General New Panda Owners Questions - And Repair advice

[Lentil]

Hello All,

We are Josh and Libby from Cornwall and we have just got our first Panda !

We got this Panda from a kind chap on Facebook who gave it to Libby who had always wanted a Panda. It looks in very good shape to my untrained eye. We have to repair or replace the doors and bonnet and do some welding to the body but i don't think much. Its running pretty well and i might book and MOT soon for some impetus to get it done !

I wanted to ask general questions about what we should check. So far we have checked.

Front Brakes all good
Radiator needs atleast a Flush (is it better to just replace)
New oil filter Air filter and plugs to go on.

Brakes and handbrake not great, wondering if stripping and cleaning the drums and checking its all running well is worth doing or if driving around and using them will get them to imrpove.

Also we need to repair the door bottoms and Bonnet. Thinking its repairable but is it better to get new door skins. Can to older corrugated type fit this car as they seem easier to get.

Lots to think through and well start asking lots of questions soon but hopefully we can get it on the road ASAP !

Excited to join in with the Panda Love. Its Libby's first car.

 

[Iggy64]

Congratulations! I have also just been given a Panda (owned several years ago and always loved them) that I will be working on as my winter project but also use as daily driver. I have many similar issues to you. My cooling system is not in good shape. Thermostat is stuck open and radiator is partly blocked. Will try taking it out and flushing first to see what it looks like but new ones are not too dear.
Rear brakes on mine seem OK but brake fluid badly needs renewing. On a previous car, the brake shoes and drums were glazed over through lack of serious use and this might be your problem. Didn't improve with driving so replaced everything. Again, not an expensive job.
Rusty door bottoms are a Panda speciality! Still a problem in the latest cars that were otherwise quite well rustproofed. Mine are only just starting to go at the corners so have patched them up for now. Mk1 door skins may fit but I think they would look a bit odd with no corrugated bits on the adjacent panels.
Good luck with your restoration work. I'm sure Libby will love her car.

 

[bruu]

Looks great. I bought a Panda with a low mileage of 21,000 and after a check over, new oil & filters, I drove it to France skiing. It blew the head gasket on the way home, I should have flushed the radiator and replaced the thermostat. Eight years on it’s still sitting in storage awaiting attention.
There can’t be too many 1991 Sisley’s with 22,000 from new! I’ll get around to it one day. Enjoy your Panda!

 

[chris3234]

I'd be worried about the Tin worm after 8 years in storage unless it's somewhere heated

 

[FDNY21]

Welcome! Radiators can be had very cheap so you could replace it and flush the rest of the system. If it has been sat a while then water pump/cambelt/thermostat can be a good shout too! Obviously depends how far you want to go in one hit! Rear brakes definitely worth a check - check the cylinders aren't leaking and push in without too much strain, check the shoes have life in them, clean inside etc. Replace what needs replacing if need be, handbrake cables and adjustment can be checked too! If you can repair the doors and bonnet then great, good panels are getting harder to find especially in the UK. I think you can get the mk2 door skins fairly easily but I see people just weld a plate on the bottom usually as it's only the outer bottom that tends to go!

 

[bruu]

I'd be worried about the Tin worm after 8 years in storage unless it's somewhere heated

Yes it is a worry, I did waxoil as much of the underside, and through all the door drain holes, I’ve spun it out of the barn on the starter a few times and cleaned it and it all seems sound. It’s the winters that aren’t good as it must get a bit damp.
I’ve really got to get it back home, in fact I’ll do it before the year is out. It’s too good to leave.

 

[bruu]

It’s moving and brakes not seized, will move it down from the farm into our heated garage for the winter. I’ve not checked it over thoroughly in the gloom of the barn but doesn’t look too bad, no obvious rust seen so far.