Latest on the Trans-Africa Panda...

[Philip Young]

A link on the Panda (2012) has photos of the latest on the Panda tackling the Cape Town to London World Record, note the raised intake, its jets cold air into the airbox, a bit noisier but it certainly feels as if its added a tad more performance.

 

[Batfalcon]

Do you mean this thread?

https://www.fiatforum.com/lets-talk...wn-london-record-attempt-february-2013-a.html

 

[Philip Young]

Tiny problem, but, important: How do you dim down the blue "main-beam" light at night...it's so bright as to be a constant distraction.

The rear boot-lid latch is giving problems, just about the only issue so far in 3,000 miles. The inside of the hatch-door now has two rubber bonnet-hook style hooks as added reinforcement. The car goes to the docks on Wednesday.

Latest is up on the website at www.africarecordrun.com and the facebook site, link above.

 

[fingers99]

Dunno if the bulb is tungsten or LED. If tungsten, fit a resistor is the "real" way.

Otherwise, a little of the paint the kids use to "black" rear light clusters will do it.

For the hatch/latch check that it really is intact. Never seen your car, but the Sei ones are notorious for the long "finger" (for want of a better word) fracturing.

 

[Philip Young]

Yes, nail-varnish is going to dim the blue light. Thanks.

Nothing seems to be broken with the rear-hatch latch, but it "pops" itself now and then - you know because the light comes on at the back along with the red light in the speedo showing a door open. Sometimes you get a written note saying rear hatch open. A bit worrying.

The sudden extra-bright warning that the speed limit is being exceeded is a bit of a pain at night. If the only way of dimming that is to cover it with a strip of tank-tape, so be it.

 

[Philip Young]

Latest news is up on www.africarecordrun.com

Clim are makers of perspex-like wind deflectors that fit to the tops of the front windows, ideal for driving around with the window down as it stops the noise and back-draught....coming in to Halfords etc at the moment, not expensive and we fitted a pair, a last minute job as the car is now on its way to Felixstowe for shipping to Cape Town and the long drive home.

Dropped pressures in the 165-80-14 tyres to 30 lbs, found that they were mysteriously well over this all round, the ride is now rather good after a final test session on a pot-holed farm track with Simon Park of Auto Italia magazine. Suspension being lifted up (tyres alone gave nearly two inches of lift over the standard 175-65 jobs), we have given the struts a one degree of negative camber at the top, alas, no time to get the tracking checked.
What is now forogotten will have to, er, remain forgotten....
We are now on facebook. Link at the top of the website.