Styling Peeling Panda!

[DemonPandaOwner]

Okay, so I hope I'm posting in the right section here. I'm guessing that for cosmetic issues, Styling would be the right place.

My 2004 Panda is beginning to show its age rather badly and I wondered if anyone might be willing to share some advice on what to do. Being bright red the fading is quite noticeable, ranging from perfectly fine in places to a yellow spotty patch just above the driver's door. To compound things, there are several spots where the lacquer has started to peel as well, mostly on the bonnet edge and top corners, and on the bumper.

I can't quite figure out how the car is fading so unevenly - some panels are fine, others look like they're covered in tree sap, yet they're all on the same side of the car! I am beginning to wonder if there has been some respraying going on in the past I am unaware of as the car was bought used at 8 years old.

I can't afford to replace the car, neither would I want to at the moment. For all it's faults and foilbles, it's relatively low mileage at under 100k and 20 years old, and reasonably reliable too. But I do want to make it look better as I don't want other people to treat it like because of it's looks.

Is there anything I can do DIY and relatively inexpensively? I've come here first as I have had sound advice in the past, and you guys know these cars. I did think about possibly using colour magic but my last experience wasn't that great. Or would it be better to buy some vinyl online and go down the wrapping route? My biggest worry is the lacquer as I don't want things to start rusting.

 

[koalar]

Unfortunately

Peeling lacquer is beyond most people's skill set

It needs stripping off

Then the paint T cutting

The paint thickness measured

Colour spraying if needed

Clear coat spraying

Your best bet it to stop is spreading as much as possible

 

[AndyRKett]

vinyl will cost as much as a respray. The vinyl is not cheap and you will not be able to fit it yourself without it looking like a dogs dinner, it is a skill that you really need a professional to do, if you want it to look any good.

The lacquer peel is really a respray job and again with wrapping any imperfections in the pain such as lacquer peel will show in the wrap.

The yellowing you see could be the lacquer becoming milky and UV damaged with age, as there is lacquer over the red pain there is nothing you can do to improve the fading.

you could have the whole care machine polished, this might sort out some of the paint imperfections, you could try polishing it yourself with some cutting compounds, which can be bought easily in places like halfords these days, but really the only answer to properly improving the looks is a full repray. or having the car sanded and then wrapped by a professional.

either way you're looking at more than the value of the car.

Probably given its age and potential longevity, you would be better off putting the money towards a newer car further down the line, than spending money on this car now.

Realistically at the age it is, unless you spent a lot money on rust protection in the past it could start to show up for rust problems in coming MOTs which will write the car off as well, you don't want to spend hundreds on making it look nice only for it to be unroad worthy due to rust.

 

[jrkitching]

Good advice from Andy.

Unfortunately red is one of the worst colours for showing this kind of damage.

There's nothing you can do now that's going to improve its appearance that wouldn't cost several multiples of the value of the car.

Just put whatever you would have spent toward your next car.

And consider buying a white one next time!

 

[Yolanda]

Was this topic not discussed a couple of weeks ago or am I having a senior moment.

 

[koalar]

Was this topic not discussed a couple of weeks ago or am I having a senior moment.

3 years standing Panda 1.1 resurrection. | FIAT Panda (Mk3)

HI I’ve a 2009 1.1 that I’m trying to get going. It’s my mothers car and it’s been sat unused for about 3 years and rarely used prior to that (sub 8k miles). The battery charged up ok, but I wouldn’t start as the starter had seized. I freed that off but it still won’t start. I did get it going...

www.fiatforum.com

And

First car for a new driver | FIAT Panda (Mk3)

Look what I picked up for a new driver here in Ireland, he's delighted with it and there was nothing half as good available at twice the price. It was 1200 euro from a fiat garage.

www.fiatforum.com

 

[DaveMcT]

Ive just got back from visiting in-laws in Tenerife. Great to see them again. There are not many red cars but every car that's more than a couple of years old is fading. Some are a horrible pink and they all have peeling lacquer.

I believe red looks red because it absorbs the blues aka higher frequencies - including UV. Red can look fantastic but fades horribly.

 

[The Panda Nut]

Was this topic not discussed a couple of weeks ago or am I having a senior moment.

I can't remember!