Daves Panda. minor fettling

[dave21478]

Those with a long memory may remember me talking about a mkI Panda 4x4 project a while back?

Well, my brother in law had the idea to buy one with sound body and in need of mechnical work to fix it up. They are getting rare and prices are on the up here.

 

Well, he found a "solid" one and bought it. Turned out his idea of solid differs from mine.

 

The numpty then took it to bits the day after we brought it back to the farm and its sat untouched ever since. That was May 2014.....Thats poor progress even by my standards.

How it looked then....

 

Since then, nothing has been done. It has collected a lof of dust and Kevin the farm Peacock likes to stand on it and shit on the roof.

 

Brother in Law has realised he will never do anything with it so handed it off to me. First job today was to shift it to my garage, which would have been a lot easier if the fanny hadnt taken the wheels off - not only the wheels but all the boingy bits that the wheels fix to. So lots of huffing and puffing and it was on the trailer, balanced rather precariously right on the tail end, but its only a mile or so, so no problems.

 

Deposited chez moi. Those plywood boards with castors fitted would be great for shifting it if my garage floor wasnt just fecking dirt.

More huffing and puffing and its found its new home.

 

The interior... Not original seats.

 

[dave21478]

A very quick initial survey shows metal insertion required in various holes.

This hole at the bottom of the windscreen is only small, but we all know that once the screen is out its bound to be much worse...

 

Inner wings need work.;;

 

Front valence...

 

The end of the sill on the front wheelarch...

 

Bottom of the door....

 

Inside the boot, the rear wheelarch....

 

The sills qnd floor seem solid but will need proper investigation.

 

So....What do? Do I just weld it up and reassemble, or go for a full stripdown and bare shell rebuild? 

 

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

Wouldn't it make more sense to weld it up and get it back on the road first, to see if you actually like the thing before you commit to a couple of years' restoration work ?

[dave21478]

FFS Kevin....

 

Some assembly required....

 

It has a vinyl roof which is original, but the car has hail damage. It doesnt show on the roof due to the vinyl but the bonnet is buggered. I quite fancy giving it a proper respray too.

 

 

Mechanically, the engine and box etc are fine. It needs shocks, bushes, balljoints, a steering rack, discs and pads, wheel bearings, oil seals and a good service.
 

Inside, its a 2-seater according to the paperwork, but has had a rear bench seat fitted which I will remove. I will find more comortable seats from something else and make them fit. The heater box/ventilator unit is gassed due to some small but crucial bit of plastic snapping, rendering the ventilation controls useless. The wiring loom is a horrible mess.

 

I reckon a trip to a scrapyard beckons. there are a dose of Pandas and Marbellas in my nearest big yard so should be able to find a heater unit and maybe a whole loom if I can be arsed stripping one out.

[Vin]

That doesn't look too bad from what you've posted. The usual rot spots but not too far gone yet (fingers crossed...)

 

Take the carpets out and check the inner sills where they meet the bulkhead. They rot from the inside as crap gets in behind the '4 post lift' point. Same for the rear sill alongside the leaf spring mounts. Also check the boot floor where it joins the rear wheel tubs, another common spot...

[dave21478]

Wouldn't it make more sense to weld it up and get it back on the road first, to see if you actually like the thing before you commit to a couple of years' restoration work ?

 

Oh, I am pretty sure I will hate it. I am an idiot though so will finish it anyway as its the "doing" more than the "owning" that interests me with cars.

 

 

That doesn't look too bad from what you've posted. The usual rot spots but not too far gone yet (fingers crossed...)

 

Take the carpets out and check the inner sills where they meet the bulkhead. They rot from the inside as crap gets in behind the '4 post lift' point. Same for the rear sill alongside the leaf spring mounts. Also check the boot floor where it joins the rear wheel tubs, another common spot...

 

Yes, I shouldnt complain too much as its pretty sound overall. I will get the whole interior out this afternoon and see whats what.

 

 

If I wasnt such a lazy turd, there is realistically a weekends worth of welding there (that I have found so far). The last bare shell stripdown I did was the Mini and that dragged on for years but I will try to avoid that happening with this one. 

[dave21478]

Found in the door pocket. Leaded pez? FFS. I used to go through tons of this stuff (dunno if it does anything or not) but its been many, many years since I have had a car that needs it. Even the Metro runs on Unleaded.

 

Get yer interior oot for the lads.....

