Panda My new ride.

It looks so good!! You've done an amazing job with this car!!!

275 is a pretty decent price for cambelt service too

Yes I thought that was a very fair price and they use genuine Fiat parts, also shows you all the old parts when you collect the car.
He also passed his MOT with no advisories for the third year running...not bad for an eight year old almost 80000 mile daily driver.

That's really good going. Shows how well it's kept as well.

Gavv8 said:

So.. Service done at the weekend and Cambelt/aux belt/waterpump and coolant change done today by Perfect Service Fiat specialists Newton Abbot Devon.. £275 all in which I think is pretty good...i'd like to get the air-con topped up at some point and the MOT is due in March but apart from that he's all ready for another year of A road fun..

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One of the best colors for a 100hp, IMHO.
Cool looking Panda.

Daveb100hp said:

That's really good going. Shows how well it's kept as well.

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I've spent the last year going through the car and replacing/updating anything that's looked or sounded worn out so it should be up together pretty well, I've got a very busy year with work/family commitments and still plenty of work to do on our house so the panda will get its weekly fluid check and that's about it as I just don't have time to play with it at the moment, sure it'll be fine

I believe I chased you up out of Honiton in my Cinq 16v,very tidy panda!

And you did a pretty good job of hanging on to me up the hill from Honiton..love those little Cinq's..

I was trying! Lots of loose grit on those corners though! You left me for dust on the straight though!

Ok... Its coming up to three years of ownership with the little 100hp so how are we doing after almost 40000 miles?.. well pretty good really, it has been utterly reliable in conditions ranging from snow to heavy flooding.. a family holiday to a regular 200 mile a week commute.
The only thing apart from tyres/petrol/servicing that its needed are a few sets of drop links.. new discs and pads all round when I bought it and a n/s bottom wishbone and it still feels solid as a rock with no rattles and everything including the air-con working as it should.
It could probably do with the alloys being refurbed and the front end does have quite a few stone chip repairs now but when its all cleaned and polished it looks great and nowhere near eight years old.
I must admit I have been looking at getting something newer for daily duties as the panda is almost at 80000 miles but unless/until something serious falls off or I get bored of it (no chance) I think i'll just keep going till a hundred thousand and them maybe retire it to weekend toy status..... and get another 100hp for daily's

Clutch and brake fluid replaced today, see if makes any difference to the slightly sticking clutch pedal in very hot weather although I think A.. the summer seems to be over and 2.. its done 80000 miles now so I can't really complain if I get a failure somewhere in the clutch hydraulic circuit.

Haven't updated this in a while so after three and a half years of ownership the little sugar cube is still going strong, almost 90000m on the clock now and aside from a slightly notchy gearbox when cold it drives pretty much the same as it did at 40000m when i bought it.
It's recently had new suspension arms/drop links and bushes as well as new brakes all round and new front tyres (Yokohama this time) and an air con re-gas last weekend.
I have to say it's been utterly reliable in every way despite being regularly thrashed and driven through standing water up to its headlights (not on purpose) and I still love driving it but I plan to replace it as a daily driver sometime next year with something a bit more civilised and hopefully still Italian.
The plan is to mothball the panda for a while somewhere dry and safe until I decide what to do with it long term but I couldn't bear to part with it and it won't be leaving my ownership.....onwards ...

With regards to the gearchange, have you tried greasing the linkages? I've found in the past that's cured a notchy shift.

puntofan01 said:

With regards to the gearchange, have you tried greasing the linkages? I've found in the past that's cured a notchy shift.

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I think it's more just a case of age and mileage.

I see! With both my Grande Punto and my old mk2b, I've noticed an improvement in the gears following a thorough service.

puntofan01 said:

I see! With both my Grande Punto and my old mk2b, I've noticed an improvement in the gears following a thorough service.

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I'll give it a try and see.

Little 100hp turned 90000 miles today, have to say it drives pretty much the same as it did at 37000 and plans have changed regarding getting something else as a daily... think I'm just going to keep driving it.

So haven’t updated this in a little while and it’s now on 95000, replaced the front koni’s with bilstein b4’s this week with new top mounts and it feels like new again other than that it continues to be utterly reliable.
The only thing I have begun to notice is the bottom of the seat back being a little uncomfortable which is a pretty common issue on the 100hp so I think I’m going to have to have a look at what to do about it.

Another mot passed today with no issues, I’d really like to do something about the exhaust which is a bit of a mash up and does vibrate through the floor.. none of the alternatives are particularly cheap.