Hi one and all, I know it's not a Panda but ive just aquired this Marbella - 47k (not price!) one owner, garaged and not on the road since 2006 appears to be a totally rust free example.. Is this the best place to be asking questions as I embark on getting her roadworthy?
Many thanks,Tom

Welcome and yes. Loads of info here on problems or questions most things have been done before. So post away there’s a facebook classic panda group with most contributing to both

Thanks, fist few things will be:
New tyres x5 (old ones perished)
New radiator - old one looks flaky - any recomnendations on this as to brands/where from? She's an 843cc.
The radiator fan is permanently on - a new rad mounted sender unit came with the car, assume that is the likely culprit?

Very welcome!if you needs parts there is a thread
“Panda parts request”
Post there so you will get my upmost attention [emoji106]

Hello, just got one of these myself!
48000 miles in the same colour!
Mine is a "Fun" edition and although it has an mot it has a few issues to sort out.
Great little cars - Panda-ish but not quite!

Well that didn't last long......... I see its up on Ebay, will be interested to see what it makes.

RobertG500 said:

Well that didn't last long......... I see its up on Ebay, will be interested to see what it makes.

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Thats not mine up on ebay! Same "splash" edition but the ebay one looks/sounds in rougher condition..

Just spent the morning fixing the broken parcel shelf &takkng the rims for 4x new tyres shortly. Going to need a new rad & sender then a few little jobs for mot

How amazing that 3 have just turned up in the same colour with similar miles! Glad yours is receiving attention. Mine us waiting it's turn at the moment.

Bit like buses but much smaller...

So, today I had new tyres all round and fitted a replacement rear exhaust section. Removed old radiator and fan assembly. Now have a few questions...

The fan has been "always on" since I trailered the car home. Seller said radiator temp sensor was faulty and that there was a new one in the boot - there isn't. So, I have tested continuity on the old sensor when cold and removed, which shows it is creating a circuit. Is this proof that the old temp sensor is faulty?

Next, the coolant setup on this car is confusing me - the expansion tank, which fits against the washer bottle sits lower than the top of the radiator. Is this a non pressurised system? How does the coolant reach the top of the radiator when everything else is lower?

If anyone can explain this in laymans terms I'd appreciate it!

The expansion or overflow tank is there just to catch coolant that has been pushed out of the radiator when the pressure relief on the cap has activated. That could be caused by the system being overfilled or by overheating.

panda1408 said:

The expansion or overflow tank is there just to catch coolant that has been pushed out of the radiator when the pressure relief on the cap has activated. That could be caused by the system being overfilled or by overheating.

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thanks for that, I'll be fitting a new rad next week - the overflow tank does have a "minimum" level marking, so when refilling, do I simply fill the rad and cap off, then top up the overflow tank to its level?

Righto, recommissioning continues and I have hit a snag, I must say it has totally stumped me..

Headlights - the Marbella has a three way rocker switch on the dash, coupled with a stalk on the steering cowl for high/low beams.

Here is what the Marbella handbook states what "SHOULD" happen:

Dash switch UP =Parking lights, operate with ignition on or off

Dash switch MIDDLE = all OFF

Dash switch DOWN = side lights ON, dipped beam ON, changeable to full beam with stalk.

Now, here is what DOES happen (this is with the engine running):

Dash switch UP = no lighting at all

Dash switch MIDDLE = Dipped Mains ON (H1 bulb) but like candles in a jar, sidelights OFF, steering stalk has no effect

Dash switch DOWN = sidelight bulbs ON, Dipped Mains OFF, Full beam stalk activates full beams (nice and bright), Dashboard is illuminated.

These symptoms are present with both the original and a replacement steering stalk assembly. I have checked the connector blocks under the steering wheel (pic) all look visually very good. All fuses are intact and good.

Does anyone recognise these symptoms??? This is doing my swede in as the car is now otherwise ready to MOT after many years off the road..

Many thanks, Tom

Not over sure,but from memory.the rocker switch should be off/side lights only/headlights controlled by stalk switch. Depending on the year,fiat had a dim dip function on the side lights,it worked by feeding 12v throu a resistor block,made of metal and had a thick coil of wire to reduce the voltage and three connections. Do you have a black button on the ignition barrel? This is usually parking lights with key out of ignition.

dim dip circled in Red

Hi Pete - no button on the cowl for parking lights. There is a coil type arrangement under the bonnet on the bulkhead similar to your picture.
Attached is an image from the handbook that came with the car - what it states bears no relation to what is happening on the car..

May be worth taking the light rocker switch out,strip and clean,as there are plastic fingers inside the switch that may ware down and cause the contacts not to connect..

So, I have had my testers out this morning, checking the dash switch and the steering stalks for continuity - all good.
Pulled the scuttle cover off under the bonnet to find a carrier bags worth of shredded carrier bags and straw behind the fuse box - mouse nest...!!

Cleaned all of this out and mercifully the mouse hasn't chewed up all the wiring. There is however just one wire that is nothing more than green dust (see pic).

Just about to cut this section out and replace with new wire - fingers crossed this will be the culprit of the dodgy headlights

All sorted - cut the rotted section out of that wire and soldered in a new section. Now the lights function just as one would expect.

Next question - the lad I bought the car from had taken it for an MOT, which it duly failed. One fail was brake imbalance across an axle. He's told me it was the rear axle.

I've popped off one of the rear drums and cannot for the life of me work out how to adjust the shoes. I was expecting to find some kind of winding mechanism to bring the shoes out or in off the slave cylinder - any pointers?

The more I've searched and read other posts, the more I'm confused. Assuming Marbella rear brakes are the same as a mk1 Panda, would i be right in thinking that the rear slave cylinders essentially self adjust?
I can see that the slave cylinders work against the brake shoe springs, but where js the adjustment? I can't see any way of manually winding out the brake shoes - would really appreciate advice from someone who has been there!
Cheers, Tom

On a Panda the shoes have a friction adjuster, which work ok when new but become fairly useless with age. I would imagine the Marbella uses the same setup. The adjuster is the disc with a spring behind it mounted to the shoe.

There is no manual adjustment and are intended to be fully auto adjusting. The problem is once the adjusters become weak the return springs are strong enough to overcome the friction and pull the shoes back or at least this is what seems to happen in my experience.