General Panda 4x4 Rust issues

[Zsoltee]

Hey,

I have bought a 2010 Panda 4x4 from Austria and the chassis is in very bad shape, rust everywhere, so i thought that maybe a chassis change would be the most efficient way of getting rid of the rust.

Is there a chance that the non 4x4 Fiat Panda chassis is the same and can everything be swapped out in a better chassis? I know that Front subframe and Rear subframe and rear arms are not the same, but can it be done?

Thanks for your answer.

Best Regards,
Zsolt

 

[koalar]

They are not the same

I don't know what the differences are

But even in none suspension areas the repair panels have different parts numbers

 

[Zsoltee]

They are not the same

I don't know what the differences are

But even in none suspension areas the repair panels have different parts numbers

Thats not a good sign.

I can imagine that the trunk floor in the 4x4 is different, but that contains the VIN number, so that has to be transported over the new chassis.

 

[koalar]

Quite a few parts are different, some a long way from the suspension, lights or radiator, such as part 5 on here

Whether it a critical difference I can't say

I assume the propshaft tunnel and bearing support areas will also be different?

 

[Delux]

Front and rear subframes for the 4x4 are different cos they have to accommodate the diffs and propshaft. Your best bet is to source those from a 4x4 being scrapped in Italy if you can.

Are yours definitely ruined or can you remove them and have them sand blasted and powder coated?

 

[jrkitching]

If the rear subframe is corroded beyond repair, in the UK the car would be scrap. New subframes are unobtainable here and a secondhand one, even if you could find one, would likely be not much better and cost silly money.

It's possible you could put on a 2WD rear beam and associated parts if you remove the propshaft & keep it as a 2WD car, though I'm not aware of anyone who's actually done this. You'd need to check first that the bodyshell mounting points for the rear beam are present and in the same place - I've no idea if this is the case.

Realistically it's not worth investing a huge amount of time and effort in a 14yr old Panda. If there's any significant corrosion to the structural bodyshell, I'd definitely not consider trying to repair it.