Should I or shouldn't I?

Currently reading:
Should I or shouldn't I?

Joined
Oct 1, 2017
Messages
8,383
Points
2,743
Location
Edinburgh Scotland
This has just turned up at the wee garage down the road who sourced my Ibiza for me. https://www.howard-johnston.co.uk/used-cars/fiat-panda-1-2-8v-waze-ss-5dr-edinburgh-202111109427658 I'm not quite sure about the colour but I like that it's a 1.2 - an engine I know pretty well - and that it has the manual air con. Becky would have to go of course and I don't know if I can "betray" her like that? I know the people in the garage very well so might just drop in and have a crawl around it? Maybe there's some discount to be had if I do the service they are promising myself? Anyone know what was special/different about the Waze?
 
I'm not sure about the colour either, but then, I don't have to look at it outside.

I thought the Waze was something to do with upgraded stereo. NO! Wrong. Just googled it. It seems Waze is a subsidiary of Google, and is a navigation system. I doubt the car comes with internet access, unless you pair your phone and use that, so to gan the benefit of the 'Waze' bit, you'd need a smartphone and a decent monthly data allowance. Won't stop you driving the thing if you ignore it though.
 
I'm not sure about the colour either, but then, I don't have to look at it outside.

I thought the Waze was something to do with upgraded stereo. NO! Wrong. Just googled it. It seems Waze is a subsidiary of Google, and is a navigation system. I doubt the car comes with internet access, unless you pair your phone and use that, so to gan the benefit of the 'Waze' bit, you'd need a smartphone and a decent monthly data allowance. Won't stop you driving the thing if you ignore it though.
Thanks PB. Just done some googling myself and, as I don't even have a smart phone the "extras" in the Waze model are pretty irrelevant to us. I've also decided there's something not right for me about the colour combination - white looks much better for instance. So I may drop in "socially" and have a look but I don't think I'll be buying this particular car. Like the styling though.
 
Thanks PB. Just done some googling myself and, as I don't even have a smart phone the "extras" in the Waze model are pretty irrelevant to us. I've also decided there's something not right for me about the colour combination - white looks much better for instance. So I may drop in "socially" and have a look but I don't think I'll be buying this particular car. Like the styling though.
Resist.
If you go look, it'll nag at you more. Look away, don't look back. Think of the money you'll save by keeping Becky, especially as it's a local runabout. Used car prices are silly at the moment, due to a shortage of new vehicles. That will change soon, as new cars start to flow again.

For those that may not be aware, at the start of lockdown 2020, millions of people were housebound, worldwide. Sales of electronic devices, smartphones, tablets, laptops, shot up, as every child needed their own to continue schooling. Chip manufacturers, making good profits on device chips, but screwed to minimum by car manufacturers, chose to tell car manufacturers to get stuffed, and focussed on making device chips. As a result, car production slowed, and in some cases stopped.
Now device sales have slowed, to below pre-pandemic levels, as everyone now has one, car chips are slowly being delivered.
Car sales have slowed also, as many people have realised they don't need to travel as much, so all will even out slowly as supply and demand realign.
 
Resist.
If you go look, it'll nag at you more. Look away, don't look back. Think of the money you'll save by keeping Becky, especially as it's a local runabout. Used car prices are silly at the moment, due to a shortage of new vehicles. That will change soon, as new cars start to flow again.

For those that may not be aware, at the start of lockdown 2020, millions of people were housebound, worldwide. Sales of electronic devices, smartphones, tablets, laptops, shot up, as every child needed their own to continue schooling. Chip manufacturers, making good profits on device chips, but screwed to minimum by car manufacturers, chose to tell car manufacturers to get stuffed, and focussed on making device chips. As a result, car production slowed, and in some cases stopped.
Now device sales have slowed, to below pre-pandemic levels, as everyone now has one, car chips are slowly being delivered.
Car sales have slowed also, as many people have realised they don't need to travel as much, so all will even out slowly as supply and demand realign.
Aye PB common sense has prevailed. After all, as you point out, this is very much a second car and anyway I take great pride in keeping the older cars running and in good order. Besides, Mrs J said NO! so that's the end of that! All best wishes to you and your's.

PS. might just sneak a look though, just for of curiosities sake. I've never had a good look round the later model Panda.
 
I think the 'Waze' bit stands for "Waze the car wearing a pair of dark glasses?" :D Looks like Waze is just a satnav thing, much like the TomToms with live traffic updates you could buy for the previous generations.

How about looking around for a restorable Mk1 Panda 4x4 if you're after another project? They seem to be getting a bit of a following as a 'go anywhere' car so I'm sure status as a classic car won't be far behind; I keep getting semi-tempted to try and grab one myself but usually end up getting something with more performance instead.



