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Interesting write up. And OMG that pic! looks like one out of a brochure! Paint is shiney
Well she did spend four hours in makeup
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General Charmania - chapter two.
- Thread starter VmanC
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General Charmania - chapter two.
Well she did spend four hours in makeup
.
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Ok, here we go, job done.
I think the clear lenses tie in with the silver of the stripes and wheels better than the originals, and as already mentioned, the square shape with rounded corners is much more in keeping with the shape of the Panda.
Round side repeaters! what was Georgetto thinking of?
I think the clear lenses tie in with the silver of the stripes and wheels better than the originals, and as already mentioned, the square shape with rounded corners is much more in keeping with the shape of the Panda.
Round side repeaters! what was Georgetto thinking of?
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OK, so dash fabric and door panels were taken from Farmyard on Saturday and cleaned up. They came out quite well as they have no damage, and while I had the upholstery cleaner out I gave the front seats another scrub too as the last time didn't get them clean.
Today, well yesterday now, I stripped out the dash to remove the old hammock material and fit the new, along with the door panels.
As well as cleaning everything as it all went back together (there seems to be a stong bias towards cleaning and polishing to my projects so far, I don't have o.c.d. honest) I took this opportunity to do a couple of other jobs....
1. Replace the dodgy heated rear window switch with one Jon kindly gave me.
2. Repace the noisy clock with the one from my spares car.
3. Replace the dodgy headlamp switch with one, also from my spares car.
4. Replace the dodgy stereo with, well it was intended for my 750L, another one I have. The result of this last job means that I now have four speakers instead of one and a half! The two front speakers were taken from my spares car, the rears are currently the two house speakers that were rattling around in the boot doing nothing when I bought it. I will be replacing these with the parcel shelf from the spares car which has two speakers already fitted! I've never had a spares car before, it's great!.
The rear side panels which have yet to be transfered from Farmyard also have a couple of small Blaupunkt speakers in them, so I could have a six speaker system if they work ok. I'll just wire them in series with the pair in the parcel shelf as I don't want to start fitting amps. Lastly, when I fired up the new stereo it illuminated red, perfect!
I've also taken the rear and passenger seats back out as I will need to remove the carpet soon. The front seats I'm fitting, I think they're from a Punto, won't fit between the original runners in the way the Diahatsu ones did in the 750L, so I will have to cut the runners out with an angle grinder and want to remove the carpet to avoid everything going up in smoke.
Also, while I have all this extra load space I can deliver my Daughters old pushbike to it's new owner in Plymouth, then on to Weymouth to pick up some more Diahatsu seats I won on Ebay (front and rears), then on to Weston super mare to do a few hours work, grand tour of the british coast line! I've got to leave in seven hours so I'd better stop there.
Will post some pictures of state of play when I get back.
Today, well yesterday now, I stripped out the dash to remove the old hammock material and fit the new, along with the door panels.
As well as cleaning everything as it all went back together (there seems to be a stong bias towards cleaning and polishing to my projects so far, I don't have o.c.d. honest
) I took this opportunity to do a couple of other jobs....1. Replace the dodgy heated rear window switch with one Jon kindly gave me.
2. Repace the noisy clock with the one from my spares car.
3. Replace the dodgy headlamp switch with one, also from my spares car.
4. Replace the dodgy stereo with, well it was intended for my 750L, another one I have. The result of this last job means that I now have four speakers instead of one and a half! The two front speakers were taken from my spares car, the rears are currently the two house speakers that were rattling around in the boot doing nothing when I bought it. I will be replacing these with the parcel shelf from the spares car which has two speakers already fitted! I've never had a spares car before, it's great!
.The rear side panels which have yet to be transfered from Farmyard also have a couple of small Blaupunkt speakers in them, so I could have a six speaker system if they work ok. I'll just wire them in series with the pair in the parcel shelf as I don't want to start fitting amps. Lastly, when I fired up the new stereo it illuminated red, perfect!
I've also taken the rear and passenger seats back out as I will need to remove the carpet soon. The front seats I'm fitting, I think they're from a Punto, won't fit between the original runners in the way the Diahatsu ones did in the 750L, so I will have to cut the runners out with an angle grinder and want to remove the carpet to avoid everything going up in smoke.
Also, while I have all this extra load space I can deliver my Daughters old pushbike to it's new owner in Plymouth, then on to Weymouth to pick up some more Diahatsu seats I won on Ebay (front and rears), then on to Weston super mare to do a few hours work, grand tour of the british coast line! I've got to leave in seven hours so I'd better stop there.
Will post some pictures of state of play when I get back.
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Glad to hear the switch has come to use. Was it the fault then?
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Thanks again Jon. Yes, it just wouldn't hold contact when it was switched on.
Well that was a trek! 335 miles delivering the bike, picking up new seats, and then going to work for a few hours. I'm glad I had the new ice though, much better quality sound, right up to some decent volumes, kept me company all day. I think the worn wheel bearing was a bit put out though as that has increased it's volume too.
