Panda (Classic) Godiva -- the blue 750L (L is for "Low mileage")

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Part numbers as promised... 05757381 'Retaining Block'

Just had a quote -- through Big Mick at Eurocarcare -- of £1.90 per fixing, from FIAT, for these....

He suggested I looked at Beal's, instead: so if someone can see the identical clip on their website (and preferably cheaper...), then please let me know which ones I should be ordering...!

Had a look at Pippin (the Panda formerly known as Godiva): and I'm not so sure I'm up to the challenge of removing the originals in one piece... -- especially as they seem to be held together with 23-years-worth of crud....

 

[Didge3]

Getting used to the brakes (which work brilliantly -- just need a bit more effort than the Punto...) is fun, too; and teaches you to be that little more 'prepared'....

I think I may have to put some P plates on, for a while....

Join the club, everyone who goes from Punto to Panda notes that the brakes need a lot more press. The brakes are there but on Punto's they are so sharp and instant.

A personal note, I despise P plates, if your daughter wants them then fine but generally I find other road users treat drivers with P plates quite poorly, trying to overtake even when you're doing the speed limit, not allowing you to pull out of junctions etc.
Personally I wouldn't go for P plates but again this is just my personal opinion.

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Just had a quote -- through Big Mick at Eurocarcare -- of £1.90 per fixing, from FIAT, for these....

Thats a silly price, do you want me to see if it's still about £15 at my main dealer (I get special prices, but didn't realise they were that special ) and if a reasonable price get them and bring them on 2nd June for you?

 

[homeward]

Thats a silly price, do you want me to see if it's still about £15 at my main dealer (I get special prices, but didn't realise they were that special ) and if a reasonable price get them and bring them on 2nd June for you?

That would be brilliant! Many thanks...! :worship:

 

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Personally I wouldn't go for P plates but again this is just my personal opinion.

They were for me; and I was only kidding...! :devil:

 

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Do they come with the little plastic fitting studs too?

They've just arrived: and -- sadly, considering the cost of the blummin' things... -- they don't come with the fixers (which I had sort of expected, anyhoo...).

 

[panda panda]

They've just arrived: and -- sadly, considering the cost of the blummin' things... -- they don't come with the fixers (which I had sort of expected, anyhoo...).

Go on then, how much did you get ripped for?

I'm daringly running without any but may 'fake' some with stonechip paint

Bet the fixings will be nearly as much again too

 

[homeward]

Re: Pippin -- the blue 750L (L is for "Low mileage")

Go on then, how much did you get ripped for?

£20.21, for both, including postage, from Italy!

Bet the fixings will be nearly as much again too

Waiting for Most Easterly Pandas to come back to me on that one: but at £1.90 a pop, at FIAT's prices, we're currently looking at another £11.40 (for all six).

 

[homeward]

Re: Pippin -- the blue 750L (L is for "Low mileage")

Needs another rub down (don't I just know that feeling...?!); but Pippin now features the most important mod one can do to any FIAT, thanks to dave:

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Re: Pippin -- the blue 750L (L is for "Low mileage")

Waiting for Most Easterly Pandas to come back to me on that one: but at £1.90 a pop, at FIAT's prices, we're currently looking at another £11.40 (for all six).

I'll try and call in sometime in the next few days, got to order a thermostat for our 750L, but currently really busy and juggling courtesy cars while my daily driver is for repair atm :bang:

 

[panda panda]

Re: Pippin -- the blue 750L (L is for "Low mileage")

£20.21, for both, including postage, from Italy!



Waiting for Most Easterly Pandas to come back to me on that one: but at £1.90 a pop, at FIAT's prices, we're currently looking at another £11.40 (for all six).

By FIAT standards that's almost reasonable

 

[panda1408]

These ones will do the job, although it is not hard to get the old ones off and reuse then. You need a drift that is the same or smaller diameter to the pin in the centre and a small hammer. A couple of taps and it should come out, just make sure you catch it when it does. You can then compress the legs on the outer bit and pull it back through the hole. To reuse just push the outer through the hole and then tap the middle pin back in.

 

[VmanC]

There's always pop rivets you know, they even come in black if you're fussy. Might be an idea to see how the old ones come out before you spend your hard earned on new ones.

 

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Pippin goes pop... -- PICTURE HEAVY!

As some of you will know, Pippin is going on his maiden voyage to see VmanC, on Monday (travelling down on Sunday); and I wasn't so sure that the thrum of 769 cubic whatchmacallits would be entertainment enough: so, after reading several very helpful threads on here; digesting the wiring diagrams at the back of my oily-fingerprinted, second-hand Haynes; and having a shufty through the Porter manual that I also obtained from eBay, I set about ripping Pippin's poor dashboard off, earlier today....



