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General Save the Elephant, or pep up a Panda?

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General Save the Elephant, or pep up a Panda?

aquamarine

aquamarine

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New car...

Arguments to save the Elephant (Ok, elefantino as these are known):

Rarity!
1242 16v. I love the looks.
I have always wanted one).
It drives (drove) really well

Arguments to transplant:

It needs welding on the rear floor. I knew this, and had a plan.
It tried to put me in a hedge. This stems from the subframe collapsing yesterday. It broke when breaking (that sentence will challenge the writers of most eBay ads I see).
The subframe it turns out is identical to mk1 Punto, but only GT, 1.6 and TD...

I want to save it, but finding a subframe may be a pita..

Thoughts? Anyone cheer me up or come up with a cunning (ie easy) plan?
 

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Well this is certainly a rare one, I've never seen seen a Y/Ypsilon so old, only thought they made them more recently. A quick google search and turns out they were made from 1995!

So, does this say Ypsilon or Y on the back of it as the model name? This really is an interesting car...

I'd have a go at finding the subframe if I were you. If it's something you always wanted and such a rarity then try saving it. If you can't save it, give it to someone that will. Such a rarity must be kept on the roads! :D

Just seeing the picture of it makes me want one now... :p I have a cunning/easy plan for you, just park it in front of my house and leave it there if you want ;)
 
FDNY21 said:
Well this is certainly a rare one, I've never seen seen a Y/Ypsilon so old, only thought they made them more recently. A quick google search and turns out they were made from 1995!

So, does this say Ypsilon or Y on the back of it as the model name? This really is an interesting car...

I'd have a go at finding the subframe if I were you. If it's something you always wanted and such a rarity then try saving it. If you can't save it, give it to someone that will. Such a rarity must be kept on the roads! :D

Just seeing the picture of it makes me want one now... :p I have a cunning/easy plan for you, just park it in front of my house and leave it there if you want ;)
Click to expand...

For the time being it's parked outside my house - and not v mobile! Badges suggest a "Y" but docs, books etc all say "Ypsilon". Search on chassis no gives part no for subframe. Available from Partsworld/Fiat but £800+...
Am trying with breakers etc - must find one somewhere...
 

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aquamarine said:
For the time being it's parked outside my house - and not v mobile! Badges suggest a "Y" but docs, books etc all say "Ypsilon". Search on chassis no gives part no for subframe. Available from Partsworld/Fiat but £800+...
Am trying with breakers etc - must find one somewhere...
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info! Really is an interesting car that you don't see every day. It would be great to see it back on the road so keep trying the the breakers and check the likes of eBay for Punto Mk1 breaking ads as well.

If you don't find anything, will you go for the Partsworld/Fiat parts or sell the car on or something else? I'd hope that if you keep trying that you'll eventually get something though!
 
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aquamarine said:
Hi J

Thank you!! Yes it is LHD. Annoyingly though there are two subframes used. Part numbers 7788643 or 7788440. Mine is 7788643. I think the one you found is 7788440, which is a shame as it otherwise would have been spot on. Apparently the only difference is in the ARB mounts, so if really stuck I could swap the whole thing.

Cheers
Click to expand...


Same seller has the other type as well but marked as 1.1 chance I didn't linked.
 
panda1408 said:
Thinning out actually means buy more, surely you know this Andy!?
Click to expand...

Now if some people said I was thinning out I would have been offended, but it's Ok when it's Andy...
Couldn't resist this one, but it was supposed to be an easy fixer upper and so hasn't gone to plan!!

Extra pics attached (some of which were during its transition from pink back to red) - will get some of interior too. I do like it.
 

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Lovely.
I like that they went to the trouble of molding a 'Lancia' cover for the engine. -Yet it's the only difference I can see to the Fiat engine.
And +1 for saving the high fidelity elephant, of course.
Could Wayne's World of Wonderful Welding could have the original subframe patched up in two shakes of the elephant's tale..? Or is this failure likely to be the first of a few..?
 
Projects move very slowly around here.. However - "new" (wonderfully solid) subframe going back in.

Only catch is having jacked it up, I've had chance to have a proper look at the rear floor (Fred & Wilma style) and sills... :eek:

Will get it back on road to get a welding estimate...
 

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