easiest cars to work on, so a good starting point for learning!!

do some googling, and check youtube for info on getting old cars started, find out what is wrong, then learn to fix it!

Thanks for the replies. I now have a Haynes manual and am going to do a little learning before I try to tackle it. Haven't managed to pick the car up yet but will hire a trailer this week. Sat in t today and had a good look around it. It's in amazing nick and I think it actually only has 6100 miles on it! Back soon...

One small but important note - this is without a doubt the friendliest car forum I have ever been a member of, and there are lots of people who will help and nobody who will make sarky comments or put you down - so go for it!

Nice one, you won't regret it. Just make sure you check anything brake related and anything rubber that could have perished while it has been sitting.

Thanks. Been reading around in the forum and can see it's a very pleasant and helpful place to look for info. So at the moment the panda is on a trailer in my neighbour's front farden. He wants it gone soon so I'm going to have to find a place to SORN it and do all the checks I'm capable of and get some help to get it road worthy. Unfortunately O don't think I will have access to a workshop so may have to cover it with a tarp and work on it over winter whenever I get the chance and help from another gardener mate who knows his stuff. Just wondering if it would be worth leaving into my Landy mechanic just to get it started and on the road rather than taking months to get my head around everything. Like I said it seems to be in great nick and really well cared for. No rust that I can see around the doors and sills and clean throughout.

Got the car through the MOT, taxed and on the road. It hasn't been serviced yet and I'm hoping to learn how to do this myself although I'm not really sure where to start. I have the Haynes manual but it s a little overwhelming. I guess the most obvious problem is that the engine seems to judder a little when put in 4th gear and given throttle. Driving with the choke about half way out seems to help. Would this be a carb issue. Also it generally starts reliably but occasionally I need to give the starter motor a tap with a spanner. Any suggestions on where to start would be aporeciated.

Hi,

You will be fine with the service.

Re starter getting jammed - normal situation the starter solenoid (cylinder on the size of starter body) would probably need some more lubricant inside.
Re juddering - check the vacuum advance unit on the distributor case, make sure the vac line is connected to the carburettor body at the back and the actuall membrane inside the 'ufo' shaped case does work.

kolza said:

...and the actuall membrane inside the 'ufo' shaped case does work.

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You can do this by removing the thin pipe which goes to the UFO and blowing/sucking on it - you should feel resistance - as kolza says, there is a membrane in there and if it has torn then you should be able to tell.

Here is what you're looking for - you can see the little arm part sticking out of the top - that's connected to the pipe you need to investigate. Also make sure this pipe isn't split or broken.

http://www.ricambio.co.uk/69-fiat/6...butor-vacuum-advance-unit--fiat-panda-uno-y10

Having said all that - when you say the car is juddering without the choke, I take it you mean when the car is warmed up? So on my car for example, I need to use the choke until the temp gauge reaches halfway (less and less choke as it gets towards that point). If I were to try to use heavy throttle before it's warmed up and without the choke, it would stumble like you suggest. Stating the obvious I know but just checking! Also, might just need an Italian tune-up (a good run!).

Let me know if you need the vacum advance unit, i've still some left - half the Ricambio price - sorry Jimmy.

kolza said:

Let me know if you need the vacum advance unit, i've still some left - half the Ricambio price - sorry Jimmy.

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- it was more to show the picture, other suppliers are available!

Thanks guys. Today the gear linkage fell apart! I'm guessing the bushes failed (only know this because I watched the Sisley renovation on Wheeler Dealers) lots to do and learn and such little time!

Always good to see another panda on the rd and saved from the scrap yard in the sky! well done