General FYI: Wheeler Dealers next Monday
- Thread starter MrDerv
- Start date
Currently reading:
General FYI: Wheeler Dealers next Monday
We have to remember that what ends up transmitted may have little relation to what actually happened
. Unfortunatly it's more what the producer thinks is "good tv". I took part in another C5 engineering/automotive show a year or two ago and it turned out nothing like what we were told (I didn't think it would) and not much like what went on. Unfortuantly too many programs are "dumbed down". I preferred Wheeler Dealers when they were low budget.
Robert G8RPI.
Robert G8RPI.
Soooo...
Most of you will have seen this car to death now, but yesterday evening I booked in with the dealers to go and view the car. Here it is in all it's glory...
A description of my findings is to follow shortly (it will be an essay so be patient!)
Most of you will have seen this car to death now, but yesterday evening I booked in with the dealers to go and view the car. Here it is in all it's glory...
A description of my findings is to follow shortly (it will be an essay so be patient!)
Attachments
Last edited:
In short, it started with Gavin Palio giving me a call to say that WD were building a Panda 4x4 to make into a rough-and-ready off-roader and he had passed on my details for them to get in touch to pick my brains regarding the preparation of the vehicle and conduct of driving the Pandas in an off-road environment. I had a couple of long phone calls which covered every aspect and included an invite to the off-road day, which happened at Tong near Bradford on my recommendation. However we could not attend as we were all on the Italy trip.
Anyway the details of the car finally came out, this thread opened among others and we've all now seen the show including the final outcome of the hard work done.
So the car came up on ebay as soon as the show had been aired, it turned out that the garage who had bought it is about 300 yards down the road from my girlfriend's house, so I kind of had to go and investigate!
The lady who was on the end of the episode as the buyer, Sam, was my contact and her along with the other part owner were there when I arrived, in Hadrian of course
My initial reaction was a bit star-struck really, but after a little while talking about MY car (typical) I got to have a look the WD 4x4...
So, in my opinion...
The look of the car from a distance is very good, to be honest the more I see it the better it is starting to look. The only thing I dislike as a whole, barring the size of the snorkel, is the font used for the 4x4 badge. I think the colour scheme is bold and does work well.
The paint finish is frankly terrible, the idea is bold and was a risk but the finish is not great at all, just uneven and very patchy (see attached pics below). It is good however for the eczema on my hands, nice and rough!
The coverage of the green finish is not good it needs another coat, also the passenger door is slightly darker than the rest (for reasons explained later, but you will already know!)
There is visible over spray on the rear quarters, in the bumper and light gaps of the orange paint which I thought should have been rectified better. The paint finish on the edges and lines is a bit rough really, more time with the masking tape in future!
The body of the vehicle is very straight and fairly rust-free. I found a few scabs on the rear panel and underside of the bonnet. The chassis is in VERY good order though. To me it looks to have only a few patches of welding here and there which had been done to a high standard. It's on original outer sills with one or two patches on the inside, all of which appears to be metal - no silicone or fibreglass in sight. The inside boot floor is good, as well as underneath where it meets the rear panel. All parts of the underside are stone chip sealed and waxoyl'd. The fuel tank is in very good condition as is the back axel, new brake pipes and cable as well. Prop shaft support bushes are warn but not badly, CV boots are intact. I was very impressed all things considered with the underside of the car apart from the sump guard, which was rubbish to start with and is now well dented due to no proper support behind it (see pictures).
The engine as discussed, is different to the one seen in the show. I was told it has done 45,000 miles but with no paperwork shown to back it up. The engine number has been correctly changed on the V5 and matches up, as has the colour change by the way. The gearbox drain plug was the only leaking part I could find, all new drive shaft boots along with a tidy clean block. I was never a fan of the snorkel idea, I told them it was pointless but it was done anyway, I'd just be worried about rust getting into that wing really - mainly due to the drilling
The interior looks very tidy and finished to a fairly good standard in my eyes, I like the look of the spare wheels in the back along with the colour scheme. The dash inlay looks to have been dyed from the original. The passenger door on the inside is grey whereas the drivers side is the original car colour, but both doors are very solid (I had a long look) and I can't see filler anywhere. The tailgate is also solid with hardly any rust on the bottom seam. There is no headliner in the car so it'll be loud when it rains! There are no visible signs of welding on the floor pan or inner rear arches either.
