Hi, recently i've been for hols in cuba,
there is a lot of different/ old cars running down there but being a panda owner my eyes were looking for pandas.

That man on the photo, if he could only have acces to internet, i'm more then sure that he would be the first FF cuban member, there is nothing like MOT in Cuba, so the rotten one ( marabella?) was used as daily car.

Looks like a Panda with Marbella bits added to it. Poor thing

Most Easterly Pandas said:

Looks like a Panda with Marbella bits added to it. Poor thing

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or marabella moded to look like a Panda...

kolza said:

if he could only have acces to internet,

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I doubt it, Cuba is like Poland 30 years ago, comunist country Poor Cubans

Sutjeska

That top one looks quite tidy & certainly loved Did you talk to the guy at all kolza? I envy you your trip to Cuba.

Most Easterly Pandas said:

Looks like a Panda with Marbella bits added to it.

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Umm, surely a Marbella is a Panda with Marbella bits added.. Very authentic door rot either way.

(edit) ..Oh good grief just noticed that's not the door it's the sill presumably if you open the door, the car folds in half!!

Cool!! Hell of a bad place to be a car it seems. Sadly I can confirm that the mystery car is actually a Seat Marbella for sure. Obviously wanted a fiat though as theyve tried to bend out the rear arches like the mk2's have and wedged / cut a fiat grille to fit in between the larger marbella headlights! The give way is the plastic trim below the windscreen. This cannot be a panda as marbella's have a completely different skuttle planel Again yes sad I know!

We need to put a shout out for havana panda owners, get them on the map....but how.......road trip/ferry trip anyone? :devil:

Si

Sorry Si, but I still disagree

The scuttle you talk about is over the top of the panda one, IMO, and not the actual scuttle.

Also has the mk2 black roof runs, rear 1/4 panels and tail lights. Mk2 panda lights are smaller than Marbella's so wouldn't fit onto a Marbella.

EDIT: just checked and the only think that is unique to mk2 panda that I've mentioned above is the rear lights wrapping around the 1/4 panel, and the 1/4 panel on this car is recessed to accept them, so unless they've been changed it has to be a mk2 with Marbella bits on it, or a cut and shut. Lol.

hehe debate ensues....

I have compared both and that plastic panel beneath the windscreen cannot fit on a panda. It slopes straight down to the gutter on the marbella; where as the panda one steps down. This is to accomodate the marbella bonnet which goes further back than a panda one.

The rear lights could be stretched around the side; they are proud on the view looking from the front. Also, the rear windows don't open (as per marbella). We could settle this if we could see the suspension better. If its got leaf springs then its definately marbella.

I think its mostly marbella anyway but as you say it could be a cut and shut! it does show more signs of panda on the back and more marbella on the front. This person has done a good job at disguising it whatever it is!!

Si

sorry I am enjoying this mystery too much lol. It's very similar to the age old argument are panda's white with black patches or black with white patches:devil:

See attached image of a mk 1 panda with mk2 tail lights fitted to show you can do it! mounting screw holes are in the same place for all panda's and marbellas.

Having said that though, I zoomed in as best I can to the suspension and can't see a leaf spring...so confused!! It doesnt even look like panda omega arm suspension to me. This could be a typical havana frankencar!

Si

The panel on the one in post one is defo designed to take mk2 rear lights, you can see where the panel is shaped to allow it, although I don't think its got Panda seats (head restraints look different), but the none opening rear windows look just like they should on Panda's without them from what I can see.

Its defo a mismatch of some sort

pandamonius_maximus said:

sorry I am enjoying this mystery too much lol. It's very similar to the age old argument are panda's white with black patches or black with white patches:devil:

See attached image of a mk 1 panda with mk2 tail lights fitted to show you can do it! mounting screw holes are in the same place for all panda's and marbellas.

Having said that though, I zoomed in as best I can to the suspension and can't see a leaf spring...so confused!! It doesnt even look like panda omega arm suspension to me. This could be a typical havana frankencar!

Si

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it's Omega beamed, you can see the radial arm ahead of the back wheel on the photo. think it's a mk 2 with Marbella doors and bonnet/lights/front bumper

panda1993 said:

Did you talk to the guy at all kolza?

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No, i didnt, 1) was in a rush to get on coach trip, 2) chances that the man from photo speaks english were very small almost zero.

Re.rusted "car" if i'm not wrong, the dash boar was more likely looking simmilar as mk1 Panda (small spedo), so that would indicate to marabella or just marabella interior swaped over.
As Most Easterly Pandas is saying i might be total cut and shut / puzzle car front too B-pillar marabella, B-pillar to the end Panda. They are cubans and believe me they know how to use a welder - see example below.

kolza said:

they know how to use a welder - see example below.

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WOW!

Sutjeska

firstcar-Y10 said:

it's Omega beamed, you can see the radial arm ahead of the back wheel on the photo. think it's a mk 2 with Marbella doors and bonnet/lights/front bumper

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Ok, fair enough. Only the front scuttle that makes no sense to me then. If it is panda then they must have re-shaped the scuttle to put the plastic trim / marbella bonnet on.

....They are cubans and believe me they know how to use a welder - see example below.

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That job looks impressive, looks like it would pass as legal here. Although we are quite strict....hard enough to replace an engine here with all the red tape

Si

Not sure the owner of the Panda/Marbella is any good at welding .

VmanC said:

Not sure the owner of the Panda/Marbella is any good at welding .

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Maybe it looked good 10 years ago?

Also..."Pandella"? ....Marba sounds wrong to me!

The first one is a Panda

The second is a Marbella without doubt :devil:

Panda4x4net said:

The first one is a Panda

The second is a Marbella without doubt :devil:

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The suspension looks wrong though, if you look close at back wheel arch you can see part of the omega arm suspension. I am sure its a cut and shut! Which means it is both!

Hey here's an idea....we could check on the havana version of DVLA ::

Si

Take a look at this



Suspension was surely fitted as some other things