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17252177371_2a74ddbbab_c.jpgPeugeot 309 gld by srblythe, on Flickr

 

17017271189_d7cd266d84_c.jpgDSC_8486 by srblythe, on Flickr

 

16580210624_b6831c0a82_c.jpgDSC_8594 by srblythe, on Flickr

 

17202071461_a11f826a7d_c.jpgDSC_8618 by srblythe, on Flickr

 

Gr8 4 offroadin'

 

I had a bit of an incident with it after work earlier this week, I came out to a flat tyre on the rear and no spare with the car so drove it home at 20mph with the hazards on. It was not very much fun. I passed some traffic cops but they were too busy pulling someone else to pay much attention.

I needed a new wheel so I bought a set of 106 xsi alloys for £50 but need to find some flat washer wheel bolts so I can fit them.

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It failed!

 

Welding needed here.

 

16635247034_a6f2c5b3df_c.jpgDSC_8736 by srblythe, on Flickr

 

and here

 

17255941082_bcc634b71f_c.jpgDSC_8735 by srblythe, on Flickr

 

Other stuff it failed on was a headlight bulb, number plate bulb, horn not working, no washer fluid and brake binding on rear drum. All in a couple of hours to put right. I've got 2 weeks to get it done then in for a free retest!

 

 

Excellent purchase FOAD. M Reg is the last year of Panda registration. 'Colour' to boot, a popular special edition, I think the blue is the common colour. Came in a green and a red too. M was last due to Fiat UK scared new Cinquecento sales would be affected by RHD Panda continuation. Carried on in Mainland Europe til 2003 though...

 

And. They all do that Sir...

 

I've yet to see a Panda where the boot floor seams aren't fucked. Except my 45CL...don't know how that happened...

 

It's a common thing that. The boot seams were spot welded on a 'hit and miss' basis and then rammed with sealant at the factory...It's an easy enough repair though...

 

I had to do it on my 750 last year but only on one side and only a few inches in two sections...

 

Somebody on Fiatforum had a Panda shell dipped at surface processing somewhere in the Midlands. That section where yours is rotten had sections where there was 2 or 3 mm of daylight after the acid had eaten all the sealant and whatnot...

 

It's got a Carlisle (HH) reg number BTW...

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It didn't actually get scrapped, It was sold to the scrap yard who were able to sell it on, they have a selection of too good to scrap vehicles including this...

 

17176691996_7e313684b2_c.jpgDSC_8508 by srblythe, on Flickr

 

17200968502_01e8432540_c.jpgHonda Concerto by srblythe, on Flickr

 

The only issue with the panda is the welding, everything else can be put down to sitting unused for months.

 

check out the mileage...

 

17055324847_63aac6bb5e_c.jpgDSC_8772 by srblythe, on Flickr

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I drove the Panda around 40 miles yesterday (going to and from the mot station, honest!) it performed faultlessly except a bit of understeer on hard cornering and the injector warning light coming on intermittently, I'll see if some fresh fuel, new leads, plugs and an Italian tune up gets rid of the warning light.

While on my travels I stopped in to look at a potential new unit and found this beast!

 

17069942558_03376d2458_c.jpgDSC_8769 by srblythe, on Flickr

 

2.0 16v!

 

17070158340_37ba1d2766_c.jpgDSC_8768 by srblythe, on Flickr

 

17257715235_a2413f63ce_c.jpgDSC_8771 by srblythe, on Flickr

 

 

Still prefer the Panda though...

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Concerto looks nice. What are they after for it? And are they biddable on prices?

 

Tempted to rescue it and rehome at my leisure if it's cheap.

 

£375 but I think they are open to offers on most stuff. They originally wanted £350 for the Panda but let me have it for £300. They said they won't sell anything for less than 300 so that's the lowest I could take it for.

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Strange to think fiat were knocking out the tipo and the panda at the same time. I must say the tipo styling seems to have aged really well, that rear 3/4 view looks fresh for something that was signed off for production in the mid 80s.

 

I think partly its the chunky light clusters and bold styling. Far nicer than the bravo/ brava successors IMO.

 

Edit- just watching montalbano,i cant help but think he should have chosen a sedicivalvole model too, to help with chasing the sicilian crims.

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Tempted to give the concerto the once over and see if it looks like it might pass an MOT.

 

www.centralfm.co.uk doing £10 MOT vouchers just now for D&G autocare which is where I took the Astra last week.

 

They're pretty fair on tests even when you hit them between the eyes with a voucher.

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Love the Panda, good shout for 300 and good on the breaker for attempting to sell old er and rarer cars back into the wild.

 

Surprisingly strong cars. My friend piled his parents g reg example into a telegraph pole at 40mph and the passenger compartment, and all occupants were intact!

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Strange to think fiat were knocking out the tipo and the panda at the same time. I must say the tipo styling seems to have aged really well, that rear 3/4 view looks fresh for something that was signed off for production in the mid 80s.

 

I think partly its the chunky light clusters and bold styling. Far nicer than the bravo/ brava successors IMO.

 

Edit- just watching montalbano,i cant help but think he should have chosen a sedicivalvole model too, to help with chasing the sicilian crims.

 

I had both around the same time. So of all cars, I find Fiat to be the most entertaining to drive - I went X1/9 and Panda 4x4 to Tipo then Punto Sporting followed (rapidly, rejecting the Punto at the dealer it was so underbraked for the possible performance) by Marea Weekend 1.6SX, the only car I have been caught speeding in and it was an average of 107.4 on the M4. Was actually doing an indicated 125 when I passed the cop car between two trucks and slammed the brakes on, they got their quarter mile - just ;)

 

If car sales were a meritocracy, the Tipo would be hallowed and everywhere. The Punto Sporting 1.2 I had was one of the quickest cars down the Kelso-Gattonside road*, but I managed to end up with no brakes, just clouds of smoke. 0-60 might have been good but they didn't make everything else match :(

 

* fun times. Garage was just outside Kelso where we hung out/messed about with cars. They wanted chips. Chippy in Kelso was shut, so I took the Manta to Langlee Chippy in Galashiels. Left at 10:30, came back bang on 11 and retrieved the chips from under the bonnet where I'd been keeping them warm. Google maps reckons it's 15 miles each way...

 

 

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White wheels on a white car have to match, but worse, have to be kept spotless. Until I put 16" white Monzas on my white 480ES, I had remained alien to the products of "wax for wheels" and using a toothbrush to clean around the nuts.

It was a momentous day, that first nut-cleaning-with-a-toothbrush experience. I suddenly understood what the guy with the E36 coupé was doing with all four wheels off his car EVERY WEEKEND.

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