Hi all,
Hope everyone is well!

I bought a panda as my first car, the main reason I decided to go the Fiat panda route is that it is cheap to insure for a new driver and low road tax. I bought it at the start of this month and I love it!

Since I own the bog standard version I want to “mod it”. I replaced the radio with a Bluetooth unit I bought from eBay for just £10.

Has anyone added remote locking to their panda?
Would tinting the rear windows look good?

Hope to hear back from someone in this forum!

Hello and welcome to the forum.

Good to have you along.

2010ActiveEc0 said:

the main reason I decided to go the Fiat panda route is that it is cheap to insure for a new driver and low road tax.

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a 2010 1.1 Active must be one of the cheapest cars to insure for a new driver.

2010ActiveEc0 said:

Since I own the bog standard version I want to “mod it”

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Be careful - most insurance policies require all modifications to be declared and for a new driver, this could significanly increase the cost.

2010ActiveEc0 said:

Has anyone added remote locking to their panda?

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Whilst theoretically possible, this is much harder than you might think. You likely won't have the wiring you need, and the Active won't have a control solenoid in the driver's door. I'd suggest you forget this one.

2010ActiveEc0 said:

Would tinting the rear windows look good?

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That's just down to personal opinion. For me, one of the advantages of the base model Panda is its anonymity (you can safely park it pretty much anywhere) and I wouldn't want to do anything to compromise that. I'd suggest you check first how much extra your insurance company will charge you if you do.

It could attract the wrong kind of attention; some say it's more likely to get a younger driver stopped for a police check.

Central locking can be added but you would need a "universal" kit which (usually) means it wont fit anything in the universe unless you make up brackets, splice wires, etc. When done, you'll have a separate fob to operate the locks.
After all that would it be really any benefit?

Your best bet is to get under the back axle, clean off rust and soak the metal with chain saw bar oil mixed with white spirit. That stops the corrosion process. At the other end soak the open ends of every bolt hole you can find with ACF-50. It's a deeply penetrating aerospace anti corrosion fluid. The issue is that aluminium threads corrode against the bottom ends of the bolts. It's all fine until work has to be done then you get damaged threads or worse.

Hi, and welcome Good choice on your first car - great fun to drive (plus they don't rust around you or leave you stranded like some of my early cars did)

I also like the look of tinted rear windows, this forum member did it themselves with good results I think.

I would agree with jrk, be very careful with the mods - you're unlikely to achieve much other than increase your insurance costs (or invalidate your policy), and mess up the ride/handling if you play about with suspension & wheels.

There are some subtle mods that I think are worth considering:

• Rear spoiler looks great I think and slightly improves fuel economy so pays for itself I got mine here, but not sure if they ship to the UK any more (again you should notify your insurer, but it's only stuck on...).
• Painted steel wheels (or correct size alloys if you prefer). Black or dark silver would look good.
• Rear mudguards help to disguise the skinny tyres. I made mine out of A4 sheets of acrylic.
• Stainless/chrome exhaust tip (or new back box if you need it - they rust through, I painted mine black).
• Retrimmed steering wheel in leather or alcantara.

There are some great looking cars in amongst Members Motors if you're after ideas.

I’m probably going to try find the original alloys you get in higher spec pandas, I think they will transform the car and not make it look “too basic”

2010ActiveEc0 said:

Has anyone added remote locking to their panda?


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If the remote key is missing.

You can buy a preprogrammed key from fiat (not cheap) and add it via software fairly easily

If the car has never had a remote. Like a 1.1 active. Forget it. A right pain and very costly.

Someone did fit a third party kit by add a solenoid to the drivers door and transferring the control via a third party receiver wired in by an auto electrician, completely bypassing the body computer.

the full details aren't on this forum as they didn't do the job themselves.

plus there is an issue with insurance.

Welcome. Ours is a 2010 Dynamic Eco 1.2 but doesn't have those rubber bump strips on the doors which, as my Mrs uses the car for shopping a lot, would be very useful. We also have the opening glass sunroof which I'd rather we didn't as If it breaks down, or some idiot smashes it, will cost a small fortune to put right. Other than that we both love the wee car and I find it pretty easy to work on and maintain.

