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Panda (Classic) Pandamonium

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Panda (Classic) Pandamonium

Fantasia

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Red sky in the morning. I'm bored at work. ;)
 
Fantasia

Ladies and Gentlemen. Boy and Girls. Prepare yourself for the most epic thread update in motoring forum history.


















My distributor cap was shot...

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...so I fitted a new one...

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...a whole £1.35 investment. ;)
 
Fantasia

With M.O.T time a few weeks away it's time to find out what's wrong with the Fantasias rear wheel. For a while now it's been squeaking and pulling a little to the left especially under load so I popped the wheel bearing off, stripped it, cleaned all the old grease away and replaced it with my competition stuff (the stuff I've been using on drag bikes for years). Nope still sticky. Took the brakes apart to check the handbrake linkage wasn't snagged, the shoes moved freely and the springs returned them properly. Again no issues. The problem was the wheel cylinder itself was stuck on one side.

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I've fitted a spare Cinquecento one for now but will replace them both when I have more time. Also from the colour of the brake fluid I need to drain the who system and start again. It could well be the original factory fluid from 1988. Had a nasty ammonia smell to it and looked like Guinness at least.

New Rotor Arm arrived today so she's purring like a kitten again as well. :)
 
Fantasia

Thank you for the PM question but I'll answer it here as well. The cable ties are to squeeze as much brake fluid out of the cylinder before I removed it. I also did the same to the replacement cylinder so when I released the cable ties the vacuum created would fill the cylinder with fluid and minimalise bleeding.
 
Been shopping again...

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...6 x 13 Slotmags. :)

I tested them with a spare wheel bearing to see how far out the stud pattern was.

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Hmmmm...

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...almost a perfect fit. I had to use the 10mm spacers to clear the calipers so...

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...wide arches then. ;)

Now do I counter sink the wheels or get flat faced bolts?

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Fantasia

Epic update II

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I've fitted a new coil, new terminals to the LT side of the loom. That's new plugs, new cap, new rotor arm and new coil; if that hasn't solved the splutter at low rev's all that's left is the HT leads and battery.

I've consulted the experts at Wisbech Engineering (bribed them with cake to see if I could borrow their lathe) about the wheels and the general consensus is not to c/sink the wheels as it could damage them, alloy that old could be porous and break apart under the mill and not to remove the taper from my existing bolts as it could weaken them; having a wheel sheer off on a quarter mile run doesn't sound appealing to me either. So I'm after a set of Saxo VTR/VTS or Peugeot 106 GTI bolts with the washers to retro-fit the wheels to the car instead. I'm not sure about wobble bolts they are NHRA approved but if the Pugroen ones are cheaper they could be better for the car. :)

I prefer the older wheels as there were purposefully designed. They weigh about the same as the Steel wheel but take wider tyres and widen the overall track of the car. Unlike the modern (post mid-80's) wheels that were designed for cosmetic purposes out of inferior quality material. I was looking for a set of phase one Uno Turbo wheels for the Panda but when they become available on the market the command a premium beyond what I'm happy to budget for the car. I'll work out how much of my £999 I have left for next years challenge later but I guess I'm close to £550-£600 by now and have a chunk of work still to do.
 
Re: Fantasia

Liquid Knight said:
I don't usually bother with this but...

http://www.howmanyleft.co.uk/?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=Fiat+Panda+Fantasia

...three left! :eek:

The blue one that was for sale a few weeks ago and another blue one that was on eBay in March. Could my car be the only green Fantasia left?

Lucky I can't afford the Porsche paint eh. ;)
Click to expand...

Don't forget the Sorned ones - another 6 according to the DVLA - some of these may be on the road at different times. Still not into double figures until any misdescribed ones or unfound in shed type ones are added in though! (y)

There are also some 750 Fantasia's - still rarer than your average dancing donkey though ;)
 
You leave my dancing donkey out of this. ;)

I nearly bid on that Essex write off CLX for the five speed box, other bits and almost bought the wrong green paint but now I can't. She has to stay original.
 
Productive morning at work today...

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...came to a couple of conclusions as well.