Took these photos just before i left to show the new trim. Also shows what a handy load carrier the little Panda can be. The bike fit easily as did the new seats, and at 50mpg the whole trip was a lot cheaper than if I'd borrowed a bigger car or van.
saying it "fitted easily" is a bit sly vernon. Yes it does, but theres only one seat! with the interiors stripped out its amazing how big they are!
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My previous post did say I'd taken the seats out to do the delivery, nothing sly about it
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My previous post did say I'd taken the seats out to do the delivery, nothing sly about it
:yeahthat: Craig. lol.
Looks good Vernon. I remember when we got 2 full sized (1980's sized dunno about todays type) fridges in the back of the 750L side by side a few years ago and the boot shut and everything!
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Looks good Vernon. I remember when we got 2 full sized (1980's sized dunno about todays type) fridges in the back of the 750L side by side a few years ago and the boot shut and everything!
Cool!
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aaaaahhhh...fridges! cool! see what you did there
I think you're the only one. Either that or they're just trying to ignore it.
But they wernt plugged in at the time
Although there was snow about
Although there was snow about
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Should we call you 'two fridges Jon' from now on?
Should we call you 'two fridges Jon' from now on?
Lol. Better than the nickname 'One Pint Panda' which was going around college a few months ago
I Don't Drink more than 1 pint (Over 5 hours and with a meal) and Drive. Simples
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Lol. Better than the nickname 'One Pint Panda' which was going around college a few months ago
I Don't Drink more than 1 pint (Over 5 hours and with a meal) and Drive. Simples
I'm with you on that one.
I wish I'd taken a pic of the CLX when I moved the 3 seater settee -the tailgate shut but only with both front seats out - only any good as a trailer though lol - but it did the job!
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The longer bolts I ordered arrived a couple of days ago so today I fitted the 10mm spacers to the rear. The bolts necessary for this have a thread length of 42mm.
They don't look quite so narrow at the back now but the difference is very subtle. I'll have a look at the before and after pics I've taken to see if they show a noticeable difference, If they do I'll post them, if not I'll wait until the suspension is lowered too.
They don't look quite so narrow at the back now but the difference is very subtle. I'll have a look at the before and after pics I've taken to see if they show a noticeable difference, If they do I'll post them, if not I'll wait until the suspension is lowered too.
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Wow, has it really been four weeks!
Well progress really has dropped to a crawl recently, busy at work, Dad's non runner Bedford CF, moving the fleet around, all these things have kinda pushed in front of Charmainia in the que for attention.
The next job on her was to fit the Punto seats, but as it happens the delay has turned out to be a blessing. I hadn't noticed this until now, but on the drivers Punto seat the bar you lift for back/forward adjustment is missing. Not the end of the world but it will need to be sorted at some point. So, yesterday, I was passing a scrap yard and thought I'd just pop in to see if they had a Punto I could take the seat runners from. Well they did, but they also had a Seicento sporting in there, with black & red CHECKED! seats. It's a match made in heaven! The back seat may be a bit of an issue but with my checked side stripe and roof lining these are going to look great.
Also, when I went to look in the Punto, three cars up as usual and I'm not as agile as I used to be, the bonnet was open. Inside I could see a mint 8v engine and box. It's a MK1 75, and must have been one of the last. That would be perfect for one of my Pandas, I thought, so checked the mileage in the car. Nearly fell off when I saw it was a mere 13,000!
Anyway, long story short, I'm taking the seats out tomorrow and I've got my name down for the engine/gearbox and any parts I need to go with it.
Charmania will not be getting this engine though. Favourite candidate at the moment is my blue CLX, as it has the servoed brakes and inj. already (I realise the system with the new engine will have to be used), plus, I did want to improve the performance at some stage but didn't want to change the original under bonnet appearance if possible, this I think should be Ideal.
Any advice/comments on the engine swap will be gratefully received, but I will start a fresh thread for them.
As for Charmania, she will soon be getting a new checked roof lining and seats. I will cover fitment in detail of both jobs as some of you have expressed an interest, maybe elswhere with just a brief description on this thread to make finding them easier in the future.
Well progress really has dropped to a crawl recently, busy at work, Dad's non runner Bedford CF, moving the fleet around, all these things have kinda pushed in front of Charmainia in the que for attention.
The next job on her was to fit the Punto seats, but as it happens the delay has turned out to be a blessing. I hadn't noticed this until now, but on the drivers Punto seat the bar you lift for back/forward adjustment is missing. Not the end of the world but it will need to be sorted at some point. So, yesterday, I was passing a scrap yard and thought I'd just pop in to see if they had a Punto I could take the seat runners from. Well they did, but they also had a Seicento sporting in there, with black & red CHECKED! seats. It's a match made in heaven! The back seat may be a bit of an issue but with my checked side stripe and roof lining these are going to look great
.Also, when I went to look in the Punto, three cars up as usual and I'm not as agile as I used to be, the bonnet was open. Inside I could see a mint 8v engine and box. It's a MK1 75, and must have been one of the last. That would be perfect for one of my Pandas, I thought, so checked the mileage in the car. Nearly fell off when I saw it was a mere 13,000!
