varesecrazy said:

Apparently..

The standard roads panda is different to the 'off.roaders' there might be a cross vs 4x4 change too

They had a minor bump and broke the mounts.. not the lens IIRC

I added links to around 3 aftermarket suppliers

As a 1st step check on shop4parts for the UK stock price

Click to expand...

Thanks, i'll let you know how it goes.

Link:

https://www.fiatforum.com/panda-iii/485007-looking-cross-os-headlight.html

Only two types of Panda headlight:
- one used by all models inc the 4x4, but not the Cross
- And the ones used by the Cross that have the black plastic section going part over the lens area too.
The latter are hard to find...

Welcome Teabag!

Re the tyres - always fit your best tyres on the rear! (Fitting new tyres to the front is old school and wrong)
If it was me, I'd choose a decent 4 season tyre. I've got Goodyear Vector 4 Season tyres on mine and I'm really delighted with them, they feel really confident and positive on the road and while they are a compromise, they are still very good in the rare situation when we get the occasional blizzard in the UK in the dark months - I work shifts and have been caught out in the past with summer tyres,

Biggest thing (as already mentioned) - get an oil change done ASAP with the correct oil!

Sump Guard; mine's horrible too.
I'm planning on getting ot off the car when the weather warms up a bit (I think its about 6 bolts), bead blasting it, welding it up if it needs any doing, and slapping it in 2 pack paint. I did think I'd powder coat it, but poowder coated items are great until the finish is chipped, then the rust 'creeps' under the powder coating. As it's under the car that's very likely to happen.
After painting, I'll coat it in a layer of black Waxoyl too (messy but effective) before fitting it back on the car. A new sump-guard seems horribly pricey for what it is so try and patch up the old one if possible - its under the car so needs to be functional and not pretty.

Good luck and post back here with your progress

1teabag said:

Thanks, i'll let you know how it goes.

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Ordered the part from Shop4parts, £47 inc VAT. Ordered Tuesday and arrived this morning. Now for the interesting bit.....I managed to get the little 'hatch' under the wheel arch off but it looks like they started building the car with the cluster, then added the rest around it. I can see the screws with a mirror but need to be double jointed to get a scrwewdriver close, especially the top ones. Do you think removing the headlight is the best option?

1teabag said:

Ordered the part from Shop4parts, £47 inc VAT. Ordered Tuesday and arrived this morning. Now for the interesting bit.....I managed to get the little 'hatch' under the wheel arch off but it looks like they started building the car with the cluster, then added the rest around it. I can see the screws with a mirror but need to be double jointed to get a scrwewdriver close, especially the top ones. Do you think removing the headlight is the best option?

Click to expand...

I've realised that it is the daytime running lights (DRL) you are talking about (the roughly rectangular lights in the front bumper, above the foglight and below the headlight...

You might find you need to remove the complete wheel arch liner to get to those. This is not as hard as it might sound, and involves less dismantling than taking the headlight out would.

Jack up one front corner and remove the road wheel. There are then a small number of screws (2 on the front edge of the wheel arch and one 'under' the bumper at the point where the bumper and arch liner meet. There's also a plastic 'nut' near where the brake pipe comes through the liner, above and rearwards of the driveshaft) There may be another screw inside the arch towards the drivers door. With all these removed, you can 'flex' the leading and trailing edges of the liner and it will drop down clear of the suspension and can be 'eased' around the brake disc. (In fact, you might get by only undoing the front part as its all very flexible and will bend back out of the way. Remove the hatch covers you've already found first as then the liner will bend more easily) This should then give clear(er) access to the back of the DRL unit.

By the way, the DRL lights for the 4x4 are different to the ‘regular’ Pandas. Visually the difference is a black edging to the front of the light - and, I assume, a slightly different shape to fit the 4x4 bumper

I agree, removing the headlight would probably involve more 'doublejointedness' and mirrors, especially as some of the bottom fittings appear to me 'star' screws. I'll have a go at removing the liner as you suggested. I was confused by the images shown on the parts sites as there seemed to be a raised part on the top of the lamp housing which is not visible when it's in situ. I think i've got the right part! I'll let you know how i get on. Thanks again.

1teabag said:

I agree, removing the headlight would probably involve more 'doublejointedness' and mirrors, especially as some of the bottom fittings appear to me 'star' screws. I'll have a go at removing the liner as you suggested. I was confused by the images shown on the parts sites as there seemed to be a raised part on the top of the lamp housing which is not visible when it's in situ. I think i've got the right part! I'll let you know how i get on. Thanks again.

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I mis-described the liner screws: two inside the inner front edge, one under the front. One plastic nut either side of the area above the wheel, and I think one more screw nearer the rear of the arch (towards the car door).

I think the part number for the 4x4 versions, is 51880632

Herts Hillhopper said:

Only two types of Panda headlight:
- one used by all models inc the 4x4, but not the Cross
- And the ones used by the Cross that have the black plastic section going part over the lens area too.
The latter are hard to find...

Click to expand...

Having a really good look ay my cross, I am pretty sure if the plastic surround is in tact it could be unscrewed and re-used. I would take the cross light and compare it with a standard headlight. I am further pretty sure I could reattach the trim to another light with a bit of fiddling some plastic angle brackets made of scrap glue and self tappers. The cross light has attached nodules in the plastic fixing ring around the lens that allow the trim to be fixed by screws. I would also give double sided automotive tape (number plate stuff) a place in the bodge kit. I can't see much else that is different but you need to take the broken light out and compare side by side to be sure. I have some incredible glue for black plastic that provides an instant and lasting strong bond on the slimmest of parts bought from ebay.

What I should add is beware the plastic parts, eeven on a brand new car they are easily broken so treat them all with delicacy.

1teabag said:

Ordered the part from Shop4parts, £47 inc VAT. Ordered Tuesday and arrived this morning. Now for the interesting bit.....I managed to get the little 'hatch' under the wheel arch off but it looks like they started building the car with the cluster, then added the rest around it. I can see the screws with a mirror but need to be double jointed to get a scrwewdriver close, especially the top ones. Do you think removing the headlight is the best option?

Click to expand...

Don't complain my last car din't have any access holes at all. I was pleasantly surprised to see the new one does. Its a sort of Italian thing however to give you an access panel but not make it big enough to get access. I think the original inventor was a fella called Tantalus!

The Panda Nut said:

Don't complain my last car din't have any access holes at all. I was pleasantly surprised to see the new one does. Its a sort of Italian thing however to give you an access panel but not make it big enough to get access. I think the original inventor was a fella called Tantalus!

Click to expand...

That's a wonderful allusion! :worship:

Followed the advice from Hill Hopper (thanks!) and removed the liner, this gave much better access to the cluster although contortion was still required to get to the top inner screw. (Note to self, use a magnetic screwdriver-once the screw drops into the abyss, you'll never find it again!). So got the cluster off and the replacement is the same...good news, but, - bad news- the the little plastic ("cubes"?) that have the screw holders and the locating lugs are both hanging off, one has lost the screw holder and the other is in need of some strong glue (methinks I'm not the first to venture in here). Anyhow, after much discomfort on a cold concrete floor and liberal use of glue and tape, it's back together and working. Thanks for all the advice, I'd have been lost (or on my way to a Fiat dealer) without it