Here are my little helpers....



By the way, I appreciate that certain esteemed members of this Forum may b*ll*ck me for the offending item in the top left-hand quadrant of the dash: but it serves three essential duties -- one, it harmonizes nicely with the tone of the engine; two, it replaces the darned blanking plate that fell out every time I braked, or went round a sharp bend; and three, it keeps very good time (so far). Sorry.

Because I need my iPhone -- firstly, to guide me to wherever Vernon lives; secondly, to call him, when I get lost; and, finally, to provide some music -- my first mini project of the day was a functioning cigar(!?) lighter. By magic, it also illuminates when the sidelights come on!



Just to show off Pippin's gorgeous upholstery, here's a titillating shot of a naked speaker pod (sourced from Italy, of all places...)! :devil:



And, just to show that I can repair what I once rent asunder, here's the dashboard back in place (once I'd routed all the appropriate wires, etc.). May I just say what fun it wasn't lining up the central air-vent...?



Anyway: the major project of the day was to replace these -- a mono Motorola, FM-free radio; and a tinny Grundig speaker (in original pod). The Moto didn't work, because one of the wires was broked.



If anyone wants these (for free: i.e. just the cost of carriage), yell soon, please: as, otherwise, they are destined for the tip....

Here are the (very expensive) period speakers that I installed. I had toyed with the idea of trying, somehow, to mount them (oo-er, missus) in their original cabinets: but didn't want to damage Pippin, in the process. So -- as they came with instructions for surface-mounting -- they went in the Italian pods, instead.





At this point, the post hadn't yet arrived; and, therefore, neither had the main attraction. So this was how things stood at lunchtime:



Here it is... -- after a quick trip to Maplin, for connectors (and Costa, for nourishment) -- pumping out Radio 4. And it all worked first time... -- including the switched ignition, routed from the brake pedal switch (although I have yet to check that the brake and reverse lights still work... -- edit: they do...). :woot:



Admittedly, it could do with some sort of surround: but, at the moment, my feeling is that it looks vintage and tatty enough to deter intruders, scallywags, and vagabonds. Fingers crossed....

Finally, I plugged my iPhone into the lighter socket; connected it to the aux in on the radio, and hey presto...! :slayer:



What a satisfying day's work...!

 

[homeward]

Re: Pippin, etc.

Also fitted a wiper-blade to Pippin, today. See this post. Now have a clear windscreen when it rains (which it did, just after I fitted it...)!

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

As its reversible we'll forgive you about the clock

 

[Didge3]

Re: Pippin goes pop... -- PICTURE HEAVY!

You have a different clock to me. I think. Does it make noise when you sit in the car with everything off?

You also have significantly less wiring than I do behind your head unit.

 

[homeward]

Re: Pippin goes pop... -- PICTURE HEAVY!

You have a different clock to me. I think. Does it make noise when you sit in the car with everything off?

It sounds like one of those bombs that's in 1960 spy movies, where the hero always ends up cutting the red wire, with just one second to go. Luckily, the fan counteracts it; driving at anything above 35 drowns it out; and I'm partially deaf. Also: my new(ish) HU pumps out pretty decent stereo...!

You also have significantly less wiring than I do behind your head unit.

Oh dear... -- and I was so chuffed at FIAT for providing everything I needed (and in such a basic model, too...). Not often that you have so much to plug and play.... I can therefore imagine how having too much can be just as bad as having too little....

 

[panda panda]

Re: Pippin goes pop... -- PICTURE HEAVY!

A clock!

Heavens forfend against such witchcraft!

I shall remain clockless as I have a wide variety of devices (phone/watch/satnav/radio) which provide me the time should I need it.

Good luck with your battery draining tomfoolery

 

[Didge3]

Re: Pippin goes pop... -- PICTURE HEAVY!

Luckily, the fan counteracts it; driving at anything above 35 drowns it out;

Driving above 35 drowns your clock out? Or the fan?
Just starting the engine drowns my clock out so either your clock is louder than mine or my engine is louder than yours

Oh dear... -- and I was so chuffed at FIAT for providing everything I needed (and in such a basic model, too...). Not often that you have so much to plug and play.... I can therefore imagine how having too much can be just as bad as having too little....

I have lots of wiring, I was so excited when I actually had a connector that I recognized, then I followed the wiring back and it doesn't seem to actually go anywhere, it has an earth that goes through a hole and the rest of the wires just stop before they reach anywhere