Sublime Panda-monium II

[Relentless Rob]

Time for some tuning; I've removed the rev' limiter...

[url]|http://thumbsnap.com/d9OaweSV[/url]

[Relentless Rob]

This doesn't happen very often but I have a weekend the same as the Norms. So here's the plan...

Saturday

Take the bumpers off
Straighten out the bumper brackets
Replace the road runner "meep-meep" horn with a Fiat Coupe one
Fit the driving lights from my Cinquecento
Weld a patch near the rear valance I spotted the other day
Fit a pair of speakers so all four channels have an output

Sunday

Have a look at the brakes to see if the Punto GT ones will be a straight swap or if I'll need to swap hubs or fabricate brackets. I'm looking for a floor mounted pedal box (just in time for this months PPC to have a free kit car catalog with it) so I can have two master cylinders moving the extra fluid required.

Monday

Morning; Go to my local scrappy and see if they have any 1.4 or 1.6 Fiat Bravo/Brava/Punto and see how much the engine, bits and loom will be.

Afternoon; Horse riding, coffee, cake, ex-Police dog assessment and training; then if there's enough time beer.

[Steve33]

If it comes with a free kit car catalogue how about fitting a fibreglass bucket seat and harness .
Like in the magenta .

[Relentless Rob]

I've been thinking about this and I have always stripped cars out to save weight (mostly due to either having a heavy car in the first place of to save money in tuning), but this is "Practical" Performance Car and while the Panda is in virtually daily use I can't take the interior out (yet).

Polly-carbonate windows eat a hundred or so Pounds out of the budget, the hammock seats weigh next to chuff all (the aluminium Kirkey-esque seat weighs more than one of them without having to add the time faffing about with the sub-frame would take) also the added weight of the supports for the harness would probably make it futile anyway. I can always take a set of sockets and strip bits out on the day if needs be. Thereby making a picnic area as well.

If I'm going to run the Panda in the £999 Challenge this time I want the car to be Practical as well.

Besides racing seats, plastic windows and a canvas roof? Nah.

[Renrut]

Thats quite a list Rob. Best get cracking!

[Relentless Rob]

Well I've ticked off most of the list for today...

Gone from "beep-beep"...

[url]|http://thumbsnap.com/iwVxTSOm[/url]

...to "hoot-hoot".

[url]|http://thumbsnap.com/QsSrG2p3[/url]

For those of us who don't feel PPC is dumbing down I've changed the horn.

While I had the bumper off I drilled a couple of holes and fitted the driving lights...

[url]|http://thumbsnap.com/CjfNsBjU[/url]

...should help the car be less invisible.

At work yesterday I raided the Stainless Steel skip and bought four ninety degree bends for £1.00...

[url]|http://thumbsnap.com/oE4HZw0M[/url]

...that's the raw material for the exhaust manifold sorted then.

Bad news; the back bumper won't come off without vandalising itself. Rusty nuts. Rather than risk sheering them off and the square one breaking the bumper I'll live with it for now (until I can get new bolts or make a set at least).

The back brakes are a straight swap (my old Panda had Uno Turbo ones so I was fairly certain) the front looks like I'll need the Cinquecento hubs and carriers as well. Here's the problem. The Cinquecento wishbones will need mounting brackets fabricated and welded in place. The two piece set up that the car has had rose jointed ends on my old car for camber adjustment. This is simpler but if I want the Cinquecento anti-roll bar and brakes I may need to have the Cinquecento wishbones as well.

In the meantime I'm getting back to it while the Sun shines.

[Relentless Rob]

Thats quite a list Rob. Best get cracking!

I do sod all at work (frustratingly and sorry about all the forum posts I make whilst bored to the point I'm no longer constipated at work) so I make the most of my days off.

[fha772]

...I do sod all at work...

What do you do?

[Relentless Rob]

What do you do?

I haven't put it in the the "What do you do thread" because it's that big an issue. It's a job and I'm a lot better off than a lot of people who are out of work. I'm as grateful for it as I despise it. Looking forward to the turn around so I can work for a living again.

A few years ago I was working with an engineering firm when I was accepted by Lincolnshire Police Service. Due to start in October, passed all the tests and coughed a few times I left the engineering job to work at Hunstanton Beach Patrol. The idea was to get my public service and interpersonal skills up to scratch for my new career. I started on the Beach in March and in May I got a letter from the Lincolnshire Police apologizing because their recruitment budget had been slashed and they could no longer afford to take anyone new starters on.
My old engineering company had made twenty five people redundant since I had left, they have since folded completely.
I took the first job I could when the Beach Patrol season had finished. Working for a security firm. Was area supervisor for a while but now static at smelly processed chicken factory in Wisbech.

The longer I'm out of the engineering field the harder it is to get back. The last one I applied for I was told I was too old. At thirty-two?

So security a processed chicken factory it is for now. At least I get to tell my nephews I have to guard the Colonels secret recipe.

The car now has four speakers and I'll visit the breakers tomorrow instead of Monday.

[fha772]

Ah, that explains the crappy shifts and hours, like you said, it's better to be working than not, a jobs a job at the end of the day.

[Relentless Rob]

I couldn't do it. I think the longest I've been out of work is three weeks. There's only so many episodes of the Jeremy Kyle show and Loo Swimin' a straight male with an IQ higher than a drainpipe can take.

[fha772]

True, but I must admit, I do watch Jeremy Kyle, mainly because I've seen loads of my customers on it.

[Relentless Rob]

[Relentless Rob]

Got my list a bit muddled up but it's all done now. Yesterdays visit to the scrap heap didn't bare any friut. In fact there were only three Fiats in the yard, a Mk II Punto with the head missing, a Punto diesel (bleaugh!) and a Mk I Punto 55 with a blown head gasket. Speaking of blown head gaskets there's a broom yellow Punto Sporting for sale up the road in Boston for £300. I could polish the ports while I had the head off and sell most of the parts I don't use. Still only a 1.2 16V and I know it's well proven conversion and good for 14-15-ish second quarter mile times but I'll need something a little more competitive and reliable.

So today. With the aid of WD40 and a rubber hammer I got the back bumper off. After a bit of poking about that little patch that needed welding turned out to be a little over a Foot long.

[url]|http://thumbsnap.com/CwQztmSz[/url]

[url]|http://thumbsnap.com/6QVbrs9l[/url]

The usual drill then. Cut as much rust out as possible...

[url]|http://thumbsnap.com/LVZFJbfq[/url]

...clean as much paint and underseal out of the way as possible...

[url]|http://thumbsnap.com/m0HznOsJ[/url]

...weld a base plate along the boot floor and outer lip of the chassis rail...

[url]|http://thumbsnap.com/p7aovG8M[/url]

...weld an "L" section (left over from the Rover sill) outside...

[url]|http://thumbsnap.com/glvJyEB1[/url]

...finally tidy the edges with a grinder and dab some hammerite over the top.

While the paint was drying I set about cleaning the threads of the bumper bolts with a socket, monkey wrench (I need to buy a vice), and WD40; straightened out the bent bracket, gave the threads a coat of motorcycle chain lube as I couldn't find my copper slip or grease anywhere. Having said that it was much tidier, liquid spray on and gooey by the time the nuts were ready. Much easier than covering the bolts with stuff only for it to get everywhere by the time you've finished retrofitting the now straight bumper...

[url]|http://thumbsnap.com/Zi1rEwf5[/url]

...not a bad weekend at all.

[mjslonergan]

Its tidying up nicely that is...