Morning. I’ve finally got round to posting an update on Manda, my Panda Selecta.
Unfortunately, she spectacularly failed her MOT due to rust in all the usual Panda places. The ultimate insult was the rear seatbelt becoming detached from the rear wheel arch when tested! On the plus side, her emissions were lower than my 2018 Fiat 500 and all the other mechanics were good.
As you may know, she was my first Panda which I owned back in 2004 and subsequently sold - and immediately regretted the sale, so I bought an identical one a short time later. Roll forward some 14 years and I was lucky enough to be able to buy her back from the lady I sold her too, as a project. I have always had a Panda since my first one, and on occasions owned a trio of them. If you check out my gallery you will see the dozen or so Panda’s I’ve consecutively owned.
She had never had any advisories for rust, other than one in 2010. The underseal was the original, as was the paint. Unfortunately there was nothing in the middle! As the previous owner only covered a few hundred miles a year I suspect the previous MOT’s were merely a glance over her and a pass given each year.
So, the decision was made to bite the bullet and have all the rust cut out and new metal pieces fabricated and replaced, along with new sills on both sides. I’m sure a lot of non Panda people wouldn’t have gone to the effort and would have just sent her to the great scrapyard in the sky, but you all know how these little cars get under your skin and the Panda Virus is difficult to shift one you catch it
Luckily I have a very understanding local independent garage who have been happy to take this on as a project (they are in to their classics) and work on it when they have had spare time, which has kept the costs down significantly and I have helped where I can.
Manda is now at the point where all her rust is gone, new metal added, new sills fitted, along with new mountings for the seatbelts. Her interior is back in, fuel tank is back on and she now moves under her own steam after 16 months of being in bits (literally)
I’m looking to have her MOT’d in the next month and finally be back using her as my daily.
Now for the scary part and those of a nervous disposition may want to look away now, as I’ve added some pictures.
Unfortunately, she spectacularly failed her MOT due to rust in all the usual Panda places. The ultimate insult was the rear seatbelt becoming detached from the rear wheel arch when tested! On the plus side, her emissions were lower than my 2018 Fiat 500 and all the other mechanics were good.
As you may know, she was my first Panda which I owned back in 2004 and subsequently sold - and immediately regretted the sale, so I bought an identical one a short time later. Roll forward some 14 years and I was lucky enough to be able to buy her back from the lady I sold her too, as a project. I have always had a Panda since my first one, and on occasions owned a trio of them. If you check out my gallery you will see the dozen or so Panda’s I’ve consecutively owned.
She had never had any advisories for rust, other than one in 2010. The underseal was the original, as was the paint. Unfortunately there was nothing in the middle! As the previous owner only covered a few hundred miles a year I suspect the previous MOT’s were merely a glance over her and a pass given each year.
So, the decision was made to bite the bullet and have all the rust cut out and new metal pieces fabricated and replaced, along with new sills on both sides. I’m sure a lot of non Panda people wouldn’t have gone to the effort and would have just sent her to the great scrapyard in the sky, but you all know how these little cars get under your skin and the Panda Virus is difficult to shift one you catch it
Luckily I have a very understanding local independent garage who have been happy to take this on as a project (they are in to their classics) and work on it when they have had spare time, which has kept the costs down significantly and I have helped where I can.
Manda is now at the point where all her rust is gone, new metal added, new sills fitted, along with new mountings for the seatbelts. Her interior is back in, fuel tank is back on and she now moves under her own steam after 16 months of being in bits (literally)
I’m looking to have her MOT’d in the next month and finally be back using her as my daily.
Now for the scary part and those of a nervous disposition may want to look away now, as I’ve added some pictures.
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