Anyway, long story short, I'm taking the seats out tomorrow and I've got my name down for the engine/gearbox and any parts I need to go with it.
Charmania will not be getting this engine though. Favourite candidate at the moment is my blue CLX, as it has the servoed brakes and inj. already (I realise the system with the new engine will have to be used), plus, I did want to improve the performance at some stage but didn't want to change the original under bonnet appearance if possible, this I think should be Ideal.
Any advice/comments on the engine swap will be gratefully received, but I will start a fresh thread for them.
As for Charmania, she will soon be getting a new checked roof lining and seats. I will cover fitment in detail of both jobs as some of you have expressed an interest, maybe elswhere with just a brief description on this thread to make finding them easier in the future.
OP
OP
Well with less than three weeks to AutoItalia/Brooklands finishing Charmania it now a top priority. All the necessary parts have arrived so it's just a case of getting on with it.
Today I trial fitted the black and red Seicento seats, and Although they would look great, the back seat does not fit easily, plus, the side panels and dash are a better match for the Punto seats I originally had. Fitting the Punto seats means I can use the Panda back seat, simplifying the whole job. Here's the Seicento seats loosely in place for reference though.....
Maybe one day.
I bought a Steering wheel for her but it's a bit modern looking with a carbon fibre effect centre pad. So I'm doing away with the pad and leaving the four black metal spokes exposed instead, it's more in keeping with the retro theme. Before I fit it though I've painted the spokes silver, it lightens up the drivers view and ties in with the general black/silver details. Will post a picture once fitted.
Two steps forward one leap back! After being stood untouched for nearly two months I found the clutch to be stuck, not to the flywheel, it's either the thrust bearing on it's shaft or the clutch lever siezed in the casing, either way I'm going to drop the gearbox out to cure it properly. This is best left till I lower the suspension and fit the new front wheel bearing.
I've also now got some dark metallic grey vinyl sheet to match the pinstripe I wanted to add, so I've taken all the grey squares off the side stripe to do again. Pics when done.
Oh, nearly forgot, I never found the centre caps for the wheels so have bought some new ones, it must only be a matter of days before the originals turn up now.
Today I trial fitted the black and red Seicento seats, and Although they would look great, the back seat does not fit easily, plus, the side panels and dash are a better match for the Punto seats I originally had. Fitting the Punto seats means I can use the Panda back seat, simplifying the whole job. Here's the Seicento seats loosely in place for reference though.....
Maybe one day.
I bought a Steering wheel for her but it's a bit modern looking with a carbon fibre effect centre pad. So I'm doing away with the pad and leaving the four black metal spokes exposed instead, it's more in keeping with the retro theme. Before I fit it though I've painted the spokes silver, it lightens up the drivers view and ties in with the general black/silver details. Will post a picture once fitted.
Two steps forward one leap back!
After being stood untouched for nearly two months I found the clutch to be stuck, not to the flywheel, it's either the thrust bearing on it's shaft or the clutch lever siezed in the casing, either way I'm going to drop the gearbox out to cure it properly. This is best left till I lower the suspension and fit the new front wheel bearing.I've also now got some dark metallic grey vinyl sheet to match the pinstripe I wanted to add, so I've taken all the grey squares off the side stripe to do again. Pics when done.
Oh, nearly forgot, I never found the centre caps for the wheels so have bought some new ones, it must only be a matter of days before the originals turn up now.
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Managed to get a couple of little jobs out of the way today.
Fitted the steering wheel after pinching the boss from my 750 and temporarily fitting a standard wheel to that one. Still a bit modern looking but not far off. It was worth going with this wheel anyway because it's condition was like new but got it for a second hand price. Also, it's exactly the same diameter as the original.........
You can also see in the picture one of the Punto seats, just placed in there at the moment.
The other job today was to cut out and stick on the check squares from the new vinyl and finally add the pin stripe.......
If you compare it with the previous pictures you won't see much difference, but before, if you looked at the stripe from a sharp angle the original grey was almost invisible, so I'm happy now.
Fitted the steering wheel after pinching the boss from my 750 and temporarily fitting a standard wheel to that one. Still a bit modern looking but not far off. It was worth going with this wheel anyway because it's condition was like new but got it for a second hand price. Also, it's exactly the same diameter as the original.........
You can also see in the picture one of the Punto seats, just placed in there at the moment.
The other job today was to cut out and stick on the check squares from the new vinyl and finally add the pin stripe.......
If you compare it with the previous pictures you won't see much difference, but before, if you looked at the stripe from a sharp angle the original grey was almost invisible, so I'm happy now.
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