Hopefully picking up my Twinair Panda next week.

Mediterranean Blue with cream/grey trim. That should be fun with 3 dogs! Protective seat covers on order already, and dog crate thankfully fits.

Any Twinair owners want to convince me I shouldn't be nervous getting a twin cylinder engine?

I'm a diesel owner, but I'd really want a TA. They're absolutely fantastic, and make you love them. Some cars are just like that, in that they have so much character and personality that you identify with them as if they were a person. When that happens, you put up with all their flaws and shortcomings because, well, they're your friend.

That's how they get you.

It's great, no reason not to love it, once you get used to shifting into second a millisecond after moving off, the exhaust note is something you learn to love.

I do think my 61 plate TA is a great car..The engine is very good and pulls well.I dont use the eco much as i live ural.When i do go into town i use it then.Idont use the change indecator as i feel iam changing up to early. I change at about 2500 to 4000 rpm.On motorway mine sits nice at 80 mph with loads in reserve when needed.Good fuel economy and free road tax.So great car with loads of charecter.

The Twinair is a real odd ball engine, I've had all sorts of different engine configurations over the years, but there isn't anything that's come close to one of these.

It has loads of character and makes some very unusual noises, though it does have it's drawbacks.
Owners tend to overlook them as they are really quite enjoyable most of the time.

It drives a little differently and it's really at it's best spluttering around at low rpm in high gears on the tiny wave of torque, but that requires a few more gearchanges to keep it rumbling on in the torques sweet spot.

Your ears and other senses will tell you it's time to change down, but hang in there and it'll scoot around fine.

As already pointed out, the gear change indicator prompts you to this sort of driving. (which my Mrs ignores makes me cringe when she hangs on to gears far too long)

This can cause it to shudder a bit (sometimes you can almost count the piston strokes), but it soon picks up as they rev really quickly, seems the flywheel is very light, in the shorter geared 4x4 you can hit the rev limiter in the blink of an eye.

I'm not sure about the 2wd model, but I find my 4x4 can be a bit noisey and viby at times, particularly on a long motorway drives, our other 1.2 Panda is far more relaxing on these sorts of trips.

MPG is one of the biggest grumbles, it's hard not to drive it hard and fly about, grinning like a mad man and get figures that would upset a Lambo owner, but they can return good MPG figures if you try a little bit.

I was getting 50's in my 4x4 TA around Norfolk last weekend, and that included the odd farm track adventure.

They take a while to break in and loosen up.
Once you get 5 or 6k on them they do feel better for it.

I tend to jump back and forth between a few different cars (though the 4x4 TA is mine), at times it feels like my TA sulks, that it's just not at it's best or sounds a bit rough.

It's odd but it passes quite quickly, maybe it's just me and I've got used to a "normal" engine again, but there was a time at around 13k when it seemed clattery. I checked the plugs and they were starting to erode a bit, a new set certainly picked it up again.

So far they seem to be reliable.
They originally had a few issues with the Multiair system, but this was very early on and that seems to have passed.

I do think it pays to keep on top of the oil, it's used in the turbo bearing and the Multiair system, so it's not worth ignoring changes, even if you aren't doing mega mileage.

The rest of the Panda is pretty good too, very few issues with them.
We've had a couple with dash rattles in different Pandas, like a plastic pipe is rattling deep behind the radio panel, the dealers know how to sort this, but the dash has to come out.

The stop start systems tend to have a mind of their own too.
If it's fitted, don't worry about it, it's more hassle than it's worth!

I almost forgot.

Keep an eye on the scuttle drains to make sure they are clear.

On the fire wall behind the engine are two plastic "Duck Bills". One either side.

These allow the scuttle to drain any water out.

They tend to block up with dead leaves and dirt over time and cause the scuttle (which is also the heater air intake) too fill up with water and pour through the heater and out on the carpet.

These "Duck Bills" do pull out, but it's easy enough to reach them and just squeeze them out every few months.

Goudrons said:

I almost forgot.

Keep an eye on the scuttle drains to make sure they are clear.

On the fire wall behind the engine are two plastic "Duck Bills". One either side.

These allow the scuttle to drain any water out.

They tend to block up with dead leaves and dirt over time and cause the scuttle (which is also the heater air intake) too fill up with water and pour through the heater and out on the carpet.

These "Duck Bills" do pull out, but it's easy enough to reach them and just squeeze them out every few months.

Click to expand...

Yes! Had those on my Panda 169 too - and one of them got blocked-up with leaves. Didn't realise until the passenger footwell was soaked after one night of heavy rain! Always kept on top of it after that.