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Panda (Classic) Classic Panda Bianca, Full Restoration.

Introduction

Today we began a full resto on "Apple" our 1987 Bianca model...:D

Found a paint sprayer with a yard big enough for us to strip out the car to a shell which is what we did..and 7 hours later Heike and me stripped every nut, grommet and bolt off the car.

We will get the engine out tomorrow so the bay can be re-sprayed (thanks for that Vern!..;)) and then clean and replace bits on that once out.

We have lots of new stuff to put on like bumpers, grille and wheel trims which will also get sprayed white.

The underneath will also be done as well as the inside...so should be complete and perfect..:D...(y)

The major surprise was just how fantastic the condition of the car was...:eek:..even the front valance and the inside of the front and rear wheel arches which everything removed showed no signs or rust!!

New suspension, brake parts etc etc...will be dug out the cellar and fitted..if needed or not....so there we are....pictures of the resto will follow as time goes by and all being well it should be done in about two weeks. Then off the the trimmers to have new twin sunnys fitted.

Now the car will not be worth the money which is going to be spent on it, but, It is a car we intend to keep forever and is the model which I originally had in the eighties... Wish us luck...:)

Now this car
Re: Full restoration begins...

Two weeks????.... Errrr forget that boast.

At last the shell will be collected from the spray shop tomorrow and a space has been found after much driving around my local area in desperation.

I'm sharing a double garage with a Ferrari testarossa.

Good news is the shell has been painted inside, outside and underneath.

Bad news is there is so much to put back together..can't wait to see how many nuts and bolts I have left over...
 
Re: Full restoration begins...

We had a 1988 Bianca back in 2000 - 2004 odd. its the one that made me fall in love with them heh.

wish we still had it.. :(

With only 4 left on the road and me owning two off them I wish you had your car too...what happened to it??

Our other Bianca finally gets sold next week as the person buying it should come up with the cash by then...if not then it could be yours....:):devil:
 
Re: Full restoration begins...

With the weather changing I'm giving myself 4 weeks...as for your engine clean did you go for a vapour or bead blast??..and how much was it??

Ok four weeks, as it's Christmas. ;).

I had all the alloy parts soda blasted, gearbox, head, carb etc. I degreased the block and other bits myself as soda blasting is not as effective on these. The guy I went to charges £80 an hour for soda blasting, he was working for just over an hour to do my stuff but still only charged £80.
I've since bought a soda blaster/sand blaster kit myself but it's not as fast as his industrial gear, does save me going to Poole every time I want something done though.
 
Re: Full restoration begins...

With only 4 left on the road and me owning two off them I wish you had your car too...what happened to it??

Our other Bianca finally gets sold next week as the person buying it should come up with the cash by then...if not then it could be yours....:):devil:

my dad sold it on when my grandma needed a dissabled capable car (1.4l green fiat tipo van :LOL:)
my granadad gave my dad his 1995 diesel 1.8 non turboed ford festa. so the panda was sold on.

my dad still says that it was one of the most eco cars he had ever owned.
well that and a Citroen BX 1.4 diesel (i think at the time i was like 4-5 years old)

just one more resion why i want one!

our bianca was a 1000cl, but we went down the local scrappers and got all the plastic trim that covers the wheel arches inside the car and the sweet little analogue clock. pretty much put all the S stuff into ours..

heh i'd love a 4x4 panda.. i dont get much but i am trying to save up for one.. heh i have got a long way to go. thinking of selling some of my radio stuff as ham radio prices have shot up. i bought my radio for £400 back when i was working, now the same radio is selling for £600 seccond hand!

i am tempted..
 
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Re: Full restoration begins...

Can't wait for more pics, thats dedication working in this weather I last about ten mins each stint. Then in for coffee. Looking really good all the best with this, to me it's what this resto game is all about. Took me two months just to get the paint somewhere near. Respect. Steve
 
Re: Full restoration begins...

Kev
Not just being nosey, but I am intending to get mine resprayed next year but not from a full strip down.
Can I enquire what the rough cost of a respray is, so I can sell a kidney or lung or Panda if too much?
Dave
 
Re: Full restoration begins...

Thanks for the encouragement good girl...

Dave.....sorry, but I think you organs are past their sell by date....:p

So if you have found that gold mine in your garden costs are as follows..

Outside and door shuts...... £800..but I soon thought that this was not enough and if your going this far I might as well go all the way..

Full inside, outside, underneath and all plastics (being a Bianca all colour coded bumpers, grille, wheel trims etc) as well as blasting the wheels and painting them...
£1200..

Now this has left me wide open to :eek:How much!! Or that's cheap..(y) thing is I'm happy and I've got what I want and paid what I was happy with
 
Re: Full restoration begins...

You get what you pay for paint wise, it's not just paint though as prep will make or brake a job.
This is where the cost comes in.

For what it's worth I think it's a fair price for a good job. Seeing this made me get the windscreen fitted in my panda today, it's a bit premature but when your dealing with my level of deconstruction I wasn't sure anything would go back in!

Looking forward to seeing the next set of pictures!
 
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