Panda (Classic) Project Fallout

let me introduce to you, the free panda 4x4 which was first spotted >>Here<<.
First off however, here is the plan:

i will (some how) make the panda look "Post Apocalyptic" yet keep it in a road legal state (so no spikes, sharp rusty edges sadly). We have all seen mad max right? all wanted to replicate a mad max style car?
well let me be the first to attempt this with a fiat panda 4x4.

if anyone here has seen the TV program "Defiance", you surely have seen the epic Doge Charger that looks post apocalyptic. i will be trying to aim for the same theme. with such things as an external roll cadge, external metal mesh / grills covering the windows, custom bull bar, reinforced rear bumper made from tubular metal, custom twin output exhaust, and many many more.

this project is going to be undertaken as cheaply as possible (excluding parts necessary for a safe road going vehicle). reusing as many things as i can find (in scrap yards, freebees), true to a real post apocalyptic constructed vehicle. i will also be taking the "rough is best look" (please note, i say Rough not Rat!) the panda its self of course will undergo all the rust prevention Talon went under when i got him.

anyway, i will leave you a few seconds to build up a mental picture of how a panda 4x4 could look in a post apocalyptic landscape while browsing some of these Pictures.......



ok.. that should do.

First off. i need to get the panda all well and good.
a few things are broken... the exhaust, the front suspension on the passenger side, both rear dampeners are rusted out, the doors are shot but i will try to fix them, the gear stick is really loose and all the roller bearings have dropped out, the wiring is a mess (mice attack!), there are no brakes.. and i mean no brakes, and lets not forget the underside rust.

so today i started by stripping out everything inside the car to get a good look at the floor pan and clean it all out (Dragon Man style!) i found the usual rust: the boot floor is a mess, but easy fixable, a seam has gone just behind the drivers seat anything forward of that seems to be OK, and the back of the sills are just gone so i will need to rebuild that.

the engine runs.. the vac advance line has split so its a bit rough on tickover but it seems good. the fuel tank seems good.. all the 4x4 stuff seems good.

i have go a few pictures took free by a professional photographer! (or should i say someone with an epic camera )

Here are a few picture, but please check out >This Album<















like i say, check out the photo album.


i will be keeping >Online video logs< of this, so keep a look out on Youtube too.
here are some videos, both are long but the second one is longer!




keep watching guys.. the jet wash will be coming out later today!

Sounds similar to the original Project Peterborough concept. Just as well I've procrastinated to the point of almost original restoration.

War... war never changes........

I like the idea of making something from nothing, btw: who do I have to kill to get free panda 4x4 ?

I can drop the Paris Dakar bull bar...



...round if you want it.

It needs a new winch plate and you can either narrow it easily or widen your arches to meet it.

Owes me £25 yours for the same.

Fantastic, couldn't have hoped for a better home!

Watching your vids it looks like you very much have your work cut out and your wallet is about to be well and truly beaten

but hey if its what you love doing why the hell not

haha that bull bar does look mean.. is it under a plastic cover? i'd like it, but i dont have £25 at the moment :/

so today i have been just cleaning. the engine and gearbox came up really nice. the underside is... almost mud free. the carpet has come up nice despite all the mouse .. yeah. same for the dash panel.

took all the wheel arch liners out, jet washed all inside it, checked over the seams, found more rust.. the usual.

fixed the hand brake, took the drum off the passenger side and found one of the arms was seized up, the front shoe is down to the metal, the other has loads of life left in it.. guess its been at fault for a while.

on the back most universal joint of the prop shaft before it fixes to the rear diff, 2 of the bearings has dropped out so it rattles around and has play in it. i'll have to find another from somewhere.

cut the end off the vac advance line so now theres no air leak. engine runs smooth

took the back box off as it needs welding. i must admit. that fire engine sure sounds good strait piped. so good i actually plan of making a 2 part exhaust.. well 3 part really.
what to do with the exhaust was something i was in a pickle with. you see post apocaliptic cars as showing exhaust going down the side of the car, sticking out the bonnet, or some other thing. well thats all well and good after the fallout, but for now any open exhaust pipe must be covered by a heat shield to become MOTable.
anyway so not to annoy the neighbours i'll be making a valve system up..

split the exhaust so it Y's out and exits just before the back wheels on both sides. however it would be loud. so i leave the original exhaust on the car and use that while on the road... the thing is switching between the 2. i'd have to make two Y bits, one with a switching valve for going into the split exhaust and one FOR the split exhaust. the plan would be to make it out of something using a butterfly style valve. then use simple push bike brake or gear cable to move the valve from inside the car.
i will make this at a later date. as of now i am focusing on the project becoming completely rust free.

