(G) What would you do?

greetings peeps, long time no see.

Your opinion on a quandary I have -

my eldests Panda is about at the end of its life - corrosion in rear floor near the suspension mountings and just a few weeks of tax and MOT left.... the scrappage scheme would turn it into a new Panda eco for £4995, as it's still road legal and she has owned it for nearly 5 years.

Would you scrap it?

Blimey, that's a controversial way to make your comeback! I think I started posting on here after you stopped but I've seen many of your old really useful posts.

This is very difficult. Recent threads on here detail amazing efforts at welding to keep a car alive that most people would not bother doing. We love Pandas and therefore appreciate these efforts. But not everyone can do that of course.

I have to say that I hate the scrappage scheme, and shudder at the thought of perfectly good cars being crushed to stimulate the market. Any car can be saved with effort and time (and money) but it is obvious that it's not always a realistic option. If the rot is shocking I don't suppose anyone would really blame you. If you are not going to save it, then who will...? What I'm trying to say is, I can't bring myself to say do it, but I suppose I would understand if you did! Is the rot that bad...?

weelll, if you are in a position to buy a new car with the scrappage allowance nobody could really blame you. Who else is going to give you 2 grand for that car. If you want a new Panda though this would be a fascinating opportunity to go to your dealer without the scrapper first and see what sort of deal you could get, and if the scrappage allowance is really worth what it's supposed to be.
Plus, somebody has to buy new Fiats otherwise we'd be knackered too as all the dealers would disappear
if you get a better deal without the scrap allowance, stick the old car on here for the difference and give it a last chance.
Andrew.

OK, while I heartily disagree with the scrappage scheme I can see why you might be tempted in this case. However, have you actually phoned your local FIAT dealer to ask them if they have joined or intend to join the scheme? It is entirely voluntary for car dealers to join. Also, the official government website states that the scheme will run "from mid May 2009 to March 2010, depending on whether its fixed budget runs out sooner" (quote from official goverment website). It isn't clear exactly what date it will start. Is your MOT going to last long enough?

I would advise that you ring your dealer and ask all the pertinent questions before making your decision. Please let us know how you get on. I think a lot of people will be interested to know how this works in practice. There may be a lot of crap buried in the small print that means you actually get a lot less than the stated £2000. As with everything the government does, I don't think it's as cut and dried as it seems.

EDIT:
Link to official government site:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring...icle/DG_177693

FIAT have been selling their Panda Active ECO for £5995 OTR for months. the day the scrappage scheme was announced, they ended that offer and put the price up to £6995. I know, because I was interested in one @ £4k. They are now kindly offering the £1000 off to match the governments input, ergo saving you £1k in reality if you do scrap a car, but making it £1k more than before for everyone else.

You just knew the car companies wouldn't cough up the money really!

To answer the OP question: If you were going to buy a new car anyway or were looking for a reliable replacement, then uyou should scrap the car. It is one of the few situations were the scheme makes some sense.

Well, the scheme starts in anger in two weeks, but Grays in Warwick have been taking orders today (according to their sales).

It seems they come in cat vomit yellow, unless you pay extra.

New build, so up to 12 weeks delivery.

Regarding prices going up, I understand the UKP has devalued by 25% in the last few months, so prices on imported goods are under pressure - things with little margin have gone up quite a lot... food in particular. Cars no quite so much.



In the mean time, the old Panda has MOT/TAX until the end of june, but its owner needs to drive a new Panda before we order one.


When the deed is done, there are a number of spares here. Will catalogue them over the next week or so.

I think you mean 'mambo yellow' there don't you? lovely colour (been playing with the old Fiat configurator too)
Spares wise, if they are scrapping the old car anyway, do the rules say it has to be complete??? what would they say if you turned up with a shell, an engine and maybe a tatty old drivers seat. Hmmmm. probably no shortage of folks here would descend on you like a plague of locusts with socket sets. Could be a fun day out for all and a proper send off for the old thing

I love the description of the colour

You need to look into getting 2 accessories:

1) locking fuel cap
2) Boot lamp

Contact Chris@souls for quotes etc

Boot lamp takes a matter of minutes to fit, the wiring is there



Trev

bump.

Well, the deed is (almost) finally done, in that the last of our old Pandas went as scrappage yesterday. New one is due to be registered on 30th, but won't be collected until the Friday after.

White, rather than the funny yellow we were initially expecting.

All that remains now is to find somebody near to me (B90) who will take a huge number of Panda parts - £50 the lot.

The major parts are:

passenger door - late, galvanised, but gouged.
drivers door - some rust bubbles
tailgate - fair
cylinder head (999 fire) late (SPI) version, so no distributor or fuel pump drive
inlet manifold and carb from 1990, 999 fire
wiper assemblies, front and rear
suspension parts (struts and hubs, omega axle and hubs, springs, steering rack)

some electrical parts - rear lamp set (pair), late alternator with noisy bearings but electrically good. No headlamps. There aught to be a starter motor somewhere.

numerous bits of trim including passenger door pocket and internally adjustable mirror pair.

a number of wheels (6) with worn out tyres (including a pair of MK1 wheels which haven't had much use as they were fitted with M&S tyres 26 years ago.. and those tyres are still on).

Two Haynes and one Lindsay Porter guide.

Parcel shelf, no holes.

Passenger seat foams, springs, and back cover.


Further pix to follow after lunch

and there's more

even more

even more

Gosh John thats an understated return, considering there was even a thread pondering where you'd gone. You wouldn't consider selling bits individually and posting would you.

That's a lot of parts!! £50 great buy for anyone with a Panda!!

If they don't sell buy the 10th July, give me a PM and I'll come round.
(reason for this is I am too busy with work until then)

or email me jamesm_406 @ hotmail.com

PandaMark has collected as much as his van would carry, so consider it job done.

End of an era.