General Introducing Panda, Panda's owner and Panda's problem.

[DanL]

Hi everyone, First post

Meet Panda...

She's a 1000 from 1994, 40k on the clock and no rust to be seenin the usual places. I bought her off a friend of a friend for a lovely £250. I was a little embarrassed at first by her unfashionable shape but she soon worked her charms and now I think she's delightful.

Panda probably hasn't had a decent service for a good few years. So what do you reckon needs to be done if I'm aiming to keep her going okay? And which of these things can I do myself? The hardest thing I've ever done is change some brake pads...

Here's what I'm going to do (or attempt)...

Air filter,
New oil filter,
oil change (Is the sump plug 14mm by the way? None of my allen keys seemed to fit so this was just a guess),
new spark plugs and leads?
Change transmission oil,
Change brake fluid,

What else do you reckon it would benefit from?

 

[Sprox]

Hi Dan!
Give it an engine flush when you change the engine oil!
sump plug is or should be 12mm, be prepared to use a torque wrench!
Change the Cambelt is a good idea with new ownership too!
Is your passenger door dented?
Might be able to help you wiht a spare door or two!!!!!
Also, change the radiator coolant! Winter is a coming!
Where do you live?

 

[default_user]

I had to buy a set of allen sockets just to get the 12mm one so I could undo mine. It made the job soooooo easy though it was worth it. The two for the gearbox are the same size as well.

Here's what you need: link.

DON'T buy these ones though, they are overpriced. Any decent motor factor should have some for about £12.

 

[Alan.D]

The set I got was £40 but you could take a sledgehammer to them, as for the service yep already as advised should see you for now, although if you struggled with brakepads you may have a prob with the cam belt, If your not far from a member they may be willing to share their expertise

 

[FuzzyPanda]

Very nice car mate. How is the handbrake?

 

[Pandarus]

Hi Dan, nice to have you on the forum. Looks like a great little motor you have there, nice price too. I like your fogs, must be handy this time of year.

I got hooked on Pandas when I bought an Uno - I instantly realised I had bought the wrong car! If treated properly, the Panda is an economical and dependable car - the guys on here will give you all the necessary pointers (as they have already) to keep your Panda (an ageing classic!) on the road.

When I bought my 750 it had not been serviced for ages - I just changed the engine oil, gearbox oil (I had a split driveshaft gaiter), plugs, filters and I am about to service the brakes before it gets really cold as I have my MOT in January. Have a good look underneath for any rust, in particular the rear wheel arches - push your rear seats forward and check it is not coming through on the seams of the arch or actually on the arch itself (Steve has some wonderful images from his old red 750 to demonstrate this). As you know the bottoms of doors are a favourite and also around the windscreen seals. But I notice that you have a later model and Fiats were generally better made by then.

They are one of the cutest cars still on the road today, I love 'em and if I had my way I would have a sanctuary full of Pandas - but I'm not sure the wife would be too impressed.

Happy 'Panda-ring'

Russ

 

[DanL]

Greetings all, cheers for the welcome

I've looked all over the belly of the car, it appears to be pretty much rust free. All over the inside of the arches and the bottom of the car there's a thick, lumpy coating of some kind of spray on black stuff... It's some kind of anti rust treatment. Seems to have worked.

Pandarus, I like your panda sanctuary idea I wish I had some space to keep a spare car or two, or even somewhere off road to repair the one I've got. I've always had to pay other people to fix problems I could have a go at doing myself given the right equipment. There used to be a local co-op garage where you could take your car to a fully equipped workshop and work on it yourself with their equipment... if things got above your head you then pay the resident professional mechanics around to do the job for you. It closed down in the end because people nicked the tools and generally abused it

The handbrakes fine FuzzyPanda, why'd you ask? Is it a weak spot?

Sprox, the Cam belts looks like it's got a few thousand miles on it yet. As I understand the fire engine ('Fire engine' Ha ha, I love it!) doesn't get damaged when it goes. Can anyone confirm that for me? 'Cause if thats the case I normally stay local and a tow isn't such a problem for me..
Thanks for offering the doors but I'm a broke student living off bread and baked beans right now. I'd love to spend some woogah and get panda all shiney and polished again but I'm going to struggle just keeping her running. I'm aiming to give her well looked after, makes financial sense if nothing else, maybe after I'm done with uni I'll be able to treat her a bit. In two years time I'll give you a call perhaps

I'll add Coolant change to my list...I live in Plymouth by the way.

Panda on Dartmoor.

