Panda (Classic) Project Panda-looking Pandas.

[Palio]

A few more Panto details..........







I managed to pick up some very rare wheel arch extensions about 18 months ago as I thought they would be good for Panto, I'm glad I did as I think they add to the 'Panda' look.
They were fitted for the NEC but the mudflap type clips supplied were not very good so I fitted them once we were there as there was a danger of them falling off half way down the motorway. How annoying would it have been to have lost one with no chance of finding a replacement.
They are now held on with self tappers, which were also suppied , I guess even the manufacturers didn't trust the clamps alone. I wasn't keen to drill holes in the wheel arch lip but I'm sure that with a good dose of cavity wax the rust will be kept at bay.

You may also notice the new side repeaters in one of the pics. I've used this type before on Charmania (now Charmanda) and Barbara's 4x4 (now Barrington), they are from a Rover 25/MGF. I buy the units second hand so that I get the bulb holders and some wiring, then I replace the orange lenses with new smoked ones which come with bulbs to match. I prefer these as the square shape suits the Panda better in my eyes.

Today was a big day for Panto, his first mot test since 2004!



He passed of course :slayer: even though it was a very tough test! Two of the mechanics had to take him for a short test drive, one at a time. I'm not sure what they were checking for but they couldn't have found anything bad as both came back with really big grins on their faces.

The trip to the mot station and back was about 50 miles so I finally got to see what Panto performed like, wow! he is soooooo nice to drive. :yum: The engine is ideal for him, there seems to be acceleration at any speed and in any gear, but second and third are best. I would have to guess this of course but I would imagine that on a private road the speedo would quickly reach its limits and provide no further useful information.

That's great news Will catch up properly in the next couple of days.

All joking aside, do we need to consider a more enthusiastic speedo? I haven't had a Panda off the end - is it "only" 100? (I've had 1050cc 127's off the end and they are marked to 100 )!

 

[scout]

Road trip :thumbup:

 

[VmanC]

That's great news Will catch up properly in the next couple of days.

All joking aside, do we need to consider a more enthusiastic speedo? I haven't had a Panda off the end - is it "only" 100? (I've had 1050cc 127's off the end and they are marked to 100 )!

Yes 100 is the limit, but then 70 is the speed limit. If you plan to go to Germany often you should certainly consider it. Not sure where we would get one that reads higher than 100 and fit easily though.

 

[scout]

Yes 100 is the limit, but then 70 is the speed limit. If you plan to go to Germany often you should certainly consider it. Not sure where we would get one that reads higher than 100 and fit easily though.

You can get GPS speedos, I have one on my phone :thumbup: , they even do them that fit in cars permanently.

 

[Palio]

Yes 100 is the limit, but then 70 is the speed limit. If you plan to go to Germany often you should certainly consider it. Not sure where we would get one that reads higher than 100 and fit easily though.

Hmm yes quite possibly - lots of friends in Germany!

Any ideas from anyone?

 

[VmanC]

You can get GPS speedos, I have one on my phone :thumbup: , they even do them that fit in cars permanently.

Hmmm that's a possibility, although the speedo app I used was slow to react, by the time it told you the speed you were doing, you weren't

 

[Palio]

Hmmm that's a possibility, although the speedo app I used was slow to react, by the time it told you the speed you were doing, you weren't

Ok time for today's silly question! Will any mph speedo head work if it physically fits into the binnacle, or does it need special fixings/calibration?

 

[Alixcompo]

Yes any speedo with a square drive will work on any vehicle
My 1983 Sherpa truck has a LandRover speedo fitted, a 5 speed gearbox and an early 4 spead rear axle fitted.

The speedo reads approx 1/2 the speed you are really doing.

But it works

 

[panda panda]

how about a cinq sporting binnicle? Speeds of (goes outside to check) up to 120 mph!

you'd have a rev counter too, and a trip counter on the odometer. I've been considering doing this in fizzle.

Only downside is that I keep reading the revs for speed as it is in the place where a panda shows speed!

