How lots of you’ve got truly pushed a automotive to its limit?
Be honest; I mean really pushing it until you are feeling the vehicle move in ways you’re not inputting into the steering and pedals.
It will probably be terrifying, especially for those who’re off form or unsure about yourself or the automotive. I’ve had a number of ‘moments’ driving at 10/10ths, and from experience, it’s far less nerve-wracking in a automotive with 200hp than one with 500.
Today, the ‘scene’ is obsessive about bragging rights and horsepower figures. As a substitute of constructing cars they will genuinely handle, many house owners are hell-bent on creating “The one ‘X’ with over ‘Y’ horsepower in existence” or “The one Stage 75.8 ‘Z’ in the sport…”
It’s tedious and truthfully a bit boring to see on social media.
With big power becoming increasingly accessible, it’s alarming that drivers who shouldn’t be near a quick automotive are getting behind the wheels of short-wheelbase, 2.0L turbocharged point-and-shoot monsters.
With 0-60mph times comparable to a Group-B rally automotive and lightning-fast automatic transmissions, it’s too easy for an inexperienced driver to create chaos on public roads.
Anyway, rant over. That’s my take, nevertheless it brings us back to the purpose. Despite the takeover crowd, there are still people keeping the spirit of old-fashioned tuning alive in 2024.
People like Joe Ward and his delightful Fiat Panda – one in all my favourite cars to have featured this yr.
The Panda debuted in 1980 as a straightforward, boxy, no-frills automotive, embodying Giorgetto Giugiaro’s vision of the right people’s vehicle. It’s an unlikely alternative for a performance construct, but that’s a part of this little automotive’s charm.
“I purchased this Panda because I had one as my first automotive. It was a rot box…” Joe reminisces. “I desired to do [these modifications] to it until my dad made me see some sense.”
Given the condition of most classic Italian cars on our rainy island (normally a pile of rust), Joe made sure to start out with a solid base. “This one popped up with 2,500 miles from recent; it was the right automotive to start out with,” he says.
Gone is the unique 1.0L engine, replaced with a mighty 1.2L, 16-valve unit from a 2002 Fiat Punto. This swap has upped the Panda’s output from a paltry 47hp (in 1980) to an outrageous 79hp. And that was before Joe began to fettle with it…
Forget plug-in tunes; Joe has tweaked this engine the old-fashioned way. A ported and polished cylinder head improves airflow to the 0.4mm over-bored cylinders fitted with Mahle pistons, while valve timing is managed by Piper performance camshafts.
The intake features individual throttle bodies with 3D-printed upswept trumpets fed by a ram-air intake on the bonnet. A skimmed head and block increase the compression while the entire setup is controlled by a standalone MicroSquirt ECU.
A Supersprint manifold and custom exhaust produce great noise, while a 5-speed gearbox from a later Panda makes probably the most out of the powerband. And the way much power? Don’t let the badges idiot you – this little beast packs 115 horses in its little stable.
Outside, as much because it betrays its roots, Joe’s Panda looks every bit the part. Up front, a functional chassis-mounted splitter and air dam designed by Joe are complemented by side skirts and a wing atop the tailgate. Don’t underestimate homemade aero parts; you’d be surprised at what they will achieve…
Beneath the rolled and pulled wheel arches are 14-inch Oscam split rims wrapped in Nankang NS2-R tyres for the road, with a separate set of ATIWE Borbets for track days. Other unique touches include 3D-printed blanks replacing the unique door mirrors, now swapped for a single ‘overtaking’ mirror.
For design symmetry, a left-hand drive taillight has replaced the reverse light, and in an try and shed weight, Joe crafted custom polycarbonate windows, complete with a slider for the motive force’s door.
Behind the wheels is a ‘big’ brake kit featuring later model 240mm discs paired with Wilwood callipers and a brake bias valve. Due to bespoke LEDA coilovers with Mk1 Ford Fiesta top mounts, Joe has achieved a 180mm drop.
Inside, despite being stripped out, the Panda is surprisingly nice. In any case, it was designed to be minimal, so it was almost made to be exposed.
A full FIA-spec roll cage safeguards the occupants, custom-fabricated by ARC Autosport, who also crafted the mounts for the Recaro Pole Position driver’s seat and Cobra classic passenger bucket. TAKATA Racing harnesses secure either side.
As with the outside, the main points make the Panda’s interior stand out. A full respray in pastel grey elevates the cabin, courtesy of Jack Smith, aka Forged From Flake. I actually have no shame in shouting Jack out – his work is phenomenal.
My favourite details include the rare Abarth steering wheel, which rivals the leather bar tape on the door bars for quirkiness, and the 3D-printed gauge binnacle designed to connect to the roll bar – space is at a premium on this little automotive.
A pedal box conversion and tower short shifter complete the inside, finished off with a custom-turned wood shift knob.
But why undergo such effort constructing an Italian econobox like this? In Joe’s words: “I built it the way in which I did because I’ve had track cars prior to now and love the driving as much because the constructing. I didn’t wish to construct a show automotive and get overly protective over it.”
“I also thought it could be funny to chase people down in somewhat white box on a track day. Imagine the Panda in your mirrors; you’d have a right giggle!” And therein lies the innocence of Joe’s Fiat, something missing from so many modified cars nowadays.
The Panda straddles the road between not taking itself too seriously and taking the execution of the construct as seriously as possible.
What a unbelievable little automotive – the fastest washer this side of a laundromat.
Mario Christou
Instagram: mcwpn, mariochristou.world
mariochristou.world
This Article First Appeared At www.speedhunters.com