i am glad to say from what i can see, i will not be needing to take the wind screen out. i have been around the whole thing lifting the rubber seal and only found really slight caused by grit caught under the rubber seal just rubbing the paint off.
i have not taken the vents off yet though, so who knows what will be behind them.

the cabin fan and heater matrix box was taken out and cleaned up. with mice living around the thing it needed it.need to bolt all that back in at some point in time.

not yet cleaned the seats, but i will eventually.
i was thinking of making new door cards. i think ally checker plate would look good and suit the theme.

anyway. heres a video for all who are interested, enjoy guys

How about a couple of ninety degree bends off the manifold and the exhaust silencer running along inside the bumper?
The bull bars aren't going anywhere for a while. :-)

Nice one John . I've seen worse 4x4's sell for £500+ in the past!

I like the theme too, perfect for having fun on a tight budjet.

yeah that sounds good but i am not sure how MOT passable it is like that. i would need heat shielding.. but that would look good.. also would not have to worry about wheel arches too... hmm

Good find that mate, looking forward to seeing what you will do with it - i don't even need to suggest that you keep us posted on progress

Provided it's not a pedestrian hazard there's little the mot man can do about it. From the bottom of the bull bar where it meets the sump guard would be best.

so, i am thinking.. something like this...:



minus the windscreen plate.

now it may be hard to sort of build over the wheel arches using the pipe.. looks damn good though. maybe with Liquid Knight's bull bar i would be able to do it. i dont know.
what does the bar look like under the plastic cover?

i really need to sort out the rust before i deal with any styling.

found out today that the mounting point of the passinger rear shackle on the leaf spring has eaten its way right through the mounting point. the hole is quite large and will need cutting out and a new bit welding in place. may take the opportunity to make some new, longer shackles maybe by a few inch. as looking at it, if i was to make them 2 inch longer it would give the back end a 1 inch lift.

i also cut the rusty wheel arch out today too. not sure how far back i should take it however.. least i wont have to rebuild or re-skin the wheel arch if i make them bigger.
2 out of the 4 arches are totally rusted out.. more like a 2 and a half as both front are a bit bad.

as i do this i just cant help but feel like i am wrecking the car :/ but i guess i have to speak with my wallet and not my heart. the cheaper option is just to cut all the rusted arches out and weld the inner and outer arch together as neat as i can. i bet a skin would cost a bit anyway.

i have not decided how to attack the drivers side sill yet. it is rotten about all the way upi think the best way would be to angle grind the sill seam off and weld a nice thick flat bar in its place. the pro of doing this is with the sill in half i can peel it back and weld the inner sill. then weld that to the bar, then the 2 outer sills to the bar.

while i am at it, i would really like to create a before wheel after door exhaust opening.

how do MOT guys like the sills being cut open and a recess put in to fit an exhaust outlet in? i would build it strong using thick flat bar more strong than the original sill... is this modding it too much to cause a mot fail?
also my plan was to take the exhaust where it comes out of the down pipe. add the valved Y splitter (the valve bit i will build so i can route it through the original exhaust or the 2 side vents) then from the valved Y spliter, put it through another splitter to split the exhaust to both sides of the car, because the rear suspention mount is right in the way of where i want the exhaust to vent i will have to bring it out the car near the doors then run it along under and behind the sill then bring it out the side.
i may have to cut of the useless rear sill jacking point that a 4 poster car lift uses to do it though. but i think it would work.

if my drawing was better i would draw this up.

however like how liquid night said, 2 right angles off the manifold, exiting through the front, under the head lights around and over the front wheel, down the other side of the arch and along under the door with a heat shield over it it would also be a good place to fit some silencers to it.. maybe something like a cherry bomb exhaust, or 2 together on each side. not sure how loud it would be but my guess is it would be loud. i dont really like that amount of loud all the time though :/

ill have to plan it all on paper. then i can scan it, and you guys can have a laugh at my childish handwriting and drawing skills.

i have to keep remembering that any bodywork damage i do can only add to the effect. damn it just feels so wrong to do it to a car model i love so much. :/

i just know at the end of it all its gonna look sofa king good though. so good i may not be able to sell it and be forced to make maybe one of the hardest decisions of my life.. *shudders* but that is a long way off..

anyway when it uploads, here is a video of what i have done today:


peace all!

Minus the screen plate?

A bit dodgey.

MOT wont like the windscreen being covered lmao. i will however go with a fold down grill / windscreen cover and have it integrated into the roof rack so it folds under it.
thats the plan anyway. haha