 

[firstcar-Y10]

how about a cinq sporting binnicle? Speeds of (goes outside to check) up to 120 mph!

you'd have a rev counter too, and a trip counter on the odometer. I've been considering doing this in fizzle.

Only downside is that I keep reading the revs for speed as it is in the place where a panda shows speed!

3500 mph!!! hope there's not a speed camera

 

[JamieK]

Hmm yes quite possibly - lots of friends in Germany!

Any ideas from anyone?

If you're (accidently officer) doing over 100 mph and get caught then your in big trouble anyway, so i guess if you just want to know the top speed panto can do than take a good Sat Nav with you next time you're visiting your friends over in Germany

 

[Palio]

If you're (accidently officer) doing over 100 mph and get caught then your in big trouble anyway, so i guess if you just want to know the top speed panto can do than take a good Sat Nav with you next time you're visiting your friends over in Germany

Fair comment, but satnav's take a while to catch up (aren't accurate up/down hill, while accelerating, or under trees) & aren't usually with me anyway - I don't think I'd have known what speeds the Coupe was doing round Gaydon's test track with a Satnav (135 by the way ). A speedo also sticks sometimes when it goes past the end, which then renders it useless until/unless it falls back to earth when you stop! Definitely want to explore a better speedo for several reasons.

 

[Didge3]

Fair comment, but satnav's take a while to catch up (aren't accurate up/down hill, while accelerating, or under trees) & aren't usually with me anyway - I don't think I'd have known what speeds the Coupe was doing round Gaydon's test track with a Satnav (135 by the way ). A speedo also sticks sometimes when it goes past the end, which then renders it useless until/unless it falls back to earth when you stop! Definitely want to explore a better speedo for several reasons.

I've also wanted to delve into different speedos although, having a 750, obviously not for speed reasons, I'm just not a massive fan of the Panda instrument cluster, I'd love to replace it with something else but finding something that'd fit/has a cable driven speedo and is likely to actually work is slim....

 

[panda panda]

I think someone in the 500 section connected a tablet to the electronic gubbins via the obd(?) port .

Does panto have one of those?
Didge3 dragonman's your man for electrical wizardry.

 

[lewey]

For me, GPS is the most accurate way of checking the sustained speed you are travelling. Inaccuracies due to hills is very small, and overall much better than any mechanical speedo. Panda speedos are not accurate! I've got 120BHP in my Panda and 115MPH is the absolute limit after minutes of acceleration.

You can buy posh self-contained speedos that use GPS technology, but sample much faster than a sat nav. Certainly a decent, but costly solution.

My suggestion is to get a KM/h panda dash from the continent and then find a car that has a similar (160MPH) range and fit the gubbins behind it? Perhaps a gear changing device that can adjust the speed going into the foreign clocks?

I have a similar problem for my car. I am planning to return to the original panda clocks (use 2004 punto clocks at moment) with the modern electronics behind it, but speedo poses a problem, other than to use the original one and get problems you are having and the inaccuracies I am describing.

 

[griff74]

I need to stop lurking in the Classic Panda section, the want is too much to bear when I see awesome Panda's like this (and many of the others in here!), I think I would find myself single, and homeless though but god I would love a Panda like this or actually one half or even a basket case would do!!!

 

[lewey]

Perhaps a suitable converter for use with the above KM/h Panda clock idea?

ebay link

 

[onemanmade]

What about the clocks from a Tipo sedicivalvole or a Coupe?

 

[scout]

VmanC Isn't it about time this car was on the road showing those modern cars 'How it's done'?

Will I see this happen before I retire? (That's 13 years by the way ) I'm sure Palio is itching to get his mitts on it.

 

[VmanC]

VmanC Isn't it about time this car was on the road showing those modern cars 'How it's done'?

Will I see this happen before I retire? (That's 13 years by the way ) I'm sure Palio is itching to get his mitts on it.

He could have had it tomorrow but would prefer to take it from me at Brooklands .
I do get it back four days later though as it still won't be finished! perfection can't be rushed you know.