Sublime Panda-monium II

[Relentless Rob]

With new belt number three on it's way I thought I'd spent today getting the engine ready to fit it.

I needed to make the 2007 Panda pulley fit the 1996 cam'.

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Easy enough with MS Paint but more fun with a grinder.

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I left a gap big enough to lock the washer in place with a nut and bolt and weld the two together.

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Due to the different sized holes on the new Panda pulley the outer rim is counter balanced.

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The counter balance weights on the rim of the pulley foul the head where the cover bolts in. I solved this problem with a grinder as well.

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I also needed to fit the wider tensioner from the new Panda head. First the shorter mounting bolt had to come out...

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...and fit the mounting bolt from the new Panda head as well. Well worth the £1 it cost me eh?

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I needed a 3mm washer behind it to clear the core plug at the end of the 1108 head. I fitted the top pulley to make sure it lines up perfectly to the water pump...

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...cam pulley to tensioner...

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...and finally tensioner to crank pulley.

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Other things I needed to make sure about. The Panda engine mount, alternator and distributor.

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The alternator is bloody close...

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...but lines up well.

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Marked TDC and as soon as the belt arrives I'll finally know it the top and bottom timing is synchronous.

That's about it. I spent the rest of the day playing with a two stoke and rotary engine. That's all gardening is to me. Have a weekend of dirty welding ahead.

Hey if it works instead of the "Fully Integrated Robotised Engine" How about the "Fabricated In Norfolk Engine" FINE being ironic if (when) it explodes eh?

[Relentless Rob]

So a day of ups and downs for me. Starting with an all time low. I used P40 filler for the first time since I bought my first welder.

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If I had taken the time I could have spot and popped the pannel straight but the £999 challenge isn't a concourse event I had a lot to do today.

First I needed to get the bonnet M.O.T friendly so cut away the holes in the front corners (sharp edges) and filled with new metal.

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To make up for my P40 indiscretion I used a safe amount of welt so I could grind and flap it back...

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...and a little filler (Grrrrr!) to tidy up the flap groves.

Okay before I go on. I hate filler! The guidelines suggest you use a pea of hardener for every golf ball of the stuff. In my opinion (sorry I this causes any offence) if you need a golf ball of filler you haven't done enough metal work and should give up and start again.

So next on my list of things to do was door number two.

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Seam welded along the top and stitched the bottom lip.

Grind, flap, fill, sand, fill, sand, fill, sand, wet and dry, prime, paint, leave to dry and re-hang.

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I also finished of the rear quarter filling and tidied the passenger door.

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While I had the filler out I finished the bonnet and refitted it.

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In other news the belt arrived so.....


....ladies and gentleman....



....boys and girls....


....I present to you...


...the Fiat FINE engine.


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I cranked the engine by hand and the TDC marks lined up perfectly every time. So in theory at least the engine should work.

[Relentless Rob]

So; not so busy today. I didn't get much in the way of dirty welding done because to be honest it was too hot to be faffing about under a rusty Panda. I have the car booked in for paint next weekend so I'd better get it done (set myself a deadline to get my arse in gear). Once again I was distracting myself with fiddly stuff.

Thanks to the vandalism the other week I needed to replace the window. I used the polycarbonate one from the Cinquecento trimmed down to fit the Panda and a little trial and error later...

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...the passenger window I put the seal on the frame and stuck the rubbers to it. Not looking too great the drivers window I put the seal inside the rubbers and stuck the window in place that way. I'm using the original rubbers instead of pop rivets so you shouldn't be able to tell from a distance.

This may not look any different than previous photo's but...

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...the seat is now mounted and...

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...welded in the first three harness anchors. Twenty four years of underseal and road muck smells great when you burn it off.

Back to work tomorrow.

[Renrut]

That FINE engine is looking rather sorry.

If the pulleys at the cam have twice half the teeth of the crank one then they should be synchronised, you just might have them out of phase with eachother

I'd recommend Franks suggestion of the oscillating tool for removing seam sealer and underseal - its magnificent!

[Relentless Rob]

Sump...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/221038510888? ... 500wt_1385

...check.

Brake discs...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/190641823089? ... 420wt_1368

...check.

Mirrors for M.O.T...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/260785756185? ... 1497.l2649

...check?

I love it when the Payday fairies visit.

Dirty welding (sills, floor and inner wings), paint, finish mounting the harness, build and fit the engine, fabricate the exhaust, fabricate the inlet manifold adapter and (time and budget permitting) Polycarbonate the rear windows.

FOUR WEEKS TO GO!!!!!!

[Relentless Rob]

Okay another pesky M.O.T job taken care of thanks to an eBay purchase.

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I found a use for the discs I drilled out of the seat last year.

Luckily I know a very understanding M.O.T tester.

[Relentless Rob]

Bloody weather. I've been photoshoping to take my mind off it.



Orange or blue roof?

[Relentless Rob]

Because I'm not cleaning parts and making the car look like a new build someone suggested I paint the roll cage with a brush. I'm too effected from the fumes to care how crap it looks.

[Relentless Rob]

Do you know what? I think he was right...

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...perfect for the old racer dragged out of storage look I'm going for instead of a new build. Nice one Kev (van of death).

Of course it isn't unusual for me to be playing with straps on a Sunday afternoon.

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That's another M.O.T job done.

Weather permitting I'll be doing the dirty welding tomorrow. Two problems with getting the car painted this week; first I only have one bottle of thinners, thanks to the extended bank holiday can't get any more and second damp air is rubbish for painting.

[Relentless Rob]

Sorry about the lack of photo's today. I've been busy working on the car rather than being a shutter bug.

Anyway the sill is patched, rear arch replaced and I've cut the rusty filler hole out and replaced the metal, cut a hole big enough for the cap and screwed the neck in place.

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Now I have a dilemma. If I drive to work this month I can be home in time to do quiet jobs to the car, but if I cycle to work this month I'll have quicker reaction times for the quarter mile and weigh a bit less.

[MFrV1]

Having a car for the £999 will be more important than weighing abit less.

[Relentless Rob]

Having a car for the £999 will be more important than weighing abit less.

I agree. It may not be the 750 though.

I'm yet to get the log book from the DVLA and yesterday was a case of taking a step forward and three back.

I have a back up plan as soon as the parts for the FINE engine arrive. Realistically I only have three more days off work before the event and it will take a day to fit the engine and get it set up. One day for paint and the M.O.T will take most of a day pass or fail.

The only M.O.T'd platform I have is my Fantasia. Provided I put everything back to standard after the event (to keep the owners club happy) it would be a lot better than doing a rush job of the 750.

I'd have the rest of the summer to finish the 750 off and go to a September track day with the car or even PPCITP next year.

[Relentless Rob]

Not much of an update I'm afraid. Before rain stopped play I managed to get some Hammerite on the sills and trial fit the new grille.

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But the Punto GT brake conversion and bits will be on eBay to raise funds later.

[Relentless Rob]

The sump arrived today.

As expected I've needed to modify the oil pick up pipe from the 1108cc head donor to fit...

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...and the sump is a perfect fit.

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Now I need a gasket and a dozen bolts.

[Renrut]

That sump looks an awful design, won't oil just get trapped down that far end?