John H
Established member
If I knew what I was taking on (in terms of work, and changes in the law) I don't think I would have bothered.
It took the best part of a week to do (down to a shell, with no more removeable parts) and that was finally removed by an enterprising scrap merchant with a hoist yesterday, for no money.
I thought I was going to have to cut it into little pieces and take it to the tip, in installments - due to none of the previously asked scrappers coming to take it... presumably due to the implementation of this lot:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/latest/2004/160704waste.htm
it seems most scrappers have stopped taking cars - full stop.
As detailed in this article in the Torygraph:
http://tinyurl.com/4kh9u
As you can imagine, I've skinned numerous bits and pieces, rediscovered muscles I'd forgotten about 20 or 30 years ago, and not managed to crush myself in the process.
However I do have a fairly respectable stock of parts to keep the two current Pandas going - and I suspect I won't need anything I've got: life's like that, IME.
There is one surprising bit of information though - it had a very badly rusted piece of brake pipe in a place I wouldn't have expected, and wouldn't have found either - if it hadn't been for the need to remove all "hazardous materials" from the shell:
a piece of pipe from the pressure limiting valve ( UK passenger side under the bonnet, near the suspension turret) where this bends 90 degrees at the bottom of the bulkhead/firewall to travel towards the back of the car.
On the inside of this bend the coating had failed (presumably over bent, during fitting) and it was corroded.
Have a look on your Panda next time you get the chance.
Oh, yes - another thing.
When draining the brake fluid out of the back of the system, prior to recovering the omega axle and hubs, I discovered the pedal goes to the floor when the back of the system leaks[xx(]
I had thought they would be two independant circuits, because of the way the pipes emerge from the master cylinder.
Not so. If that pipe fails you're at the mercy of your handbrake, and engine braking....
Which concurs with the experience "The Yeti" had recently:
https://www.fiatforum.com/old/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=13162
(although this was a different failure).
take care.
John H
P.S. I won't post any of the (few) pictures I took.
But the decision to scrap it on the grounds of corrosion was correct:
a quick tap on some of flakey looking bits at the back produced holes straight through.
RIP
It took the best part of a week to do (down to a shell, with no more removeable parts) and that was finally removed by an enterprising scrap merchant with a hoist yesterday, for no money.
I thought I was going to have to cut it into little pieces and take it to the tip, in installments - due to none of the previously asked scrappers coming to take it... presumably due to the implementation of this lot:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/latest/2004/160704waste.htm
it seems most scrappers have stopped taking cars - full stop.
As detailed in this article in the Torygraph:
http://tinyurl.com/4kh9u
As you can imagine, I've skinned numerous bits and pieces, rediscovered muscles I'd forgotten about 20 or 30 years ago, and not managed to crush myself in the process.
However I do have a fairly respectable stock of parts to keep the two current Pandas going - and I suspect I won't need anything I've got: life's like that, IME.
There is one surprising bit of information though - it had a very badly rusted piece of brake pipe in a place I wouldn't have expected, and wouldn't have found either - if it hadn't been for the need to remove all "hazardous materials" from the shell:
a piece of pipe from the pressure limiting valve ( UK passenger side under the bonnet, near the suspension turret) where this bends 90 degrees at the bottom of the bulkhead/firewall to travel towards the back of the car.
On the inside of this bend the coating had failed (presumably over bent, during fitting) and it was corroded.
Have a look on your Panda next time you get the chance.
Oh, yes - another thing.
When draining the brake fluid out of the back of the system, prior to recovering the omega axle and hubs, I discovered the pedal goes to the floor when the back of the system leaks[xx(]
I had thought they would be two independant circuits, because of the way the pipes emerge from the master cylinder.
Not so. If that pipe fails you're at the mercy of your handbrake, and engine braking....
Which concurs with the experience "The Yeti" had recently:
https://www.fiatforum.com/old/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=13162
(although this was a different failure).
take care.
John H
P.S. I won't post any of the (few) pictures I took.
But the decision to scrap it on the grounds of corrosion was correct:
a quick tap on some of flakey looking bits at the back produced holes straight through.
RIP