Right, to drive...
The seating position is terrible, far too low down (probably done like this because Edd is massive). I'm 6'2" and there was a lot of room above my head! Especially as it's for off-roading I would have required more height so you don't have to "sit up" to see what's right in front of you. I don't think the seats are as comfy as the standard ones either, sorry! I had comfier bucket seats in both my Astras!
The engine is very fit though, I would probably say the best FIRE engine I've ever driven. It has a lot of power, and feels tight. But, it doesn't run great on a cold start and you have to drive with the choke out a tiny bit, d'oh!
The gearbox is bad news and spoils the drive of this car. First and second are fine, third is hard to find but when it turns up it's VERY close the first, fourth does not appear to be in line with third and fifth is miles away from them all. The thrust bearing is also very noisy indeed, although the clutch feels good to me. The engine sounds good as well, a bit of a top end knock when starting from cold but this soon clears up (Pictures of the engine bay below too).
The tyres, although they look great are bad news. I liked the part of the episode which showed the making of them, fab idea but in reality they are too big for the standard vehicle. Tell-tale signs include damaged rear arches, front bumper corners, ripped tread and marked inner arch next to the filler pipe (see pictures). They are not very loud on the road, nowhere near the Trac 4x4 noise. These tyres will require spacers on the rims and rear arch trimming the run correctly.
So all in, the car is advertised on ebay at £3,200. The dealer has accepted an offer at £2,950 as long as the buyer is happy when the view it. This is happening on Saturday afternoon - so get your bids on before then
In my eyes...
Lots of people have now suggested their own prices for this car, I will explain my thinking:
As a Panda 4x4 on it's own as it stands I would be happy to shell out around £1,500 - £1,700 for this car. Mainly because the body just is that tidy, and with the amount of paint and stone chip on it should last a fair few years. Personally the rough bits wouldn't bother me and the gearbox could be replaced.
As a Panda with the WD stamp on it goes, well guys I think the price is fair I'm afraid!
Finally, I believe this actual car before it had been modified, should have probably been done up properly. On all accounts it's a solid shell and from what it looked like before the messing started - a tidy example for the year.
And finally finally, no I'm not flippin' buying it alright!
Any further questions fire away :thumbup:
Anyway the details of the car finally came out, this thread opened among others and we've all now seen the show including the final outcome of the hard work done.
So the car came up on ebay as soon as the show had been aired, it turned out that the garage who had bought it is about 300 yards down the road from my girlfriend's house, so I kind of had to go and investigate!
The lady who was on the end of the episode as the buyer, Sam, was my contact and her along with the other part owner were there when I arrived, in Hadrian of course
My initial reaction was a bit star-struck really, but after a little while talking about MY car (typical) I got to have a look the WD 4x4...
So, in my opinion...
The look of the car from a distance is very good, to be honest the more I see it the better it is starting to look. The only thing I dislike as a whole, barring the size of the snorkel, is the font used for the 4x4 badge. I think the colour scheme is bold and does work well.
The paint finish is frankly terrible, the idea is bold and was a risk but the finish is not great at all, just uneven and very patchy (see attached pics below). It is good however for the eczema on my hands, nice and rough!
The coverage of the green finish is not good it needs another coat, also the passenger door is slightly darker than the rest (for reasons explained later, but you will already know!)
There is visible over spray on the rear quarters, in the bumper and light gaps of the orange paint which I thought should have been rectified better. The paint finish on the edges and lines is a bit rough really, more time with the masking tape in future!
The body of the vehicle is very straight and fairly rust-free. I found a few scabs on the rear panel and underside of the bonnet. The chassis is in VERY good order though. To me it looks to have only a few patches of welding here and there which had been done to a high standard. It's on original outer sills with one or two patches on the inside, all of which appears to be metal - no silicone or fibreglass in sight. The inside boot floor is good, as well as underneath where it meets the rear panel. All parts of the underside are stone chip sealed and waxoyl'd. The fuel tank is in very good condition as is the back axel, new brake pipes and cable as well. Prop shaft support bushes are warn but not badly, CV boots are intact. I was very impressed all things considered with the underside of the car apart from the sump guard, which was rubbish to start with and is now well dented due to no proper support behind it (see pictures).
