Hello all!

In true style I have yet another thread filled with nonsensical madness. However this time, its real.

I've bought Leweys 1.4 Uno turbo engine and associated parts and I'll be taking my Panda off the road for at least a couple of months.

So far, the engine is still in pieces in the back room. But, I have bought new crank bearings, big end bearings (both standard sizes) and a gasket set, all of which I'll collect from the shop on monday.

I am still in need of a set of pistons and rings, but on the whole its going well. Oh I also need a turbo.

Had a bit of time today so I lapped the valves into the seats ready for fitting the valve stem oil seals later in the week.




Im afraid to say my Panda has become a bit of a shed lately. I made an agreement with myself to not do any work to it untill it was off the road, AKA...cant be arsed! haha Its not even been cleaned in about 9 months and practically every wheel bearing has failed!




Anyway on my to do list for the next few weeks.

• Get bottom end built
• Get top end build
• Find pistons & rings for less than a rediculous price
• Find a GT25R turbo, or a decent T25 turbo, maybe even a GT1752.
• Find an U/T or equivalent gearbox

I do seriously need to look at ways of improving the brakes as a whole, but that can wait a while. Also I would very much like to discover a new way to improve the rear suspension with some kind of sway bar or ARB.


After the engine and 'moving' parts are sorted, I'll start on the bodywork.

• Lightweight boot
• Satin black bonnet and boot
• One piece rear windows (I need some 750 rear window rubbers for this, if anyone has any let me know!)
• Stripped interior
• Upgraded front seats
• Decent steering wheel

Basically my plan is to make this Panda go very, very, fast. The black bonnet and boot may give the game away slightly but it doesn't matter. I'm looking forward to a fast Panda

Good news for you Alex.... Could be good news for me as well..

Yay! An ambitious project with the enthusiasm behind it to see it through. Expect it will be the fastest street Panda in the UK. "Sway" is USA talk for "anti-roll BTW Alex.

Okay!

I picked up my main and big end bearings yesterday along with a bottom end gasket kit.

Its quite funny rebuilding this engine. You go to the parts shop...after an hour of talking and head scratching you leave with something you think is wrong...then take it home and its fits! Wahey!

As you can see, my engine and parts have taken over every seat in the house!

How it came out of the box
New shells!
Crank in
Front and rear oil seal covers fitted, along with auxillery drive and drive seal.

Now I just need pistons and rings before the head and sump can be re-fitted.

Good luck Alex
I wish I have time and money to do something like that.

Good stuff. You'll have a built engine in no time.

I see smoking tyres and a 1/4 mile of track ahead of us :devil:

Si

Alex
Love the dog!
I have 2 collies, and only one Panda.
The youngest rescue collie bitch would have nicked the big end shells while I wasn't looking.
The old fart 15.5 is blind and deaf so he wouldn't give a s..t
Dave

hahahahah!

This little blighter is 7 months young and as you will know with Collies at that age, he's utterly insane.

Got him cheap from the local farm as he was considered the erm....retard of the litter...and its entire life at the moment revolves around squeaking toys and rounding up the cat!

Great fun though! Not actually turned out too bad

Cheers haha

The head is built!



Pistons will arrive on Friday (I hope), then I'll order rings the same day after taking some measurements.

lewey said:

Yay! An ambitious project with the enthusiasm behind it to see it through. Expect it will be the fastest street Panda in the UK.

Click to expand...

Sounds like a challenge......must get the VTEC running.....and the turbo manifold bolted on!:devil:

Austen said:

Sounds like a challenge......must get the VTEC running.....and the turbo manifold bolted on!:devil:

Click to expand...

This worries me, I'll need about 30psi boost to hold off a VTEC turbo .

What engine? B16? K20?

Well I got up late today and decided at 3pm I couldn't handle watching myself vegetate on the sofa and decided, as you do, to strip the interior from the Panda. Aswell as drop the fuel tank......and the old 16v engine.



Notice the amazing collection of items inside the car? Vuvezela, hawaiin flowerly thing, panda on interior mirror! haha haha just noticed the extension lead too!

I removed the fuel tank as I need to fit a Walbro 255lph fuel pump to supply the new engine. I also removed (and binned) all the excess crap from the underneath of the car such as exhaust heat shielding, fuel tank breather lines and charcoal vapour canister thing.

When I removed the gearbox drain plug, I found a possible answer for my missing first gear!



Now I know that gearbox's make metal.....but consider that I changed the oil less than 6 months ago - and the magnetic plug was cleaned before I put it back in!

So......mint condition gearbox for sale - PM me for details hahahaha

At around 9.30 after watching top gear, I continued the engine removal up to the point where I totally forgot how to remove the driveshafts etc etc and also lost interest in the cold.

And that brings us to now!

Are my eyes deceiving me?

DRILLED DISCS ON A PANDA.

My God I didn't think they could go that quick, what with the aerodynamics of a brick.

Just jealous relly cos of the engine

Dave

hahahahahah!

Yeah they came on my '88 Panda, so I swapped them onto this one along with the lowered springs.

I suppose they do make a difference. Would help if I had any brake pad left....and the awful tyres that cost 50 pence and lock the wheels up instanly then the brake is applied probably arne't helping LOL

Will have all that sorted soon though

Poor tyres will make your brakes last longer I suppose.

On the anti-roll bar topic, there was a guy at the last AI of 2010 in a hot Cinq who had bodged (probably not the right word-it was all very neat) a bar from something else (sorry-can't remember what) onto the rear axles... I seem to remember bushes on tie rods etc but it was a long time ago... The car is on the forum somewhere. I know Omega axles pose a different kind of problem so maybe one mounted towards the rear bulkhead with arms pointing toward the front of the car and onto the rearmost part of the omega axle would work... However you accomplish it (and I'm sure you will) it should help a lot!!

Good luck and keep up the good work!

Had a little time today so assembled some more internals.

Its now got Standard pistons and rods, on J.E gudgeon pins and clips lol

Piston rings have yet to arrive (or even be discovered) but i'm off out tonight to get myself a gearbox and various other parts from a local Punto GT.

Happy days

Oh yeah another thing. I bought my Le Mans ticket!!!!!!!!!!

Now it HAS to be finished - totally - by June!!!!

wow! so are you going to be wheel to wheel with crowds of 911s out on track then?

Haha wait, maybe I should re-phrase that, I bought my viewing ticket for Le Mans. Unfortunately not for the race which, undoutedbly, I would win.

Yeah Le Mans is basically an excuse to get drunk in a field with thousands of people then go and do giant burnouts in the street and get internet fame! hahaha