Hey guys, hope that you are all well!


I have literally just signed up to this forum page, so any apologies for if this post has been posted onto the wrong section and so on...


Basically, to cut to the chase. I own a 04 reg, (UK), Fiat Punto 1.2 Active. Although gaining my license during July last year, I didn't get my first car until October that same year which means I don't get my first years no claims, (fingers crossed), until October. Although having quite a few problems with the car over the past few months, I have become quite attached to it so because of this I plan on buying another Fiat.


Sorry, I know that I said I would get straight to it but I have got carried away as usual. Anyway, I am interested in buying a Fiat Panda 1.4 100HP as I have heard that they provide maximum fun with minimum cost. I was wondering if any of you on here reading this have actually owned them and would be willing to help me out by answering a few questions...


How many miles do you roughly get out of a tank?
If I was going to buy one, what problems should I look out for?


I would be interested in a remap, in attempt to boost the BHP figures and so on. The highest I have seen is getting a 13% increase to 113 BHP. I know it is only a 1.4 but can you get higher than this and for what cost is it to do so?


I appreciate you taking your time to read this, thanks!

Official 43.5 mpg
Average actual 39.9 mpg


But if you drive like a lunatic around town you will be in the twenty's

As an example I have the 1.2
offical 50.4–57.6 mpg
real 49.7 mpg

but I get 65.
mpg is dependent on the nut behind the wheel More than the car.

Tuning. It should be possible to get 150 bhp per litre from a modern engine.

However will be expensive to go that far.


The rest of the components will probably will not be up to the job.



Even at 135 bhp I doubt the gearbox will last very long ?

This model Panda is now starting to get on a bit and although there are plenty of good ones around still, there's also quite a lot nearing the end of their life as well.

You can more than likely tell them apart by the knowledge the owner has about their car and the care they've given it, after all it's a fairly cheaply built pocket rocket and will no doubt have been abused some or all of the time, but this shouldn't be too much of a problem if looked after right.

You can gauge this by the service history and repair bills, due to it's age there should be plenty of paperwork with it.
(this paperwork on a car this age is probably half the car's value, so factor that into your thoughts if it's missing)

Asking about the timing belt is another, if they look at to blankly, tell you they've not had it long (but owned it a few years) or just have no idea of the intervals, this should tell you what you need to know.

Apart from the obvious worn out things like suspension, brakes, clutch etc, the main problem with Pandas this age is corrosion on the rear axle.
It can rot badly, particularly around the spring seats and their attachment to the rest of the axle, so much so it's not unheard of for them to just fall off.

Replacements are expensive new (if still available) and used ones are often in the same state, so a bad one can effectively right the car off.

Another issue they tend to have is the climate control system can go wonky.
Make sure it works on all setting in all positions.

I think it's been mostly covered about tuning, you get very little (from a non turbo) for a lot of expense and some of the parts, like the clutch and gearbox are already near their tolerance anyway (and will have a lot of miles under their belt anyway), you'll soon find the limits of these if you push it too far.

For me, it would be all about originality and history.
The value in something like a 100hp would be in how close it was to how it rolled off the production line and how well someone looked after it.
You don't go to Gaydon or Beaulieu to look at what Dave did in his shed with an angle grinder and a Halfords voucher!

It would be cheaper and easier to buy something faster and more powerful, if that's what you want.

I did a guide back along:

https://www.fiatforum.com/panda-guides/456679-100hp-buying-guide.html

To answer you specific questions though, average real world mpg is around 40. As for more power the issue you will run into is that very few people have successfully mapped them and even then gains are limited. That said they respond well to a freer flowing exhaust.

If you want more speed concentrate your spending on a suspension bush / joint refresh and some excellent Bilstein B6 dampers mated to Vogtland progressive springs. This combo will give you a load more control, grip and comfort, as the stock setup is over sprung and under damped. They are picky about alignment too so make sure you get that setup by a reputable alignment specialist, after you suspension refresh.

Other than that good tyres help, I personally like the original Goodyear Eagle F1's but others have found good results from other brands. Just don't be tempted to save a few pence and buy budget tyres as they are invariably poor.

