Styling Fiat panda twin sunroofs

[matt1968]

Does anyone know if you can get a kit (or a garage) to add the twin soft top roof to an old fiat panda. I know you can still buy the roofs but not sure if and what you need to create the fittings. any help would be appreciated.

thanks

matt

 

[purple haze]

Does anyone know if you can get a kit (or a garage) to add the twin soft top roof to an old fiat panda. I know you can still buy the roofs but not sure if and what you need to create the fittings. any help would be appreciated.

thanks

matt

Sorry not possible unless you cut and weld a whole roof from a twin sunroof model. Its all very different.

 

[Austen]

Matt,

You got your heart set on having twin sunroof? Why not have a single sunroof that goes the length of the car?

Ivor had one retro fitted (long before I got him) and it's just as good as a twin sunroof (my race Panda has twin sunroofs).

Austen

 

[lewey]

Hey Austen, show us your race car! Be good to have in members motors section or something. Has it got a 1.6 Vtec in or something?

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Hey Austen, show us your race car! Be good to have in members motors section or something. Has it got a 1.6 Vtec in or something?

Ivors a 1108cc Selecta iirc

Also, those full roofs technically can't be legally installed anymore I've been led to believe due to cutting the roof bar out means the car needs to have some kit car test as its a major structural change, and then other bits in the Panda have to be changed to make it pass

 

[JimMagill]

Yeah cause the tiny bit of tin that you can pull down with one hand that you cut thou when you fit them roofs really will save the day in a crash lol

...And the aluminum welded solid frame of the sunroof wouldn't at all make up for the bit of tinfoil

Would be very different in a EuroNcap 5* vehicle

 

[matt1968]

Matt,

You got your heart set on having twin sunroof? Why not have a single sunroof that goes the length of the car?

Ivor had one retro fitted (long before I got him) and it's just as good as a twin sunroof (my race Panda has twin sunroofs).

Austen

Thanks for this. Did think about it and keeping metal strut in. Is that what has happened with this car or did they take it out.

Thanks all for your response

matt

 

[JimMagill]

You cut thou it... Pretty much with a pair of scissors lol

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhtW4idFdW8"]YouTube- Jim and Fred[/nomedia]

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

You cut thou it... Pretty much with a pair of scissors lol

Stood on the roof of the donor Panda cutting the hedge the other night (another crazy story) and removed the headlining today when stripping the car. I see what you mean about it being a flimsy bit of metal Jim

 

[JimMagill]

It's only there to stop the roof vibrating....

 

[Liquid Knight]

To answer the original question...

"Can you fit a Bianca roof to a tin top Panda?"

Yes, but it's a pain in the cheeks. You need to strip the black trim from the original roof of both your car and a donor car (they turn up of scrap yards now and the sadly. The going rate for a roof cut off at the pillars is between £75-£100 plus delivery). You need to then drill out all the spot welds and carefully cut along the front and rear edges. Then it's a case of welding the new roof in place. Seam welding along the edges and re-filling the spot welds. Make sure the seam welds fill the gap properly and you can frap the roof flat without using any filler. If needs be re-enforce the welds from inside the car as well.

If you want to fit the sunroof from a Cinquecento Soleil it's a similar process but due to the roof not have an exposed lip like the Panda you need to seam weld all the way round. Again doable but a bigger pain in the cheeks before you get to the wiring as well.

I'd be tempted to do an old school hotrod-esque roof chop, but these were originally done for aerodynamic advantage and lowering the centre of gravity for handling before becoming little more than a styling exercise. So not really as much use on a Panda.

For aftermarket Sunroofs and upholstery I go to my uncles R W Brockwells, Tenneyson Avenue, King's Lynn. The can do anything from a minor repair to a complete custom interior. Give them a call and ask for Michael 01553 764582 there is a bit of a waiting list though.

If your Panda has the mighty FIRE engine why not fit the air con' stuff from a newer model? The brackets all line up and there's more than enough room under the bonnet.

 

[purple haze]

Great answer....but with the post a year and a half old and the O/P only has four posts I think he may not see this.

As I said in my answer....cut and chop not really worth it...cheaper to buy a panda with a twin set up already...there's ones out there all the way up to the CLX like Vern has in his latest thread.

 

[suffolk009]

Luckily I have a nice twin roof car. I adore it. The children enjoy it on the school run, although out of the villages it gets very, very blowy in the back above about 35mph. They quickly ask for the back one to be closed. Can't wait for the sun to start shining again.