 

As an ex stereo installer, stuff like this gives me The Rage. How can anyone look at this and think "Yeah, job done. That will never cause intermittent faults or catch fire."?

 

Speaking of potentially catching fire....

This was the wiring for four halogen spotlights on the front bumper, drawing nigh on twenty amps through this spaghetti and a teeny wee rocker switch.

 

Oh God, please make it stop.....

 

It took me way longer than it should to figure out how to get the seats off the floor. The sliders are welded to the floor and the seat section fits in and is prevented from sliding all the way out by two tiny wee self-tapping sheet metal screw per side. With the carpet up, the floor is good.

Some staining from a water leak. The carpet and sound proofing was piss-wet, which probably was actual piss since the car has been under cover for a year and a half.

Boot floor is nice too. Dirty, but solid.

 

Windscreen removal went exactly as anticipated. 

 

The rust hole is where a wee drain tube should be under the seal. The other side has surface rust starting.

Not too hard to repair, I should think.

 

So how do people clean up floor pans? just a bucket of soapy water and a sponge?  Cillit Bang or something like that?

Its so rare for me to get to this stage and find an actual floor worth cleaning rather than cutting out that I dont think I have ever done this.

 

 

More tomorrow.

[Cavcraft]

I think they all rusted at the bottom of the doors! This looks a great thing anyhow, looking forward to updates.

[stephen01]

I have some live* pics of my panda floor, it's basically fucked. like I doubt it'll see the road again.

 

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

Looks remarkably solid so far ! Not sure why you're worried about the wiring ? Italian cars are supposed* to have dodgy electrics, aren't they ?

[plasticvandan]

Based on my sorry experience with a panda that one is like new body wise!

[dave21478]

Any excuse to play with my winch.....

 

 

Rear axle and pez tank off....

 

Its all very solid. Lots of surface rust though, so looks like it was caught just in time. It will clean up nicely with a wire brushing and rust treatment.

 

Sills are fine apart from the lip suffereing from careless jacking in the past. should straighten up ok though.

 

This afternoon I think I will hit town for some paint and supplies so I can work over New Years.

[beko1987]

Awesome! Bare metal job ala the blue vauxhall all the way!

[Felly Magic]

Edd China & fatty recently did a Panda 4x4 on Weewah Deewahz, and Edd did a FOAD with the paint job! He sold that as a 2 seater off road toy. I do hear they are pretty capable in the rough stuff too

[For Fiats Sake]

Mega rare mk1 4x4 is the holy grail for pandarers, yours has a rare interior too - I took a few pictures of a restored car in Italy this summer.

 

There're 3 guys running them on over on the Fiat Forum if you have tech questions parts etc, they'd be more than happy to help.

[mouseflakes]

Kevin the farm Peacock likes to stand on it and shit on the roof.

I've been banned from local car shows for the same reason.

 

The Fiat looks solid. I was looking out for one of these a while back but decent ones seem very sought after (i.e. expensive), so if you don't like it once it's back on the road, I doubt you'll have trouble moving it on.

[dave21478]

Today I took the rear bumper and towbar off. The towbar will probably not get re-fitted.....seriously, what am I going to be towing with a 1 litre Panda? Also, the mounting looks well flimsy, so best without IMO.

 

I then fired up the MIG and repaired the hole in the front end of the sill and the rear wheel well. This just leaves the valence and screen surround, which I will do once the shell is back upright.

 

I then put goggles on and went at the floor with a knotwheel in the grinder. In the end it only needed a light skim to get the crud off as it still has most of the original rubbery underseal stuff. I then wobbed the first layer of paint on the floor....

 

 

 

Its Rustoleam gloss white and once the second coat is done should look minty.

 

 

So tomorrow will see the second coat done then I will have to wait for it to dry until I can turn the shell over the other way so I can weld up the left hand inner wing.

 

 

[Vin]

Good work Davenumbers 8)

 

Impressive.

[dave21478]

Thanks.
I saw in your thread you got a new rubber boot for your Pandas gear selector in ebay Italy.....Do you have a link to the seller?

[Vin]

Here you go Dave...

 

 

  http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/171184816802?ru=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fsch%2Fi.html%3F_from%3DR40%26_sacat%3D0%26_nkw%3D171184816802%26_rdc%3D1

[dave21478]

Cheers. He also has leaf spring shackle bushes, so thats those taken care of too as mine are kippered. I need an exhaust too but his postage is strong money so probably better get that locally.

