Technical Panda 1.3 multijet timing chain.....

[AndyRKett]

I genuinely think you’ve made the right choice. Worst case you buy a throwaway 500 panda multijet with a 6 month mot on it, for less than the cost of repairs and then scrap that too when the MOT comes and you’d still be better off.

There was a time not that long back that any 1.3 multijet car was worth a lot of money. Even old 2004/05 multijet puntos will still sell for up to £1000, but now the cost of repairs is outstripping the value. The only other option would be a scrappy engine, with half decent milage but I’d still want to replace the unknown chain and probably the oil pump too.

How much money Is your time worth, you can lay under a car all day and get nowhere or just buy another car and be done with it,

 

[jrkitching]

that gave me the foresight of what lay ahead

Your experience is serving you well. Sometimes it's best just to call it quits before you've got too much skin in the game - in this case, perhaps quite literally.

But I'm sorry to hear your Panda has let you down like this. I hope you manage to find a suitable replacement without too much bother.

I'm also hoping you'll have some better news soon regarding your in-laws.

And thanks for coming back and letting us know the final outcome to your story; a lesser man wouldn't have bothered.

 

[Popitinpete]

not had to repair a broken chain on a 1.3 multijet so could be wrong

buy aren't they normally done engine out

the Corsa engine was on the hoist last time I was at a garage. They told me it was easier to work with as the flywheel needs to come off to use the Crank locking tool.

That would make absolute sense to do it with the engine out but again that adds to the cost, the locking tool is fitted without taking the gearbox and flywheel off apparently but again lots of other stuff has to come off, brackets etc etc to get to the access hole. It's a brilliant little engine until something like this happens. The limited access in the engine bay is challenging to say the least.

 

[Popitinpete]

I genuinely think you’ve made the right choice. Worst case you buy a throwaway 500 panda multijet with a 6 month mot on it, for less than the cost of repairs and then scrap that too when the MOT comes and you’d still be better off.

There was a time not that long back that any 1.3 multijet car was worth a lot of money. Even old 2004/05 multijet puntos will still sell for up to £1000, but now the cost of repairs is outstripping the value. The only other option would be a scrappy engine, with half decent milage but I’d still want to replace the unknown chain and probably the oil pump too.

How much money Is your time worth, you can lay under a car all day and get nowhere or just buy another car and be done with it,

Absolutely, to do the job with its horrendous engine access in a small garage with the car on axle stands and not even a four poster ramp is bad enough but I will have to chuck £200/300 at it at least just to do the "hope I got away with it" method and if it HAS damaged valves and guides it's a strip down all over again to get the head off to have machine work done and, well, you can see where it's going. I'm cutting my losses, I paid £500 for it 3 years ago, I've done 20k miles in it, that's pretty good value, I can't complain at that, it's just naturally come to the end of its life plus the looming mot with its 3 x tyres and two shock absorbers that I know of so far makes it a no go.
I was thinking of buying another one and just using it like a disposable lighter and chucking them away when they are finished but I must admit, and this could only be me or small car syndrome but I find EVERYONE tailgates you EVERYONE. I've never been treated with such disrespect on the roads before I bought this panda, I've lost count of the amount of times I've had to have a word with people and tell them to back off, its absolutely horrendous, so that got me thinking, get a punto? (sorry having a brain freeze) with the 1.3 multijet then I have all the benefits of the MJ but with a bigger car, you seem to know your onions with these cars, how do you get treated and what are values at these days?

 

[Popitinpete]

Your experience is serving you well. Sometimes it's best just to call it quits before you've got too much skin in the game - in this case, perhaps quite literally.

But I'm sorry to hear your Panda has let you down like this. I hope you manage to find a suitable replacement without too much bother.

I'm also hoping you'll have some better news soon regarding your in-laws.

And thanks for coming back and letting us know the final outcome to your story; a lesser man wouldn't have bothered.

Thank you for your kind words, it was the first car in a long time to get under my skin and I actually was very protective of it lol, cheeky little Italian city car that has bags of character. But that aside priority has got to be me getting mobile in the current situation. If the car was lower mileage and I knew it would pass the next looming mot unscathed I would happily pay the £600 or so to get the job done at a fiat specialist but add on the cost of getting it relayed there, then add on the price of the parts for the mot early next year and I'm into it over £1k just to fix it as it stands now. That doesn't make economic sense. So that's it, my time with panda was brief but enjoyable and it's time to move on. I must admit though, that multijet when in fine fettle is a lovely little thing.

