Club 80-90 Forums

Hi everybody, who wants a panda see adtrader.co.uk too far away for me;spennymoor whereever that is?? Rog;

me! its only 3 hrs from me! cheers mcgill

McGill! there you are, haven't seen you for ages!

Gis a ride in your Panda...

What the hell is a panda? Not one of those silly little fiat things is it?

Yep, one was very well driven at Coney Farm and impressed a lot of people with its off-road capabilities !

Id have to see it to believe it! Any pics??

Its like watching a dinky car going around a lego circuit! Still though, impressive, especially for a fiat! Kind of expected it to fall apart reckless kelly style half way through the course!

Fiat? They only provide the base, off roadness by our friends Steyr Puch

Ah right! SO thats why it works then! SO does it use a VC as well then?

No, solid drive, selectable when off the sticky stuff... simple dog-clutch engager I think.

especially for a fiat

What the....? Wash your mouth out with soap and synthetic 10W/40.. renowned for their unburstable engines, and Fiat Lancias, the suspension specialists, though their bodies didn't take to our salt rich diet for a while in the 80's. 2.0 Beta, HPE, Delta, prisma engine.. one of the best ever. Supercharged in the 037 and some Beta Coupes, turbo'ed in the Integrale.

HarryMann wrote:
W renowned for their unburstable engines,

seen and heard of too many fiat/alfa engines go boom

Didn't mention Alfas, Fiat-Lancias, dunno which ones you mean, but the 1600 SOHC was a corker and all the 1600/2-litres DOHCs too. Had the latter round past 7k many a time, quite a lot for 2-litre, and they hold together well, eased past a 3-liter Crappy in one too, doing maybe 120+ - he thought I'd drop back when he moved over to let the full blast of the air hit me, but just shut the sunroof and edged past him, not bad for 2.0.

and 1600 SOHC can be made to go very well... melted a plug in one due too advanced timing, and despite damage, still would pi$$ all over most things a year later. Ran 220 psi compressions after running in..

Nah, these are superb engines, and having known a Fiat-Lancia dealer for quite a few years, very few splattered engines ever came in, can't remember any actually. Some superchargers off the Beta Coupes, a few tappets needing shimming, a Thema turbo hydraulic locked and wrecked itself ona flooded road, and the usual over-filling with oil (only took 4 litres think).
Such a strong engine all-round, that when they turboe'd it for the big Lancia Thema it was the fastest 2.0 saloon car for some time - 139mph on road test. I've hit over 130 mph in one on the M5 going down to Taunton and twas still pulling, but thought better of waiting a minute or two just to see what it would do
Ask Roger, those 999cc FIRE engines in the Pandas and Unos have a good reputation too. Lots of bottom end power for a 1 litre unit. Maybe you've had some right old nails (like we all have)...

I've got a 98 Seicento sporting with the 1107cc Fire engine. Revs like nuts right up to the rev limiter and goes pretty quick for an 1.1 although I have fitted an enlarger throttle body and drilled the airbox.

Nick

Remembered that you could get low oil pressure on some of the DOHCs, usually put down to oil getting low or not changed at the service intervals, so the on or two of the high mileage one did sound a bit endy, but wasn't endemic.
Also rememebred I had a 1300 Uno, which went very well, split a hose and toasted it, had the head skimmed and gasketed and was as good as new again...

A lot of people become very fond of their Fiats, but don't think Lancias are sold here anymore.. its all boring German stuff now did I really say that. Well, must have been thinking about the ranks of BMWs everywhere... not the flair that the Italians have.
Maybe sson we'll have three choices, German, French or Japanese...