Technical Well, that explains the rubbish stereo…

[NigelO]

A long-overdue update to this thread....

Having replaced the speakers, aerial and fitted a sub, the sound quality was still awful, so the OE head unit had to go. I wanted wireless carplay and double-din, BUT I didn't want to spend stupid amounts of money, so a cheap(ish) JVC went in. The actualy head unit was a doddle, but the surround was a faff - sorted in the end though by using part of the OE cage and some pop-rivets

Sound quality is now exponentially better and probably capable of blowing the windows out.

 

[Keepthe12alive]

You were able to slide the OE cage over the double din?

 

[NigelO]

No - the OE cage is specific to the car - I had to pull it apart in order to fit the double-DIN cage into the dash recess (the OE cage has mounting tabs that normal cages don't have)

A bit of a faff, but not too difficult once I'd worked it out

Car is now up for sale by the way - it has been epic fun, but it's just a bit tiresome for the fairly regular 250+ mile photography trips I make. I will probably be buying a car that follows the Panda 4x4 ethos - a Skoda Yeti 4x4

 

[Keepthe12alive]

Do you know where I can find?

No - the OE cage is specific to the car - I had to pull it apart in order to fit the double-DIN cage into the dash recess (the OE cage has mounting tabs that normal cages don't have)

A bit of a faff, but not too difficult once I'd worked it out

Car is now up for sale by the way - it has been epic fun, but it's just a bit tiresome for the fairly regular 250+ mile photography trips I make. I will probably be buying a car that follows the Panda 4x4 ethos - a Skoda Yeti 4x4

By chance, do you know where I could buy another OEM cage? I don’t want to tear mine apart

 

[NigelO]

There's a few Panda breakers on Ebay - you'll probably get one there.

TBH, once you've fitted a double-DIN unit, you'll never go back, so keeping the old cage is probably pointless

 

[porta]

No - the OE cage is specific to the car - I had to pull it apart in order to fit the double-DIN cage into the dash recess (the OE cage has mounting tabs that normal cages don't have)

A bit of a faff, but not too difficult once I'd worked it out

Car is now up for sale by the way - it has been epic fun, but it's just a bit tiresome for the fairly regular 250+ mile photography trips I make. I will probably be buying a car that follows the Panda 4x4 ethos - a Skoda Yeti 4x4

If you thought a panda would be annoying for silly faults, you won’t find favour with the yeti.
I know that their ‘stereo’ has intermittent faults like sudden loss of screen, loss of presets, sometimes loss of the whole system (just switches off for no discernible reason), sound loss. Some of its due to shorts and fusing but the system itself is known to fail.
Another thing to fail is the dash, the display disappearing or resetting itself
Yes panda rear shock bushes fail, but on the yeti the whole of the bushes fail on all the rear suspension. On a friends we put new sway bars and rear shocker bushes on and checked the rest of the suspension, only to have a knock appear a month later He traded it in rather than mess any longer with it as it had started rattling and using oil, yes that’s another issue with them!
He never had any of the reported clutch issues though…
I’m not meaning to put you off, and all cars have their ‘foibles’, his wife found it a good comfy distance driver, (it was her car) just check everything, especially as parts aren’t as cheap as a panda

 

[porta]

Having said that…where are you based and, I’m looking for a relatively cheap sorted motor for the daughter’s boyfriend

 

[NigelO]

Having said that…where are you based and, I’m looking for a relatively cheap sorted motor for the daughter’s boyfriend

I'm in Rugeley, Staffordshire. About 20-25 minutes away from M6 junctions 11, 12 or 13

 

[porta]

I'm in Rugeley, Staffordshire. About 20-25 minutes away from M6 junctions 11, 12 or 13

A couple of hours from here then…unless the M6 is still full of those roadworks where you wish you could do the 50mph