The Panda Nut
Nutty about Pandas Infected by Panda virus and OPD
What an enormous garage!
What's made you smile today?
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What's made you smile today?
The weather cleared up enough that I was able to toss my 1968 Raleigh Superbe on the back of the Russian Mini Tractor and head into the next town east(12 miles) for an evening Christmas bike ride.
It was a pretty short ride, 3.5 miles, just enough to get warmed up then quit. I was a member of the bike club sponsoring the ride decades ago, but I lived on the north end of the county, 25 miles away. It was always a pain in the butt to meet up back then. Now that I'm closer and will have scads of free time as of 1 January, it may be time to re-up. BTW, the Raleigh was the oldest bike, and possibly the only steel bike.
ARK, what are those two wheeled things next to the car?
It was a pretty short ride, 3.5 miles, just enough to get warmed up then quit. I was a member of the bike club sponsoring the ride decades ago, but I lived on the north end of the county, 25 miles away. It was always a pain in the butt to meet up back then. Now that I'm closer and will have scads of free time as of 1 January, it may be time to re-up. BTW, the Raleigh was the oldest bike, and possibly the only steel bike.
ARK, what are those two wheeled things next to the car?
One is my wife’s shopper bike. I think it’s Dawes branded nothing special but she loves it, the other is my Boardman Comp 650b mountain bike. Again nothing particularly special but is the bike I’d promised myself as when growing up being the youngest of 4 boys I only ever got hand me down bikes. The one time I did get a brand new bike it was a very cheap “Apollo” which was a very budget brand in the 90s
I intent to put a seat on the back of mine when the weather gets better then I can take our nearly 2 year old out for some cycling adventures
It’s about 6 metres long and plenty wide enough to get the doors open on both sides of the car.
It’s also very tall, someone suggested I could fit a two post ramp in there if I so desired, but I intent to create a loft area above the garage to put car bits while I restore the Punto
nice sunny day over here in west wales got out the 1963 ariel leader 250 twin went for my first spin got stopped twice to be asked what make .done about 15 miles all went well came back looked at the panda NEEDS A WASH o well do it tomorrow
When I am out on the Ural and that happens, it's known as UDF or Ural Delay Factor. You could call it ADF.
So as discussed in another thread I did buy a brand new still sealed (as why would you read it) max power Haynes manual guide to modifying your Punto. A Vinted Bargain of just £4.
First up, the Punto is apparently popular with those of a female persuasion
Also they were having problems with fiat closing dealerships 20 years ago so them still closing down now makes me wonder how there are any left.
Just a little point to pick up on here. This book was written and published in the early 2000s, its over 20 years old now and the Mk1 Punto at that time wasn't exactly old, they did rust, they rust really badly, they just took a bit longer than 5 years to rust to the extent they caused problems.
The next thing is there comments on the Punto Cabrio
Firstly F U Max Power Haynes
Secondly You’d never get away with writing that now in a book, then again as the whole point of Max Power magazine was modified cars with busty barely dressed girls laying all over the cars, and since the magazine doesn’t exist anymore, it sort of proves the point that both it, and it’s attitude aged like milk on a warm day.
@StevenRB45
First up, the Punto is apparently popular with those of a female persuasion
Also they were having problems with fiat closing dealerships 20 years ago so them still closing down now makes me wonder how there are any left.
Just a little point to pick up on here. This book was written and published in the early 2000s, its over 20 years old now and the Mk1 Punto at that time wasn't exactly old, they did rust, they rust really badly, they just took a bit longer than 5 years to rust to the extent they caused problems.
The next thing is there comments on the Punto Cabrio
Firstly F U Max Power Haynes
Secondly You’d never get away with writing that now in a book, then again as the whole point of Max Power magazine was modified cars with busty barely dressed girls laying all over the cars, and since the magazine doesn’t exist anymore, it sort of proves the point that both it, and it’s attitude aged like milk on a warm day.@StevenRB45
I think my favourite part has to be the subtitles.
WHEELS- what works?
For some reason that section to me should read "round ones".
Security - getting it right
I seem to remember even in period it being a Punto was security enough... similar to the current car..your average scrote would climb over an unlocked one with the keys in the ignition to try and nick something else
Although Knee Surgery - Stav and Fentons top tips for doing legwork is notably absent.
WHEELS- what works?
For some reason that section to me should read "round ones".
Security - getting it right
I seem to remember even in period it being a Punto was security enough... similar to the current car..your average scrote would climb over an unlocked one with the keys in the ignition to try and nick something else
Although Knee Surgery - Stav and Fentons top tips for doing legwork is notably absent.
On the Plus side it has a chapter on wiring basics, how to fit an auxiliary fuse box for properly powering all your glued on tat, which some people would benefit from reading and understanding even now.I think my favourite part has to be the subtitles.
WHEELS- what works?
For some reason that section to me should read "round ones".
Security - getting it right
I seem to remember even in period it being a Punto was security enough... similar to the current car..your average scrote would climb over an unlocked one with the keys in the ignition to try and nick something else
Although Knee Surgery - Stav and Fentons top tips for doing legwork is notably absent.
There is another hilariously titled chapter "water features" which covers how to install those bloody horrendous LED headlight washers that were all the rage back then, but to me conjures up thoughts of leaky back tail lights filling the boot with water, and, in a mash up with the TV gardening program Ground force which also had a thing for installing water features and was also very much of that era. I have visons of a nice statue of a small boy p1ssing into the spare wheel well, powered by a 12V pump.
