Attn Fiat Fondlers....engine swap advice needed please.

[dave21478]

My wee mkI Panda 4x4 has the Ye Olde pushrod engine, pre-dating the FIRE units by a couple of years. I would like to swap it out for something with a little more pep. I dont need to be tearing up the tarmac in a trafficlight grandprix or anything....just a bit more oomph to make it more comfortable in modern traffic.

So, I have questions.....

1 - Most obvious - what engines will go in? Will they require shell modifications to the mounts? I assume the FIRE units are what we are talking about.
2 - What CC capacities and what donor cars would have them?
3 - Will these engines fit my existing gearbox? I hear the bolt battern might be different.
4 - Any way to modify that or will I need to find a later gearbox?

Legally here it should really be another carb-fed engine, but I think carbs should have died out in the 70's along with bell-bottom jeans and beating your wife so I would prefer an injection unit. I reckon a single point injection would pass ok. However if there is a decent-ish modern carb fed engine, I would take that option to save hassles with wiring in an ECU and all that jazz.

[Vin]

This guy on Fiatforum has done it using a 899cc out a Cinq...

 

http://www.fiatforum.com/panda-classic/446475-fiat-panda-mk1-4x4-fuel-injection.html

[dave21478]

Hmmm, that looks like a massive pain in the arse. I guess thats the only option to keep this box though? or I could fit a FIRE engine and a later 4x4 gearbox? what about the engine mounts in that case? I can make custom brackets if needed but would rather not have to modify the bodyshell.

[rainagain]

If you're going to fit a FIRE engine fit the excellent 1.2 16V MPI common in Stilos (less so in Puntos as it was only fitted to the 'sporting' models), 80 BHP and the very near the same economy to the 60 BHP 1.2 8V SPI

[Ian_Fearn]

It'd be worth speaking to Vernon (VmanC) or Freddy (Panda1408) on the Fiat Forum. Both are really helpful and knowledgeable on this stuff.

 

I've recently seen a finished example at Freddys workshop of a 4x4 with a 1.4 Fire from a Brava(?). It was a really smart, professional conversion.

[For Fiats Sake]

I'd love a mk1 4x4, bloody hens teeth these days!

[fiatdaft]

A112 abarth engine ? (If you can find one )

 

 

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