Hi there guys. Does anybody know of a company that sells strut braces for Pandas?. I notice Need for Speed has a brace for a Y10 would that be the same or would it foul some engine bit? 
General Strut Brace
- Thread starter Giacosa
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General Strut Brace
Martiny10
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The Y10 one should fit as the turrets are the same distance apart - but the strut brace has a bend in it to allow for the spare wheel. So under compression it will flex at the bend.
Personally, I think its a waste of money.
There have been a few of these braces on Ebay - they went cheap, so hold back on buying a new one.
Personally, I think its a waste of money.
There have been a few of these braces on Ebay - they went cheap, so hold back on buying a new one.
OP
OP
Thanks for the replies Martiny and Enzo. Hmmm maybe il give the Y10 brace a miss. Do you think a brace in a panda gives worthwhile increase in stiffness? What make is that red strut brace is that in your panda Enzo. Nice servoed brakes by the way
The Panda pictured is not mine ...but of another italian freak which fitted a lot of nice things on it !The brace you can see is made by SPARCO,which is specialized in all sort of "tuning" components...the owner said he paid it about 50€.Then mind there's still room for the spare wheel, but not for the jack that has been moved to the boot :idea:
...but of another italian freak which fitted a lot of nice things on it !The brace you can see is made by SPARCO,which is specialized in all sort of "tuning" components...the owner said he paid it about 50€.Then mind there's still room for the spare wheel, but not for the jack that has been moved to the boot :idea:
pandaman71
New member
On some Panda-models there are a Strut Brace, in the buttom of the car, i got it on the black one of mine, this was originaly fitted by Fiat Germany, and you can feel the difrent with it.
Have made one similar, but bigger and harder on my Racing Panda.
Have made one similar, but bigger and harder on my Racing Panda.
pandaman71
New member
No, on some models, was fitted with it rear of the engine in Germany
OP
OP
FIAT fitted an anti-roll bar! Never knew that, i know mine hasn't got it. Has anybody got a pic of the installation
John H
Established member
The UK early '93 CLX has a substantial bar across between the tie-rod mounting points, but I don't think it's an anti-roll bar:
I guess it's to protect the catalyser, which is in the down pipe on that version, from heavy parking nose on into kerbs.
That catalyser is several 100 UKPs to replace - about twice the price of the later one.
I guess it's to protect the catalyser, which is in the down pipe on that version, from heavy parking nose on into kerbs.
That catalyser is several 100 UKPs to replace - about twice the price of the later one.
Yess...it's fastened with two 13mm bolts which I needed to unscrew in order to replace the tie-rods' bushes (unuseful job :bang: ).But it's not the same function as the bottom braces fitted on the hottest Honda models...maybe Integra Type-R .
.
OP
OP
I guess it would depend on the thickness of the bar as to whether it added any stiffness to the structure. On the subject of the cat im gettin the hots for a red CLX can u replace the exhaust minus the cat. Are the fuel injection models DIY friendly?
can u replace the exhaust minus the cat. Are the fuel injection models DIY friendly?John H
Established member
It depends on your MOT (or equivalent annual test for gas emission) rules, or how flexible your tester is:
AFAIK, a '93/94 injected Panda without the catalyser will manage about 0.5% CO, the UK spec for a car of that age is better than 0.3% at natural idle speed, and less than 0.2% at fast idle (in the 2500 to 3000 rpm region).
The fuel injection needs a different set of tools, and mind set, to get to grips with: an oscilloscope is good for looking at lambda switching waveforms, a digital meter is good for other voltages.
Some of the bits are expensive -
see posts about fuel pump.
the throttle body is a sackfull of cash too.
It's nice not wrestling with the choke in the morning, though...
AFAIK, a '93/94 injected Panda without the catalyser will manage about 0.5% CO, the UK spec for a car of that age is better than 0.3% at natural idle speed, and less than 0.2% at fast idle (in the 2500 to 3000 rpm region).
The fuel injection needs a different set of tools, and mind set, to get to grips with: an oscilloscope is good for looking at lambda switching waveforms, a digital meter is good for other voltages.
Some of the bits are expensive -
see posts about fuel pump.
the throttle body is a sackfull of cash too.
It's nice not wrestling with the choke in the morning, though...
pandaman71
New member
The one in front i now, in my Danish papers from FIAT, they stated as extra, but i have bought 3 Panda´s from Germany with the brace rear, and have found out that Fiat Germany, on some models install this
John H
Established member
Giacosa said:
The tube is fairly substantial, but the structure down there is quite strong - the front cross member is so strong it even incorporates a jacking point - so I doubt it adds significantly to the rigidity there.
Looks something like this:
with the fuzzy inset you can see it's about 20mm diameter, but is flattened where it's bolted on.
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OP
OP
Every little helps tho! I remember how suprised i was to see side impact beams in the doors! Fiat does care if i get squished! Anybody got any tips for what i should look for when viewing a CLX im looking at a red one on sunday
Anybody got any tips for what i should look for when viewing a CLX im looking at a red one on sunday
OP
OP
Well so much for the red CLX. Pushy owner, so called immaculate interior looked like Charlie Dimmock had been at it. Immaculate exterior included filler in doors poor partial respray and rust.......All for drop dead price of £270 which i was assured was a bargain........Next :bang:
