Our 56 reg 140,000 mile Panda Eleganza (a 3rd car used mostly by hard up son) has failed the MOT, it needs about £400 of welding to pass. The car has been well looked after and is running well, BUT is it worth spending £400 on it which could be money down the drain if it needs a big repair in the near future. Alternatively we could have the welding done, keep it a couple of months then sell or p/x with 10 months MOT in which case we would get at least the £400 back and give a bit more time to find a replacement.

Impossible for anyone to decide for us but views welcome

The scrap yards/breakers will give about £30 if you drive it in.

It will sell for at least £400 with the welding done so really you can't lose.

What actually needs welding?

Actually I think you might get £600-£800 with a year's MOT, providing it's not a complete shed and all the important stuff works. So paying £400 for an MOT and then selling it immediately should leave you in pocket.

However, if you have it repaired, keep it, and something major fails next week, the scrapyard is still only going to give you £30 for it, so in that case, you'd be down £400.

You are probably the best person to judge how likely that is, but 140,000 miles is not necessarily a reason why it should; I've run vehicles for much longer than that without major issues.

It's also highly unlikely you could buy anything better for its current scrap value + £400.

Bottom line depends on your circumstances, but personally I'd say the breakeven is probably three months; if it keeps working for that long, you've had £400 worth of value from it.

Any working car is probably worth at least £50 for each month of MOT left, so you could even keep it for a few months, sort out something better, sell it and get your £400 back.

What actually needs welding?

Mostly suspension mounts/ seat belt anchorage

If your rust problem is the rear axle, it's easier to fit a Fiat 500 axle along with springs and dampers. If it's not then ignore the rest

I did my wife's car for £150 plus the time of course. But for that I got the complete axle with brakes, handbrake cables, shocks and springs. It's a straight swap and the car rides so much more smoothly. You must use the 500 springs and you need your old string rubbers plus the 500 rubbers Put one on each end of the spring. The Anti Roll Bar (ARB) makes the Panda springs MUCH too hard.

By the way, the Panda can carry a full axle (complete with brakes) with the back seats folded down. Amazing really.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GENUINE-...142807?hash=item4d9e2ba757:g:yKgAAOSwVR9dqXJg

DaveMcT

Why specifically a 500 rear axle? is there some improvement over the original?

oh dear, when the car was stripped down in preparation for doing the work the rust was more extensive than thought and wasn;t economically viable.

Now for sale for parts

Frank B said:

oh dear, when the car was stripped down in preparation for doing the work the rust was more extensive than thought and wasn;t economically viable.

Now for sale for parts

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Sad to hear..

Do you live in a harsh climate?

Our 2004 was excellent bodywise..
Never parked in a garage.

do you live in a harsh climate?

We are about the 4th owners. the car was registered in Scotland but we live in sunny Warrington. The external body work looks un marked. Its been a good servant, paid about £2000 for it with 70K miles and now its done 140k so it owes us nothing

benj111 said:

@DaveMcT

Why specifically a 500 rear axle? is there some improvement over the original?

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The 500 axle has an anti roll bar and works with softer springs than the 169 Panda (later Pandas have the 500 axle). It rides better does not roll around as it would without the ARB and the softer springing stops the back end skipping about.

There is a snag: The axle is demensionally identical to the 169, except the wheel hub brackets are 50mm wider overall than the 169 axle. It's fine with lower spec models and ordinary wheels. It's too wide to use with wide wheels like the 100HP.

Car driven to Fiat breaker on the last day of its old MOT, gave us £150 for it which seemed a good price. Now got to decide what to do about a replacement.

For what they cost you will struggle to do better than a 169 Panda. Just check the obvious stuff for wear/corrosion and price accordingly..

PS. Exactly what was it that rusted out? So I can check ours for similar problems.

If you shop around, you can drive a brand new base model 1.2 off the forecourt for under £7500, so don't overpay for a used one.

My own opinion is that the Euro4 1.2's are the best of the lot; look for a 2009-2010 model dynamic eco. You'll also benefit from £30 road tax (except for the eleganza; the Euro4 1.2 couldn't make the emissions cutoff with alloy wheels fitted).

The 1.1 is underpowered, less economical and probably best avoided; this engine never made it into Euro5 form and the last ones left the dealerships in 2010/2011.

Some have reported performance issues with the later Euro5/6 1.2's, so have a good test drive before you buy if going for one of these. The telltale giveaway is the VVT actuator in the cam cover.

We are getting a Berlingo van. Was very tempted by a Doblo van but was put off by the reports of timing chain issues, shame because the Doblo would have fitted the bill

What year Berlingo?
Prior to the latest iteration, one big (hidden) weakness of the Berlingos was the rear axle. The wheel bearings either side are known for the ingress of water. When this happens, the grease is contaminated and the bearing runs dry. Then it siezes, almost unnoticed, and subsequently starts turning in its housing. This wears, and often the first indication is a squeaking noise and the rear wheels splaying out more and more. Still drives, but each mile is costing you!
Check the observable camber of the rear wheels before buying.
A few clued up owners have drilled and tapped their axle and fitted grease nipples.

Sweetsixteen said:

A few clued up owners have drilled and tapped their axle and fitted grease nipples.

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This really is not the sort of issue we should be seeing from what is really basic engineering. A word of warning about grease nipples and rolling element bearings. They might be OK if there are two seals and the grease is there to keep the inner seal dry. They are not OK on the bearing itself, because the grease need space to move about. 1/2 filled with grease is good. Too much grease causes it to churn and overheat. This blows out the seals and the bearing fails soon after.

Fortunately wheel bearings especially at the back are generally cheap and easy to replace. It sounds like they should be treated as service items on the Berlingo.

2014 Berlingo van