General I'm back

[Alixcompo]

OK a couple of pics I've found

This is the passenger inner sill repair if you can make it out. It was fairly extensive



And this is the outer. (There is a 'before' pic earlier in this thread somewhere)



And after it was mentioned somewhere on the forum I bought and fitted this



Electronic ignition...... I love Panda's but I positively hate the points system. I find them expensive and unpredictable and have also found that Panda electronic units have their moments as well.

This cost about £35 (roughly the price of 2 sets of points) was an absolute doddle to fit and if it goes wrong I can convert back to original in about two minutes. There was an instant improvement in starting and tickover. I shall report back regarding the road manners after I have coaxed the rear lights in working when I want them to as opposed to when they feel like it.

 

[Bartpanda]

I positively hate the points system.

Me too! Could not find faultless electronic ign. for my 130, the original electr. ign. for fiat 130 is even bigger crap than similar unit for fiat dino, {and costs more than nice fiat panda}, and finally installed similar to yours unit prepared for 6 cyl. engine with nice aluminium radiator. The difference is huge with that. Fiat 130 is known to have "issues" with starting , especially when hot{ vapour lock}, with this small gadget the spark is like Thor's fart I changed the gap on the sparkplugs from 0.6 to 1mm .

 

[blu73]

so i'm intrigued by this gammtronix box. I searched for it and found what i see in in your post. But I also see another one called the 'PowerDriver'. Reading the Power Driver advert is sounds like its the same thing as the 'Black Top Ignition' in this thread, only difference i can see between the two is the PowerDriver one mentions a ignition condenser. Agreed?

 

[Alixcompo]

This is the link to their site

http://gammatronixltd.com/epages/ba...6-4572-89a1-e89006e78fbe/Categories/Category3

Electronic shouldn't need a condenser, (which is just an energy store)(think of a condenser as a header tank)

 

[blu73]

Yeah i get that, I was just reading the blurb and it says on the powerdriver one that you disconnect the condenser but it doesn't say that on the black top one. I just a bit confused as i thought all cars with a coil and distributor had a condenser so how are these two boxes different from each other is what i was getting at..
They appear to be fitted the same, +ve and -ve and then the other 2 wires go between the coil and distributor as far as i can tell so whats the difference

 

[Alixcompo]

The usual difference, especially when they all cost the same, is that some do exactly what it sez on the tin and others are cr*p.

So we all do market research with our own money and share the grief or good news on the forum.

Simple as that I'm afraid.

 

[blu73]

But these are made by the same people, thats what confuses me - on the face of it they appear to be exactly the same thing made by the same company with a different name to each other and a different price. Its just bizarre, maybe i'll drop them an email and ask how and why they are different.

 

[Alixcompo]

Well I guess the Black Panda is finished.............. That is to say that everything works.............. More importantly having done the brakes and wiring system............. everything works when I want it to.....BUT



Even by my standards it looks terrible. I thought about washing it! But decided that it was beyond that .

I thought about how I wanted it to look



6 wheel drive 50 tonne 360 degree crane, winches, cab five feet off the ground................

So as it hasn't got enough wheels I did the next best thing









Well I guess it will look a bit like the Foden...............

 

[Alixcompo]

Looking much better. (Again I apologise for crappy fone pics)

 

[northernchap]

At this rate there won't be any Pandas left that AREN'T painted green - I approve!

 

[panda panda]

Where the heck did you get that mk1 grille from, even my mk1 doesn't have a mk1 grille!

 

[Alixcompo]

Where the heck did you get that mk1 grille from, even my mk1 doesn't have a mk1 grille!

Heh heh how smug am I ?

I had two, one via 'Gumtree' that I gave to Pandasport on account of him being a good egg and this one which came from the forum but I can't remember who.

Looks great doesn't it. I've put mesh behind it so the full width rad front panel isn't too obvious.

 

[panda panda]

Heh heh how smug am I ?

I had two, one via 'Gumtree' that I gave to Pandasport on account of him being a good egg and this one which came from the forum but I can't remember who.

Looks great doesn't it. I've put mesh behind it so the full width rad front panel isn't too obvious.

I really hope* your radiator doesn't overheat!

 

[Alixcompo]

It's a 900 with a full width rad. I reckon it will be ok

 

[Alixcompo]

As I'm one of those people who stoically refuses to name cars, it's getting increasingly difficult to refer to them individually.

For instance



This I know as the 'Black One' See where I'm coming from?

(for those who don't know they are all green; except for the white one but then I do still have paint left)

Anyhow; I've been using this a bit. It has a low revs 'cough' so I'm waiting on new plugs and points arriving which I expect will cure that.

More amusing is my latest use for 'Q Bond' instant glue.

On the 900 engine there is a small hose which goes twixt thermostat and carburetor which has two 90 degree bends and an obscure (different) size internal bore each end.

Standing about since 2003 hasn't done this little item any good and one end blew where the clip had been holding it.

Unsure where to replace this from and nothing in the 'hoses' box I cut off the bad and glued another piece on.



I haven't done a vast mileage yet but can you believe it is still working!

 

[Alixcompo]

Well the hose is still holding out.

Plugs and points got rid of the low rev misfire and I took it on it's 1st proper journey which turned out to be a round trip of 120 miles.

It did spring a leak from the water pump spindle seal, which bearing in mind that is had been standing for 13 years wasn't too terrible.

I got another pump, brand new, for a remarkable £30 delivered and it arrived within a week. Very pleased.

And it was a doddle to fit.

An on-going irritation continues to be the electrics which work perfectly every time they want to, but apparently not when I want them to or if it is dark.

I suspect it is either something within the ignition switch or the fuse board but I can't pin either down.

Currently it has a 'jumper' wire in the fuse box which is doing the job (but it isn't the right solution)

So, lovely little car. I love Panda's; hate Italian electrics.

 

[panda panda]

Well if you will go moving fuse boxes and splicing looms together

 

[Alixcompo]

Well if you will go moving fuse boxes and splicing looms together

Heh... Funnily enough I haven't modified this system at all, other than to make things work.

I still suspect the fuse board. I may have to dedicate a few hours to cleaning up and tightening all the connectors, fuse sockets etc etc.

Yeah I'd forgotten the 4x4 has a relocated fuse box. Mind you the upcoming project will be interesting and I doubt there will be a single item of Fiat/SEAT electrikery on board