RE: Fiat Panda 4x4 monsters it

RE: Fiat Panda 4x4 monsters it

Wednesday 12th December 2012

Fiat Panda 4x4 monsters it

Snowy round your way? You might need one of these



Growing up in rural North Yorkshire the range of cars about was pretty limited. The more so the further into the wilds one ventured. A battered old Landie was the default, the more adventurous going for a Subaru pick-up. And for the wife? Subaru Justy - complete with cool red button on the gearstick - or one of the old live-axled Panda 4x4s.

Things have moved on from the old Sisley!
Things have moved on from the old Sisley!
What no-nonsense folk like that would make of this monster truck Panda 4x4 built for Fiat's latest ad campaign probably doesn't bear repeating but who can begrudge the film crew a bit of fun. Especially when previous efforts transforming it into a scooter and light plane were computer generated.

Not this one though. Take one Jeep CJ7 4200 chassis. Add some 1.5m diameter 'high speed' tractor tyres. And spend a couple of weeks grafting this lot to an unsuspecting Fiat Panda 4x4 and you get this. Which is probably, in reality, about the only way to keep going on British roads once the snow falls. Because, as we all know, it doesn't matter how winterised your tyres or how many driven wheels you've got - if there's a Herbert in a rear-drive German premium saloon on 20-inch wheels slewed across the road ahead you're not going anywhere. This does at least open up the options for taking a more inventive cross country route.

Winter driving woes sorted in one move
Winter driving woes sorted in one move
It's been built to promote the latest version of the Panda 4x4 you'll actually be able to buy which still looks like it might be fun, even if it's not quite as back to basics as the original one. Still just the job for those snowy Yorkshire lanes though.

Author
Discussion

B19GRR

Original Poster:

1,980 posts

255 months

Wednesday 12th December 2012
quotequote all
Hmmm, looking to move to Yorkshire in the new year, and had been wondering about the capabilities of the old BM, this could just be the ticket wink

phib

4,464 posts

258 months

Wednesday 12th December 2012
quotequote all
Ummm I resemble this comment ,,

if there's a Herbert in a rear-drive German premium saloon on 20-inch wheels slewed across the road ahead you're not going anyway


Just as well I have the old defender v8 as well as the 730d sport !!

Phib

morgs_

1,663 posts

186 months

Wednesday 12th December 2012
quotequote all
There has just been a new addition to my Christmas wish list biggrin

jodypress

1,927 posts

273 months

Wednesday 12th December 2012
quotequote all
phib said:
Ummm I resemble this comment ,,

if there's a Herbert in a rear-drive German premium saloon on 20-inch wheels slewed across the road ahead you're not going anyway.....

Phib
With the monster Panda 4x4 above, you could probably just drive straight over said Herbert smile

Edited by jodypress on Wednesday 12th December 09:06

PanzerCommander

5,026 posts

217 months

Wednesday 12th December 2012
quotequote all
Brilliant, just needs some wheel arch extensions to make it road legal!

LuS1fer

41,085 posts

244 months

Wednesday 12th December 2012
quotequote all
You could presumably put any Fiat Panda or other car on top, not necessarily a 4x4.

Ryvita

712 posts

209 months

Wednesday 12th December 2012
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Feeling ever so smug at having finally (after weeks of trying) landed myself a 4wd Subaru for the winter. smile Need to remind myself that 4wd does not always automatically make you an invincible winter driving god though. Ice is still ice and a four wheel drift will turn any vehicle into a passenger ride to the hedge.

Dan Trent

1,866 posts

167 months

Wednesday 12th December 2012
quotequote all
phib said:
Ummm I resemble this comment ,,

if there's a Herbert in a rear-drive German premium saloon on 20-inch wheels slewed across the road ahead you're not going anyway


Just as well I have the old defender v8 as well as the 730d sport !!

Phib
As have I in a 7 Series press car that I carefully stopped and got out of to assess the situation on an icy road. Another driver asked, "Mate, is that your BMW over there?"

"Yes, why?"