Is it really a guide to modifying a mk1 Punto without a guide to drilling the airbox?
Although I'm sure Max Power would have approved of Charlie Dimmocks wardrobe choices...(insert oo er missus I can see her washer jets...caption here..).
Anyway that's enough of that
Although I'm sure Max Power would have approved of Charlie Dimmocks wardrobe choices...(insert oo er missus I can see her washer jets...caption here..).
Anyway that's enough of that
The Panda Nut
Nutty about Pandas Infected by Panda virus and OPD
Marooned!
I went out for tyres today and was forced back by deep water. Swapped into Noop and decided to go get some Christmas shopping in Dereham. I managed to t exit the village although most cars were turing around and coming back. Flood was proably only 15" deep. Anyway on the way back again needing the lanes as the bigger road is closed for some reason I was anticipating a flood of 2 foot depth but was met by cars flooded out and stuck and a big Q. Seeing the opportunity to do some serious off roading I took to a byway thats shown on the county map as a road. People faces were a picture as I set off down this track. I know it well as we walk the do there so I could see 18" at least of water and mud and some very tricky deep ruts. After half a mile it was a bit concerning as the car was having quite a lot of fun, (trouble) 100 yards on full lock but in a striaght line and 50 yards in the ruts going sideways, at which point I switched to off road mode. Suffice to say I made it about a mile to the other end of the track without any noticable wheel slip or signs of being stopped, and was quickly back home. Its clear the car has just ploughed through 2 feet of mud so is no longer in showroom condition. It brings to mind I had no boots in the car and cant walk without my sticks today. Thats not madness. its confidence. Another gold star to the Michelin alpins. I seriously wonder what you have to do to get stuck in a Panda 4x4. Noop was totally kinamazing.
Trouble Is I now need to hobble out and pressure wash him to get the Norfolk countryside out of the underbody and reurn him to white.
Pulled into Tesco and filled up the tank. A DIscovery pulled in behind. She jumped out and started fuelling and I hobbled out a bit after, and did the pump stuff and filled up, collected a receipt closed the fuel filler, got in zero'd the trip put my belt on and drove off. Dear woman was still standing there pumping fuel when I looked back. Ha Ha Ha.
Funny thing is I bet if she'd followed me up that track it would likely have sunk and probably disappeared under the weight of all that fuel never to be seen till spring.
Pandas on the top!
Now cleaner. The amount of mud roots and grass was amazing
I went out for tyres today and was forced back by deep water. Swapped into Noop and decided to go get some Christmas shopping in Dereham. I managed to t exit the village although most cars were turing around and coming back. Flood was proably only 15" deep. Anyway on the way back again needing the lanes as the bigger road is closed for some reason I was anticipating a flood of 2 foot depth but was met by cars flooded out and stuck and a big Q. Seeing the opportunity to do some serious off roading I took to a byway thats shown on the county map as a road. People faces were a picture as I set off down this track. I know it well as we walk the do there so I could see 18" at least of water and mud and some very tricky deep ruts. After half a mile it was a bit concerning as the car was having quite a lot of fun, (trouble) 100 yards on full lock but in a striaght line and 50 yards in the ruts going sideways, at which point I switched to off road mode. Suffice to say I made it about a mile to the other end of the track without any noticable wheel slip or signs of being stopped, and was quickly back home. Its clear the car has just ploughed through 2 feet of mud so is no longer in showroom condition. It brings to mind I had no boots in the car and cant walk without my sticks today. Thats not madness. its confidence. Another gold star to the Michelin alpins. I seriously wonder what you have to do to get stuck in a Panda 4x4. Noop was totally kinamazing.
Trouble Is I now need to hobble out and pressure wash him to get the Norfolk countryside out of the underbody and reurn him to white.
Pulled into Tesco and filled up the tank. A DIscovery pulled in behind. She jumped out and started fuelling and I hobbled out a bit after, and did the pump stuff and filled up, collected a receipt closed the fuel filler, got in zero'd the trip put my belt on and drove off. Dear woman was still standing there pumping fuel when I looked back. Ha Ha Ha.
Funny thing is I bet if she'd followed me up that track it would likely have sunk and probably disappeared under the weight of all that fuel never to be seen till spring.
Pandas on the top!
Now cleaner. The amount of mud roots and grass was amazing
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The Panda Nut
Nutty about Pandas Infected by Panda virus and OPD
I do love a bit of political incorrectness. Might be right but by gum its so boring. Men of the current generation dont know what they are missing doging the things that women used to chuck at us years ago, stones, mugs plates glasses chairs, books and anything else they thought might wound. Wheres to fun gone.View attachment 434559
Firstly F U Max Power Haynes
@StevenRB45
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Is that "garage envy"?
It does look tall enough for a two poster ramp with clearance.
Back in the 1970s a friend had a Ford Anglia with one of those in chrome mounted on the bonnet as a working screen washer.
Is that right they are paying your pension in company shares?
Yes, and it's a privately held company. Not being a family member doesn't change a thing.Is that right they are paying your pension in company shares?
The Panda Nut
Nutty about Pandas Infected by Panda virus and OPD
You will be well out of it! You can always do a few days serving gas or picking fruit somewhere in the summer to buy Mrs Cheest a birthday present! I hope you survive without being sacked for laughing at inappropriate times or wounding them! Happy retirement!
Just look at it as more "push bike time"