Could be useful for that small handful of snowy days...
 
Last edited:
Go when they're shut. If it is outside, you can look all you want, without being pressured by a hungry salesman.
Thanks PB, I've done that in the past with garages I'm not known at but these guys know me well and I'm sure I'd just be left to look on my own as much as I want - not sure if there's much point in it now though
 
Waze refers to the phone dock on the dash if memory serves.

It has that dock so you can pop your smartphone on and satnav about using waze. I seem to recall you don't have a smart phone so perfectly useless. One thing I'm not seeing as a result is any provision for cassette or CD either.

I'm a fan of the cross mini suv styling, for same reason I like it on the C3...most places you're likely to take a knock or stone chip is covered in black plastic. Though for the full park like you're in Paris/Milan effect the body coloured rear and front touch points detract somewhat. At least the arches, sills and front corners aren't painted though.
 
Well talking Panda more generically I love them but have never owned one. The 4x4 would be top of my list quickly followed by the 100HP and thereafter basically any other Panda. Would at that I have been in Panda's over the years and have friends who have had them.

Some things about the Panda that influence me.

1) when I bought my 1st Uno the Panda was around and fully established and shipping in large quantities since 1980
2) it's success, popularity and reliability mean that it is still here today
3) go to any Italian small hillside village and you will see why they are so popular especially the 4x4
4) they are the go-to small utility vehicle - yes an ugly box on wheels in the 80s to a not so ugly rounded corner box on wheels today

You then have some other features besides the clear capabilities of the 4x4

a) good ground clearance
b) narrow wheel base so you won't be running in the more normal tracks of others
c) four wheels at four corners - no overhangs - clearly defined limits from driver's seat
d) for those of us aging like the 500X it is a car that you can easily get into/out of

All in all, especially the reliability, overall capabilities and usefulness of the Panda just shine even though to many it is an ugly box on wheels.

I'm trying to recall but I think Fiat had an experimental Panda with an all plastic bodyshell and doors. Rot free, no paintwork and had that velvet stipple like army finish.
 
It looks a nice car, I think considering the amount their asking they could put a bit more effort into cleaning the interior by getting the multiple white stains out of the seats, also the picture of the wheel looks as if its been kerbed quite a few times. Its a great colour combo though.
 
This has just turned up at the wee garage down the road who sourced my Ibiza for me. https://www.howard-johnston.co.uk/used-cars/fiat-panda-1-2-8v-waze-ss-5dr-edinburgh-202111109427658 I'm not quite sure about the colour but I like that it's a 1.2 - an engine I know pretty well - and that it has the manual air con. Becky would have to go of course and I don't know if I can "betray" her like that? I know the people in the garage very well so might just drop in and have a crawl around it? Maybe there's some discount to be had if I do the service they are promising myself? Anyone know what was special/different about the Waze?
Waze is a special edition with some cross features but not all. If you down load the panda app onto a smart phone you get access to a button on your phone taking you directly to the waze navigation app. You can get this by downloading the panda app regardless..... not much apart from that. My 4x4 has more equipment than the standard car but less than the cross. City cross follows the same pattern. The biggest and most important feature is the silly face badges on the front wings. One up on a BMW badge but apart from that good for nought else. I bought waze because 4x4 cost the same as 2WD and to get away from the nasty plastic seat inserts badly sold as leather. I also wanted the 90hp motor, but this was a con and no waze 4x4 have the engine that was widely advertised. You live and learn.
 
I'm quite taken by the Jeep Renegade. It's basically a Fiat 500X (made on the same production lines) with a much better style body that sort of hints at the Panda 169 design philosophy. Some models use the Fiat MuitiAir engine, but Americans are assumed to not like "little" engines so the "better" spec versions have bigger engines..
 
There is more to the "chip shortage" than cars and Covid. It's not just "chips", all sorts of electronic component are in short supply.
Its a bit of a perfect storm of failures in the supply chain such as a fire in a factory producing epoxy resins used for encapsulation, increased demand, and the lockdown closing factories. A lot of the processes are hard to shut down and re-start. For some a sudden shutdown without additional work damages the equipment too. Locally Brexit has not helped.
The component makers are selling what they have to the buyer with the most money or contracts with the most penalties. This may well be the portable electronic device makers.
 
Car manufacturers are in a perfect storm where their hard bargaining for old tech electronics at low prices and their refusal to see the inevitable switch to EVs are all hitting at the same time. Even worse they Chinese car makes chomping at their heels with cars that are that are not confined by chip shortages. They also have Tesla eating at their profitable ranges (mid price "executive" cars). Texas is about to to kick into gear and soon enough Berlin will follow. Now is not a good time to be a Legacy Car Company director.
 
Back
Top