Panda (Classic) wanting to lower my 92 panda

[AndyPanda4x4]

firstcar-Y10 may be able to help with that one :thumbup:

 

[Didge3]

Get some 40mm lowering springs from SPAX, Check the condition of your shock absorbers though or better yet replace them with new ones as lowering springs will put more wear on them.

Oh and prepare yourself for a bone shattering ride

 

[oxide hunter]

umm twin sunnys. very nice panda

best route without masses of custom work is to use lowering springs as produced by companies like Sprax and PI. search "panda 141 lowering springs" on ebay and they should appear. ofcourse if you do this some stiffer shocks may be required also. these can be found via KYB and bilstine (b4s i think)

if you want serious lows then cutting the sprigs is probs your best option and iver seen someone making his own coil overs and using quid bike parts on the rear.

as far as i know no one makes a dedicated kit for the panda. all the is off the shelf are shocks and the lowering springs.

been thinking of doing this myself so ill c how u get on

 

[oxide hunter]

found this on face book. same colour and all

 

[Didge3]

This is what you'll achieve with 40mm SPAX and standard shocks, it's not a great picture to show how low it is but it's the best I've got...

 

[JamieK]

You bought the Panda Sky! Well done, that's been up for sale for a while. Glad it's found a new home hopefully your aware how rare that car is? Lowering it will be fine as it can easily be reversed in the future but I'd be careful to keep it as original as possible as that car will be worth good money in a few years if you keep it in good nick

Only 12 left and 6 of those on sorn

 

[firstcar-Y10]

Hi, Fitted Pi springs to Grumbleweed with standard shocks which I'm pretty pleased with, Ride's not bad at all. Have the advantage of being a fair chunk cheaper than SPAX too:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FIAT-PAND...arts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item4611273f50
KYB do gas shocks which you can fit....if you must. I did, however one of the front struts gave up the ghost very quickly so I wouldn't go that route again. Bilstein do them too and supposed to be very good, but really quite pricey.
If you do see Lesjofors springs about, I fitted & hated those too!
Lovely looking car there by the way

 

[kolza]

found this on face book. same colour and all

Hi mate,
in this example you got additional optical illusion created by front splitter and side skirts and the german look tyres/wheels. CLS can help with the splitter.

 

[firstcar-Y10]

Or here's mine. For a splitter all you need to know is the bottom of the bumper pretty closely follows the shape of the Mk2 Golf (pre 'big bumper' facelift) which opens up some options.

 

[oxide hunter]

Hi mate,
in this example you got additional optical illusion created by front splitter and side skirts and the german look tyres/wheels.

makes the panda look like a golf but more awesome and less boring

 

[purple haze]

You bought the Panda Sky! Well done, that's been up for sale for a while. Glad it's found a new home hopefully your aware how rare that car is? Lowering it will be fine as it can easily be reversed in the future but I'd be careful to keep it as original as possible as that car will be worth good money in a few years if you keep it in good nick

Only 12 left and 6 of those on sorn

Jamie's right.....this is a rare car. I think they did it in another colour as well.

The bumpers and interior will be irreplaceable. Keep it in good nick and it will be worth alot more soon. You live in Scotland then??...I remember when the car was sold five years ago. It doubled in value with the next owner.

 

[Giacosa]

Hi, Fitted Pi springs to Grumbleweed with standard shocks which I'm pretty pleased with, Ride's not bad at all. Have the advantage of being a fair chunk cheaper than SPAX too:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FIAT-PAND...arts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item4611273f50
KYB do gas shocks which you can fit....if you must. I did, however one of the front struts gave up the ghost very quickly so I wouldn't go that route again. Bilstein do them too and supposed to be very good, but really quite pricey.
If you do see Lesjofors springs about, I fitted & hated those too!
Lovely looking car there by the way

I'd second this when I got a ride in Grumbleweed he rode pretty well on the PI springs. My cars on Spax springs doesn't ride any better so not much point in spending more

 

[Didge3]

I'd second this when I got a ride in Grumbleweed he rode pretty well on the PI springs. My cars on Spax springs doesn't ride any better so not much point in spending more

I must look at my shocks because my Spax springs ride pretty pants... Or maybe I've just better expectations?

 

[Giacosa]

I must look at my shocks because my Spax springs ride pretty pants... Or maybe I've just better expectations?

I would say mine on spax springs just about rides tolerably. on really broken surfaces its pretty pants.

 

[Didge3]

I would say mine on spax springs just about rides tolerably. on really broken surfaces its pretty pants.

Mine is fine on motorways, but really crashes about if you hit a pothole or bump. I can even feel the drops into drain covers on the roads...
I'm debating getting some 'sportier' shocks that are designed to cope with the lowering to see if its any comfier?

 

[panda panda]

crashing over pot holes is just what Panda's do, you won't acheive GP levels of ride comfort ever.

Just think of it as a mini rollercoaster ride each time you drive it - mind you they are smoother than a panda.

You could try adding a bit more weight to car - bag of sand in the boot, full tank of fuel, passenger.

My dad swore by the bag of sand in the back of the SD1!

 

[Didge3]

crashing over pot holes is just what Panda's do, you won't acheive GP levels of ride comfort ever.

Just think of it as a mini rollercoaster ride each time you drive it - mind you they are smoother than a panda.

You could try adding a bit more weight to car - bag of sand in the boot, full tank of fuel, passenger.

My dad swore by the bag of sand in the back of the SD1!

When I have a boot full of stuff it genuinely rides better, I'd drive around with old computers (of which I have lots) in the boot all the time if it didn't blunt my performance so much....

 

[Giacosa]

I'm debating getting some 'sportier' shocks that are designed to cope with the lowering to see if its any comfier?

Its unscientific but I always felt the shock absorbers available for Pandas are much too stiff in compression and that sports shocks are even worse in this regard. After all its a light car so doesn't have much mass to compress a shock absorber. Push down on a corner of a Panda and its no wonder they ride badly as the shock absorbers are so damn stiff.

crashing over pot holes is just what Panda's do, you won't acheive GP levels of ride comfort ever.

Just think of it as a mini rollercoaster ride each time you drive it - mind you they are smoother than a panda.

Glad i'm not the only one who thinks that. I always felt that it was abit of a taboo round here to mention the Pandas/Y10 pretty ropey ride quality

 

[Didge3]

Its unscientific but I always felt the shock absorbers available for Pandas are much too stiff in compression and that sports shocks are even worse in this regard. After all its a light car so doesn't have much mass to compress a shock absorber. Push down on a corner of a Panda and its no wonder they ride badly as the shock absorbers are so damn stiff.

I don't expect it to ride as good as my Punto did, I just want it to be less crashy. Today I had about 70kg off stuff in my boot, rides a lot better, much less crashy although a bit bouncy over crests and such. It does stay true to the too stiff shocks though, more weight = more suitable for the shocks = better ride.

blu73 I seem to remember you saying you've got adjustable shocks on your Cinq? And it rides pretty well despite that its lowered. Cinq can't weigh much more than a Panda...

EDIT: I really ought to get in a Panda with a standard suspension to compare it with mine, I haven't been driven or driven a Panda with standard suspension since I was about 9 years old...