It needs a new front shock absorber and spring, a back shock and spring, and engine emission test failed.

I'm sorry to hear that, Theleman, I know you've put a lot of work into her recently. Hadn't you recently changed Lambda & O2 sensors? New plugs & air filter? Has MAP sensor been cleaned?

Unfortunately as shock absorbers and springs need doing in pairs, it means a full set front and rear, which won't be cheap. Are the shocks leaking from rust?

For the rear suspension, I'd be very tempted to get a recent 500 axle from a breakers complete with shocks & springs, and follow DaveMcT's advice for installing with the extra rubber mounts

This year, my wife's 1.2 only just passed MOT on Lambda values. I sorted out an exhaust air leak and got it just within the limits. Who knows how I improve it further.

I was getting quotes for the work for passing MOT, and it is not cheap at all.

Yes, the old lamda sensors are still there, and the EML was on too.

But it was cleared by the garage using the scanner, and it didn't come back on, it was OK. It might still come back on in few days. I will be replacing them with new ones.

But the shocks, yes they are expensive to replace. If I had weeks of time, I would do it myself, but then the car will be off road, and we do need the car daily. And I must do other things to make life going, so couldn't work on the car for few days by myself. It had to be done by garage for quick passing MOT.

But would it not be possible just replacing the bad shocks both front and back? Do they have to be always in pairs done?

If it passes the MOT and can be done in half price of work and parts by replacing just one at the front and one at the back, we might just go for that.

What have you been quoted for?

And what labour are they charging?

How many hoirs..at what rate

Labour regularly falls in the
£40 to £100 per hour bracket

So can almost double simple jobs.


The suspension parts all degrade with age.. so keeping each corner 'matched' is a mojor benefit

I think that I have blown my front left shock absorber so I will be going through the same routine very shortly myself.

I would like to take on the task as I don't trust anyone else to do it properly however I don't really think I have the skill set to do so.

So very interesting to see how you get on with your quotes and what your decision-making process is.

If I get the time tomorrow I may well ring round for quotes and put up a couple of comparisons for you

I will be phoning around tomorrow for the quotes.

Just local street garage or chains like KwikFit? The Panda is an old car now, and I am not willing to to spend too much for MOT. Just enough to pass, that is the aim.

For the shocks and springs for one corner in front and back each and the labor cost to fit it, how much would be going rate?

What if it is for both shocks and springs for front and back?

Rear shocks and springs are dead easy to change, did mine in a lunch break at work.

If you're on a budget, you can get a pair of rear shocks for around £35, and I bought some almost new Fiat 500 springs for £15.

Can buy brand new pair of front shocks for £70.

To give you an idea, I'm considering lowering mine, and a local garage want £140 labour to swap front and rear shocks and springs. I could DIY rear shocks and springs in less than an hour and save myself £40, but I'd rather garage did front shocks as I don't like compressing springs.

Yup, compressing the springs could be dangerous, it looks.
Although I got the spring compressor kit, because they were a tenner delivered from eBay.

Is that eBay price for the shocks? Are springs included in that? Or springs must be bought separate?

Both front and back replacement of the shocks and springs for £140 for the labor only? That sounds good deal?

Yes, that's eBay, and just for shocks.

A good set of second hand springs will be cheap.

£140 is for 3 hours labour....although I changed the rear shocks and springs in 30 minutes, and should easily be able to fit front shocks in a couple of hours in a garage.

Sell the car!
You clearly cant afford to fix it
yoŪ need good quality parts and to fit new parts like shocks and springs just to one corner is asking for trouble as the car will handle like a bag of s**t
get a quote.....save up the cash and get it done properly
luigi

Luigi

I think that is clearly a bad advice. And simplest way of viewing the issue.

My Panda's one of the great strength is the economy in running and maintaining the car. The road tax is £30 per year. It has been running very well for 10 years, never let us down.

We are only doing 10 miles per day with the car. Maybe some weekends we would go for 100 miles drive on weekends. We don't need a fancy expensive big car to do that.

If we were doing a lot of mileage and use it more often, and car is our main interests, we could go tomorrow and buy one. But that would be idiotic way to throw money away.

Because of all these points, I am trying to get it MOTed in most economic way, not looking for fancy parts or bullet proof servicing by famous name garages.

And I bought some car tools this year to do the work by myself, because it is all part of good fun.

If Panda was not economic car to run and maintain, I wouldn't have it then. But because it is, I will be running it until it dies beyond economic repair and have to be scrapped.

Personally, I wouldn't do one corner at a time, and you might struggle to find a garage that would.

However, if I was in your position, I would do the rear myself, then if you can find somewhere to replace one front coilover at a decent price, go with it.

I agree with Cinq999 that the rear is certainly DIY, and cheap if you can get used springs & shocks from eBay or a breakers. Get the rear up in the air, undo the lower shock bolts and the axle will swing down releasing the springs. Ideally replace both springs, and the offending shock absorber (again, preferably both). It will also give you the opportunity to clean the spring pans and protect from rust, prolonging the life of your Panda. As DaveMcT posted, 500 springs can also be used with extra rubber cushions at the bottom of the spring.