Two of my three children both had Pandas as their first cars, my oldest boy had an Allegro, but I was working for a BL agent at the time. The Pandas were the cheapest "real cars" we could find at the time to insure and have all proved reliable (we've run Pandas as second cars for around 40 years now)

As regards modifications. So much has been said above I can't think of much to add except that, and I know you will want to make your first car truely yours, - the first mod I did to my 1964 850 Mini was to put a wee flag pole on the bonnet so I could fly a skull and crossbones flag! - I'm sure the insurance people would be absolutely horrified at that these days! However it might be a better idea to save the money, build up your no claims and then, when you can afford something with more "cred", splash out a bit?

Regarding the rear window tints? My younger boy has a sign writing business and mostly what he does is "wrap" vans and private hire cars. He also gets involved in doing window tints and other stuff like carbon fibre effects etc, He would agree with the above comment about it sometimes making you more prone to being "pulled" by the lads in blue. However what will get you "pulled" for sure is lights not working, especially rear side or brake lights, and once you're stopped it gives them the chance to go over everything else and breathalyse or drug test you too! When my kids were starter drivers I got them to check lights every time they were going out in the evening and, unlike some of their friends, they very seldom got stopped. Oh, and DO NOT be tempted to apply lens tint/blackener to your rear lenses will you! My younger boy did that on his Escort and got in a whole lot of bother for it. Whatever you decide I'm sure we'll all be here to help and offer advice - enjoy your new car.

I’ve noticed my panda’s clutch is heavier than other cars.
I also don’t have a rpm gauge so finding the bite point is difficult for me.
Does anyone have any tips for this? ( sorry if this sounds like a stupid question)

Hi and welcome.
If you have any issues with insurance for modifications then please feel free to drop me a line.
Regards,
Dan.

Pugglt Auld Jock said:

Ours is a 2010 Dynamic Eco 1.2 but doesn't have those rubber bump strips on the doors which, as my Mrs uses the car for shopping a lot, would be very useful.

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They were an option on the 2010 Dynamic Eco (and not particularly expensive); I considered them at the time, but decided against it as plain black plastic strips on the doors make the car more awkward to clean and (more particularly) polish; also they don't age particularly gracefully and might not look so good when 10 yrs old. Had they been painted in the body colour, I'd probably have gone for it.

jrkitching said:

They were an option on the 2010 Dynamic Eco (and not particularly expensive); I considered them at the time, but decided against it as plain black plastic strips on the doors make the car more awkward to clean and (more particularly) polish; also they don't age particularly gracefully and might not look so good when 10 yrs old. Had they been painted in the body colour, I'd probably have gone for it.

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Thanks for that jrk, I don't feel I've missed the opportunity so badly now! Actually we've owned her - Becky - for about 4 (or is it 5) years now and no new marks have appeared on her bodywork. I think this may be because she's actually quite a narrow car - when compared, for instance, to my Ibiza. You really notice it when walking back towards her when she's parked in a supermarket car park, makes it much easier to get the door open enough for easy access compared to the Ibiza - as long as someone doesn't do "silly" parking next to you!

PS Talking about polish, I'm going to give both car's bodywork a real going over now the good weather is here. My last tin of polish has dried up and needs to be thrown away (I've probably had it for 10 years or more) I'm sure things have moved on in that time and wonder what you would recommend I buy?

Pugglt Auld Jock said:

Talking about polish, I'm going to give both car's bodywork a real going over now the good weather is here. My last tin of polish has dried up and needs to be thrown away (I've probably had it for 10 years or more) I'm sure things have moved on in that time and wonder what you would recommend I buy?

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I use a two part process; a sealant (Autoglym Super Resin Polish) followed by a wax (Collinite 915).

For best results, clay the car first. You'd be surprised how much this removes from an otherwise clean car.

Goes without saying you need to wash it first; if you're also going to clay the car, at least there's no need to dry it.

jrkitching said:

I use a two part process; a sealant (Autoglym Super Resin Polish) followed by a wax (Collinite 915).

For best results, clay the car first. You'd be surprised how much this removes from an otherwise clean car.

Goes without saying you need to wash it first; if you're also going to clay the car, at least there's no need to dry it.