[tooSavvy]

Thanks.

I saw in your thread you got a new rubber boot for your Pandas gear selector in ebay Italy.....Do you have a link to the seller?

 

... I, OTOH, binned my 'leatherette' stickskirt and ebayyed the biggest muthha5ukk* CV boot I could find.... though the best price was at my local Motafakta

 

 

TS

[dave21478]

Second coat on the floor is done.

 

 

Photos look much the same as before but coverage is much better in real life. Its probably going to be a couple of days until its hardened enough for me to flip the shell over the other way and set about the rest of the repairs, so in the meantime I started tarting up some of the other bits.

 

 

Prop support / bash plate, pez tank and a heat shield for the brake lined rubbed down and painted black. The tank is tiny! 30 litres, maybe?

 

 

Still to do....front suspension arms etc, rear axle and a few other bits n bobs. I quite fancy repainting the wheels too, they are in good order but a funny sort of sand colour.....probably just do them black too. I did the Metro steels gloss black and it looks pretty nice.

 

 

[Vin]

Great progress Dave. Good job your tank is OK as far as I am aware they are no longer available. Anywhere...

[dave21478]

Rear axle time.

 

It looked like this.....

 

 

With the drums off, everything is in pretty good shape, no sign of fluid leaks and the shoes are ok, so a good clean up, wire brushing, degreasing and then a dose of black.....

 

 

 

Another coat this evening, then I can re-assemble it.

 

Im not sure what to do about the leaf springs - I guess I will paint them black too.

Whats weird is this clamp has been welded to each leaf, which I would guess is not original. Neither leaf is broken and the weld doesnt look like its burned in deep, but still.....not ideal IMO.

 

 

 

 

[tooSavvy]

Hmmm....

 

This is a parted out one.... looks similar???

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/FIAT-PANDA-4X4-BALESTRA-POSTERIORE-VERSIONE-DAL-1983-/251825225307?hash=item3aa1f3fe5b:g:bscAAOSw0e9U1NJH&vxp=mtr

 

 

Dunno...

 

TS

[dave21478]

I think the clip is original to prevent the leaves splaying apart but mine have been welded on. I dont think you are supposed to weld spring steel.

 

Whatevz....It lasted this long, it can stay like that.

[tooSavvy]

.... mebbies the MOT man wasn't happy with brazing... lols

 

Nice fixxauppa goinnz on M8

 

TS

[dave21478]

Progress stalled for a few days due to other stuff, but I am back on this now.

I turned the shell over onto its other side to allow me to do the last bits of underneath welding and to clean and paint the other two wheel arches.

 

 

This bit at the bottom of the inner wing will need to come off. The bolt at the bottom spins loosly so its captive nut must have broken off. 

 

 

The front valence aquires a new hole every time I prod it.

 

 

And found this bit of seam in the rear wheelarch which is starting to go.

 

 

All thats fine and well, but the exciting* news is todays adventure. I saw an ad on LeBonCoin for something I wanted so I fired up the Escort and slogged through to Toulouse. Uneventful trip with the only on the road spots being a Renny 5, and an old 2CV wheezing along the autoroute.

 

What did I buy? well its a specially made load liner for a two seater Panda! Apparently EDF bought a load of 2 seat Panda 4x4s for linesmen to use and these boot liners were made for them.

Its a hefty plastic thing with a double floor for strength that fits the whole boot and rear seat area.

 

 

The top load cover concertinas back out of the way.

 

 

There is a metal bulkhead of sorts that goes just behind the front seats.

 

 

The wood against the car is a base for the load liner to sit on. this is snapped in half but easily replicated in a new bit of plywood.

 

I am dead chuffed with it, its in better condition than I expected.

 

 

The guy had a whole Panda 4x4 he was selling for an entirely reasonable 200 euros, sans engine and box, which I thought about as it would yield parts for mine, but the shell was goosed with rot, the mechanical bits I need looked tired and while a spare rear axle and another set of wheels would be nice I cant justify the costs of transporting it back to mine, nowhere to store it indoors so it would be in the garden looking terrible while I broke it up and finally I would have yet another scrap shell to get rid of, so I said thanks but no thanks.

 

 

[tooSavvy]

"I bought a PistonEngine!".... "It was a bargain!"

 

[/python]

 

Fab catch M8

 

 

TS