The Yeti
New member
Last time I had a Fiat Panda I had it for less than 24 hours. The wife and I went out to pick up the car and on the way back it was made clear to me that my little runabout was no longer mine. Now five years down the road and finding the modern traffic a little intimidating on my fifty year old little BSA Bantam, I found this forum and I decided to go for it again. I found myself a nice little H reg Panda Dance 900 on E-bay. I actually won the auction without paying too much over the odds and today we went out to collect it.
Despite the proliferation of drivers who were far more interested in the pretty sheep than the road and one diversion of at least fifteen miles in the wrong direction, we arrived less than two hours late. There she was, my little black and white roller-skate with an engine and she was all mine... yes the doors are dubious, but the rest of her ok and with only 44k miles on the clock, with a few months tax and a bit of an MOT, costing under £200 I couldn’t complain
Getting back into the Fiat brought back all the memories. Getting my legs in a position where they won’t cramp up on the way back, the feel of the gearbox (well you all know Fiat gearboxes) and the general feeling of Pandaness (cute and basic) and I was a very happy teddy bear. Fifteen miles down the road heading into Barnsley just a little faster than I should have really been going I leant on the brakes and suddenly my foot was on the floor with the pedal all slack and floppy.
TALK ABOUT PANIC!!!
In a strange town with traffic everywhere and in a car that wouldn’t stop.
Some judicious use of the gears, some swift navigation around traffic that had the right of way, many horns being lent on and me finding out that the handbrake is just an ornament and I eventually brought her to a stop...got out and found brake fluid dripping onto the floor. A brake line had chosen that moment to let loose in a big way.
So my new toy took a trip home courtesy of the AA, the neighbours are laughing at me and what little credibility I had is gone…even my two kids have decided that they’d rather not ride in it when it’s fixed, preferring to stick with the wife’s Suzuki Wagon (which looks like a cross between postman Pat’s Van and an Ice Cream van).
Ah the joys of Fiat ownership...am I down hearted...of course I am, but this one is all mine and no one else is getting their sticky hands near it
Phil
Ps...back to the initial point of this commentary...the metal brake lines inside the engine bay which go to the front brakes am I going to be able to rip a set off whatever Fiat I find in my local breakers and make do, or do I have to start looking for a Panda 900cc to strip?
Phil
Pps...Does this mean I'm now a "Steely eyed Panda driver"?
Phil
Despite the proliferation of drivers who were far more interested in the pretty sheep than the road and one diversion of at least fifteen miles in the wrong direction, we arrived less than two hours late. There she was, my little black and white roller-skate with an engine and she was all mine... yes the doors are dubious, but the rest of her ok and with only 44k miles on the clock, with a few months tax and a bit of an MOT, costing under £200 I couldn’t complain
Getting back into the Fiat brought back all the memories. Getting my legs in a position where they won’t cramp up on the way back, the feel of the gearbox (well you all know Fiat gearboxes) and the general feeling of Pandaness (cute and basic) and I was a very happy teddy bear. Fifteen miles down the road heading into Barnsley just a little faster than I should have really been going I leant on the brakes and suddenly my foot was on the floor with the pedal all slack and floppy.
TALK ABOUT PANIC!!!
In a strange town with traffic everywhere and in a car that wouldn’t stop.
Some judicious use of the gears, some swift navigation around traffic that had the right of way, many horns being lent on and me finding out that the handbrake is just an ornament and I eventually brought her to a stop...got out and found brake fluid dripping onto the floor. A brake line had chosen that moment to let loose in a big way.
So my new toy took a trip home courtesy of the AA, the neighbours are laughing at me and what little credibility I had is gone…even my two kids have decided that they’d rather not ride in it when it’s fixed, preferring to stick with the wife’s Suzuki Wagon (which looks like a cross between postman Pat’s Van and an Ice Cream van).
Ah the joys of Fiat ownership...am I down hearted...of course I am, but this one is all mine and no one else is getting their sticky hands near it
Phil
Ps...back to the initial point of this commentary...the metal brake lines inside the engine bay which go to the front brakes am I going to be able to rip a set off whatever Fiat I find in my local breakers and make do, or do I have to start looking for a Panda 900cc to strip?
Phil
Pps...Does this mean I'm now a "Steely eyed Panda driver"?
Phil