 

[koalar]

a quick search a full comprehensive kit for chain, gaskets, 16 rockers is £199 or best offers

still need fluids, gasket seal locking kit and so on which should be under £100


tyres are nearly always needed when buying any secondhand car. I normally pay just over £30 a corner for new nano energy 155/80R13 or £15 part worn which are near as dam it new. I do have to wait until they are on offer.

 

[DaveMcT]

With your personal situation, I think you are doing the right thing. If the car was in otherwise good condition it's probably worth it, but when fasteners are falling apart with rust and you've had engine problems before its sensible to call it quits.

By the way I'd be taking the engine out and checking the clutch while it's apart. More work but hey.

You never know, it might sell ok on eBay as these cars are getting expensive so more people will be prepared to give it the work it needs.

 

[chris3234]

Strip it for parts would be the best way to get your money back if you have the time and space

 

[Popitinpete]

a quick search a full comprehensive kit for chain, gaskets, 16 rockers is £199 or best offers

still need fluids, gasket seal locking kit and so on which should be under £100


tyres are nearly always needed when buying any secondhand car. I normally pay just over £30 a corner for new nano energy 155/80R13 or £15 part worn which are near as dam it new. I do have to wait until they are on offer.

Not a bad price for the kit to be fair, so;

Timing kit £200
Fluids + sundries £100
3x tyres £90.00
N/s/f shock absorber £30.00
O/s/r shock absorber 20.00
Cost of looming Mot £40.00

That's a Conservative estimate so let's be generous and round it up to £500.00, the car is in I would say fairly presentable condition but with body issues such as a dent in the n/s/r door with a bad rattle can spray job (not mine) on the n/s/r door and qtr panel. A bad filler job on the o/s/f door with a dubious rattle can match, a damaged o/s/r qtr panel and wheelarch plus the on going alignment problem that is destroying tyres in under 5k and it would be uneconomical to carry on.

It was bought as a second car in the first place to take the car park knocks and winter roads for my absolutely mint low mileage 'best car' that due to covid I had to sell so I didn't need a mint car in the first place just a presentable one but I do hate how people treat small cars on the road, especially the panda in my opinion, constant tailgating for no other reason than its a small car. I've had a quick look at sub 1k cars today and it's full of absolute bangers that have always been £300 but now all of a sudden people want 1k and upwards, ie, 2003 (old shape!) vauxhall astra, 165k miles, fair condition, mot due In December 2021 £1695.00..........

Without the aid of a four poster ramp It would be the most laborious job in the world I'm convinced,I can't find anyone on here who has tackled the job themselves, probably for a good reason. I've never shyed away from a job on any of my cars before but having studied what needs doing and lying under the car and actually weighing up the difficulty I would be foolish to carry on. If it was a minter I would farm it out due to the difficulty anyway

 

[Popitinpete]

With your personal situation, I think you are doing the right thing. If the car was in otherwise good condition it's probably worth it, but when fasteners are falling apart with rust and you've had engine problems before its sensible to call it quits.

By the way I'd be taking the engine out and checking the clutch while it's apart. More work but hey.

You never know, it might sell ok on eBay as these cars are getting expensive so more people will be prepared to give it the work it needs.

Yes same thinking here, luckily it had a new clutch when I had it, so it's only 20k miles old. I feel it would have to be an engine out job so add £100 for hoist hire anyway so I haven't even saved on the cost of a clutch lol, it was a second car to take the car park knocks and winter road salt instead of my mint and low mileage Sunday best car (which I sold due to covid) so it's not a minter but it has had in the last 18 months 1 x rear shocker, 1 x o/s/f shocker and 2 x front bottom arms and 1 x rear exhaust box, the interior is in very good condition so it may be worth something to somebody

 

[Popitinpete]

Strip it for parts would be the best way to get your money back if you have the time and space

I did think of it but time and space are at a premium due to an impending house move,plus another project on the drive (my old e30) 3 x classic bikes, 4 x classic lawn mowers to name but a few ? oh dear I don't make it easy for myself

 

[koalar]

