The ongoing journey of Spartacus’ 1988 Fiat Panda

[wesacosa]

the verdict is in.....

Nervous journey in testing my repaired gear linkage in a huge queue at the Dartford crossing but made it there and back and with a clean pass in my back pocket!

The tester mentioned some peeling underseal and flaky bits which I know about but said its still solid so far as he can see so hoping a wire brush and fresh underseal will have that sorted out

Gear shift feels much better now , much less slop.

 Still a bit of a flat spot when driving, and gets a bit stuttery when you return to idle as traffic lights etc.  I had ordered a new vacuum advance but reading back through this thread I thought @spartacushad put electronic ignition on it but seems like its actually a system that bypasses the condenser but still uses the mechanical points so will take a look at the settings and condition of those alongside a fresh rotor arm and dizzy cap which I didn't see any record of being done.  I also bought a nice retro accessory so will look to see how the dizzy timing is

all in all a very pleasing day

 

[PrinceRupert]

Great news!

[wesacosa]

do any of you Fiat fans have experience of rebuild kits for cassette type points?

A replacement points cassette is £45 and I'm far too tight to pay that 

 

[wesacosa]

I had another go at trying to sort out the annoying flat spot which @spartacushad identified earlier in this thread.  He had stripped and cleaned the carb, changed plugs and leads and added a semi electronic ignition which uses the points only as a low voltage trigger whilst depensing with the condenser.  I had also replaced the fuel pump and hoses, however it was still there alongside a stumbling when dropping to idle from higher revs

So today I replaced most of the other stuff I could think of.  Coil, rotor arm, dizzy cap, vacuum advance and coil.  I didn't replace the points cassette as its £45 for a new one

I also remade all of the earths going to the hedgehog as although they looked ok there were a few electrical gremlins. This seems to have sorted them

so the verdict after an admittedly short test drive.......

Well I think we are 90 percent there. Its a sputters a bit on choke but once warmed up I think the tip in hesitation and slight misfire under load has pretty much gone. As has the stumbling when returning to idle.  Still maybe a tiny bit of hesitation there but much much better

Next job is to check the timing and the dwell.  I bought a retro Gunsons auto tune to do the dwell but not exactly sure how it works, but following the basic instructions on the back (the booklet is missing) I was getting dwell angle off the scale so not sure if Im doing it incorrectly or the things knackered 

or of course the dwell could be miles out but I assume it would run really bad if that was the case.

 

[wesacosa]

Panda mixing in exotic circles at our work's annual vehicle enthusiasts day

 

[wesacosa]

Not an update about the Panda as such but a couple of times in this thread I mentioned my dad's old Fiat 128 Panomara which is my only other experience of Fiat ownership

I managed to dig out the old camcorder footage of dad starting and driving it in around 1986

 

One of the few times it actually started first time without drama, clearly no specs of moisture in the air 

The car was on its last legs by now and was bean tins a year or so later.    Bonus Ambassador and mk2 Cavalier content 

 

 

[wesacosa]

Time has come to start having a serious think about what the next chapter will be in this Panda's story.    I really like the car and love owning it, and have been proud to have been able to carry on fettling and doing some of the jobs Giles was sadly not able to do. However,   the 2021 ULEZ extension came right up to my street  and  effectively cut off access to all of the roads where I would pop to the shops, run errands etc and really only leaves up the A roads and M25  in the other direction where I go to work. This really isn't the Panda's forte , its ok on the m/ways but its better suited to slower twistier journeys where its very good fun.  Its also lived out on the street in London for 2 years now which probably isn't the best place for it in the long term.  Final straw could be the ULEZ extension coming to whole of London in Aug which means its £12.50 every time I use it.   So maybe its time to think if I am still the most suitable owner (assuming I ever was )   I did promise when I took on the car that  I would offer it here first . I have not really thought about price or timescale etc, but to me getting the right owner is just as important (however I have spent a fair few quid and a lot of hours on the car so not planning on giving it away  )  .  But the main thing is given how much @spartacus loved the car it really needs to go to someone who will love it and look after it like he did.     In terms of the details pretty much everything that's been done to the car from Giles picking it up to its last outing with me is listed here.  Its in pretty decent shape and drives well , but there are a few little dings and rust bubbles ,mainly around the screen & scuttle, and the bottom of the drivers door isnt great, but its better than a lot of them.  There are also some bits of crust and flaky underseal around jacking points and sills which I haven't investigated fully but at best will need sanding back and treating/undersealing pretty soon.    

I guess if things change regarding ULEZ I might end up deciding to keep it, but given finding the right person might take some time I wanted to at least put it out there now.     

