Panda hallo to you all

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Panda hallo to you all

suffolk boy

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Apr 23, 2019
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just thought to say hello .having just bought a panda.i have been for the last ten years heavily into the rover 75 .however my age and the cars has meant it was time to give them up.enter the panda looked at a few until i found this little delight a 1.2 eco active so far i love it .read some info on here so its getting a boot light quite soon.swopped the radio antenna over to a short one as it hit the garage roof.i hope to fit a new grille badge on the front this week as being red its looking a bit tired.this is my first fiat and so far so good.:)
 
Well done. (y)

The standard advice is to treat the rear axle for rust with a good rust-proofer that will soak well into the metal. I've found chain saw oil thinned with white spirit does a good job. Chip away any loose rust, then after a few weeks you can go over it with Waxoyl.

If you dont know its history do a full brake (and clutch) fluid change and change (& flush) the coolant. In common with all modern engines, the Fiat FIRE will not cope with a coolant leak which usually blows the head gasket.
 
the back axle looks good atm and having a waxoyl sprayer it will be coated before the winter or maybe i will use dinitrol.it does had a very good service history but i will change the fluids as soon as i can.was not aware the fire engine is prone to coolant leaks and hgf .but i imagine actually checking around the hoses and checking the coolant levels on a regular basis will not do any harm.
 
I've found chain saw oil thinned with white spirit makes a great corrosion inhibitor. It seems to soak into the metal then leaves a semi sticky film which (such as) Waxoyl can go over.

I did a test strip with some surface rusted fencing angle iron. An area was cleaned to bare metal with a grinder and it was treated with chain saw oil solution. 6 months later, the bright metal was still bright and the treated rust seemed to have stopped. Untreated rust was worse and the bare metal was red rusty. I cleaned off 1/2 of the treated strip with a solvent and left it again. This time cleaned area was beginning to rust but seemed to have retained some protection. By now the non protected areas were corroding nicely.

It's worth using anywhere that rust can develop but DO NOT let it sit on on the bodywork. The oil goes gooey and sticks like ****. Great under the car but not so fab on the body panels.

My brother had an early model Italian market Alfa 156. He says the UK cars had more corrosion treatments so his would be expected to rust. As soon as he moved back here, the car was sloshed underneath with chain saw oil. It went for 17 years and only got scrapped because the fuel injection, turbo and clutch/flywheel were going to cost a fortune to sort.

Hi previous car (Austin/Rover Montego diesel) was treated from new with Waxoyl but it rotted only slightly slower than every other Monty/Maestro on the road.
 
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thank you but after hearing about the head gasket issues with this engine which i was not aware off .this info has worried me to death so much so i will probally sell it and buy something else
 
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Bit puzzled by your concern about "head gasket issues".
They aren't particularly prone to either coolant leaks or head gasket failure.
They are prone to poor maintenance when they get a bit older, which can lead to either, same as all cars.
And, unlike a many recent cars, even if they were to suffer a head gasket failure, they can be fixed on the driveway with a fairly basic toolkit. (Or by your friendly local mechanic. Even if they aren't really that good)
Same goes for cam belt change, and many other maintenance jobs which may be needed over the lifetime of a car.
However, you pays your money and takes your choice...
 
thank you but after hearing about the head gasket issues with this engine which i was not aware off .this info has worried me to death so much so i will probally sell it and buy something else

I have had 4 pandas, a Sei Sporting & Punto all with FIRE engines. I have done over 500,000 miles in the past 20 years and never had a head gasket fail
 
thank you for your replys .however all i am doing is responding to is the comment by a member after i introduced myself that a overheat can result in headgasket failure.i do not intend overheating this one or skimping on the maintenance so i am pleased you have had no issues and hope i to enjoy trouble free motoring myself.all cars have issues not matter what they are i had mg rovers for ten years head gasket failure was not however on the agenda.
 