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Aaah, Claying! I've read a little about it but really know nothing. It sounds drastic. The word claying alone fills me with apprehension? As you will have gathered I find the mechanical aspects of cars very interesting but look on cleaning as a necessary "evil" and don't get any pleasure from doing it (although I like how it looks when done inside and out)

When I bought Twink - our Ibiza - back in 2016, because she was a new car (ie, not used) I bought a twin bucket washing system (with grit separators in the bottom of the buckets). I use a car shampoo and have a washing mitt and microfibre drying towels but that's all I do. The cars look very nice after washing but I know I should really give them a layer of polish. Neither car shows much sign of "beading" after it's been raining.

2010ActiveEc0 said:

I’ve noticed my panda’s clutch is heavier than other cars.
I also don’t have a rpm gauge so finding the bite point is difficult for me.
Does anyone have any tips for this? ( sorry if this sounds like a stupid question)

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Does it sometimes squeak, or feel like its sometimes starting to stick down a little?

Ours was 'fine', but if we thought about it could perhaps detect some sticking and squeaking. I changed the clutch slave cylinder (simple job - remove battery and tray, then it's a couple bolts to remove. Videos on youtube. The part is also quite cheap, wait for a Eurocar parts sale days ) and it's amazing how much nicer it is.

That said, as this is your first car, it's as likely just to be technique and practice, you'll get there soon enough

mjc506 said:

Ours was 'fine', but if we thought about it could perhaps detect some sticking and squeaking. I changed the clutch slave cylinder (simple job - remove battery and tray, then it's a couple bolts to remove. Videos on youtube. The part is also quite cheap, wait for a Eurocar parts sale days ) and it's amazing how much nicer it is.

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Similar experience here - ours sometimes squeaked loudly as the pedal was pushed down. Much "nicer" with a new slave. There have been quite a few posts about problems with the slave cylinders on our cars.

Pugglt Auld Jock said:

Aaah, Claying! I've read a little about it but really know nothing. It sounds drastic.

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It's really quite straightforward; not drastic at all

Generally I cut the clay bar into four pieces. You fold it up in your hand like a piece of hard plasticene and gently rub it over the paintwork. A lubricant is essential to stop it sticking. BiltHamber clay uses water as a lubricant; having a spray bottle in one hand and the clay in the other works just fine. From time to time, refold the clay to expose a fresh surface.

The only risk is if you get any grit in the clay, it'll scratch the paint. If you ever drop a clay on the ground, put it straight in the bin.

The difference in the feel of the paint atfer you've clayed it is remarkable.

2010ActiveEc0 said:

I’ve noticed my panda’s clutch is heavier than other cars.

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The clutch pedal is usually really light on a Panda. I've read some suggestions that it gets heavier as it wears, so the clutch could be nearing the end of its life?

Any history with the car showing a new clutch?


Also, clean and check around these areas for any signs of a leak, and keep a very close eye on all fluid levels for the first few months until you're happy it's not losing anything.

rmjbn1 said:

The clutch pedal is usually really light on a Panda. I've read some suggestions that it gets heavier as it wears, so the clutch could be nearing the end of its life?

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Yes. We noticed that effect with both our own Panda and my older boy's 1.4 8 valve Punto. (so very similar clutch). The Panda in particular got very heavy. After replacing the slave cylinder it improved very slightly but with a complete 3 piece clutch (Valeo) fitted it was at least twice as easy to work.

2010ActiveEc0 said:

I also don’t have a rpm gauge so finding the bite point is difficult for me.

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As a learner I was encouraged to develop my clutch control - I don't have a left hand so using the handbrake is a bit awkward (and means I don't have a hand on the wheel) - I still hardly ever bother using it.

What helped me was in situations like uphill junctions or traffic queues, to practice holding the car stationary in first using as little throttle as possible.

Don't do it for long periods, though, as slipping the clutch like this will cause it to wear prematurely. And be ready to stop the car rolling backwards with foot brake or handbrake.

My first car also didn't have a rev counter, but then it was a 2CV so it was easy to hear how many revs I was using

There's also the trick of holding the car on the handbrake and slowly releasing the clutch until you feel the back of the car sit down a little - then the car's ready to move off.

the UK hydraulic clutch is normally light

it does normally gets heavier as it wears

however the brand of clutch fitted also affect how it feels / drives

Some 3rd party ones are definitely far more off or on than the original very progressive, or feel more heavy.

The last one I fitted did take some adjustment time to get use to it.

heavy is very subjective. Might need someone use to the Panda to try it. Its about the same as an A-Class, Splash, Alto but some cars are much lighter