The fronts are more tricky. Have a look at Jock's recent thread on Becky's front struts and see if you think you can manage it. I've done a few coilover springs, and as long as you're very careful and tighten each side only a few flats at a time, spring compressors shouldn't be dangerous to use. However, you should only tackle jobs that you're comfortable with and I wouldn't urge you to do otherwise.

Luigi has a point that getting all this done at a garage could end up close to your car's value, but I agree with you, if a car can reasonably be kept going then it should. It's reasonable to expect to change shocks and springs within a car's lifetime.

Thanks rmjbn

We just got the work done by a local garage for the shocks and springs, and the MOT has passed. Got 13 months of MOT.

The garage said, there is no point of replacing the shock and spring which is sound and solid. It would be double the money for the parts and labor. He said he would gladly do both shocks and springs if we wanted and willing to pay for it, but that would be dishonesty on his part - to say that it needs both shocks and spring when it does not.

So, they just replaced the worn out shock and springs, just one corner at front and one corner at rear. The Panda has got MOT for another year.

When I collected the car, and drove, it is solid. Before it was a bit jumpy when going over the bumps on the road, making squeaky noise at times. Thats all gone. It is solid drive now.

But I can see the point for replacing both corner too. But the garage owner is our acquaintance, and wouldn't give bad advice to us. So we decided to go with his advice.

Anyhow, getting another year of MOT for the least price was main thing , and we got it

I see the point, yes, if the Panda was kinda newish or upmarket car, then we would spend more and try to get the best for the maintenance, but it is on last legs of its time, and doing about 10 miles per day in the town for daily commute and shopping chores, it would be mad to spend more money for MOT if not needed, I thought.

We almost bought a brand new Hyundai 4x4 last month, but then thought, it will just be sitting on driveway most time doing 10 miles per day. What for?
Just run with the Panda until it dies, and do other things with the money. The Panda has done only 65k miles, so it will do another 65k if not neglected in basic maintenance like oils and filters and coolants.

I will just keep it for a runabout car, and when we decide to get a new one eventually, it will be just a project car for me to play with.

Thanks for your info & advice

These wont be the best thing ever but they will be 100% better than knackered old kit

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fiat-Pan...:Panda&hash=item51ea1d9b01:g:CmEAAOSwwhxbXva3

That's great news, Theleman, glad you found a friendly garage to do what you needed and keep the old girl on the road

Might have been portland_bill(?) posted somewhere that it's the rear axle that's likely to cause the demise of a number of otherwise healthy Pandas.

The engine and gearbox seem tough and good for 250k+ miles with regular servicing. The main structural members and bodywork seem well protected from rust.

Everything else can be replaced for not much money. Once rusty suspension parts have been fixed, hopefully your Panda should give you plenty of miles yet

Thank you rmjbn

Yes, the garage owner was our neighbor, and his wife and my wife knows well too.

He obviously wouldn't be doing works for free or or cheaper rate for us, but he gives us fair and good advice in car maintenance work. And he will never over charge or do works which are not needed for sure.

As they say, it is good to have a good plumber, good lawyer and good garage

With no intention to diss your friend and neighbour do check the parts costs.

I had my clutch done by a well respected local garage. The parts were charged at £100 plus VAT when I can get a full kit by Valeo or Borg & Beck for under £50. When the 1.2 needs doing it will be a DIY fitting.

Yeah, I got full break down of the parts and labor cost in printed invoice, so will go over them.

Took the Panda out for a wee spin, and it drives like a train. Suspension is rock solid. A definite improvement

rmjbn1 said:

Luigi has a point that getting all this done at a garage could end up close to your car's value, but I agree with you, if a car can reasonably be kept going then it should. It's reasonable to expect to change shocks and springs within a car's lifetime.

Click to expand...

But his advice to sell the car, and save up the cash and do it properly? sounded total gibberish coming from a mindless person.

Why sell the car, which has good engine and body work? Just because it needs new shocks and springs?

OK, sell it, and do what? - buy another banger? or buy a brand new car for inflated price? It just didn't make sens, and didn't have clue.

My whole point of coming into the forum was to maintain and run the Panda as cheap as possible doing some easy and simple works by myself by learning and finding out the ways. If not possible task by me, then get it done by the garages.

I wouldn't have come and read the tech posts and problem and solving posts by other people, if I were to just go and sell the car, when it needs a couple of shocks and springs.

Some people seem to think that spending more money is the only way to get things done properly, but I feel that is just plain simple minded way of seeing things.

Saving money on the jobs and parts is not just because one cannot afford it, but it feels good to save money and do it in cheaper way if it works.

Here is another new video of Scotty Kilmer on youtube, I quite agree with him. Sorry for my rant