I crossed a site a while back (think it was a main dealer in England) selling some Fiat accessories as on the official merchandise site. They had the proper genuine Panda alloys for around £500~ including VAT. Half the price of Fiat's £1,080 price tag... Ever since then I've been contemplating buying them.


I was going to put summer tyres on the alloys and then in the winter get winters fitted to my current steel wheels.


But other than styling, what differences are there technically in going to these 15" alloys? Will they make the car feel smoother on the road, or rougher? Will it handle any better? And will the tyres cost much more?


I'd love a set of the ones that come on the facelifted Lounge models but doubt I'll get them brand new at a reasonable price.

Difference.. ride..tyre choice.. pretty similar (alloys are probably heavier than your steels)
If you catch a kerb its an unsightly mess

Plastic trim.. you can unbolt it and repaint for @£5..still using the car

Alloy.. @£80 but you need it off the car

Our panda has alloys..2 nearside ones and 2 nice ones

"...Our panda has alloys..2 nearside ones and 2 nice ones"

Yep, the original parking sensors!

Almost all alloys are just te heavy compare the the same size steel wheels.

Are the 15" Fiat 500 official wheels compatible or are they of a different spec? Don't want to fit anything that's pushing the limits of the car or officially a 'modification'

SB1500 said:

Are the 15" Fiat 500 official wheels compatible or are they of a different spec? Don't want to fit anything that's pushing the limits of the car or officially a 'modification'

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All 500 wheels 15”-16” can be used without a problem.
6jx15” with 185/55R15” or 195/55R15” tires.
6.5jx16” with 195/45R16” or 205/45R16” tires.

SB1500 said:

Are the 15" Fiat 500 official wheels compatible or are they of a different spec? Don't want to fit anything that's pushing the limits of the car or officially a 'modification'

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Or you could get some Mk1/2 Punto wheels like my winter ones. They might need a fettling at 20 years old but a cheap way to scratch that itch and less of a problem when you scratch the nearside wheels (we all do it).

I recommend Screwfix floor paint followed by Screwfix Yacht Varnish for that glossy, brushmark-free finish.

AB100 said:

I recommend Screwfix floor paint followed by Screwfix Yacht Varnish for that glossy, brushmark-free finish.

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The wings have come out pretty shiny ..

AB100 said:

Or you could get some Mk1/2 Punto wheels like my winter ones. They might need a fettling at 20 years old but a cheap way to scratch that itch and less of a problem when you scratch the nearside wheels (we all do it).

I recommend Screwfix floor paint followed by Screwfix Yacht Varnish for that glossy, brushmark-free finish.

Click to expand...

Looks stunning! I'd have done the alloys in a black finish on my car. But that Panda is incredibly shiny! What wax / cleaning product do you use?

I had punto alloys on my
Marea Estate and 169 panda

They are 'timeless'

SB1500 said:

Are the 15" Fiat 500 official wheels compatible or are they of a different spec? Don't want to fit anything that's pushing the limits of the car or officially a 'modification'

Click to expand...

Also FIAT Bravo 7jx16" and 7jx17" offset 31 Steel (16") and Alloy wheels can be used on a Panda without problems.

7jx16" with 205/45R16" and 215/40R16" tires.
7jx17" with 195/40R17" 205/40R17" and 215/35R17" tires

The Pretender said:

Almost all alloys are just te heavy compare the the same size steel wheels.

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Err, No.
The whole point of alloy wheels is that they are much lighter than steel wheels of the same size Steel is 2.5 times heaver than aluminium (Magnesum alloys are even lighter. Just because they look like they have more metal does not mean they are heaver.

Reduced weight brings lower unsprung weight which improves suspension performance over bumps. It theory it also improves acceleration due to lower angular momentum but as most of this comes from the tyre, more mass at larger radius) the difference from a wheel being made of alloy makes no difference to accereration.

Robert G8RPI.

They are heavier (alloy wheel), i weigh them to compare, steel is much stronger and there for they have to use much less of it to make a strong wheel, alloy is lighter and less strong and there for they need to use a hole lot more of it, to make a evenly strong wheel, resulting in more weight for the alloy wheel then the steel wheel.
A 7Jx16" ET/offset 31 steel Bravo wheel is lighter then the same 7Jx16" ET/offset 31 alloy Bravo wheel.

g8rpi said:

Err, No.
The whole point of alloy wheels is that they are much lighter than steel wheels of the same size Steel is 2.5 times heaver than aluminium (Magnesum alloys are even lighter. Just because they look like they have more metal does not mean they are heaver.