The engine as discussed, is different to the one seen in the show. I was told it has done 45,000 miles but with no paperwork shown to back it up. The engine number has been correctly changed on the V5 and matches up, as has the colour change by the way. The gearbox drain plug was the only leaking part I could find, all new drive shaft boots along with a tidy clean block. I was never a fan of the snorkel idea, I told them it was pointless but it was done anyway, I'd just be worried about rust getting into that wing really - mainly due to the drilling
The interior looks very tidy and finished to a fairly good standard in my eyes, I like the look of the spare wheels in the back along with the colour scheme. The dash inlay looks to have been dyed from the original. The passenger door on the inside is grey whereas the drivers side is the original car colour, but both doors are very solid (I had a long look) and I can't see filler anywhere. The tailgate is also solid with hardly any rust on the bottom seam. There is no headliner in the car so it'll be loud when it rains! There are no visible signs of welding on the floor pan or inner rear arches either.
Right, to drive...
The seating position is terrible, far too low down (probably done like this because Edd is massive). I'm 6'2" and there was a lot of room above my head! Especially as it's for off-roading I would have required more height so you don't have to "sit up" to see what's right in front of you. I don't think the seats are as comfy as the standard ones either, sorry! I had comfier bucket seats in both my Astras!
The engine is very fit though, I would probably say the best FIRE engine I've ever driven. It has a lot of power, and feels tight. But, it doesn't run great on a cold start and you have to drive with the choke out a tiny bit, d'oh!
The gearbox is bad news and spoils the drive of this car. First and second are fine, third is hard to find but when it turns up it's VERY close the first, fourth does not appear to be in line with third and fifth is miles away from them all. The thrust bearing is also very noisy indeed, although the clutch feels good to me. The engine sounds good as well, a bit of a top end knock when starting from cold but this soon clears up (Pictures of the engine bay below too).
The tyres, although they look great are bad news. I liked the part of the episode which showed the making of them, fab idea but in reality they are too big for the standard vehicle. Tell-tale signs include damaged rear arches, front bumper corners, ripped tread and marked inner arch next to the filler pipe (see pictures). They are not very loud on the road, nowhere near the Trac 4x4 noise. These tyres will require spacers on the rims and rear arch trimming the run correctly.
So all in, the car is advertised on ebay at £3,200. The dealer has accepted an offer at £2,950 as long as the buyer is happy when the view it. This is happening on Saturday afternoon - so get your bids on before then
In my eyes...
Lots of people have now suggested their own prices for this car, I will explain my thinking:
As a Panda 4x4 on it's own as it stands I would be happy to shell out around £1,500 - £1,700 for this car. Mainly because the body just is that tidy, and with the amount of paint and stone chip on it should last a fair few years. Personally the rough bits wouldn't bother me and the gearbox could be replaced.
As a Panda with the WD stamp on it goes, well guys I think the price is fair I'm afraid!
Finally, I believe this actual car before it had been modified, should have probably been done up properly. On all accounts it's a solid shell and from what it looked like before the messing started - a tidy example for the year.
And finally finally, no I'm not flippin' buying it alright!
Any further questions fire away :thumbup:
The rough bits...
Attachments
-
1440709048864.jpg -
1440709061416.jpg -
1440709079139.jpg -
1440709096256.jpg -
1440709110936.jpg -
1440709128636.jpg -
1440709147448.jpg -
1440709221801.jpg -
1440709234305.jpg -
1440709253557.jpg -
1440709266258.jpg -
1440709281445.jpg -
1440709293866.jpg -
1440709314504.jpg -
1440709330915.jpg -
1440709347704.jpg -
1440709362306.jpg
hmm yeah.. having watched the episode, the way i would have done is would have been to fix up the gear linkage just by welding it (like i have done to oh so many other pandas)
replace the (lol) missing bushes, taken out the carpets, use seats other than bucket seats.. not bothered with the racing harnesses but kept the rear bench seat and used original seat belts, then i would have SO sourced a front bull bar (everyone i spoke to about it says that it really needed one) i still would have done the sump guard but made it come up and over lap up the bull bar a bit (like how i have done with mine) then for painting, i think i would have just done an Alixcompo special and nato greened the whole thing. maybe adding the 4x4 after as a military stencil..
