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Panda (Classic) Charmanda(er) The Panda

Introduction

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.

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Sorry for the terrible lighting. Can't do much about the sun. :eek:
Anybody actually know where the Panda redline is? My friend asked the other day in the car if my redline on my rev counter was actually right, so I tested it in 1st gear, instead of that horrible feeling you get when you slam into the rev limiter I sailed right past to 6200rpm.

So later, on a more appropriate road I tried again. I got to 6600rpm before I changed for fear of the engine and/or my ears exploding.

What the hell does the 750 rev to? :confused:
 
Anybody actually know where the Panda redline is? My friend asked the other day in the car if my redline on my rev counter was actually right, so I tested it in 1st gear, instead of that horrible feeling you get when you slam into the rev limiter I sailed right past to 6200rpm.

So later, on a more appropriate road I tried again. I got to 6600rpm before I changed for fear of the engine and/or my ears exploding.

What the hell does the 750 rev to? :confused:

No idea & personally I wouldn't worry about it too much. This may sound odd to someone coming from a modern electronically muzzled car, but here's why.......

Fiat engines had always been designed to run flat out at whatever revs you could get - if you've been to Italy you'll understand why a car run by the Italian youth must have a strong engine to survive! Even going back to the '70's the 127 1050 Sport was redlined at 7200rpm in the production car - not that 7200 was any sort of limit, racers got them up to 130bhp and revving past 9000rpm unbelievably - who mistakenly thought Honda Vtec was magic??!

My first car with a limiter was the Coupe, and I was shocked to have this cut in quite frequently when I first had it. Everything without a limiter seems completely ok thrashed - certainly it's almost impossible to break a 127 or Panda engine through revs alone. Didn't someone try to break a Panda engine by running it flat out in first - and eventually gave up when it wouldn't? There was a video somewhere, which is horrific to watch/hear for anyone with mechanical sympathy, but knowing they couldn't break it is a nice feeling (y)

This is why an Uno handbook says rev it as much as you like but it won't go any faster after the red segment, while the Rover 216 handbook of the same era says don't in any circumstances go into the red sector or the engine will be damaged. Different philosophy!! Also why I can't understand anyone wanting a rev counter in a Panda - waste of time in my view apart from as an interesting experiment ;)

Let us know when you find out how far it will actually rev :worship:
 
Carb'ed Panda's don't 'red line' they just keep going until you get valve bounce (y)

*Googles Valve Bounce*
Ah, that doesn't sound like much fun, although being a non-interference engine the valves shouldn't ever in be in the path of the pistons, so no smashing etc.

Still not sure if I'll ever try and see what she'll get to, in normal driving at the very very latest I change at 4.5k
 
Went out to put one of CLS's Lancia alloys on Char' for reference. I've left my tool box at my Dads :bang:

Ah well Panda's come with tools, right?
Funny screwdriver and socket wrench thingy in the wash reservoir, took the spare wheel out looking for a jack.
What the f*ck is this thing :confused:
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What am I supposed to do with that?
 
jack the car up(y)
lift up the hinged arm & look at the jacking points on the car (centre crossmember, centre front & back) and you'll find a corresponding square box section it slides into, then wind the handle in a lifty fashion.
 
:yeahthat:

I had exactly the same reaction when I first saw one too :p

Unwind it a bit so the sticky out bit flaps about.

Stick the end in the square hole under/in the panda sill.

Wind until wheels are off ground (having loosened bolts first) and there you are, one car wobbling about on a jack older than you :)

And yes, it doesn't sit flat on the ground until the car is up in the air :eek:
 
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jack the car up(y)
lift up the hinged arm & look at the jacking points on the car (centre crossmember, centre front & back) and you'll find a corresponding square box section it slides into, then wind the handle in a lifty fashion.
:yeahthat:

I had exactly the same reaction when I first saw one too :p

Unwind it a bit so the sticky out bit flaps about.

Stick the end in the square hole under/in the panda sill.

Wind until wheels are off ground (having loosened bolts first) and there you are, one car wobbling about on a jack older than you :)

And yes, it doesn't sit flat on the ground until the car is up in the air :eek:

Fold the arm out and slide it into the jacking point in the centre of the sill, then wind it up(y)

What does the spikey round bit on the end do then, the flappy about bit doesn't fold out to a 90 degree angle either, it stops at about 70 degrees, doesn't look like an sort of platform I'd like to balance my car on...

Why am I imagining Didge squished under Char' ?
This is quite possibly my future.
 
Got my Mum to help. :p

Me being young and having only ever used jacks that go under the car and lift this jack just didn't make any sense to me, showed my Mum it and she explained. So I have to find a hole in the side of the sill? Rather than on the bottom, for the jack to wobbly connect to?
 
Got my Mum to help. :p

Me being young and having only ever used jacks that go under the car and lift this jack just didn't make any sense to me, showed my Mum it and she explained. So I have to find a hole in the side of the sill? Rather than on the bottom, for the jack to wobbly connect to?
It's a box section under the sill, back end of the door on the centre crossmember. Lifts both front & rear.
 
:yeahthat:

Those jacks are surprisingly effective - you need it for a 4x4 as most trolley jacks don't extend far enough. The same on 127's and are very solid as long as your jacking tunnel is ok - crunching noises as you start to lift the car are your warning signal :D
 
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