Reduced weight brings lower unsprung weight which improves suspension performance over bumps. It theory it also improves acceleration due to lower angular momentum but as most of this comes from the tyre, more mass at larger radius) the difference from a wheel being made of alloy makes no difference to accereration.

Robert G8RPI.

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Sorry, but I think in our (production car) world (not F1 racing or the like) alloys are generally heavier than a steel rim with similar tyre size. The subsequent poster to yours makes the point too. Alloys are an aesthetics project (which is just fine) and don't really offer weight reduction, they might offer a wider/lower profile options for the same diameter. No doubt there will be some exceptions but that's my general experience.

SB1500 said:

Looks stunning! I'd have done the alloys in a black finish on my car. But that Panda is incredibly shiny! What wax / cleaning product do you use?

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I could lie here and tell you about spending every weekend waxing and detailing this and that. That would be incorrect.

The car gets washed 2-3 times a year max and only when it rains. I use a specialised cleaner (washing up liquid) and let the rain rinse it. It's a car, not a Kandinsky.

I am serious about the Screwfix yacht varnish though. It takes a good 24 hours to drying but leaves absolutely no brush marks and is reassuringly thick and glossy, unlike the spray-on on junk used as standard. Not only that, if you desire the more matte finish, then just allow it to dry for at least a week and then knock-off the shine using a fine wire-wool (I did this for another project where I wanted protection but without the shine).

For a tenner you can try it yourself and then find other projects that need that glossy glow

https://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonse...-_-decorating-_-yachtvarnish&_requestid=61985

Alloys are not just prone to kerb damage. The centre usually attaches to the rim near the outer edge, meaning that joint takes a lot of bending force. For this reason they have to be made stronger, so heavier. Despite this, potholes can bend them, the inner edge distorts, often unnoticed.
Steels attach the centre nearer the centre of the rim, making the forces more evenly spread, so stronger on rougher roads. Small damage can be addressed with a heavy hammer.

If you fit alloys, your insurance company will view this as a modification. Premiums may go up, sometimes alarmingly, so ask first.

The Pretender said:

They are heavier (alloy wheel), i weigh them to compare, steel is much stronger and there for they have to use much less of it to make a strong wheel, alloy is lighter and less strong and there for they need to use a hole lot more of it, to make a evenly strong wheel, resulting in more weight for the alloy wheel then the steel wheel.
A 7Jx16" ET/offset 31 steel Bravo wheel is lighter then the same 7Jx16" ET/offset 31 alloy Bravo wheel.

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Detail of wheel makes, actual weights and photos please.

A properly designed alloy wheel IS lighter than the same size steel wheel. If it took more weight of alloy for the same strength as steel why aren't aircraft made of steel? Why do many cars use aluminium suspension parts ?


Robert G8RPI

g8rpi said:

Detail of wheel makes, actual weights and photos please.

A properly designed alloy wheel IS lighter than the same size steel wheel. If it took more weight of alloy for the same strength as steel why aren't aircraft made of steel? Why do many cars use aluminium suspension parts ?


Robert G8RPI

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Hi Robert ,

I agree that a correctly made performance alloy wheel is lighter than it's steel equivalent.

Purely subjectively I have found "fashion" alloy wheels not to be noticeably lighter than steel wheels when mounting or demounting to an individual vehicle.
I currently have a car with me that has steel wheels and alloy wheels same tyre sizes but different tyre brands. If I don't over heat I will try and remove wheels, take photos and weigh them, will only have bathroom scales with which to weigh.

My thought is; for fashion alloy wheels performance is secondary to looks and making them as cheaply as possible.


Cheers
Jack

Both wheels off a 2010 renault Clio mk3

Both wheels renault original parts

Each wheel and tyre was weighed 3 times and gave the same reading each time.

Steel wheel 13.3kg fitted with Michelin energy saver tyre

Alloy wheel 15.2kg fitted with nexen n blue tyre

Hope this helps and is interesting.

It's flipping hot out there already, be careful everyone.

Jack

jackwhoo said:

Both wheels off a 2010 renault Clio mk3

Both wheels renault original parts

Each wheel and tyre was weighed 3 times and gave the same reading each time.

Steel wheel 13.3kg fitted with Michelin energy saver tyre

Alloy wheel 15.2kg fitted with nexen n blue tyre

Hope this helps and is interesting.

It's flipping hot out there already, be careful everyone.

Click to expand...

Good work sir! And reflects my (subjective) experience; Panda 4x4 alloys weigh the proverbial ton(ne)

As Robert says above "if properly designed" then you get significant weight savings, especially if that design includes Magnesium alloy rather than the generic (possibly) recycled coke can alloy.