This is a question that has been banded about among friends for a few months now.

The general ideas around this are:

Taking a standard (mines 1.2) mk2 2004 punto. What work would need to be done to make (no matter how ridiculous looking) a punto 4x4, much the same as the panda.

A general idea that has been banded about is the addition of a sub chassis to support the engine etc.

In theory you could just buy a panda, but.
1. That's logical.
2. It's not a punto.


So, time to get our geek on. If given the task to do it. How would you go about it?

... And... Discuss.

Well you'd need the power to be send to the rear obviously so you need space through the transmission tunnel , secondly could we use the part time 4x4 system from the panda or if it's only punto parts we would have to use a font axel at the back.

I would look at adapting the running gear from a panda cross, but depending on your level of skill and budget you could take the standard Punto shell and fit pretty much anything you wanted to it, a cheap donor car would be an Impreza, but the level of modification would be high.

If you look at the underside of the mk2 you'll see the tunnel that runs from front to back and carries the exhaust and controls for the gear lever is quite a lot deeper than it needs to be and was rumoured to be to carry a propshaft for a 4wd version

Good start, theoretically, a straight swap would be the easiest to sort out. However some of the issues would take an age to diagnose... Plus... You really would need to change the suspension out at the rear because it doesn't agree with anything Cumbria can throw at it...

To give yourself more space you could chuck a snorkel exhaust on... (like I said... Ridicule aside)

Someone is breaking a new model fiat panda 4x4 diesel on eBay at the moment including the rear axle with brakes and drive shafts and separately the rear differential, they also have the gearbox, front drive shafts and steering joints, all that's currently not listed is the prop shaft most of this could be adapted to fit a Punto, although the gearbox is a 6 speed diesel multijet unit so you'd need a diesel Punto to start with

motorbike engine in back powering rear wheels

https://www.fiatforum.com/punto-ii/73605-hayabusha-bike-powered-punto.html

Just drop the body on a Defender chassis.

Get an electric motor and stick that on the rear axle

Make a punto hybrid

The punto is good in the snow - let alone making it 4wd

You can save on brakes - as a motor drags the car a nice stop
You can save on fuel - as electric motor takes the first drive up (shunting carparks etc)
But its like alot of things - insurance would be stupid

Ziggy

I already have a number of engines in the back, chainsaws, Brushcutters and a generator. Unfortunately this punto isn't diesel, but once the collection of shoe boxes (read: 1.2 engine) is lifted out, all manner of engines could be plonked inside.

Is there any way to get panda underside shot, with something to scale?

This sounds like a job for an agricultural mechanic...

I'd keep the defender. The whole 4x4 punto idea came about because Defenders are crazy expensive!

miktre said:

I'd keep the defender. The whole 4x4 punto idea came about because Defenders are crazy expensive!

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With the question being 'could you do it?' Well yes there are a number of options not least scavenging the parts from new or old panda 4x4 ( the old panda would probably fit the dimensions better)

However if you're actually serious then you would be far better to buy an old Range Rover Classic a series 1 discovery, a panda 4x4 which can be picked up pretty cheap, or if you want something bigger a sedeci all of these options would be better than spending a fortune trying to cobble together a Punto 4x4 that no one would insure

If your looking for a Cheap AWD normal car you'd probably be well served looking at japanese imports, you can get all sorts of random stuff from Kei cars up with AWD and most of it is at the age where it would be pretty cheap.

It's more hypothetical than an actual build idea at this stage. It's just a feasibility test. So insurance is no problem.

However, should the thread throw up a good idea... A new scrap punto may be commandeered, converted, tested by VOSA and thrown to the car shows/ green lanes of Cumbria by a friend (if you've seen a mini Trooper, you'll know it's not entirely impossible)

Cheers for the posts folks! I thought you lot would just shrug this all off as mad ramblings.

Rather than cutting and shutting the Punto about it would be easier, safer and more solid to cut the floor from a donor Panda 4x4, weld it to the floor of the Punto and swap everything over.

Would be an arse to get through an SVA/IVA test.

Liquid Knight said:

R it would be easier, safer and more solid to cut the floor from a donor Panda 4x4, weld it to the floor of the Punto and swap everything over.

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i don't think it quite works like that, the wheel base and track width is different as is the design of the whole floor pan of both cars, might be ok for a scrap heap challenge event botched together for one task but its not going to work as a car

use Subaru/suzuki -justy running gear perhaps,

forget the landrover get and old Vitara type thing (Jimny?)top bolts off easy just bolt punto on instead, easy to bolt in different engines and gearboxes too.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/REPOSSESS...-PETROL-5-SPEED-4X4-CONVERTIBLE-/321694740142

AndyRKett said:

i don't think it quite works like that, the wheel base and track width is different as is the design of the whole floor pan of both cars, might be ok for a scrap heap challenge event botched together for one task but its not going to work as a car

Click to expand...

Obviously I was not on about a scrapheap challenge even though we're talking about a MkII Punto.

Both vehicles would need to be striped to bare shells, spot welds drilled out, floor panels mocked, modified if needs be, welded and re-enforced.

Liquid Knight said:

Obviously I was not on about a scrapheap challenge even though we're talking about a MkII Punto.

Both vehicles would need to be striped to bare shells, spot welds drilled out, floor panels mocked, modified if needs be, welded and re-enforced.

Click to expand...

the wheel base is too short and the width of a panda is too narrow, you'd need to modify every aspect to get it to fit.

As the MkII Punto part shares with some of the Modular Fiat/Alfa models would the Q4 running gear be a better fit?