as for the attempt with the electrics waterproofing.. lmao.
the coil would have stayed where it was, but the whole distributor would have had some home made "theres no way water would ever get in this box".. box put over it.
the snorkel is cool.. i just hope the original air box was sealed up good.. that has more leaks in it than anything. spare wheel would defiantly still be living under the bonnet... maybe an added spare on a roof rack, or made to fit on the rear bull bar.
the biggest problem in my eyes is that the car is just a "toy" now..
replace the (lol) missing bushes, taken out the carpets, use seats other than bucket seats.. not bothered with the racing harnesses but kept the rear bench seat and used original seat belts, then i would have SO sourced a front bull bar (everyone i spoke to about it says that it really needed one) i still would have done the sump guard but made it come up and over lap up the bull bar a bit (like how i have done with mine) then for painting, i think i would have just done an Alixcompo special and nato greened the whole thing. maybe adding the 4x4 after as a military stencil..
as for the attempt with the electrics waterproofing.. lmao.
the coil would have stayed where it was, but the whole distributor would have had some home made "theres no way water would ever get in this box".. box put over it.
the snorkel is cool.. i just hope the original air box was sealed up good.. that has more leaks in it than anything. spare wheel would defiantly still be living under the bonnet... maybe an added spare on a roof rack, or made to fit on the rear bull bar.
the biggest problem in my eyes is that the car is just a "toy" now..
Many years ago I was interviewed for a trade magazine. I looked a right *nob in it by the time they had quoted me out of context etc. Got a blasting from my boss as well for not asking permission or speaking to the PR dept etc.We have to remember that what ends up transmitted may have little relation to what actually happened. Unfortunatly it's more what the producer thinks is "good tv". I took part in another C5 engineering/automotive show a year or two ago and it turned out nothing like what we were told (I didn't think it would) and not much like what went on. Unfortuantly too many programs are "dumbed down". I preferred Wheeler Dealers when they were low budget.
Robert G8RPI.
Lesson learned - if you get invited in front of the camera, or even in print - be very careful what you say!!
Finally now watching this on catchup.
He spent £1300 on the car spent a few £100 and it's now advertised for over £3k on eBay!? WTF?
The main none of contention for me is that snorkel, I remember from my Land Rover days that you can fit a snorkel however you also have to deal with all the breathers for the differentials and engine, which he doesn't seem to have bothered with so its still not going to be wading in deep water anytime soon?
I actually quite like the car but money being charged for it is ridiculous and I could buy a whole host of better cars for the money
He spent £1300 on the car spent a few £100 and it's now advertised for over £3k on eBay!? WTF?
The main none of contention for me is that snorkel, I remember from my Land Rover days that you can fit a snorkel however you also have to deal with all the breathers for the differentials and engine, which he doesn't seem to have bothered with so its still not going to be wading in deep water anytime soon?
I actually quite like the car but money being charged for it is ridiculous and I could buy a whole host of better cars for the money
I was originally bidding on that and missed out on it to Mr Brewer.
I think I'd have treated it a bit more respectfully.
I contacted WD and had first dibs on it, when they sent me photos I instantly declined.
Not their finest hour.
It could have been a nice restoration job.
No mention of the passenger door made out of tape!
I think I'd have treated it a bit more respectfully.
I contacted WD and had first dibs on it, when they sent me photos I instantly declined.
Not their finest hour.
It could have been a nice restoration job.
No mention of the passenger door made out of tape!
Attachments
On holiday last week so just caught up with this. Yes I sort of understand what they did, and if it rolled up at a show you'd have folks having a good look, it is interesting as a plaything or project.... but for resale? I'm surprised they got their money back. That's not what people pay good money for these days and especially when it's done to that rather slapdash standard. And yes, what did they do to cover up the Gaffa doors? Kind of feel the only reason they make out they made a profit was because they sort of didn't mention/ didn't tackle that issue and just accounted for a load of the bits as freebies (ex display harnesses so they got them for nothing! really?) Can't even say what they did was easily reversible once they took an angle grinder to the seat runners.
Having said that I did like the trick with the jubilee clip for the gearchange bushes so not a total loss .
Having said that I did like the trick with the jubilee clip for the gearchange bushes so not a total loss .