Not a bad price for the kit to be fair, so;

Timing kit £200
Fluids + sundries £100
3x tyres £90.00
N/s/f shock absorber £30.00
O/s/r shock absorber 20.00
Cost of looming Mot £40.00

That's a Conservative estimate so let's be generous and round it up to £500.00, the car is in I would say fairly presentable condition but with body issues such as a dent in the n/s/r door with a bad rattle can spray job (not mine) on the n/s/r door and qtr panel. A bad filler job on the o/s/f door with a dubious rattle can match, a damaged o/s/r qtr panel and wheelarch plus the on going alignment problem that is destroying tyres in under 5k and it would be uneconomical to carry on.

It was bought as a second car in the first place to take the car park knocks and winter roads for my absolutely mint low mileage 'best car' that due to covid I had to sell so I didn't need a mint car in the first place just a presentable one but I do hate how people treat small cars on the road, especially the panda in my opinion, constant tailgating for no other reason than its a small car. I've had a quick look at sub 1k cars today and it's full of absolute bangers that have always been £300 but now all of a sudden people want 1k and upwards, ie, 2003 (old shape!) vauxhall astra, 165k miles, fair condition, mot due In December 2021 £1695.00..........

Without the aid of a four poster ramp It would be the most laborious job in the world I'm convinced,I can't find anyone on here who has tackled the job themselves, probably for a good reason. I've never shyed away from a job on any of my cars before but having studied what needs doing and lying under the car and actually weighing up the difficulty I would be foolish to carry on. If it was a minter I would farm it out due to the difficulty anyway

£500 sounds about right. By the time you added up all the little bits like exhaust paste

its over what I would spend repairing a car of this age, with its other problems.

Getting a small diesel isnt easy. But a petrol small cheap car requiring a bit of work can be done. I paid £350 for a 09 alto (abs fault) and £300 for a 2010 panda (gearbox fault) over a year ago.

the alto cost nothing to fix
the Panda around £150 to fix

 

[Popitinpete]

£500 sounds about right. By the time you added up all the little bits like exhaust paste

its over what I would spend repairing a car of this age, with its other problems.

Getting a small diesel isnt easy. But a petrol small cheap car requiring a bit of work can be done. I paid £350 for a 09 alto (abs fault) and £300 for a 2010 panda (gearbox fault) over a year ago.

the alto cost nothing to fix
the Panda around £150 to fix

It's going to the breakers if nobody wants it for spares, that's the solution, to spend any money on it is foolhardy.

Ps, there is no guarantee that the sacrificial rockers have protected the valves anyway, its not 100% failsafe. Imagine going to the trouble and expense of doing the job, trying to start it only to find bent valves or guide problems, so it's another strip down, head off then probably another £300 at least at the machine shop,that would be ridiculous.

 

[varesecrazy]

Where are you based..?
Has it got any 'special' bits.. alloys.. nice seats..etc ?

 

[DaveMcT]

Where are you based..?
Has it got any 'special' bits.. alloys.. nice seats..etc ?

Indeed. Where is the car? Folks on here might be glad to take it.

 

[Popitinpete]

Indeed. Where is the car? Folks on here might be glad to take it.

Hi it's in west Bromwich,6 months mot on it, it's on fleabay at the moment, loads of good parts on it. 2 x good doors, 2 x new bottom arms, good rear axle, interior is mint, good tailgate, good electric steering module, full tank of derv, new o/s/f shocker, bumpers OK, its silver,make an offer and tow it away looking for about £100 or near offer due to the full tank of fuel,

 

[Popitinpete]

Where are you based..?
Has it got any 'special' bits.. alloys.. nice seats..etc ?

Just put it on fleabay,6 months mot on it, it's a bog standard car, plenty of useable bits on it, good rear axle, 2 x new front arms, 1 x new o/s/f shocker, good electronic steering unit, interior is mint, goodish bumpers, good tailgate , 2 x good doors, good bonnet, newish rear exhaust box, full tank of derv....

Based in West Bromwich, pass the word around, £100 or near offer (due to the full tank of fuel) and trailer it away simple as that colour is silver

 

[Popitinpete]

Indeed. Where is the car? Folks on here might be glad to take it.

Hi Dave just PM'd you, please read

 

[DaveMcT]

Hi Pete. Deal! I've replied.