 

[FuzzyPanda]

The handbrakes fine FuzzyPanda, why'd you ask? Is it a weak spot?

It's just something worth keeping an eye on and after mine failed the MOT (15% efficiency, hahahaha) I'm gonna be making sure the rear shoes etc are all nice and functional.

Looks like a good solid Panda that mate. Nice pic, too.

 

[posh pandas]

Hi DanL
A great looking panda and i loved your tree picture.
Elbow grease is free ,as is advice and encouragement from other forum users so please please look after your panda the best you can and we'll all help where possible
stay with us we'll look after you
gina XXX

 

[Alan.D]

It's just something worth keeping an eye on and after mine failed the MOT (15% efficiency, hahahaha) I'm gonna be making sure the rear shoes etc are all nice and functional.

Fuzzy when they tested the rear brakes for the mot there was as much effort on the handbrake as the foot. New set of shoes a new drum & adjust the cable and it will be spot on.

 

[FuzzyPanda]

Fuzzy when they tested the rear brakes for the mot there was as much effort on the handbrake as the foot. New set of shoes a new drum & adjust the cable and it will be spot on.

Yeah it was all fixed back in September and works ace now.

 

[Alan.D]

Sorry read it wrong, having one of those nights

 

[urchin]

Hi Dan, nice to have you on the forum. Looks like a great little motor you have there, nice price too. I like your fogs, must be handy this time of year.

I got hooked on Pandas when I bought an Uno - I instantly realised I had bought the wrong car! If treated properly, the Panda is an economical and dependable car - the guys on here will give you all the necessary pointers (as they have already) to keep your Panda (an ageing classic!) on the road.

When I bought my 750 it had not been serviced for ages - I just changed the engine oil, gearbox oil (I had a split driveshaft gaiter), plugs, filters and I am about to service the brakes before it gets really cold as I have my MOT in January. Have a good look underneath for any rust, in particular the rear wheel arches - push your rear seats forward and check it is not coming through on the seams of the arch or actually on the arch itself (Steve has some wonderful images from his old red 750 to demonstrate this). As you know the bottoms of doors are a favourite and also around the windscreen seals. But I notice that you have a later model and Fiats were generally better made by then.

They are one of the cutest cars still on the road today, I love 'em and if I had my way I would have a sanctuary full of Pandas - but I'm not sure the wife would be too impressed.

Happy 'Panda-ring'

Russ

sorry panda sanctury is all ready up and running, oh allen and jim spot your own car's in the picture.

 

[Steven]

Richard, now I love my Pandas, but you do realise that this isn't normal behaviour!

 

[urchin]

Richard, now I love my Pandas, but you do realise that this isn't normal behaviour!

yes but it depends on what you call normal come on the panda nut name each model and guess whats in the garage in front of them.

 

[Steven]

OK, starting at the front. Juppy silver 4X4, red Mk2 possibly a CLX, maroon Sisley 4X4, blue Sisley 4X4, red 999cc on the left, that looks like an early Panda beside it, a Mk1?

 

[allen fletcher]

:worship: Yep I'v spotted the sisley who were the other victimsI'll bet thay are all on the forum I'll need sume more room on that pitch for the nine panda's I'v got cheers Mate

sorry panda sanctury is all ready up and running, oh allen and jim spot your own car's in the picture.

 

[allen fletcher]

Re: Help needed again

Hi I would like to locate a tan coloured seat for a sisley so I cand do a swop for a clock for the trekking posh gave to me cheers Allen Urchin failed me on this one :worship: Yep I'v spotted the sisley on yer pitch who were the other victimsI'll bet thay are all on the forum I'll need some more room on that pitch for the nine panda's I'v got cheers Mate

sorry panda sanctury is all ready up and running, oh allen and jim spot your own car's in the picture.

 

[urchin]

OK, starting at the front. Juppy silver 4X4, red Mk2 possibly a CLX, maroon Sisley 4X4, blue Sisley 4X4, red 999cc on the left, that looks like an early Panda beside it, a Mk1?

not bad right yes silver 4x4 is juppy (e505 jpy) to the right of that is a mk1 that i rescued from a scrappy (net 104x) behind that is sally (g139 rfm) now allen fletchers to the left of sally is my bourgonville red colour (m525 weh) where are you now? behind that is a clx (k469 ujf) and to the right of that is the burgandy sisly that i robbed the seats out of for sally (h989 pku) did you guess what was in the garage? wrong it's my 126 bj at the time i owned them all whou would have thought i would be reunited with them on here!