Big Fun In Little Italy: A Mighty Mk1 Fiat Panda

How many of you have truly pushed a car to its limit?

Be honest; I mean really pushing it until you feel the vehicle move in ways you’re not inputting into the steering and pedals.

MC White Goods Panda SH-46

It can be terrifying, especially if you’re out of practice or unsure about yourself or the car. I’ve had a few ‘moments’ driving at 10/10ths, and from experience, it’s far less nerve-wracking in a car with 200hp than one with 500.

MC White Goods Panda SH-2

Today, the ‘scene’ is obsessed with bragging rights and horsepower figures. Instead of building cars they can genuinely handle, many owners are hell-bent on creating “The only ‘X’ with over ‘Y’ horsepower in existence” or “The only Stage 75.8 ‘Z’ in the game…”

It’s tedious and honestly a bit boring to see on social media.

MC White Goods Panda SH-6

With big power becoming increasingly accessible, it’s alarming that drivers who shouldn’t be near a fast car 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 car and lightning-fast automatic transmissions, it’s too easy for an inexperienced driver to create chaos on public roads.

MC White Goods Panda SH-5

Anyway, rant over. That’s my take, but it brings us back to the point. Despite the takeover crowd, there are still people keeping the spirit of old school tuning alive in 2024.

MC White Goods Panda SH-45

People like Joe Ward and his delightful Fiat Panda – one of my favourite cars to have featured this year.

The Panda debuted in 1980 as a simple, boxy, no-frills car, embodying Giorgetto Giugiaro’s vision of the perfect people’s vehicle. It’s an unlikely choice for a performance build, but that’s part of this little car’s charm.

MC White Goods Panda SH-19

“I bought this Panda because I had one as my first car. It was a rot box…” Joe reminisces. “I wanted 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 (usually a pile of rust), Joe made sure to start with a solid base. “This one popped up with 2,500 miles from new; it was the perfect car to start with,” he says.

MC White Goods Panda SH-20
MC White Goods Panda SH-14

Gone is the original 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 started to fettle with it…

MC White Goods Panda SH-15

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.

MC White Goods Panda SH-16

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 whole setup is controlled by a standalone MicroSquirt ECU.

MC White Goods Panda SH-11

A Supersprint manifold and custom exhaust produce great noise, while a 5-speed gearbox from a later Panda makes the most out of the powerband. And how much power? Don’t let the badges fool you – this little beast packs 115 horses in its little stable.

MC White Goods Panda SH-43

Outside, as much as 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 can achieve

MC White Goods Panda SH-9

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 original door mirrors, now swapped for a single ‘overtaking’ mirror.

MC White Goods Panda SH-13

For design symmetry, a left-hand drive taillight has replaced the reverse light, and in an attempt to shed weight, Joe crafted custom polycarbonate windows, complete with a slider for the driver’s door.

MC White Goods Panda SH-4

Behind the wheels is a ‘big’ brake kit featuring later model 240mm discs paired with Wilwood callipers and a brake bias valve. Thanks to bespoke LEDA coilovers with Mk1 Ford Fiesta top mounts, Joe has achieved a 180mm drop.

MC White Goods Panda SH-33

Inside, despite being stripped out, the Panda is surprisingly pleasant. After all, it was designed to be minimal, so it was almost made to be exposed.

MC White Goods Panda SH-36

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 both sides.

MC White Goods Panda SH-42

As with the exterior, the details 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 have no shame in shouting Jack out – his work is phenomenal.

MC White Goods Panda SH-40
MC White Goods Panda SH-24

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 attach to the roll bar – space is at a premium in this little car.

MC White Goods Panda SH-23

A pedal box conversion and tower short shifter complete the interior, finished off with a custom-turned wooden shift knob.

MC White Goods Panda SH-29

But why go through such effort building an Italian econobox like this? In Joe’s words: “I built it the way I did because I’ve had track cars in the past and love the driving as much as the building. I didn’t want to build a show car and get overly protective over it.”

MC White Goods Panda SH-21

“I also thought it would be funny to chase people down in a little 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.

MC White Goods Panda SH-22

The Panda straddles the line between not taking itself too seriously and taking the execution of the build as seriously as possible.

What a fantastic little car – the fastest washing machine this side of a laundromat.

Mario Christou
Instagram: mcwpnmariochristou.world
mariochristou.world

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11 comments

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1

Mario absolutely nailed it with the words in this article. It's been very sad to see this industry devolve into what is essentially neanderthals. Opening line was excellent. I have coached hundreds of people privately and for manufacturers in my life and the amount of people that can legitimately drive a car to its limit is maybe 1 in 500 and I'm being generous.

People tend to associate what someone owns with their ability. This is very common in the automotive industry and is a sign you are dealing with an inexperienced amateur. And there are a lot of amateurs.

Also why I love my kart so much -- they are machines that immediately sort the pretend drivers from the legitimate ones in about 90-120 seconds. No matter how much money you have you can't BS anyone in them. Great article. A lot discussion to be had on this topic. And it is a very good topic that will anger a lot of people lol. That's how you can tell who is a bad driver.

2

And on the topic of people not knowing how to drive. This is what happens when you collect cars instead of learning how to actually drive them. Most of you industry guys give your left nut to interview / breathe the same air as Leno. I see him as a talentless hack who can't drive to save his life. He crashed this car I co-drove on a team 5 or 6 times in 1 stint. Absolute clown. But you guys glorify him because he owns more stuff that you HAHA.

"SORRY - Jay Leno"

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3

Can't fake it.

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4

So have you just been trying to bait in the comments on the past couple of articles or what?

5

Nope. This is who I am and how I talk. That's really Jay Leno's signature on a car he really crashed. And I think my points are very relevant and insightful per the original theme of the article. Oh there I go again being intelligent. Excuse me. How would you like me to speak so I can be like all the other sheep? Should I paint myself white and say baaaaaah baaaaaaaaah?

6

I just find it disappointing that you're an adult who has to be negative in some way towards every article even if it's covering something you agree with. I like cars. I think there's something to be celebrated about the fact that Jay Leno drives his cars to begin with, since the average 911 owner is lucky to get his car out on a weekly basis. I'm just saying, it's not all terrible if you really look at things realistically.

7

Sounds like you have absolutely horrendous reading comprehension now looking back at your comment.

8

That's a false statement. I comment positively about a lot of articles. What you're saying is an attempt to discredit me and it's not going to work. I have opinions based on 25 years of hardcore racing experience. I build my own engines and assemble my own cars top to bottom. That means I have earned my opinions. Get over it.

9

Now that's a mighty little car! Gotta love the Panda!

10

This is a cool little car, and sounds like it was lots of fun to put together and more fun to drive. Sounds like the perfect project for the owner really.

Also, it's very awesome to see the impact 3D printing has had on home builders.

11

Imagine where that goes in 10 years. Mind blowing stuff. I bet we will see people making all kinds of unique parts. Vice Guide which now sucks did a good segment a while back on 3d printed guns. People made .22s that were shaped like dragons. Low rider community will go crazy with that stuff for sure.

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