General Update on Wendys 1.1 Panda

[thebiglad]

Well that was a surprise !!!!

It the first time I've driven Pippa enthusiastically and she is great so great !!!

Obviously I had been doing it all wrong up to now, too gentle, too higher gears - but not today !!!!!!!!!!

She went like the proverbial scalded cat. Nice curvy A roads and twisty back roads. Clings on like a limpet - just like rallying Minis in the 60's and 70's.


Huge fun at sensible-ish speeds, can't be beat.

You can tell I had fun can't you


Dave

 

[blackpool]

Pandas like being driven hard.

 

[onemanmade]

My last car was a rally homologation citroen c2 GT, and it was nowhere near as fun or as responsive in the bends as the panda is. Motoring has taken a step backward since the panda in my opinion.

 

[purple haze]

That's the only way to drive a panda...they love the abuse. Looks like you will be buying another soon then...

 

[thebiglad]

That's the only way to drive a panda...they love the abuse. Looks like you will be buying another soon then...

I'm looking right now. My Picasso is sold, so it's just a matter of finding the right car and we'll be a 2 Panda family.

I can't quite believe how different Pippa felt when I gave her some stick this afternoon.


Dave

 

[Palio]

I'm looking right now. My Picasso is sold, so it's just a matter of finding the right car and we'll be a 2 Panda family.

I can't quite believe how different Pippa felt when I gave her some stick this afternoon.


Dave

Yep Panda's love being thrashed, along with most small Fiat's. You need to remember they were designed for young Italians to drive, so anything you do is unlikely to cause a problem mechanically!

The more you get used to them, the more you realise you can hustle them through the corners too.

 

[dragonwagon]

Even the 4x4 can be hustled pretty well - more entertaining than the standard car in some ways and very unnerving for the casual observer if the roll angles are anything to go by !

 

[Plug]

That's the only way to drive a panda...they love the abuse.

My first Panda was a 750.. never going to be described as a quick car (I think I once saw 85 on the clock, down a geet big hill), but it loved to be ragged. Revved like a motorbike and would do lurid 4 wheel drifts on the ring road roundabouts at about 45 MPH.

The Parade that followed it was a much more sensible proposal as a day to day driver but I have to say the fuel injection and wider tyres took some of the grin factor out of the equation..

Cheers,

Plug

 

[purple haze]

Not sure why, but I enjoy a carb panda to a inj panda...they seem to rev a bit more. Proberly no difference in reality.

Another panda eh.....get a twin sunroof one. Ideal for where you are.

 

[thebiglad]

Not sure why, but I enjoy a carb panda to a inj panda...they seem to rev a bit more. Proberly no difference in reality.

Another panda eh.....get a twin sunroof one. Ideal for where you are.

Like the idea of that but 2 questions:

1. does the Skydome option rob any headroom?

2. are they known to leak? Over the last 12 years I've had a trail of Discoverys and most with leaking sunroofs !!!!



Dave

 

[JamieK]

Like the idea of that but 2 questions:

1. does the Skydome option rob any headroom?

2. are they known to leak? Over the last 12 years I've had a trail of Discoverys and most with leaking sunroofs !!!!



Dave

If anything you'll gain about 1 or 2 inches of headroom with them closed, as they are the kanvas/vinyl type roofs and they sit above the roof level

Also you can pick up new ones on Italian ebay for about 80 euros if they do leak. Never had a problem with mine leaking though

Go for it!!

 

[thebiglad]

If anything you'll gain about 1 or 2 inches of headroom with them closed, as they are the kanvas/vinyl type roofs and they sit above the roof level

Also you can pick up new ones on Italian ebay for about 80 euros if they do leak. Never had a problem with mine leaking though

Go for it!!

What a cute little Panda Jamie !! Never seen soft rofs like that, that seem to open forwards? How do they seem at cruising speeds? Does the wind tend to lift them or is there a strap to hold them down?

Normally with a Webasto roof they slide or fold backwards.


Dave

 

[thebiglad]

And if I could ask all you Classic owners, what do you think of the post 2003 Panda Nuovo car? Is it still as much fun?

I'm leaning more towards one of those because it's just that bit bigger to accommodate my rather ample girth .


Dave

 

[onemanmade]

What a cute little Panda Jamie !! Never seen soft rofs like that, that seem to open forwards? How do they seem at cruising speeds? Does the wind tend to lift them or is there a strap to hold them down?

Normally with a Webasto roof they slide or fold backwards.


Dave

Check out my progress logs, I have the twin sunnies too. They are great fun and on a sunny day just fantastic! The quicker you go the noisier it gets though. But it will cruise relatively noiselessly about 50-55mph above that speed is noisy but once you are used to it is fine, turn up the CD player

And there are rubber straps which hold down each roof which folds forwards, there is no noticeable lift.

 

[onemanmade]

And if I could ask all you Classic owners, what do you think of the post 2003 Panda Nuovo car? Is it still as much fun?

I'm leaning more towards one of those because it's just that bit bigger to accommodate my rather ample girth .


Dave

I drove my dads for a couple of weeks and it I am brutally honest I don't find the space very much increased. The cabin noise is less but space in the boot is compromised and there are only 4 seats.

I don't know what size you are but I'm over 16 stone and 6ft tall, and I manage fine

 

[thebiglad]

I drove my dads for a couple of weeks and it I am brutally honest I don't find the space very much increased. The cabin noise is less but space in the boot is compromised and there are only 4 seats.

I don't know what size you are but I'm over 16 stone and 6ft tall, and I manage fine

That's just a boys figure !!!!!!

I'm a bit bigger than you, too embarassed to say by how much, but you get the picture

I tried a 1.2 2006 Panda pretty-much as soon as Wend got her Pippa and to me it felt quite a lot different and more spacious, but that might have just been "newer car" excitement on my part ????

 

[purple haze]

Even when they get old they ont seem to leak...plus you can load overly long stuff through them..long planks of wood, plants, all kinds of stuff..

 

[onemanmade]

That's just a boys figure !!!!!!

I'm a bit bigger than you, too embarassed to say by how much, but you get the picture

I tried a 1.2 2006 Panda pretty-much as soon as Wend got her Pippa and to me it felt quite a lot different and more spacious, but that might have just been "newer car" excitement on my part ????

I will try my dads car again, just incase I am remembering wrongly, but when you factor in the extra equipment, dash and protection equipment, they must suffer space wise I reckon? But then again, even if its psychological if it feels better As a bigger lad I know how frustrating it as at times trying to use cars which other people use easily, I once sat in a lotus esprit and I was devastated that if I had been able to open the sunroof I would have my head 3/4 of the way out of it

Even when they get old they ont seem to leak...plus you can load overly long stuff through them..long planks of wood, plants, all kinds of stuff..

My sunroofs have helped me no end with that while I am building my shed, you get a lot of stares but its all good I can fit more in my panda (and outside of it!!) than I can with my dads significantly bigger brava. True story. The panda is the ultimate function and fun car, I dont know if the fun was strictly intentional, but it puts a smile on my face every time I drive it, or look at it without fail.

 

[panda panda]

I'm over six foot tall and 4xl and have managed fine in mk1 mk2 mk3 panda's.

Roomiest Panda of all though is the Y10 - it's comparatively massive inside, must be those bowed doors

 

[onemanmade]

I'm over six foot tall and 4xl and have managed fine in mk1 mk2 mk3 panda's.

Roomiest Panda of all though is the Y10 - it's comparatively massive inside, must be those bowed doors

Do you find the mk3s significantly bigger? Than the mk1/2s?