So anyone who is interested and think they can offer it a good home for a fair price , or would like to discuss further please drop me a DM.

Cheers
Wes

[Six-cylinder]

1 hour ago, wesacosa said:

Time has come to start having a serious think about what the next chapter will be in this Panda's story.    I really like the car and love owning it, and have been proud to have been able to carry on fettling and doing some of the jobs Giles was sadly not able to do. However,   the 2021 ULEZ extension came right up to my street  and  effectively cut off access to all of the roads where I would pop to the shops, run errands etc and really only leaves up the A roads and M25  in the other direction where I go to work. This really isn't the Panda's forte , its ok on the m/ways but its better suited to slower twistier journeys where its very good fun.  Its also lived out on the street in London for 2 years now which probably isn't the best place for it in the long term.  Final straw could be the ULEZ extension coming to whole of London in Aug which means its £12.50 every time I use it.   So maybe its time to think if I am still the most suitable owner (assuming I ever was )   I did promise when I took on the car that  I would offer it here first . I have not really thought about price or timescale etc, but to me getting the right owner is just as important (however I have spent a fair few quid and a lot of hours on the car so not planning on giving it away  )  .  But the main thing is given how much @spartacus loved the car it really needs to go to someone who will love it and look after it like he did.     In terms of the details pretty much everything that's been done to the car from Giles picking it up to its last outing with me is listed here.  Its in pretty decent shape and drives well , but there are a few little dings and rust bubbles ,mainly around the screen & scuttle, and the bottom of the drivers door isnt great, but its better than a lot of them.  There are also some bits of crust and flaky underseal around jacking points and sills which I haven't investigated fully but at best will need sanding back and treating/undersealing pretty soon.    

I guess if things change regarding ULEZ I might end up deciding to keep it, but given finding the right person might take some time I wanted to at least put it out there now.     

So anyone who is interested and think they can offer it a good home for a fair price , or would like to discuss further please drop me a DM.

Cheers
Wes

I feel very sorry for all the city residents who are being pushed out of their cars to satisfy the point scoring council leaders who seem to be happy for car enthusiasts and low income families to just be collateral damage to raise extra taxes and increase their own green credentials. 

[wesacosa]

21 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

I feel very sorry for all the city residents who are being pushed out of their cars to satisfy the point scoring council leaders who seem to be happy for car enthusiasts and low income families to just be collateral damage to raise extra taxes and increase their own green credentials. 

Workers, traders, small businesses and charities too

Whilst Sadiq Turpin takes his dog to the park in a V8 Rangerover/Jag XJ/Diesel Minbus convoy and hawks his new book at £15 a pop on how he won the climate argument 

[Grumblespeed]

Aye, it's grim down south. Sounds like anything interesting is getting less and less realistic to run in your neck of the woods - so sorry to hear this. Wife's job means we are relocating again in August so worst possible timing for me or I'd definitely be working out how to explain how I "won another raffle" (having purchased 59 randoms)

[wesacosa]

4 minutes ago, Grumblespeed said:

Aye, it's grim down south. Sounds like anything interesting is getting less and less realistic to run in your neck of the woods - so sorry to hear this. Wife's job means we are relocating again in August so worst possible timing for me or I'd definitely be working out how to explain how I "won another raffle" (having purchased 59 randoms)

yeah its not much fun here at the moment.  Are you moving far? hopefully somewhere still with plenty of car parking?  How's the Sergio Tachini coming along?

[Dick Cheeseburger]

6 hours ago, wesacosa said:

Time has come to start having a serious think about what the next chapter will be in this Panda's story.    I really like the car and love owning it, and have been proud to have been able to carry on fettling and doing some of the jobs Giles was sadly not able to do. However,   the 2021 ULEZ extension came right up to my street  and  effectively cut off access to all of the roads where I would pop to the shops, run errands etc and really only leaves up the A roads and M25  in the other direction where I go to work. This really isn't the Panda's forte , its ok on the m/ways but its better suited to slower twistier journeys where its very good fun.  Its also lived out on the street in London for 2 years now which probably isn't the best place for it in the long term.  Final straw could be the ULEZ extension coming to whole of London in Aug which means its £12.50 every time I use it.   So maybe its time to think if I am still the most suitable owner (assuming I ever was )   I did promise when I took on the car that  I would offer it here first . I have not really thought about price or timescale etc, but to me getting the right owner is just as important (however I have spent a fair few quid and a lot of hours on the car so not planning on giving it away  )  .  But the main thing is given how much @spartacus loved the car it really needs to go to someone who will love it and look after it like he did.     In terms of the details pretty much everything that's been done to the car from Giles picking it up to its last outing with me is listed here.  Its in pretty decent shape and drives well , but there are a few little dings and rust bubbles ,mainly around the screen & scuttle, and the bottom of the drivers door isnt great, but its better than a lot of them.  There are also some bits of crust and flaky underseal around jacking points and sills which I haven't investigated fully but at best will need sanding back and treating/undersealing pretty soon.    