Finally remember less weight = more speed so further down the line you might want to source some lightweight wheels, to reduce the unsprung weight and think about things you could do without, sound deadening, in car entertainment, rear bench etc.

We have a 1.2/60bhp and a 100HP. For day to day driving, the 1.2 is perfectly fine and hardly feels any slower than the 100HP.

The 100HP shows its worth at motorway speeds but don't expect it to maintain speed in 6th up a relatively steep dual carriageway hill. It's only 200cc bigger and the 16 valves do not help with mid range pull.

It's quick when you let it rev but in the mid range, it's not a lot different to the 1200.

Thank you for all of your feedback and comments everyone, I really appreciate all of the help that I have received!

I'm having the back axle grit blasted and hot zinc metal sprayed. It's in good condition, but I want it to stay that way. Costs are very reasonable but the car will be off the road while the job is done.

I would really like to fit a Fiat 500 back axle but while it works very well on the 1200, the 100HP wheels would clout the wheel arches. It could be modified to reduce the rear track but it's not a job for mere mortals with an Aldi welding set and angle grinder.

DaveMcT said:

I'm having the back axle grit blasted and hot zinc metal sprayed. It's in good condition, but I want it to stay that way. Costs are very reasonable but the car will be off the road while the job is done.

I would really like to fit a Fiat 500 back axle but while it works very well on the 1200, the 100HP wheels would clout the wheel arches. It could be modified to reduce the rear track but it's not a job for mere mortals with an Aldi welding set and angle grinder.

Click to expand...

Be interested to learn more about the rear beam refurb costs / process.

PrinceRock said:

Be interested to learn more about the rear beam refurb costs / process.

Click to expand...

It will get done late August when I have use of a spare car.

The Fiat 500 axle will is a straight swap fit to the 169 Panda and works fine with the smaller wheels. The ride (with 500 springs) is better and it handles better.

BUT its too wide for 100HP wheels. It could be modified but costs to have it done properly would make it uneconomic.

So look after that 100 HP axle. Clean it up and treat with rust prevention oils.

Main failure points are the spring pans which fracture about 20mm to 30mm inboard of the welds to the main beam. Any signs of rusted weakness / metal thinning should be patch welded before it's too late. 25mm x 3mm steel strip will do the job just fine but the axle would have to come off the car.

Hi there

I cant remember the miles pe tank but think it used to say 297 on the computer on filling up. SOmetimes it might go to 320 or 350 but only on long runs. The mpg quoted is 43.5 and thats what I used to get over some 80,000 miles. With care it could easily do 50mpg on a long run if kept at around 75 real mph.

In 80,000 miles mine needed a couple of sets of discs and pads and a rear box on the exhaust and dampers as the bushing failed. The rear bump stops are a pain in the rear as they seem only to last 15K miles Bravo 182 stops fit and allow slightly more suspension travel. This vastly improved the ride and stopped the horrible banging that occurs when the originals start to work loose. It sounds as if the axle is loose!

I had both front window regulators replaced under warranty and a front heat shield on the exhaust at an eye watering £75.

No breakdowns or failures to start ever. It was hte most reliable car I ever owned and when I stupidly parted company at 105000 it was still running and looking pretty much brand new. I must have been mad to sell it.

I have never driven anything remotely as much fun, so amusing to watch BMWs disappear totally crossing roundabouts!

Select a good one that has been looed after and you should hget a fine car.

The Panda Nut said:

Hi there

I cant remember the miles pe tank but think it used to say 297 on the computer on filling up. SOmetimes it might go to 320 or 350 but only on long runs. The mpg quoted is 43.5 and thats what I used to get over some 80,000 miles. With care it could easily do 50mpg on a long run if kept at around 75 real mph.

Click to expand...

how did you manage that mpg?


i did a good run this weekend and got 47mpg average out of a full tank. this was a mixture of 70-75mph and some 40-50mph bits during roadworks. i could have probably pushed it up a little higher if i was extra careful.



usually it will average around 40mpg most of the time.

I've not done a brim to brim check but my fuel "trip" say its doing 38.7 mpg. It's mostly motorway and I kep up with the traffic so once I'm out of the rush hour jams it's not below 70 for very long.