Panda (Classic) Charmanda(er) The Panda

[homeward]

So very, very nice...! Looking forward to meeting you both in the flesh, one day...!

 

[JamieK]

Lovely looking car! You did very well getting hold of that panda
You should clean the parcel shelf though, there's a mushroom growing on it

 

[VmanC]

She looks happy in her new home.

Keep up the good work!

 

[Didge3]

She looks happy in her new home.

Keep up the good work!

Work?
What work?

 

[Didge3]

This is why I love this car, today everything just happened to be working to its best.
Firstly I managed to pick up an actual clear radio station for an entire journey!
Driving along the A2, a familiar route. Up hills, acceleration, where did that come from
Noticeably faster away from all junctions, hills that I usually weld my foot to the floor and just about hold 65, were climbed up accelerating beyond 70 :slayer:

To top it all off, E reg Fiesta drew alongside me on the motorway and gave me a thumbs up.

Maybe its the sun thats done it, whatever it is, I love it

 

[pooroldcodger]

Great work Vern! And good luck Didge. Lovely looking little car.
Just one thing, is that 6000rpm red line a touch optimistic or will she really rev anywhere near that? I know my Punto won't!

 

[Didge3]

Great work Vern! And good luck Didge. Lovely looking little car.
Just one thing, is that 6000rpm red line a touch optimistic or will she really rev anywhere near that? I know my Punto won't!

I haven't taken her beyond 5k for fear of my ears exploding.
My Grande Punto revved to 7k. I did it once. It wasn't comfy.

 

[Ad4m H]

Name Change! Previously known as Charmania for anyone not in the know, she's had a slight rename, keeping the Char but sticking my favourite childhood Pokemon name in there, Charmander, mainly because the first time I ever encountered a Panda I was about 8 years old and Pokemon was my favourite thing in the whole world.

Some details,
1992 Fiat Panda 750 Mania
769cc FIRE engine.
Lowered 40mm.
Seicento Sporting Front Seats
Side Stripes for faster acceleration
Fiat 127 'Palio' Alloys.
Veglia Rev counter, so I can count my revs.

I washed her, wanted to take her somewhere nice for pictures but it hasn't been sunny for long enough to do that, so I'll get nicer pictures at some point....
Here she is now, Charmanda.

Sorry for the terrible lighting. Can't do much about the sun.

Love the wheels

 

[Didge3]

Need to get a permanent live for my radio since I've only got a switched. My electrical friend suggested ciggy lighter. Any problems with this? Does it work without the ignition, I would've thought its switched
The cigarette lighter itself doesn't seem to actually work, (well it didn't burn my finger, or even get warm) but the light around the plug itself illuminates when I switch the lights on?

 

[VmanC]

The illumination is on a different circuit. Cigarette lighter is permanently live though, the element itself may be faulty, so you can take your feed from there. Alternatively, you can come straight from the live terminal of the battery but fit an inline fuse to the wire.

 

[Didge3]

The illumination is on a different circuit. Cigarette lighter is permanently live though, the element itself may be faulty, so you can take your feed from there. Alternatively, you can come straight from the live terminal of the battery but fit an inline fuse to the wire.

Thanks, it occurred to me that I could test it with my multimeter. Am I right in thinking the live is the bit at the very bottom and the ground is the 'sleeve' around the edge?

 

[homeward]

Or... you could have done what some stoopid berk (yes, me...) did with the cigarette lighter in Pippin... -- and 'accidentally' disconnect the wires at the back of the lighter, when shoving the radio in....

The power to the lighting circuit -- as VmanC says -- is on a different terminal to the power for the lighter itself: which had got tangled in the cables for the right-hand speaker. It's now all unravelled, re-attached, and works fine...!

Quickest way to check may be to undo the hammock on the driver's side: so you can see/get access from underneath -- as there's usually a big piece of plastic separating the radio compartment from the ciggy lighter compartment. :idea:

Let me know if any of this is unclear....

PS: My permanent live comes straight from the battery -- with a fuse -- as Vernon suggested. My switched comes from the brake pedal....

 

[VmanC]

Thanks, it occurred to me that I could test it with my multimeter. Am I right in thinking the live is the bit at the very bottom and the ground is the 'sleeve' around the edge?

That's right, but don't touch both at the same time, there are only so many fuses in the world.

 

[Plug]

Great work Vern! And good luck Didge. Lovely looking little car.
Just one thing, is that 6000rpm red line a touch optimistic or will she really rev anywhere near that? I know my Punto won't!

6000 RPM shouldn't be a problem for a properly set up carbed FIRE - my old 750 Panda would scream its head off in true Italian fashion (but it didn't have a rev counter, so couldn't tell you exactly what it pulled to). It was a bit disappointing when we moved over to the Parade as the injected engine wasn't anywhere near as revvy - but then it won us over with things like reliability and 5 gears and comfy seats.. we are easily swayed .

I like those seats - where are they from?

Cheers,

Plug

 

[Didge3]

6000 RPM shouldn't be a problem for a properly set up carbed FIRE - my old 750 Panda would scream its head off in true Italian fashion (but it didn't have a rev counter, so couldn't tell you exactly what it pulled to). It was a bit disappointing when we moved over to the Parade as the injected engine wasn't anywhere near as revvy - but then it won us over with things like reliability and 5 gears and comfy seats.. we are easily swayed .

I like those seats - where are they from?

Cheers,

Plug

Seats are from a Seicento Sporting

 

[panda1408]

There should be a permanent live for a radio in the original loom somewhere, I'm pretty sure it runs on the same circuit/fuse as the cigarette light anyway.

 

[Didge3]

Can't get my multimeter in there, gap is too small for both... prongs?
Can't seem to get life out of the cigarette lighter itself so either its dead or I'm not waiting long enough? (When I tested the one in my Punto I waited about 10 seconds assuming it'd be slightly warm and burnt myself, maybe the Panda's takes longer?)

If the cigarette lighter is a dud live is running straight from battery with a fuse the next best bet?

 

[homeward]

Have you got a phone charger or equivalent that you could plug in, to check...? :idea:

 

[homeward]

There should be a permanent live for a radio in the original loom somewhere, I'm pretty sure it runs on the same circuit/fuse as the cigarette light anyway.

I think so, too....

[Sound of Pandanut rifling through his online images....]

Aha! :idea:



See here for the key...!