I guess if things change regarding ULEZ I might end up deciding to keep it, but given finding the right person might take some time I wanted to at least put it out there now.     

So anyone who is interested and think they can offer it a good home for a fair price , or would like to discuss further please drop me a DM.

Cheers
Wes

Sad to hear but kudos to you for all the work you've done to the car. Could be worth tagging @Mrs Spart too? 

[wesacosa]

In other Panda news, its not entirely happy at being woken early from Winter hibernation and straight onto commute duty due to a rather large diesel leak on the XM.  It fine up to about 50 but runs out of puff about 65 and almost feels like it's maybe slightly misfiring as there is a vibration/judder.  Something to add to the list of car jobs 

[Grumblespeed]

Not the carb jets again is it? I think I replaced the pipe downstream of the filter but it would have been fuel pipe I've had in my garage for quite a while, so particularly if you've been running E10 it might well be starting to perish and drop debris into the carb again. 

[Grumblespeed]

16 hours ago, wesacosa said:

yeah its not much fun here at the moment.  Are you moving far? hopefully somewhere still with plenty of car parking?  How's the Sergio Tachini coming along?

Lincoln this time, decent parking, (2-3 cars out front plus double garage) but not what I've got here - there will be a thinning out.. Grumbleweed is exactly as you last saw - think that will have to be trailered when we move. Thought we had another 18 months but moving a year early.

[grogee]

15 hours ago, wesacosa said:

In other Panda news, its not entirely happy at being woken early from Winter hibernation and straight onto commute duty due to a rather large diesel leak on the XM.  It fine up to about 50 but runs out of puff about 65 and almost feels like it's maybe slightly misfiring as there is a vibration/judder.  Something to add to the list of car jobs 

Are new carbs unobtainium?

[wesacosa]

28 minutes ago, grogee said:

Are new carbs unobtainium?

not sure to be honest, think the rebuild kits are readily available but not sure about the carbs

[Grumblespeed]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/403539741273?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&campid=5338723872&toolid=20006&customid=rESIK0oVAAAAVU1rPDqgRzAFPdctAAAAAA

Or apparently you can get one much cheaper from Ali Express.... Not sure you'd want to though.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/403539741273?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&campid=5338723872&toolid=20006&customid=rESIK0oVAAAAVU1rPDqgRzAFPdctAAAAAA

 

[Mrs Spart]

On 2/21/2023 at 1:05 PM, wesacosa said:

Time has come to start having a serious think about what the next chapter will be in this Panda's story.    I really like the car and love owning it, and have been proud to have been able to carry on fettling and doing some of the jobs Giles was sadly not able to do. However,   the 2021 ULEZ extension came right up to my street  and  effectively cut off access to all of the roads where I would pop to the shops, run errands etc and really only leaves up the A roads and M25  in the other direction where I go to work. This really isn't the Panda's forte , its ok on the m/ways but its better suited to slower twistier journeys where its very good fun.  Its also lived out on the street in London for 2 years now which probably isn't the best place for it in the long term.  Final straw could be the ULEZ extension coming to whole of London in Aug which means its £12.50 every time I use it.   So maybe its time to think if I am still the most suitable owner (assuming I ever was )   I did promise when I took on the car that  I would offer it here first . I have not really thought about price or timescale etc, but to me getting the right owner is just as important (however I have spent a fair few quid and a lot of hours on the car so not planning on giving it away  )  .  But the main thing is given how much @spartacus loved the car it really needs to go to someone who will love it and look after it like he did.     In terms of the details pretty much everything that's been done to the car from Giles picking it up to its last outing with me is listed here.  Its in pretty decent shape and drives well , but there are a few little dings and rust bubbles ,mainly around the screen & scuttle, and the bottom of the drivers door isnt great, but its better than a lot of them.  There are also some bits of crust and flaky underseal around jacking points and sills which I haven't investigated fully but at best will need sanding back and treating/undersealing pretty soon.    

I guess if things change regarding ULEZ I might end up deciding to keep it, but given finding the right person might take some time I wanted to at least put it out there now.     

So anyone who is interested and think they can offer it a good home for a fair price , or would like to discuss further please drop me a DM.

Cheers
Wes

  Could it be an idea to roffle it off & keep it within the autoshite community?

  Thank you though for trying your best on it, I'm sure @spartacuswould've been chuffed and it was an epic adventure collecting it 😁

[wesacosa]

32 minutes ago, Mrs Spart said:

  Could it be an idea to roffle it off & keep it within the autoshite community?