"Because it's started sliding back down the hill..." eek



gshughes

1,277 posts

254 months

Wednesday 12th December 2012
quotequote all
phib said:
Ummm I resemble this comment

Nice malapropism! You look like a few lines of typed text?

suffolk009

5,344 posts

164 months

Wednesday 12th December 2012
quotequote all
Personally, I'd much rather have an old shape panda 4x4, just as it left the factory.

suffolk009

5,344 posts

164 months

Wednesday 12th December 2012
quotequote all
Here's one on ebay. £900 and nobody wants it. Ditch the hubcaps, throw some paint over it, fabulous.


richb77

887 posts

160 months

Wednesday 12th December 2012
quotequote all
LuS1fer said:
You could presumably put any Fiat Panda or other car on top, not necessarily a 4x4.
Similar concept to a "2CV monster truck" i saw some years ago.

In fact it was a Range rover jacked up with HUGE wheels with a 2CV body bolted on top.

Could have been "*insert car here* monster truck"...

That being said. Good job on the panda smile

anonymous-user

53 months

Wednesday 12th December 2012
quotequote all
Reminds me of Block's old Scooby.

garypotter

1,483 posts

149 months

Wednesday 12th December 2012
quotequote all
Please can you tell my boss that when we have snow I stay in bed as my rwd smoker from Germany is no good, he never believes my stories.

back to the topic, what speed would this Fiart manage on those wheels?

Vocal Minority

8,582 posts

151 months

Wednesday 12th December 2012
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Drive around the countryside (or town come to think of it) humming the Thunderbirds theme tune.

Job done.

rtz62

3,340 posts

154 months

Wednesday 12th December 2012
quotequote all
Wouldn't the Herbery be a Heinrich?
As pointed out, you can't easily beat the laws of physics; last year saw some t-wat in a RR similar to mine obviously think he was 'Arri Blowjob or some similar Scandinavian, career into a line of parked cars at ridiculous speed (especially for the conditions).
Buffoon then got out effing n blinding at everone else, oblivious to the fact that circa 3 tonnes of car is still 3 tonnes on winter tyres and ice.

jbi

12,668 posts

203 months

Wednesday 12th December 2012
quotequote all
erm this isn't a fiat panda...

It's a Jeep with a panda body bolted to it

HebdenHedgehog

237 posts

167 months

Wednesday 12th December 2012
quotequote all
I live in North Yorkshire, and I drive a 2006 Panda 4x4, on winter tyres (Vredestein Snowtrac 3s at the moment).

We had a drop of snow last week - didn't stop me one bit. I passed several 'premium' saloons, mostly German, on the way home.

I did stop to offer my help for those who looked in a bad way but all passed on the offer. rolleyes

I was held up by people caught short, but that's to be expected. I was easily able to overtake on the stretches of straight road.

The Panda is slow, especially when it isn't snowy, but when it is, and everyone else is stuck or going 2mph, sideways, I keep up my average speed.

Famous last words - but I have yet to get the little Panda stuck and it is great fun in the right locations.

A set of 4 winter tyres = £240 fitted - bargain 14" wheels biggrin

We have in the past rescued people stuck in the middle of nowhere - four times in the past three years. All bar one was in either a BMW or Audi. We also rescued someone in another 4x4 who thought his M&S tyres meant they were okay in the snow. He very nearly fatally found out they aren't. See below!





Dibbles Bridge (aka Devil's Bridge), the site of Britians worst coach crash frown

Okay the Panda isn't always the ideal car for all year round if you need to go long distances or carry loads of people and stuff, but I manage!




Fiat Panda 4x4 FTW biggrin (can't often say that on PH!)

Black 325Ci

16 posts

136 months

Wednesday 12th December 2012
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Is it just me or does anybody else look at that monster and feel like a kid again, thinking "I want one of those!!" biggrin

Mogsmex

446 posts

234 months

Wednesday 12th December 2012
quotequote all
Black 325Ci said:
Is it just me or does anybody else look at that monster and feel like a kid again, thinking "I want one of those!!" biggrin
yep thumbup



wink