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Panda (Classic) My Purple Panda Parade Progress log

Introduction

Well folks, after keeping it under my hat all week (to avoid any embarrassment if the ebay winner actually collected the car) I have bought the purple panda parade from another user on here, neeny. They had sold it on ebay, and to cut a long story short the winner of the auction didn't collect, so the transaction was cancelled, and I offered to buy it in his place (I had actually nearly bid on the car on the original run but I confused myself and thought it was LHD which wouldn't have been any good to me) So I made the trip to fife (and on the way crossed the forth road bridge and saw the forth rail bridge which is a bit of an ambition of mine) and collected it. It took some getting used to driving! My current daily is a Citroen C2 GT, and the two cars are very very different. I have prior experience driving Fiats, as my first 3 cars were a mix of mk1 and mk2a puntos, and the first car I ever drove was my dad's tipo.

Anyway I digress, I drove it home in blizzard conditions and am very impressed with it! The only thing is that it has sat for a while and the brakes are very spongy (not a criticism of the previous owners, they were extremely honest about the car and answered all my questions, they were very kind and nice people and I hope to see them again, perhaps at a show) The Mohair twin sunroofs were slightly damp on the inside (again, not a criticism, it has been extremely wet in Scotland recently, and there is only so much it can take) not leaking or anything, just slightly damp, so I aim to treat this with fabric water repellant. There are some decals and stickers on it which aren't to my personal tastes, so I will remove these, and keep the ones which are to my taste :) The rear sunroof needs a new strap, so I will need to source one of these, or get my fiance to make a new one if I can get a hold of some leather or rubber if I find they are unavailable :)

I am very pleased with my new purchase, and consider myself very lucky to have managed to get it, the buyer on ebay should be kicking himself! And also I am very lucky to have met such kind people as Janine and Stewart, and to have found a forum with such helpful people. Anyway folks lets get down to business...photos! I apologize for the poor quality of some of these photos, it was dark before I took some of these and it is very cold so my hand was shaking. Hopefully you join me on my journey folks :) The panda is currently in my garage being aired out in an attempt to part dry the sunroofs before I bust out the hairdryer tomorrow :)

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So tomorrow is a local classic car show in ayrshire at Dean castle, its only 10 miles from me. I washed and polished PTP today and cleaned the interior too. I'm a bit nervous as I have never shown PTP before so not sure what the reception will be like, but I am very excited :) I would like to have him looking a bit better but I am finally comfortable with showing him :) has anyone got any tips for me? Wish me luck! :)
 

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Wish me luck! :)

Good luck...! (y)

You'll be fine! Pandas always seem to attract people without any effort -- although you may get the odd "my grandad had one of these, but he swapped it for [something awful] in the scrappage scheme" comment: which will break your heart. (Each time a Panda is scrapped, a fairy dies as well, you know....) :cool:

Just relax, and have fun...! :)
 
Good luck...! (y)

You'll be fine! Pandas always seem to attract people without any effort -- although you may get the odd "my grandad had one of these, but he swapped it for [something awful] in the scrappage scheme" comment: which will break your heart. (Each time a Panda is scrapped, a fairy dies as well, you know....) :cool:

Just relax, and have fun...! :)

Thanks homeward! :)

I had a dream (or perhaps nightmare) a few weeks ago that I had a parade I was scrapping for parts for PTP and I felt ok about it at first but the more I investigated it the more it seemed too good to scrap! So in my dream I was taking parts off of it and crying at the same time because I didn't want to?! Panda madness or what!!
 
So tomorrow is a local classic car show in ayrshire at Dean castle, its only 10 miles from me. I washed and polished PTP today and cleaned the interior too. I'm a bit nervous as I have never shown PTP before so not sure what the reception will be like, but I am very excited :) I would like to have him looking a bit better but I am finally comfortable with showing him :) has anyone got any tips for me? Wish me luck! :)

Yes, have fun! (y)

Panda's are always well received as are any Fiats come to that. Everyone had one, or knew someone that had one, and it's a bit different to the MGB's etc.

Don't worry there's nothing to it. :)

In the highly unlikely event someone says anything derogatory just get their address - the heavy mob will be available in a few weeks to persuade them otherwise!! ;)
 
Yes, have fun! (y)

Panda's are always well received as are any Fiats come to that. Everyone had one, or knew someone that had one, and it's a bit different to the MGB's etc.

Don't worry there's nothing to it. :)

In the highly unlikely event someone says anything derogatory just get their address - the heavy mob will be available in a few weeks to persuade them otherwise!! ;)

Haha :ROFLMAO: I don't think anyone will say anything derogatory but I can take it if they do, its a marmite car and not everyone will "get it" unfortunetly, but I'm actually ok with that :)
 
Haha :ROFLMAO: I don't think anyone will say anything derogatory but I can take it if they do, its a marmite car and not everyone will "get it" unfortunetly, but I'm actually ok with that :)

You're most likely to get "oh all those rusted away", to which my (slightly jaded & sarcastic) reply is "well this one didn't did it?!!" (y)
 
You're most likely to get "oh all those rusted away", to which my (slightly jaded & sarcastic) reply is "well this one didn't did it?!!" (y)

I have had that comment quite a lot before, I usually invite then to look underneath, because there is next to no corrosion.

The other one I get quite often is "you don't see many of these anymore do you?" Rofl
 
At least people will remember a Panda and have memories of them. As much as I like things like series 1 Hillman Minxs & Standard Vanguards there can't be many people left who genuinely have memories of owning a driving them when they were just ordinary cars.
 
At least people will remember a Panda and have memories of them. As much as I like things like series 1 Hillman Minxs & Standard Vanguards there can't be many people left who genuinely have memories of owning a driving them when they were just ordinary cars.

I feel really old, now (and was born in the same year as the E-Type Jag...) -- although it was my dad who owned and drove the Minx, of course. :eek:
 
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At least people will remember a Panda and have memories of them. As much as I like things like series 1 Hillman Minxs & Standard Vanguards there can't be many people left who genuinely have memories of owning a driving them when they were just ordinary cars.

As it turns out a lot of people there did exactly that! :)

Its been a great wee day, and I even got the sunroofs down for a couple of hours before rain started again, but the general public reaction was very very positive! :) lots of people approached me to talk about the car, and lots of people talked to each other about the car which I overheard when I happened to be walking past. Thanks to Allen Fletcher too who's idea it was to do a wee write up about the cars details and history because lots of people came to read it, and seemed to enjoy looking at and inside (through the windows and roof if I wasn't there to let them in for a butchers) it. A good day, I got a wee plaque for attending and I've got lots of photos which I will upload shortly :)
 
So here is a small selection of photos from todays show, it wasnt at Dean Castle as it had flooded, so it was in the car park of a local school instead.

A photographer for Classic Car Buyer magazine took some details and a photo of me and PTP and some other people to do an article about the show, unfortunatly I didn't get a chance to mention Fiatforum to him, but I did put it in the write up I did about the cars history in my window, a lot of people read it! Mine was the only Fiat there which I was a little dissapointed about, but there was a lot of positive interest :)

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