Panda (Classic) Betty: the early 1000CL

[VmanC]

Sadly, the other side (where she was leaning against the garage wall) isn't quite as pretty.... 'Twill be sorted though....

Well the sorting has started.

A friend of mine, we'll call him Pete coz that's his name, is waiting to go back to work for McLaren and asked if I had any work for him in the mean time, as he's been a bodyshop Guy for 33 years I figured he'd be qualified to make a start on Betty before he goes off to play with carbon fibre Mercedes SLR's .

First some pics of the areas that need attention...........







The door had rust in the usual places, plus a big dent at the bottom. A new door is not available for the n/s so our only options were s/h or a re-skin. As Betty is now looking to be a keeper for Homeward I felt the best long term option was to go for a re-skin. So here's the new genuine fiat skin.......



Pete can't give me every day of the week as he's building a garage for himself at home, which is an hour away from my workshop, so he will be taking the door away to do.

In the meantime we have this..........



Didn't look too bad until we started poking it with a screwdriver.

First job was to cut back to good metal then plate across the hole.....



The piece of sculpture attached was just a handle that was cut off after tacking into place.

A strip was then welded in where the door seal attaches......



Once finished a skim of filler and paint should see it done.

Next was the rear of the sill........



Pretty messy, the white bits in the pic are a Sainsbury's carrier bag that was either a previous attempt at a repair or just happened to find it's way there somehow .

The rust hadn't spread far enough forward to affect the usual box section so it was just a case of repairing the inner skin and outer sill.......



Well on it's way now.

Today Pete will continue with this and then repair another area of rust found when he removed the back bumper............



There should be a bracket here for the bumper mounting.

It wasn't all Pete though I did help out by doing this ........





Second hand mirror now in place . The broken one was internally adjustable but I didn't have one of those so a more original externally adjustable one was fitted.

 

[homeward]

Well the sorting has started.

Thank you, guys...! :worship:

 

[Giacosa]

So this is Betty Its amazing how well she has lasted. My dads C-reg had holes in its scuttle panel by 1992 yet here is this one still looking peachy in 2013. Another feature I remember is just having lapbelts i the back, inertia reel on either side with static lap belt in the middle, does Betty concur

 

[homeward]

Another feature I remember is just having lapbelts i the back, inertia reel on either side with static lap belt in the middle, does Betty concur

Gosh! What a good memory you have!



You know, I actually hadn't noticed... -- so thank you... -- although I've only seen her in the flesh for a few minutes, at Vernon's: as Pippin was sulking (probably because of the attention Betty was getting...)!

VmanC -- I'm presuming these will still work with the replacement interior...? I can't see why not: but I may be missing something subtle....

Pippin has the more modern 'standard' seatbelts, by the way: although I haven't yet tried to get more than two people -- VmanC and Palio, as it happens...! -- in the back...!

 

[Didge3]

Pippin has the more modern 'standard' seatbelts, by the way: although I haven't yet tried to get more than two people -- VmanC and Palio, as it happens...! -- in the back...!

I wouldn't bother trying to get a third in the back. I tried, didn't work very well.

 

[Palio]

Pippin has the more modern 'standard' seatbelts, by the way: although I haven't yet tried to get more than two people -- VmanC and Palio, as it happens...! -- in the back...!

I wouldn't bother trying to get a third in the back. I tried, didn't work very well.

There was loads of room, and you'd get another 3 in easily!!

Got to remember that when I was a kid we sometimes had the luxury of a ride to school in a Renault 4, and from memory it held about 12! We definitely proved that Mini's and 127's were genuine 6 seaters when we were 18 year olds & they still went well......

Yes you'd definitely get a third in the back of a Panda - it helps if you like each other though. That's just given me an idea for some sort of Panda dating, but it's pre watershed unfortunately!!

 

[VmanC]

Gosh! What a good memory you have!



You know, I actually hadn't noticed... -- so thank you... -- although I've only seen her in the flesh for a few minutes, at Vernon's: as Pippin was sulking (probably because of the attention Betty was getting...)!

VmanC -- I'm presuming these will still work with the replacement interior...? I can't see why not: but I may be missing something subtle....

Pippin has the more modern 'standard' seatbelts, by the way: although I haven't yet tried to get more than two people -- VmanC and Palio, as it happens...! -- in the back...!

Yes you can still use them with the new interior, Oslo has these too and even with the Alfa material on the back seat ther are ok.

 

[homeward]

Yes you can still use them with the new interior, Oslo has these too and even with the Alfa material on the back seat ther are ok.

Ta muchly...!

 

[purple haze]

I wouldn't bother trying to get a third in the back. I tried, didn't work very well.

Hmmm.... Maidstone... Twinned with Houston Texas.

 

[Didge3]

There was loads of room, and you'd get another 3 in easily!!

Ok, what I should've said was, yes you can get three in the back. Easily however is too strong a word, trying to get 3 18 year olds in the back of poor Charmanda was hell, firstly I have my drivers seat in the 'sitting in the back' position so the person behind me had 1 - 2" of leg room. Thirdly, the space for three people abreast leaves very little space for, moving, therefore for out very short journey my back seat passengers were seatbelt less

Hmmm.... Maidstone... Twinned with Houston Texas.

It was not a good sight. Dread to think what is looked like from the outside, her bum must've been scraping along the floor

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Ok, what I should've said was, yes you can get three in the back. Easily however is too strong a word, trying to get 3 18 year olds in the back of poor Charmanda was hell, firstly I have my drivers seat in the 'sitting in the back' position so the person behind me had 1 - 2" of leg room. Thirdly, the space for three people abreast leaves very little space for, moving, therefore for out very short journey my back seat passengers were seatbelt less

Pfft, I remember being pulled over in my 750L 5 up. Tried saying I was overloaded. Haha. Those were the days.

 

[VmanC]

Well Betty's coming along nicely . Alan stripped and cleaned the carb recently to stop it flooding, this was all after six years of stagnation that was stopping Betty from running, so once done she fires up and runs with no problem at all. We've changed the engine oil and filter, and the spark plugs, I guess it would be wise to do the cambelt too after so long. The engine does sound sweet though! Next step will be to drive it to check this gearbox/clutch out, but at the moment Pete is too busy on the bodywork for it to be mobile.

After checking all the brakes and suspension with the mot in mind all we could find wrong were a few rubber items perished, namely the rear shock abs. bushes and the dust covers on the bottom ball joints. Ball joints have now been done though.

The passenger door has now been primed..........




I do have some Oslo grey which came with Oslo so we're giving this a try in the hope it's a good colour match, it certainly looks fine on the sill and wing repair........






The aerial hole is pretty solid so may repair without resorting to the mig but not decided for sure yet.......



Then there's still the new interior to come...........



All in all she's coming along nicely .

 

[homeward]

Well Betty's coming along nicely .

Thanks, guys... -- looking (and obviously sounding...) really good! :worship:

I'm obviously going to have to pay her a visit, soon...!

 

[Palio]

Thanks, guys... -- looking (and obviously sounding...) really good! :worship:

I'm obviously going to have to pay her a visit, soon...!

Looking good, this is one I want to have a good nose round next time I'm at Vernon's.

Speaking of which, I need to take Chiaro back down to V's by the end of the month (before the tax runs out). If you are planning a trip Stephen let me know - I was wondering whether it would help you if I offered to drive yours back this far to take a bit of the driving distance away - it might solve the how do I get back question we haven't worked out(!) and mean you can do the trip in a day? Just a thought, feel free to ignore

 

[homeward]

Speaking of which, I need to take Chiaro back down to V's by the end of the month (before the tax runs out). If you are planning a trip Stephen let me know - I was wondering whether it would help you if I offered to drive yours back this far to take a bit of the driving distance away - it might solve the how do I get back question we haven't worked out(!) and mean you can do the trip in a day? Just a thought, feel free to ignore

I've just driven 170 miles up the M40, M42 and M6, in cr*p visibility -- in the Punto... -- and I think I've left my brain at Hilton Park services.

I think I know what you mean... -- and therefore, thank you for the offer...! -- but probably won't be heading to VmanC's until after Stanford Hall: as, with the Castle Combe Classic thingummy, I think that means two meets on two consecutive weekends; and another trip, too soon, may 'do me in'...!

Let me sleep on it for a couple of hours: and see what I can come up with... -- if anything.....

 

[VmanC]

Betty's door is having an identity crisis, thinks it's a bonnet. It is painted and shiny now though, just got to get the rest of the bodywork to match.

 

[homeward]

Speaking of which, I need to take Chiaro back down to V's by the end of the month (before the tax runs out). If you are planning a trip Stephen let me know - I was wondering whether it would help you if I offered to drive yours back this far to take a bit of the driving distance away - it might solve the how do I get back question we haven't worked out(!) and mean you can do the trip in a day? Just a thought, feel free to ignore

I just had what I thought was a stroke of genius... -- but it may just have been a minor stroke... -- or my addled mind is still stuck somewhere on the rain-sodden M6....

I had wondered what the total mileage would be if (1) you took Chiaro to Castle Combe, and we started from there; then (2) dropped him off at Vernon's; (3) we drove back to yours; and (4) I went home.

Um. CoPilot, on my iPhone, is telling me 5:09 hours; 221.1 miles (as opposed to 92.4 miles direct to your house; and 65.0 miles direct to mine).

Ahhhh

 

[purple haze]

When we all went to vern's this was my favourite panda....

 

[JamieK]

Great progress! You were lucky to have got this one (and pippin!) I think. Can't wait to see it finished

 

[homeward]

Sometimes (chorus of Pandits: "What do you mean, only 'sometimes'...?!"), I can be so stupid. :doh:

It's been staring me in the face for ages, as to why Betty is such a good name for this car.... :bang:

Why? Betty (Oslo) Grey-ble, of course....

Boom-boom tish.

PS: Just need one of these, now, for the boot, USA fighter pilot-stylee....