Punto 2012+ Old lady that needs some love

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

That's a tidy looking car. The wheels don't look like any I've seen on a UK reg Punto of that sort of age? Did you fit the towbar? If not, do you know what it was used to tow? I ask because I'm always just slightly wary of cars with towbars and unknown history.

 

[Pitzky]

That's a tidy looking car. The wheels don't look like any I've seen on a UK reg Punto of that sort of age? Did you fit the towbar? If not, do you know what it was used to tow? I ask because I'm always just slightly wary of cars with towbars and unknown history.

The wheels are aftermarket alloy wheels from Dezent (pretty common, here in DK at least) - the towbar is another Danish countryside thing, I am actually renewing it as we speak, as the connector had miserably failed due to corrosion. People usually use them to bring garden clippings etc. to the nearest recycling plant, as well as sporadically moving furniture etc.
On paper it's allowed to tow 400 kg without brakes and 500 kg with brakes, and Danes tend to be extremely law-abiding (sometimes to a ridiculous extent, if you ask me - being italian), and since the previous owner was an older lady I'm not at all concerned! It's just practical to have the towbar for many reasons, and one of the things I was looking for when shopping for a "new" car

 

[bugsymike]

That's a tidy looking car. The wheels don't look like any I've seen on a UK reg Punto of that sort of age? Did you fit the towbar? If not, do you know what it was used to tow? I ask because I'm always just slightly wary of cars with towbars and unknown history.

Salesmen at garages I worked for in the past always asked for the tow bar to be removed for that reason.
One advantage though is it protects your plastic bumper from other car drivers getting to "friendly" in car parks etc.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

The wheels are aftermarket alloy wheels from Dezent (pretty common, here in DK at least) - the towbar is another Danish countryside thing, I am actually renewing it as we speak, as the connector had miserably failed due to corrosion. People usually use them to bring garden clippings etc. to the nearest recycling plant, as well as sporadically moving furniture etc.
On paper it's allowed to tow 400 kg without brakes and 500 kg with brakes, and Danes tend to be extremely law-abiding (sometimes to a ridiculous extent, if you ask me - being italian), and since the previous owner was an older lady I'm not at all concerned! It's just practical to have the towbar for many reasons, and one of the things I was looking for when shopping for a "new" car

I have a small - 5ft by 3ft - trailer myself but don't now have a car with a towbar and I really miss it!

 

[Pitzky]

I have a small - 5ft by 3ft - trailer myself but don't now have a car with a towbar and I really miss it!

Here in DK it's quite common to be able to rent a closed trailer for close to no money for 24 hours, I think the booking fee is 25 dkk and the extra insurance with zero liability is 50 dkk, so for 75 dkk (~7-8 GBP?) you can move all your belongings on a nice saturday/sunday

Which also means that you often have to book them weeks in advance, as almost everybody does it like this in the weekends, especially close to school start/finish!

I was not used to having a towbar in Italy, but quickly realized it's extra freedom here in DK

 

[mafiltenborg]

Amen to that messy Danish car market! For exactly the same reason I got me a Panda and have also done the stereo swap. Headliner too, as mine was a 'smokers car' - Cough-cough-cough... Ewww. But now it's back to no-smell-territory.

Oh - and the towbar-thing... Yes; the mighty Panda also sports a towbar allowing me to lug around 400/800kg of whatever needs to be lugged around. It's been said that there's a trend in Denmark; the further west you go, the more towbar-equipped cars you find (percentage). Unlike in Italy (I read that from the text), a towbar ADDS to the car's value because it makes it a more versatile tool. Why eastern-danes don't like towbars is beyond me. It may in fact not be true at all.

I own my own trailer. For that reason my three search criteria when looking for a new car were: Keep me dry in the rain, cheap to own and able to tow a trailer. A towbar is THAT important!

 

[Pitzky]

Amen to that messy Danish car market! For exactly the same reason I got me a Panda and have also done the stereo swap. Headliner too, as mine was a 'smokers car' - Cough-cough-cough... Ewww. But now it's back to no-smell-territory.

Honestly I can't even say what stained my headliner...looked like some spraying pattern, but could also have been mold (it apparently spent the winter outside at the dealer in Hvidovre...) but I suspect mine might have been a smoker too, as there is a suspicious burn in the center of the driver's seat...
Also really poor support for Fiat cars in Denmark! I'm super surprised! Where are you located?

 

[mafiltenborg]

Honestly I can't even say what stained my headliner...looked like some spraying pattern, but could also have been mold (it apparently spent the winter outside at the dealer in Hvidovre...) but I suspect mine might have been a smoker too, as there is a suspicious burn in the center of the driver's seat...
Also really poor support for Fiat cars in Denmark! I'm super surprised! Where are you located?

Some poor sod cracking open a hot can of soda on a summer day, not realising the consequences? BOOM!
Obviously, I had the same cigarette burn - right there too. Cushion detaches with two bolts. Easy. Did you find the secret compartment?
Located in western Denmark (Aarhus) - the towbar-thing...
Old vs newish headliner on my end. I'm tellin ya - it was filthy! The whole car...