1/ I won't be mirror polishing these wheels, there's a chunk and gouge in one rim and a scratch round three quarters of another. Considering these wheels are at least forty years old they're still in very good condition so they're prepared for paint. I'm thinking gunmetal or graphite grey with a red pinstripe around the rims.

2/ They won't be going on either of my Pandas. I'll see if I can sell them for a little profit and use that to help the Fantasia get through the M.O.T :)
 
Glad to hear you're not fitting the wheels to a Panda, would have looked good but driven like a pig, that much offset is too much for spindly Panda suspension.

Bit of advice on mirror polishing inlet ports....don't do it! By all means do the exhaust ports to a mirror finish but inlets should be left rough sanded to create a little turbulence at the side walls. This turbulence stops the fuel condensing on the side walls and messing with the mixture. (y)
 
Fantasia

M.O.T stuff today, new brake cylinders, pads, shoes, oil, filter and tyres. :)

Also after a bit of a haggle with the brumie boys...

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...new (old) mirror.

Track control ends tomorrow and she'll be ready for testing. I hope. ;)
 
Fantasia

So as promised the track control ends were changed today. One was knackered (not bad considering they are more than likely the one fitted in the factory twenty four years ago) and since it's been replaced the car nolonger has any wobble (I thought it was the suspension bushes)...

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...the other not so bad. I also noticed a tiny hole in one of the CV gaters hope the puncture repair glue holds long enough for M.O.T as I'm out of money to replace them. ;)

So for those who need to know here's how.

1/ Jack the car up safely and remove the wheel.

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2/ Inspect the track rod end to access whether it need replacing or not.

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3/ Loosen the locking nut at the end by a quarter to a half turn.

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4/ Now remove the 17mm bottom nut.

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5/ There are various methods to remove the track rod end. Some prefer the joint splitter whilst other use a clamp and flat plate. Personally I hit it with a hammer.

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6/ Use a clamp or stilson to hold the track rod in place as you turn the end to remove it.

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7/ The fit the new one in place.

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8/ Hold the new track rod end down and tighten the new nut up before tightening the locking nut.

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9/ Finally refit the wheel, remove the car from the jack and enjoy. :)

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Fantasia

As the "Show us your classic Panda" thread is closed here is where my obsession started...

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...this is (was) Cica (Slovak for kitten) the Fiat Panda Bianca that was the first car I had on the road.

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999cc FIRE engine with a 4x4 inlet manifold and carb' hoiking the power from 45 to 55bhp, Uno Turbo wheels on hubcentric spacers, lowered 30mm, and an all Kenwood stereo with a CD head unit, KFC1066 front speakers, KFC1266 speakers mounted in the door panels, two more KFC1066 speakers mounted in the rear trim panels, 6x9's on the parcel shelf and an 8x100w amp running the lot. I did have a twin sub box but preferred being able to carry stuff instead. I have some sunnier photo's somewhere I'll have a did about. :)

Cica was my forth Panda. I owned a black MkI that fell apart and failed the M.O.T in so many ways a copy of the fail sheet is still on the wall at the garage; two 965cc MkI 4x4's that were for off road use only. I paid a princely £325 for Cica in 1998 and sold her to a "friend" in 2001 (to buy my first Uno Turbo). Within a week he had been in an argument with someone who took it upon themselves to further lower the car by slashing the tyres, cut the roof open, smash all the windows, rip all the stereo stuff out and set fire to the back seat. The fire went out because the rain came through the roof but she was practically dead. The bonnet was opened and the battery ripped out and smashed on to the top of the engine pouring acid over the cam' cover, starter motor and alternator.

Poor Cica. :(

Anyway, back to today and the Goodyear NCT2 tyres on the Fantasia are fantastic. So much more feedback and feel. Cornering speeds are now on average 10-15% more than before and she feels a lot more confident. On the down side the lower profile means the suspension has to work harder, so she's has a bit more of a rattle on Norfolk's finest pothole ridden third world-esque dirt tracks (the A47) and due to the wider footprint the steering doesn't self centre as well as before. Apart from that £20 and a car wash was well worth it for all four corners. :)
 
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