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thank you but after hearing about the head gasket issues with this engine which i was not aware off .this info has worried me to death so much so i will probally sell it and buy something else
Definitely don't panic about this. We're now on our fourth Panda (or is it fifth?) anyway only had one with a head gasket problem and that was our 1992 model (which we had for 19 years) What happened with it was that the metal water pipe which runs along the front of the engine and goes into the back of the water pump (so can be visually checked) rusted out (no surprise given the age of the vehicle) The water level dropped and the head gasket developed a little leak so I had to change it. and yes, it's pretty easy to do. Much, much easier than a "K" series! Keep a regular check on fluid levels and you'll not have any unexpected "happenings". Mind you, most modern engines don't like it if you let the coolant level drop!

The car is very easy to work on (says he with authority having just done a timing belt on it) and, especially if you have to hand it over to a workshop, it's not going to tax the abilities of any reasonably competent mechanic. Rust on the rear axle does seem to be a wee bit of an achilles heel and Dave MkT's advice is good. Now the better weather is nearly here I'll be doing this to ours. My "go to" is Waxoyl but I like Dave's endorsement of the chainsaw oil so I'm going to give it a go before hitting it with a topcoat of the Waxoyl.

I also have a modern Seat Ibiza but Mrs Jock by far, prefers to take the Panda when given the choice and I do freely admit I just love driving it, especially in town where it nips in and out of the traffic so easily without causing annoyance to others and it's just so easy to find a wee parking space to slot it into!
 
I've found chain saw oil thinned with white spirit makes a great corrosion inhibitor. It seems to soak into the metal then leaves a semi sticky film which (such as) Waxoyl can go over.

Hi Dave.

Would you care to let us know at what ratio white spirit to chainsaw oil this works best and roughly how long is it best to give it before going over the top with Waxoyl? I see also that you say it needs to "dry off" for a while before overcoating, how long for would you say? Lastly is there any advantage to doing 2, or even 3, coats of your "brew" before overcoating with the Waxoyl?

Thanks
Jock
 
Hi Dave.

Would you care to let us know at what ratio white spirit to chainsaw oil this works best and roughly how long is it best to give it before going over the top with Waxoyl? I see also that you say it needs to "dry off" for a while before overcoating, how long for would you say? Lastly is there any advantage to doing 2, or even 3, coats of your "brew" before overcoating with the Waxoyl?

Thanks
Jock

I just thinned the oil enough to use with a trigger spray bottle. The white spirit (paint thinners) evaporates leaving sticky oil on the job. Waxoyl is thinned with white spirit so should be compatible.

The oil polymerises (turns to varnish). So you can either give it another spray or go over with Waxoyl. The test metal I protected had no other coating just the oil. The stuff continued to work even after cleaning with solvent.

Around 2008, I used Waxoyl on the 1976 Suzuki mudguards insides (surface rust only). 1970s Japanese metal is not especially durable. The bike has been dry stored ever since so I assumed it was job done. I'm going over it now for selling to find the Waxoyled areas are just as rusty as ever. To be fair it's no worse but its also not seen any bad weather. I had used what professed to be the best but I'm not impressed TBH.
 
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FIRE engines will not tolerate overheating so dont allow the coolant servicing to lapse and be sure to keep on top of age related issues such as corrosion. This is no different with any other engine on the road.

The "problem" with FIRE head gaskets is owners who run cheap and then complain the car has broken down.
 
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I just thinned the oil enough to use with a trigger spray bottle. The white spirit (paint thinners) evaporates leaving sticky oil on the job. Waxoyl is thinned with white spirit so should be compatible.

The oil polymerises (turns to varnish). So you can either give it another spray or go over with Waxoyl. The test metal I protected had no other coating just the oil. The stuff continued to work even after cleaning with solvent.

Around 2008, I used Waxoyl on the 1976 Suzuki mudguards insides (surface rust only). 1970s Japanese metal is not especially durable. The bike has been dry stored ever since so I assumed it was job done. I'm going over it now for selling to find the Waxoyled areas are just as rusty as ever. To be fair it's no worse but its also not seen any bad weather. I had used what professed to be the best but I'm not impressed TBH.
Thanks Dave. I'm definitely going to give the chain saw oil a go. I too have had variable outcomes with Waxoyl, mostly use it for inside panels now. As I haven't taken a good look at anti rust stuff in quite a while I think I'll have a look around for something else. I think Car Mechanics did a recent feature - Must try to find it.

