Venturing into unknown territory.

[Muddie007]

Right then.

I'm a life long Citroën owner. So was my dad.
However, motorbikes have become an interest to me now, and to fund that interest, car costs must be reduced.
Alas, as my latest banger - a C4 Grand Picasso with +400k Kilometers on the clock - can no longer pass MoT, it yields its place to a Panda 69 bhp model. The Panda is cheaper in taxes, offers better fuel economy and uses cheaper spareparts.

Bought for little money, looking tired and worn-out. Smokers car, of course; stinking and dirty. But nearly rust free and with a mere 250k kilometers on the odo.

That was three weeks ago. Now the car looks well-maintained, the cabin is clean and doesn't stink (major job!), filters and oil have been changed, minor repairs have been made and a new DAB+/handsfree phone/Bluetooth stereo + door-tweeters have been installed.

I kinda like it. It's simple and no-nonsense. And it fulfills the three demands I have; It keeps me out of the rain, it is cheap to own and it can tow my trailer.

Let's see where this takes me. Can a basic Fiat save me money, deal with the transportation task and maybe even put a smile on my face?

Welcome and hi

 

[rmjbn1]

I hope you were able to find the right coolant pipe. I'm sorry I've no idea if there are different versions, I'm waiting with mine until the next timing belt change and do the water pump too.

I'm hoping that makes replacing the pipe easier, sounds like a awkward job with everything in place.

I like your proposals for personal transport, I do love a big Citroën. But I don't think I'm brave enough to own another now. Since getting the Panda I think I'm slowly going off big complicated cars

I think my ideal garage would be:
-Bicycle / ebike for local trips with small trailer for shopping
-Electric microcar / quadricycle for slightly longer trips. 90kph and 100km range would be useful and not need masses of batteries. Current favourite is Microlino, also like the Silence S04 with its removable batteries that double as power banks. But I'd prefer a 2CEV or Austin 7 / Morris 8 converted to electric.
-Classic sports car for occasional long journeys and touring holidays. Healey 100 fits the bill

 

[rmjbn1]

By the way, I don't know if @testacorsa is still on here? Also from Aarhus (I know, it's a fairly big city), nice guy and two Pandas

 

[mafiltenborg]

<snip> Since getting the Panda I think I'm slowly going off big complicated cars

Some days I'm thinking the same thing. But now that I've said 'A'...
Big complicated car

 

[rmjbn1]

Well that's just a superb old girl. If you're going to do big and complicated, may as well do it in style

We had a couple of CX Safaris, and a great European road trip with five friends in one. They make an excellent tour bus, and that DIRAVI power steering must be the best I've experienced. Such a creative team at Citroen back then.

We were just discussing the charms of various Citroens with @The Panda Nut over here: https://www.fiatforum.com/threads/citroen-bx-tzd-turbo.505499/

 

[The Panda Nut]

I hope you were able to find the right coolant pipe. I'm sorry I've no idea if there are different versions, I'm waiting with mine until the next timing belt change and do the water pump too.

I'm hoping that makes replacing the pipe easier, sounds like a awkward job with everything in place.

I like your proposals for personal transport, I do love a big Citroën. But I don't think I'm brave enough to own another now. Since getting the Panda I think I'm slowly going off big complicated cars

I think my ideal garage would be:
-Bicycle / ebike for local trips with small trailer for shopping
-Electric microcar / quadricycle for slightly longer trips. 90kph and 100km range would be useful and not need masses of batteries. Current favourite is Microlino, also like the Silence S04 with its removable batteries that double as power banks. But I'd prefer a 2CEV or Austin 7 / Morris 8 converted to electric.
-Classic sports car for occasional long journeys and touring holidays. Healey 100 fits the bill

I went off them very fast. Too expensive and time consuming. In the CXs case the name too big too.
Citroen CX Safari 2400 DTR Turbo ll. No room even for dirt on the tailgate. But my, what a car!

 

[steveras57]

I went off them very fast. Too expensive and time consuming. In the CXs case the name too big too.
Citroen CX Safari 2400 DTR Turbo ll. No room even for dirt on the tailgate. But my, what a car!

Battlestar Galactica

 

[The Panda Nut]

Battlestar Galactica

I think its a shorter name... and possibly smaller.

 

[steveras57]

I think its a shorter name... and possibly smaller.

Enterprise? - deep (S**t!) space nine! - Galaxy pest, other si-fi analogy's are available!.

 

[mafiltenborg]

Battlestar Galactica

Mine were named 'the sled'. But comparing CX to modern-day autos reveal that they are no longer big vehicles.
Personally, I find the new, big, monstrously wide, tall and heavy SUV's to be the epitomy of 'ugly by design'.

 

[rmjbn1]

That's a good point, it's been a while since I saw a CX on the road, in my mind they're still the size of a small castle.

Those 'Big' Citroëns are probably now just average sized saloons.

 

[rmjbn1]

Wow. I never knew there was such a thing. Cool! I know the Copenhagen council is encouraging inhabitants to go by bicycle and deter the motorists with difficult parking and fees - but taking it further and organizing urban areas into self-contained 'lumps' is so simple and efficient it's almost fun. Why didn't I think of that?

Funnily enough after discussing '15 minute cities', this cropped up about the world's first '5 minute city' project in Nordhavn.

I mean I enjoy driving but even more I enjoy not having to. I'll be watching this with interest. And hope that it changes our current depressing 'zonal' approach to building developments.

Nordhavn: The Danish 'city' that's been designed for an easy life

Copenhagen's once-industrial port has been planned to make everything – from schools and play areas to businesses and recreational spaces – accessible within five minutes.

www.bbc.com

 

[mafiltenborg]

Funnily enough after discussing '15 minute cities', this cropped up about the world's first '5 minute city' project in Nordhavn.

Interesting.
Now, to make an impact, this should be applied somewhere where there's no short distances and where nobody moves by non-car.
America.
Land of the lard-arsed, big-ugly-truck-driving people who can't even be bothered to leave their gas-guzzling monstrosities when getting married.
Also the land where undertakers carry coffins size 5XL. To hold the mortally obese who failed to hang on to life.
Maybe - just maybe - someone overthere should reconsider their way of life, move to a 15-minute-city and get a bicycle.
Maybe 15-minute cities can save a few mericans from premature death.
Oh well.

I've just spent most of my sunday fiddling with the Panda. It's now been named 'Fugl Fønix' because it - like the Phoenix bird - has returned from the dead. It's visually in better condition than many cars 1/3 it's mileage. It runs true and straight on newish all-season tires. The engine has new oil, filters and plugs. Headlight has been fixed. Interior clean and inviting. All glass is immaculate. And I'm not done yet.
But winter's coming and the remaining tasks who require under-car work will have to wait.