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Panda (Classic) Betty: the early 1000CL

Overview Gallery Discussion

Introduction

See this thread for the full story of how Betty ended up in my possession.... :cool:

Anyway, thanks to blinkelephant -- who was her previous owner -- and VmanC -- who has kindly agreed to adopt her on a temporary basis, and sort out her foibles... -- she will soon be on her way to a good home...! :rolleyes:

Here she is, earlier today, leaving for Vernon's workshop... :)



I can't wait to meet her...! (y)
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Reactions: Palio, VmanC, varesecrazy and 2 others
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Well, modern, yes, you can plug it with a USB cable if there's anything wrong!! :D But except for this it is still a Panda, rusts a lot, looses oil, etc... but that's why I love her I guess :D
I absolutely cannot complain about the reliability as I drover her to Germany (studied near Hannover for 2 semesters) and used her to commute between Newbury, Berks, and my hometown in France (Picardy). ;)

Where are you all guys from? I NEVER EVER saw even just one Panda in Britain!!! :(
 
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Well @CLS is right near me, i still am yet to see him out in the Fizz beast. Combination of dwindling numbers and the low chances of being out and about in the same place as another means its rare to see one..

Cinq's are getting the same, plenty out there still really but i hardly ever see any of them anymore, its even getting rare to see a mk1 punto as well and they are like 'new cars' in my head lol.
 
firsty said:
Well, modern, yes, you can plug it with a USB cable if there's anything wrong!! :D But except for this it is still a Panda, rusts a lot, looses oil, etc... but that's why I love her I guess :D
I absolutely cannot complain about the reliability as I drover her to Germany (studied near Hannover for 2 semesters) and used her to commute between Newbury, Berks, and my hometown in France (Picardy). ;)

Where are you all guys from? I NEVER EVER saw even just one Panda in Britain!!! :(
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Two pandas in Newbury owned by me!!!
 
purple haze said:
One Bianca model and one Sergio Tacchini....also had a mk1 VIP model here as well up to a few months ago.
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Ah, but like Betty (he said, trying bravely to bring it back on-topic...), rarely driven in anger...! :p

firsty said:
P.S. : the same, sorry for the off-topic but.... :D
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Ah, but it wouldn't be a Classic Panda thread if we didn't suddenly start talking about something completely different (Monty Python-stylee...)! :nutter:
 
homeward said:
She does have a couple of minor quirks (but what woman doesn't... -- and she is not quite finished, anyway...): her principal one being that she loves going; but doesn't like being stationary... -- there's a slight problem with the idle: so I've got quite good at pulling the choke out, when there's any major manoeuvring to be done. :eek:
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VmanC said:
Yes, you need to check that the idle solenoid on the front of the carb is working. It has one wire going to it and you should hear the solenoid click in when you turn the ign. on. If its not working take it out and cut the plunger off.
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homeward said:
In the meantime, I hope to have a fiddle with the idle -- i.e. having a sniff of carb cleaner (probably both Betty and I...!) -- and either circumcising or replacing the idle solenoid thingummy...! :rolleyes:
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Well, it's not the idle solenoid. :bang:

Disconnected it; removed it (the plunger works fine, with the ignition on, and makes a lovely clicking sound -- just as it should...); blanked off the hole... -- none of it made the slightest difference. :mad:

Breather hose is leaking ever so slightly -- but Betty idled lumpily with or without the air filter holder in place -- so I'm pretty sure it's not that either. And whiffs of carb cleaner (before and after I dismantled everything and then put it back together) made no difference. If there is an air leak, I didn't find it.... :(

Sounds to me like -- and my gut tells me that it is -- a fuelling problem. :doh:

It's too cold (and my knowledge of carbs is long-forgotten -- even with a Porter and two different Haynes manuals to hand -- now with the requisite oily fingerprints...!), though, for me to start doing fiddly stuff. But I would bet several farthings that some dirt (from standing for six or seven years) has got in, somewhere.... (If not that, then something is out of adjustment....) :confused:

Anyway, I tried -- and failed miserably... -- but I will leave it up to VmanC to sort, when I swap Betty for Pippin, again, in the spring; and she goes in for her final bit of fettling. :cool:

Summary of symptoms, then:
  • She runs sweet as a sweet thing on a sweet day in a sweet wind, at anything above (what should be) tickover.
  • She accelerates smoothly.
  • She won't idle (even when warm).
  • And, even at low revs, with the choke still quite a fair bit out, the idle is lumpy.

PS: Before I forget, she needs a new what-I-think-of-as-a-loo-roll-inner between the air filter box and the manifold. Not that I'm worried too much, as she will be in storage over winter. Just a mental note to get one, at some stage...! (Pippin's -- like many Pandas -- was non-existent. Didn't seem to make a difference, even on cold mornings....) :rolleyes:
 
purple haze said:
Two pandas in Newbury owned by me!!!
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until it got DARK around 6 weeks ago , I saw a tidy RED panda going out of Didcot towards A34 at 5pm every day.. may still do it.. just too dark to spot it,
unlike the 35Watt Italian Bulbs all 80's FIATS arrived in UK with ..My DRL's are better than that,
maybe my parking lights too :rolleyes:

Charlie
 
homeward said:
Summary of symptoms, then:
  • She runs sweet as a sweet thing on a sweet day in a sweet wind, at anything above (what should be) tickover.
  • She accelerates smoothly.
  • She won't idle (even when warm).
  • And, even at low revs, with the choke still quite a fair bit out, the idle is lumpy.
Click to expand...

I would put a fiver on the condenser ( even if condenser cost is £1.5)
Had simmilar symptoms on Formula '91, lumpy tickover and engine was stalling each time when stoping at the trafic lights.
 
kolza said:
I would put a fiver on the condenser ( even if condenser cost is £1.5)
Had simmilar symptoms on Formula '91, lumpy tickover and engine was stalling each time when stoping at the trafic lights.
Click to expand...

Thank you! :worship:

Might not get round to fitting it until the spring, when Betty comes out of storage... -- but will get one in...! Will then let you know if it works.... (y)
 
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