Blow me! There it is on the coffee table right in front of me! April issue, page 56. They seem to be reviewing a new to UK product Krown T40. Made in Canada. (Krown.co.uk) tel 01215 573874. Looks very impressive - but don't they all?
 
ACF-50 is good but expensive and it degrades (intentionally) over time so has to be re-applied. Take care because any excess will run off and stain the drive. The very best would be ACF followed by something like my chain saw oil or a thicker parts
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ACF-50-Anti-Corrosion-Formula-0-95-Litres-Pump-Spray-Bottle-ACF50-New/142835911914?hash=item2141af0cea:g:yfkAAOSwp41bJgI9

Here's another - sold for stored parts preservation.
https://www.bearingboys.co.uk/Amber...MIwurV2PCL4gIVS7DtCh3haQPFEAQYASABEgLS_vD_BwE

This looks similar but not cheap :eek:
https://www.frost.co.uk/paints-coat...sol-14995-invisible-rust-protection-coat.html

This had good reviews in the bike press.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/XCP-Rust-Blocker-High-Performance-Motorcycle-Corrosion-Protection-Spray-500ml/381976872223?epid=17016997822&hash=item58ef98851f:g:aKQAAOSw32lYrYn5

Try any of the above then do the bare metal weather test with some thinned chain saw oil. If its up to snuff you can do the axle before next winter.
 
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I've used ACF-50 on the bike and been happy. Bearing in mind it had lots of painted aluminium held together with stainless bolts anything will have a hard time.

On the car I spent £80 plus some effort to have the axle grit blasted and hot zinc metal sprayed. Overkill for sure but at that price it's not worth doing anything less.

Frost are pretty pricey. It would have cost me around £50 for enough POR-15 to do the job and I'll still have to de-rust it and maybe overcoat the POR-15 as it's not UV stable.
 
well i few weeks have gone by and all is well.fitted new front and back badges .some nice mats and a boot light(thanks to this forum) i have some mudflaps for the back to go on at some point.today as it was nice got a big can of bilt hamber u/b spray and treated the back axle and the cups.they where not that bad t.b.h look nice now for the time being.we will see how this stuff holds up.
 
Thanks Dave. I'm definitely going to give the chain saw oil a go. I too have had variable outcomes with Waxoyl, mostly use it for inside panels now. As I haven't taken a good look at anti rust stuff in quite a while I think I'll have a look around for something else. I think Car Mechanics did a recent feature - Must try to find it.

Blow me! There it is on the coffee table right in front of me! April issue, page 56. They seem to be reviewing a new to UK product Krown T40. Made in Canada. (Krown.co.uk) tel 01215 573874. Looks very impressive - but don't they all?

Try Dinitrol. I have found it very good. A good range of products for different areas of the body all based on a quality wax. I think it makes a mockery of Waxoyl.
 
Try Dinitrol. I have found it very good. A good range of products for different areas of the body all based on a quality wax. I think it makes a mockery of Waxoyl.

i have used waxoyl in the past and it did a reasonable job on my old rover 75.
this time however i used bilt hamber u/b wax in a big can .sprayed on very well
with a few drips onto the cardboard i had placed underneath.cardboard underneath recomended btw esp if you have a block paved driveway.but you where going to do that anyway lol.good creep on it and sets well to leave a good looking finish.did the tank straps will i was at it.i gave the rear axle around the cups two coats and still had a bit left.leaving it a while now to see how it goes may invest in some cavity wax they do. for the sills etc.
 
well after getting paranoid over the coolant level as it needed a tiny top up.i noticed while looking underneath for any drips the front exhaust clamp had rusted through and support bracket was not far behind it. so they have now both been replaced.plus a new coolant cap has been fitted and cardboard placed underneath it nothing on it so far.no water on the dip stick no mayo on the cap and it runs fine.and yes the fan works fine will keep i eye on it
 
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