Panda (Classic) wanting to lower my 92 panda

[homeward]

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

Perhaps the dead body in my boot is compensating... -- but I actually have to disagree with this. Apart from those down Palio's way, we have some of the most pockmarked, crumbling, corrugated, holed roads in the country.

The Punto has brand-new 'stock' (sorry, Most Easterly Pandas) suspension (everything: from springs and shocks to track-rod ends, ARB bushes, etc.), and now deals with things a whole load better.... The Mk3 Panda has just had new springs on the front (as the ones that FIAT fitted just happened to be of different sizes...) -- but still jiggles and unsettles all too easily.

Maybe I'm just fortunate, but the ride in Pippin (new shocks and springs) is a revelation for such a tiny, lightweight car -- and at least as good as the Mk3, if not better. It also doesn't rattle or creak as much as the Punto does (which is half Pippin's age...)!

I know this is all immensely subjective: but, as a qualified crash-test dummy, with an artificial spine (that's so sensitive it could easily be used to measure the thickness of paper under the tyres, let alone lateral G-forces...), I'm immensely pleased with Pippin's 'ride'. I only hope Betty's is of the same quality....

 

[homeward]

more weight = more suitable for the shocks = better ride.

You need to eat more pies, young man! Once you attain the Adonis-like qualities of CLS and I, you'll easily have a better ride...!

PS: Next time I see you, we should try out each other's 750s. I think you may be just a tad surprised at the difference....

 

[Didge3]

PS: Next time I see you, we should try out each other's 750s. I think you may be just a tad surprised at the difference....

Thats a very good idea :idea:
I fear I may repeatedly go for a 5th that isn't there though... :devil:

 

[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...

Aye, well on my sei not my cinq actually but same difference really. It has spax 40mm springs and matching spax adjustable shocks set to really quite soft. Comfy as you like A sporting cento weighs around 750kg, a 999cc one a bit less - they are actually smaller than panda's if you park one next to a panda (i was suprized by this i must admit) but i dunno how much a panda weighs; i guess depends on engine as well.
In general lowering any car and using new stock shocks results in a reasonable ride, just the shocks don't last as long as they do at stock height, especially if you go more 40mm or more lower, my spax ones are shortened to match the springs..

 

[Didge3]

Aye, well on my sei not my cinq actually but same difference really. It has spax 40mm springs and matching spax adjustable shocks set to really quite soft. Comfy as you like A sporting cento weighs around 750kg, a 999cc one a bit less - they are actually smaller than panda's if you park one next to a panda (i was suprized by this i must admit) but i dunno how much a panda weighs; i guess depends on engine as well.
In general lowering any car and using new stock shocks results in a reasonable ride, just the shocks don't last as long as they do at stock height, especially if you go more 40mm or more lower, my spax ones are shortened to match the springs..

The Panda weighs without fuel or a driver 690kg, Spax don't do shocks for the Panda but maybe I ought to look for a different brand that are adjustable?
If it wasn't raining I might be arsed to go and look at the wear on my stock shocks...

 

[blu73]

sure there will some kit out there, somewhere... There must be some people in the panda section that have made fast panda's with decent suspension mods, not something i ever looked into for a panda. Quick search just now though and i see koni make some adjustable rear shocks but not front. these

now you just need to find some adjustable fronts

 

[purple haze]

Think the op has dipped out of this question??...

 

[joe ward]

thank you very much for all the help guys given me something to think about and to who ever said it was rare I did fined that out the other week and I will try and keep it original with a few little twicks nothing to over the top

 

[Dragon Man]

just remember to keep everything you swap off it

i plan to get my 4x4 sisley to original factory condition (with official Fiat extras).

im just 2 doors, a roof rack, respraying the original wheels, and a respray away.

oh and paint over all the yellow paint under the car with black paint

one day....

 

[purple haze]

Joe...I notice you have started another members motors thread for the same car.


Try to keep it to one thread and post all other panda related threads in the classic panda section. Welcome aboard...

 

[joe ward]

I live in sheff mate I bought the car from a guy quite local to me

 

[joe ward]

hi guys thank you for all the help on the subject of lowering my panda, it is not sat 40mm lower went out for the first time in it today and something when going over a bump is just catching slightly, don't know if any one else has had this problem and know how to sort it? or do I need to drive slower?

 

[oxide hunter]

ah glad u got it done
pictures pleeaaasseee
that catching could be anything really. can u tell where abouts on the car the sound is coming from? best way is just to get it up of axle stands and have a look around for any rubbing marks ect.

 

[joe ward]

will get some pics as soon as there is a brake in the rain here! and its coming from the back left corner its either the wheel on the arch or exhort hitting the floor

 

[firstcar-Y10]

Could be your exhaust hanging a bit low, goes over the top of the back axle but if you've lowered the car that axle is now sitting higher and may bump the bottom. Probably get it more when you're turning right if that's the noise.

 

[joe ward]

think you have got it spot on there! is there some way of stopping it? and im fitting a mk2 small bumper golf splitter to Pablo tonight with a mate any tips coz I know you have one on yours

 

[oxide hunter]

humm. tricky one. only things i can think of are..

1. get a mate with a welder to re-make that section of exhaust

2. cover the exhaust in heat rapping to deaden the noise such as: http://www.larkspeed.com/index.pl?c=EXHAUSTWRAP&s=category

 

[firstcar-Y10]

think you have got it spot on there! is there some way of stopping it? and im fitting a mk2 small bumper golf splitter to Pablo tonight with a mate any tips coz I know you have one on yours

I'll let you know just as soon as I've cured mine Suspect it's just the exhaust rubbers getting tired, never did it before and Grumbleweed's been low for a long time. Splitter is astonishingly easy. I just drilled the bottom lip of the bumper where the mounting holes are on the splitter and bolted through. The only fiddly bits are the ends where the lip runs out on the bottom of the bumper, I tried to drill through both as inconspicuously as possible and used a tie wrap but see what you can do, mine's not the neatest there.

 

[joe ward]

ok so drilled the holes on the lip of the bumper but the lip then fads away leaving nowhere to drill on the side of the bumper... did you have this problem? :idea:

 

[firstcar-Y10]

The only fiddly bits are the ends where the lip runs out on the bottom of the bumper, I tried to drill through both as inconspicuously as possible and used a tie wrap but see what you can do, mine's not the neatest there.

.....umm, yeah.
https://www.fiatforum.com/panda-classic/209597-chin-chin.html