MATT TOMKINS

1992 Fiat Panda Sky

TECH SPEC Engine 999cc/4-cyl/ohc Power 45bhp@5250rpm Torque 55lbft@3250rpm Gearbox 5-speed manual 0-60mph 16sec Top speed 87mph Fuel economy 35mpg

My ‘Winter Warmer’ came to me by means of an email to the PC office. Contributor Theo Ford Sagers’ first car, the 1992 Fiat Panda Sky (with twin flappy sunroofs) had spent the past few years in pieces in a Norfolk barn while Theo and his parents had moved to the Isle of Harris, some 633 miles away. Theo had offered it to any member of the Practical Classics team who would like to revive it, knowing that he couldn’t go on storing his treasured Panda indefinitely. I leapt at the chance and headed for Cromer with a trailer. I’ve already written of the work that lay ahead (PC, December 2019) but to recap, it needed a new brake master cylinder, discs, pads and flexis, a major oil leak addressing, welding, paint, a new door fitting and a whole host of other fiddly jobs to get it ready for the off.

As I got stuck in, the head came off the engine, as did the sump and oil pump. The tyres were cracked, so I cleaned and painted the wheels before fitting a new set of Falken boots. Metal was cut out, formed and welded in and what started as a quick recommissioning job turned into something more major. You can read more in my Staff Car Saga on p94, but as we readied ourselves for the ‘off’ the Panda had just boiled over on the MOT ramp, I was chasing electrical gremlins and a new radiator and cap were on order. The new rad’ arrived on the morning of the ‘off’ and fitting was dispatched quickly. A glug of fresh antifreeze later, I slipped the ’box into gear and headed onto the A1, bound for Alnwick. Up to speed, the little Panda was ‘zingy’ and surprisingly composed for its size. As darkness fell, I pulled into the White Swan car park to meet my colleagues. I was ready: ready for the journey north. Very north.