General Mods worth doing to improve a Panda

[DaveMcT]

I have a small but growing hankering to see what a Panda would be like with the the%30 BHP V8 engine from and Alfa Giulia Quadrifoglia. I just sort of feel it would improve it a little......



My daughter has just told me that sounds absurd.

WOMEN!

TBH it's a bit like putting a Hyabusa 1300 into a Smart car. Interesting engineering but gives an almost unusable car.

Look for "Project Binky" on YouTube for how much work these projects really are. It was up to Part 14 at the last count.

 

[wavecult]

What's absurd about that? as long as it sends power to the rear wheels I'm sure it'd be a blast

 

[TobiasBB]

A mod i would love to do is a snorkel and raised breathers for the rear diferential and the gearbox.. but i cant find a snorkel kit for the climbing Panda

 

[irc]

A mod i would love to do is a snorkel and raised breathers for the rear diferential and the gearbox.. but i cant find a snorkel kit for the climbing Panda

That would be exceptionally cool!

Seen a snorkel on a classic Panda 4x4. No idea if it was actually functional or just for show - it had bull bars and a diff guard too, so it could have been, I guess. Or a poser!

But then again I've seen Land Rovers with snorkels which were just for show...

Wading is good fun if the vehicle is properly prepared.

Not sure if the Climbing can have axle breathers, waterproof bell-housing etc. but moving the air intake up to above bonnet level could be a good start.

 

[wavecult]

You could make one with plastic tubing and spray it matte black... it won't say Safari on it but who cares, right?

Same with the bullbars (just have it built - I did... although not for a Panda)

 

[TobiasBB]

You could make one with plastic tubing and spray it matte black... it won't say Safari on it but who cares, right?

Same with the bullbars (just have it built - I did... although not for a Panda)

I have thought of that solution for snorkel, I need to figure out how to mount everything though... a safari head would fix your first issue though..

Bullbars is a legal gray area here... most sources say they are illegal but i see them in trafic almost every second day... - Ive found a nice and readily available one though.......

 

[wavecult]

If it's DOT approved it should be alright I'd say

 

[TobiasBB]

If it's DOT approved it should be alright I'd say

I live in a tiny, flat country, north Europe, you have to prove the bullbar increases pedestrian-safety over not having it mounted... so one made of soft plastic, where you can bend it by hand is all you are allowed if your vehicle is newer than november? 2002... furthest distance border to border is circa 6 hours at normal motorway speed... maaaybe if you travel from one extreme end to another you could get over 10 hours of travel by small-ish roads..

Not being allowed bullbars on your Panda is maybe classifyable as a first world problem.....

 

[wavecult]

Sorry to hear about that... from the places where I've lived over the years, they allowed them in Germany, Portugal, Australia, UK and Ireland... at least they did at the time.

Over here in Guatemala (am only new here) they seem pretty lenient on that kind of thing... but I do get the whole matter of pedestrian safety.

...but me, the way people drive here, hey I'd go for a full exoskeleton if I could!

 

[TobiasBB]

Yh... I get that... full set of rollbars on a panda, 300kg steel tubing wouldnt affect handling toooo too much, no?

Sounds like a very nice place to live this time of year...

 

[wavecult]

Ehehehe you can't beat the weather

 

[koalar]

My vote goes to

Front and rear cameras
Better seats
Better sound deadening


Mods are personal so go with your own list

 

[The Panda Nut]

Its cheaper to borrow a wet suit and get a snorkel from one of those seaside gift shops. Probably more in keeping with a panda image...

I must say I am surprised they dont sell such things even if 98% just for show.

 

[DaveMcT]

Its cheaper to borrow a wet suit and get a snorkel from one of those seaside gift shops. Probably more in keeping with a panda image...

I must say I am surprised they dont sell such things even if 98% just for show.

Wet suit neoprene cloth would make great seat covers.

 

[badbackbilly]

Its not stronger, still 12V.. AH is a measurement indicating how many hours you can have a 1 amp drain on your system.. in cold weather this number effectively decreases.. so if theres a small drain such as a radio or a driving computer or a light left on in the cabin the battery charge left in the morning is not a lot but from a larger battery its more than a smaller one, I believe the stock is 44AH, so Ill have 10Ah left where the stock would be drained (in an ideal world)... I also have jump cables.. I really really dislike getting stuck on account of no charge on the battery..

Sadly its the amps that provide the extra thats needed, an upgraded battery should always be on your list, the better quality battery the better it holds it's charge and ready when you need it (To jump start someone who doesn't think a upgrade battery is needed) PMSL

 

[RayovacWorkhorse]

Done a lot of stuff to mine, worth every penny:

Different battery as others have said, Varta silver 54ah, much cheaper than the cube battery and starts easier, you might need a new battery strap though (I just twisted mine to take up the slack). Also a 12v socket, as mine didn't come with one! Wiring is there but not connected, had to wire myself, there's a hole in the bulkhead near the brake booster you can use to run your wires.

Osram Nightbreaker bulbs, H4 in the Panda and make a world of difference, had em 2 years now, cheap and easy addition that gives you a lot of visibility at night.

Sound deadened all door panels, boot floor, rear arches and roof, used the butyl rubber stuff and it makes the motorway a bit more bearable! Also doesn't sound like you're sitting in a biscuit tin when it rains! A lot of work but worth it.

New head unit w/ handsfree mic, speakers, tweeters and a sub under the passenger seat. Also got a Sony RM-X4S control stalk as the default radio position is quite high up, if you can find one it will work with any Sony HU with a blue remote socket straight away.

Armster armrest, easy to fit and a must have on long drives.

 

[The Panda Nut]

there's a hole in the bulkhead near the brake booster you can use to run your wires.

Well spotted. Used for towing electrics too. Put some silicon over the grommet to keep water out once used.

New member Harry Carry asked about internal tailgate release. I think this would be straight forward?

 

[The Panda Nut]

there's a hole in the bulkhead near the brake booster you can use to run your wires.

Well spotted. Used for towing electrics too. Put some silicon over the grommet to keep water out .

New member Harry Carry asked about internal tailgate release. I think this would be straight forward?

 

[RayovacWorkhorse]

New member Harry Carry asked about internal tailgate release. I think this would be straight forward?

Hmm, could depend on the spec of the Panda to be honest, my active eco only has a key operated hatch, but I believe the more upmarket versions have microswitches in the tailgate to release it, if that is present perhaps wire another switch to that one from inside the cab? If not there is a release lever on the inside of the lock that you can operate from inside the boot, wonder if you could rig up some kind of cable pull...

 

[koalar]

Hmm, could depend on the spec of the Panda to be honest, my active eco only has a key operated hatch, but I believe the more upmarket versions have microswitches in the tailgate to release it, if that is present perhaps wire another switch to that one from inside the cab? If not there is a release lever on the inside of the lock that you can operate from inside the boot, wonder if you could rig up some kind of cable pull...

I fitted an active hatch to a dynamic. I wasn't bothered by the auto unlock. Wiring looks the same. But it stops the centre locking working try to lock it it would immediately unlock itself


Had to swap the switches over


no idea if it would be a straight swap the other way but doubt it