 

[Pitzky]

Some poor sod cracking open a hot can of soda on a summer day, not realising the consequences? BOOM!
Obviously, I had the same cigarette burn - right there too. Cushion detaches with two bolts. Easy. Did you find the secret compartment?
Located in western Denmark (Aarhus) - the towbar-thing...
Old vs newish headliner on my end. I'm tellin ya - it was filthy! The whole car...

Damn that headliner looked awful! The blackening over the driver says it all!! Didn't bother changing seats yet, but I am strongly considering a total reupholstery...but first I'm gonna do some more fun things, and let's see if I need to/want to go through the trouble of finding some better seat covers
Cheers for Aarhus! Lovely city! Though becoming as car-unfriendly as Copenhagen I feel! I live on the outskirts and work even further out, but when I have to drive into the city I hate every second of it...

 

[mafiltenborg]

<snip> Didn't bother changing seats yet, but I am strongly considering a total reupholstery...

On that subject, i did my usual routine and went to Bauhaus to rent their big, powerful carpet-cleaner + upholstery-attachment, then spent an entire day attacking the dirt and grime. seats went from black-brownish with that yucky, slightly shiny luster that caked-on dirt gives off, to near-new (except for the cigarette burn).
I also found that seat cushions on the Panda unbolt easily, and that the fabric appears to be removable - it is clicked onto the frame with suspiciously removable-looking plastic-hooks. I almost expect to be able to find OE replacement fabric in Fiats' catalogue. I mean - it would make perfect sense; people smoke in cars, and many drop their cigarettes causing the damage we've both seen. Why not offer a cheap & simple sparepart?
Maybe your Punto is built in a similar way?

<snip>becoming as car-unfriendly as Copenhagen I feel! I live on the outskirts and work even further out, but when I have to drive into the city I hate every second of it...

Agree. I've come to the point of preferring the bus when going downtown. Or taking my motorbike for that cobblestone cruise if the purpose is of a more leisurely nature.
Mind you, I live in Tilst where we have everything except the high street and posh shops selling overpriced stuff I don't need.

 

[Pitzky]

On that subject, i did my usual routine and went to Bauhaus to rent their big, powerful carpet-cleaner + upholstery-attachment, then spent an entire day attacking the dirt and grime. seats went from black-brownish with that yucky, slightly shiny luster that caked-on dirt gives off, to near-new (except for the cigarette burn).
I also found that seat cushions on the Panda unbolt easily, and that the fabric appears to be removable - it is clicked onto the frame with suspiciously removable-looking plastic-hooks. I almost expect to be able to find OE replacement fabric in Fiats' catalogue. I mean - it would make perfect sense; people smoke in cars, and many drop their cigarettes causing the damage we've both seen. Why not offer a cheap & simple sparepart?
Maybe your Punto is built in a similar way?

Agree. I've come to the point of preferring the bus when going downtown. Or taking my motorbike for that cobblestone cruise if the purpose is of a more leisurely nature.
Mind you, I live in Tilst where we have everything except the high street and posh shops selling overpriced stuff I don't need.

Haven't tried the Bauhaus one yet, I did borrow a small portable one and it already did wonders! But I also noticed that it seems super easy to remove all the fabric, which in turn suggests there should be a replacement available...it's just so difficult (I feel) to get Fiat parts here in DK, but maybe I just don't know where to look!

 

[mafiltenborg]

Have you paid ePer a visit? It's a parts-finder service offered right here on this site, look in the menus. And I've found that if you enter your vehicle into the Garage (again, the menus) it becomes available for you to select - and directly find - loads of parts numbers for your specific vehicle. Very impressive!
Then, armed with a specific part-number, you can visit any dumb-ass dealer, walk right up to the counter and order the exact part. Suddently, the ball is in HIS courtyard and you can just wait for it to arrive.
Example: ePer seat covers for Panda

Proper registration in the Garage requires your VIN and that you follow the instructions given here. Following that you'll get your very own webpage holding all kinds of info - like this one for my little car: The MicroSled

 

[Pitzky]

Have you paid ePer a visit? It's a parts-finder service offered right here on this site, look in the menus. And I've found that if you enter your vehicle into the Garage (again, the menus) it becomes available for you to select - and directly find - loads of parts numbers for your specific vehicle. Very impressive!
Then, armed with a specific part-number, you can visit any dumb-ass dealer, walk right up to the counter and order the exact part. Suddently, the ball is in HIS courtyard and you can just wait for it to arrive.
Example: ePer seat covers for Panda

Proper registration in the Garage requires your VIN and that you follow the instructions given here.

I did do all of that, but do we have any dealers here in Denmark? I tried looking for them but either I am really bad at it or there don't seem to be any...

