Cheap Panda or 500 - what to look out for?

[clockworks]

Thinking of buying a cheap (preferably sub £3k) Panda or 500 for local use.

Apart from rusty rear axles and chocolate door handles on the 500, what is there to be aware of?

Best engine? I've owned a couple of small Fiats with the 1.3 Multijet diesel, which I quite liked. Quick with a remap too. Rare in the 500 and Panda though.

[Ziplobb]

My kids have had 2009 Panda and a 500 since passing their tests at 17. Now 23 and 25. Both cars were bought low mileage the Panada 11k and the 500 33k. Now on 28k and 67k. Both bullet proof reliable. The Panda has just comsumed oil changes annually, tyres (more than it should because of the way nipper drives its when he does drive it because he cycles everywhere) a cambelt change, rear box and front pads. In other words what one would expect by way of routine maintenance, The 500 has had all of that plus a door handle and lots of suspension issues, bushes, mounts , shocks and we have had the clutch pedal break. All of that stuff is well known and there is extra stress from Isle of Wight Country Lanes. Not got any bads words about wither car really . The Panda is now in Wales and really need waxoil or lanoguard underneath because its gonna rust away before it breaks I reckon. Avoid red on the 500 the lacquer peel is awful.

[A500leroy]

Ok.

Rear axle rust around the springs.
Leaky sumps.
1.2 petrol cambelt every 5 years or 75k which ever happens first ( tensioner and water pump also needed)
Rear hatch wiring
There's a metal water pipe behind the manifold that likes to rot out £16 part
Thermostat can leak look for coolant stains

Apart from that all good.

Only buy the 1.2 imo.

[croyde]

A lot of love for the Twin Air engine over on the Panda Cross thread.

[clockworks]

Thanks.

Is it worth paying more for a newer one, and getting it "sprayed" underneath to stop it going rusty?
I don't have a budget as such, just looking for a car I don't have to worry about driving down narrow Cornish lanes or leaving in car parks.
I'd rather spend more up front than regularly spending a few hundred each time to get a "ticket".

Looking at the MOT history of sub-£3k cars available locally, rust is always an advisory, but suspension joints and exhaust leaks is the main failure after tyres, lights, and brakes

Is this just the typical cheap car thing, where they only get maintained to the bare minimum to pass the MOT?

[p4cks]

clockworks said:

y of sub-£3k cars available locally, rust is always an advisory, but suspension joints and exhaust leaks is the main failure after tyres, lights, and brakes

Is this just the typical cheap car thing, where they only get maintained to the bare minimum to pass the MOT?

I'd say so, although I do agree they make for very cheap, reliable motoring. They've sold millions of the things so parts are plentiful too, and they can go for miles. There's a 1.2 Lounge on AT that's up to 180,000 as an example