Technical Another rusty Panda 4x4 sump guard

[banner]

Hi All,

I'm a long time Fiat owner but new Panda 4x4 owner and I've been going through some of the jobs that the car needs.

My sump guard looks like it's been under the sea! The rest of the underside of the car is ok though. I'm debating whether to try and wire brush, treat and paint it, or just get a new one. They are now nearly £300 from shop4parts though.

The main thick part is fine and should clean up. The flimsy bits on the front edges are pretty much gone. One of them has a tear in it. My question is, what do these front bits do and can I just remove them? They don't seem to add much. If they are just cosmetic then I'll cut them off and clean up the edges.

What do you guys think?

 

[varesecrazy]

Hi All,

I'm a long time Fiat owner but new Panda 4x4 owner and I've been going through some of the jobs that the car needs.

My sump guard looks like it's been under the sea! The rest of the underside of the car is ok though. I'm debating whether to try and wire brush, treat and paint it, or just get a new one. They are now nearly £300 from shop4parts though.

The main thick part is fine and should clean up. The flimsy bits on the front edges are pretty much gone. One of them has a tear in it. My question is, what do these front bits do and can I just remove them? They don't seem to add much. If they are just cosmetic then I'll cut them off and clean up the edges.

What do you guys think?

View attachment 427419

View attachment 427420

Looks like thats the Actual mounting points..


My decision would be based on use :

If I plan to 'off Road' maybe get a brand new one, and go to town on the Surface treatment

Just for standard road use.. just clean up and paint it

 

[porta]

The metal is so thin in places that it’s not worth treating…on the 169 panda cross, I used the frame, cut the plate out, cleaned the frame up and treated that, and made a new plate out of aluminium

 

[banner]

Thanks for the responses. The flimsy bits do have a couple of the front mounting points in them but think I should be ok with the two main ones that are in the heavier gauge steel.

It is only for road use so might have a go at cleaning it up and see what it's like. I can always bite the bullet and get a new one if I don't like it or I'm unsure once it's done.

 

[porta]

There is another company, in UK, doing replacements

Steel sump guard for Fiat Panda 4x4

The sump guard is new and fits perfectly for all versions of Fiat Panda 4x4 manufactured between 2011 and 2024.

www.sump-guard.co.uk

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Those guys aren't UK based I don't think, despite the.co.uk designation?

 

[porta]

Those guys aren't UK based I don't think, despite the.co.uk designation?

Poland or Latvia is where a lot of panda stuff is made and remade

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Poland or Latvia is where a lot of panda stuff is made and remade

If it's shipped from the UK then all good, but they indicate Duty will need to be paid?

 

[porta]

If it's shipped from the UK then all good, but they indicate Duty will need to be paid?

I haven’t looked in a while, it was wehn daughters 169 cross decided to disintegrate that I searched and just kept the link for future reference

 

[Panda IIs]

Hi All,

I'm a long time Fiat owner but new Panda 4x4 owner and I've been going through some of the jobs that the car needs.

My sump guard looks like it's been under the sea! The rest of the underside of the car is ok though. I'm debating whether to try and wire brush, treat and paint it, or just get a new one. They are now nearly £300 from shop4parts though.

The main thick part is fine and should clean up. The flimsy bits on the front edges are pretty much gone. One of them has a tear in it. My question is, what do these front bits do and can I just remove them? They don't seem to add much. If they are just cosmetic then I'll cut them off and clean up the edges.

What do you guys think?

View attachment 427419

View attachment 427420

Ouch that's quite a price increase - maybe give them a call?

This was from February (Shop4Parts)

The thin flimsy, pressed, square plates at the front edge do take a 10mm bolt but the weight of the plate is taken by hooks on the front edge which engage where those notches are.

The other mounting bolts go through the (6mm?) thicker section sub-frame - but then you'll know this you took it off?!

 

[IanWalrus]

I haven’t looked in a while, it was wehn daughters 169 cross decided to disintegrate that I searched and just kept the link for future reference

I looked at those when I got mine a couple of months ago - duty & tax made it the same price as the shop4parts one, plus the design is different; it lowers the ground clearance a bit (20mm?), so I went with same as before.

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

There is another company, in UK, doing replacements

Steel sump guard for Fiat Panda 4x4

The sump guard is new and fits perfectly for all versions of Fiat Panda 4x4 manufactured between 2011 and 2024.

www.sump-guard.co.uk

Looked at those before. Looks good, but I suspect it would eat rather further into the already not-so-great ground clearance on the current 4x4 (compared to the previous models which had more)

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

My question is, what do these front bits do and can I just remove them? They don't seem to add much. If they are just cosmetic then I'll cut them off and clean up the edges.

I have a hunch they don't do too much. It's almost as if the changed the design of the car/bumper after the design of the tray was fixed! As well as the other two bolts on the 'main' part (which go through both the plate and the much stronger frame on the inside) its also held in place by the metal tabs that it slides into by the bumper, so I'd say there's enough holding it in place without the added 'wings'

 

[WitleyPanda]

Hi All,

I'm a long time Fiat owner but new Panda 4x4 owner and I've been going through some of the jobs that the car needs.

My sump guard looks like it's been under the sea! The rest of the underside of the car is ok though. I'm debating whether to try and wire brush, treat and paint it, or just get a new one. They are now nearly £300 from shop4parts though.

The main thick part is fine and should clean up. The flimsy bits on the front edges are pretty much gone. One of them has a tear in it. My question is, what do these front bits do and can I just remove them? They don't seem to add much. If they are just cosmetic then I'll cut them off and clean up the edges.

What do you guys think?

View attachment 427419

View attachment 427420

Think i would get the welder out, after fabricating some panel patches from slightly thicker zintec sheet. ( I do however have access to a Gabro and a Fly press.)