  Thank you though for trying your best on it, I'm sure @spartacuswould've been chuffed and it was an epic adventure collecting it 😁

Hi Mrs Spart, hope you are well  . my concern about the roffle would be someone who didn't really want it may win and then it might get moved on out of the community quickly. I thought offering for sale here first would be best bet hoping someone who really wants it may take it, as I promised when I got it. To be honest I still might keep it longer, its a great little car and I really love it, and if common sense shines though and the ULEZ extension is delayed then all the better.

It was a brilliant adventure for sure 

How's the BMW coming on?

[Mrs Spart]

3 minutes ago, wesacosa said:

Hi Mrs Spart, hope you are well  . my concern about the roffle would be someone who didn't really want it may win and then it might get moved on out of the community quickly. I thought offering for sale here first would be best bet hoping someone who really wants it may take it, as I promised when I got it. To be honest I still might keep it longer, its a great little car and I really love it, and if common sense shines though and the ULEZ extension is delayed then all the better.

It was a brilliant adventure for sure 

How's the BMW coming on?

Hey @wesacosa

  Good to hear from you.

 

BMW is still(!!!!!) at the mechanics. Im REALLY hoping it'll be ready this year. I keep calling the mechanic every month but hate harassing folks. 🤞🏽I'm hoping it'll be back on the road this year🤞🏽

[wesacosa]

hopefully it will be back with you soon. can't wait to see pictures when itd done.  hope the MG is going well too

[95 quid Peugeot]

Hi there, I'd be interested in carrying the torch on the panda should it move onwards, we've still got the Ex Giles suzuki here, still doing sterling service a few years on,

[Mrs Spart]

5 hours ago, wesacosa said:

Hi Mrs Spart, hope you are well  . my concern about the roffle would be someone who didn't really want it may win and then it might get moved on out of the community quickly. I thought offering for sale here first would be best bet hoping someone who really wants it may take it, as I promised when I got it. To be honest I still might keep it longer, its a great little car and I really love it, and if common sense shines though and the ULEZ extension is delayed then all the better.

It was a brilliant adventure for sure 

How's the BMW coming on?

  If there's anything I can do... I sometimes head down South (to London) for work. I'd be happy to help out; pick up parts and deliver etc(?) I'm also heading up to Scotland end of March, again can collect parts up North of you need anything collecting for the Panda. 👍🏽

Keep us all posted on whatever you decide on 👍🏽

[wesacosa]

Just now, Mrs Spart said:

  If there's anything I can do... I sometimes head down South (to London) for work. I'd be happy to help out; pick up parts and deliver etc(?) I'm also heading up to Scotland end of March, again can collect parts up North of you need anything collecting for the Panda. 👍🏽

Keep us all posted on whatever you decide on 👍🏽

thanks, very kind offer.  Will keep this post updated with all Panda news Pretty sure the slight running issue is something very minor related to being hibernated for the winter.  Plan to have a good look tomorrow and hopefully it will be back on song very soon 

[wesacosa]

not sure if its the problem for all the running issues but guess at least the poor idle

 

[wesacosa]

next job on the list is to figure out why the dashboard illumination has stopped working. I suspect its something I have done. I had the dash out last year and whilst I was there I tided up the wiring for the radio and remade the dodgy looking connections to the cig lighter, I didn't drive it in the dark after that until last week. Both dash and heater illuminations are out so clearly not a bulb, nothing obviously unplugged or broken, but a cursory look at the Haynes wiring diagrams seems to show those two bulbs on different circuits. Some further probing required 

[Grumblespeed]

Just double check your rear lights are still working. Had issues with my headlamp switch at one point and the headlights stayed on but it took out both dash lights and tail lights unless I sat with my finger resting on the switch. Fun drive home from Edinburgh to Stirling that was.

[wesacosa]

36 minutes ago, Grumblespeed said:

Just double check your rear lights are still working. Had issues with my headlamp switch at one point and the headlights stayed on but it took out both dash lights and tail lights unless I sat with my finger resting on the switch. Fun drive home from Edinburgh to Stirling that was.

Ah ok better check. I did replace one tail light bulb recently

I reconnected the old cigarette lighter wiring and removed radio and there is power going to the instrument binnacle pin and to the heater lamp holder so it's not a power issue.  One thing I did realise today is that I haven't driven it in the dark for a really long time so it could well be the bulbs.  Some of the bulbs do seem to be dead.  I will replace all the bulbs and see from there and check the earth connections

[wesacosa]

hmm so seems like all 3 bulbs to illuminate binnacle and heater had blown