 

[mafiltenborg]

I did do all of that, but do we have any dealers here in Denmark? I tried looking for them but either I am really bad at it or there don't seem to be any...

Yes. Fiat's homepage politely directs you in a sensible direction: https://www.fiat.dk/tools/find-forhandler

Then, when you have had enough of the new-component-pricing, you may find it worth visiting THansen, who will be able to - given your license plate number - locate new, lowcost parts. And finally, as time passes, you'll eventually stumble into somebody with a lift and spare time who can help you out with the odd repair at a sensible cost. I've just returned from such a place carrying four nice all-season-wheels and a load of plastic panels taken right off of the Panda that sat on the lift, being sold piece-by-piece to - well, me

 

[Pitzky]

Yes. Fiat's homepage politely directs you in a sensible direction: https://www.fiat.dk/tools/find-forhandler

Well clearly I did something wrong when looking for a dealer then...and there's plenty to choose from! If the covers are not too expensive it might be worth it!

 

[mafiltenborg]

Well clearly I did something wrong when looking for a dealer then...and there's plenty to choose from! If the covers are not too expensive it might be worth it!

There's the whole breaker's network too...

Autogenbrugernes Datalager / Fælleslager for brugte autodele fra autogenbrugere

Autogenbrug: Brugte og afmonterede reservedele til biler, varevogne og lastbiler fra autogenbrugernes fælleslager

ditonet.dk

På

Autoophuggernes Datalager / Fælleslager for brugte autodele i Europa

Med over 2,7 mio. dele fra over 100 ophuggere er vi autoophuggernes datalager/fælleslager og Europas største shop for autogenbrug.

www.autoparts24.dk

Næstved Autoophug A/S | Reservedele til biler | Genbrugsreservedele | Biler til ophug

Se vores reklamefilm herunder og husk lyden. Hos Næstved Autoophug er vi altid leveringsdygtige i kvalitetskontrollerede brugte og nye reservedele til stort set alle bilmærker. Vi har siden 2008 specialiseret os i Suzuki reservedele. Dog har vi ikke skåret ned på vores viden samt...

naestved-autoophug.dk

and so on. Go nuts

 

[Pitzky]

There's the whole breaker's network too...

Autogenbrugernes Datalager / Fælleslager for brugte autodele fra autogenbrugere

Autogenbrug: Brugte og afmonterede reservedele til biler, varevogne og lastbiler fra autogenbrugernes fælleslager

ditonet.dk

På

Autoophuggernes Datalager / Fælleslager for brugte autodele i Europa

Med over 2,7 mio. dele fra over 100 ophuggere er vi autoophuggernes datalager/fælleslager og Europas største shop for autogenbrug.

www.autoparts24.dk

Næstved Autoophug A/S | Reservedele til biler | Genbrugsreservedele | Biler til ophug

Se vores reklamefilm herunder og husk lyden. Hos Næstved Autoophug er vi altid leveringsdygtige i kvalitetskontrollerede brugte og nye reservedele til stort set alle bilmærker. Vi har siden 2008 specialiseret os i Suzuki reservedele. Dog har vi ikke skåret ned på vores viden samt...

naestved-autoophug.dk

and so on. Go nuts

I tried contacting the local dealer to get a quote on the covers...ePER listed it as 435 dkk (plus VAT?), which in my opinion was already borderline pricey - dealer quoted me 2095 dkk

I also was considering changing the 12V socket, ePER listed it as 145 dkk, dealer quoted me 422 dkk

Needless to say I will rather see if there is any used part at some breaker that I can use...this is crazier than I expected

 

[mafiltenborg]

I tried contacting the local dealer to get a quote on the covers...ePER listed it as 435 dkk (plus VAT?), which in my opinion was already borderline pricey - dealer quoted me 2095 dkk

I also was considering changing the 12V socket, ePER listed it as 145 dkk, dealer quoted me 422 dkk

Needless to say I will rather see if there is any used part at some breaker that I can use...this is crazier than I expected

Okay. I was curious to know exactly that; do ePER prices reflect actual at-the-dealer-prices. Now I know they don't.
I've had only one experience; I bought a paint-repair-pen for 250 dkk. Pricey too, but this particular subject calls for an actually matching colour, so unavoidable.

While on the subject of breakers; I went to my local breaker yesterday to hand off the C4 for scrapping. And had a walkabout on the premises. Found 4 Pandas and had a poke at them. Got a gear gaiter gizmo (ring, gaiter and the reverse-gear-handle); 20 dkk.

Oh - and look what was in the mail:

Works just fine: 2 USB-charger-outlets and two-layer storage compartment.
But the colour... What was I thinking?

 

[ben]

Okay. I was curious to know exactly that; do ePER prices reflect actual at-the-dealer-prices. Now I know they don't.

Those prices are pulled from the database, which was last updated in 2016 :s

We wondered whether they were useful to keep on the eper system (due to their inaccuracy) - but thought it might be nice to have some kind of a reference point so left them on.