My little Fiat has gone to America

[Maranellohouse]

I don't if any of you have any real interest but some of you may remember the Fiat Panda 4x4 I restored to almost as new condition a while back then sold it to a friend. I thought the story ended there but not a month later I got word that the Lane museum in Tennessee America had been watching Juppy's antics "thats the cars name" and wanted to buy him for their collection.
Well he arrived in the US last week and was released from customs in Newark yesterday. He will be residing in Port Washington New York for a little while then touring a few places across America over the next few months before finally reaching the museum and going into retirement.
Only 3 old style Panda's have ever made it to the US and one of those was Sylvia the worlds most traveled Panda that I prepared for the trip and owned by Jim who on here now and then. However Juppy is the only 4x4 Panda ever to make it there and will actually be registered as a US car which will be another first.
Needless to say I'm very proud of the fact that a little car I restored has been snapped up by a museum all that way and will be put on show for many to see.
The photo is Juppy's first port of call once out of customs, to fill up with petrol sorry "gas" at £1.66 a gallon He'll go on forever at that price.

Here's the link to Juppy's history and the work done over the years. Juppy the Fiat Panda 4x4 @ maranellohouse.net

 

[Smoothie]

congratulations mate

 

[Paul RS]

How can it be registered? As far as i know the US need to crash test a certain number of the same car to allow it to be used on the road.

 

[Maranellohouse]

How can it be registered? As far as i know the US need to crash test a certain number of the same car to allow it to be used on the road.

There's a loophole for cars over 20 years old, it will be registered as "a Fiat" and they don't need to put anymore than that. It doesn't actually matter anyway as you can have it there up to a year without registering it and as it will be in the museum in less than a year it will be effectively off the road.

 

[Maranellohouse]

congratulations mate

thank you

 

[barachello]

Well done stu, that is a fantastic achievement considering the amount of work you put into it!

Congratulations

 

[jimcupra]

brilliant congrats .. my mate had one of these years ago great in the snow, he called it his panda quattro .

 

[CHR15-53AT]

Awesome story.

Before you know it, Jay Leno will want one

Well done.

 

[seamybaby55]

nice one.........

 

[matt_c]

I'm in the middle of doing a resto of a duck egg blue one of these... not a 4x4 but a 1000cl

 

[Rfg]

well done and a big achievement but then ur reputation does go before you..

 

[pedenjohn]

great achievement! well done indeed! whats next?

 

[Maranellohouse]

I'm in the middle of doing a resto of a duck egg blue one of these... not a 4x4 but a 1000cl

I'd be very interested in hearing more about that

well done and a big achievement but then ur reputation does go before you..

Thank you for that, very kind of you to say that.

great achievement! well done indeed! whats next?

Currently restoring the oldest Panda in the UK and we believe it may actually be the oldest on the road in Europe once it's finished so that should be interesting. Then it will be another 4x4 Panda, a Sisley but I'm planning something a bit special for it, well for a Panda. This one will have electric windows, central locking and a Siecento Sporting engine. However it will all be done in a way that the car looks as original and as close to as new condition as possible. But not concours, I've had enough of that from when I used to do with VW Beetles.

 

[Mr.Mint]

Brilliant Achievement

 

[fabiostar]

iv seen that wee panda and its mint. by any chance is that jim fella a panda nut.lol...next time you see him tell him he needs his head sorted ..lol... hes a true fiat pervert lol

 

[Maranellohouse]

iv seen that wee panda and its mint. by any chance is that jim fella a panda nut.lol...next time you see him tell him he needs his head sorted ..lol... hes a true fiat pervert lol

Mate its me who's the one who got the Pandas into shape so Jim Could travel the world in them. Juppy though was my pet project to see if I could bring a Panda to as new condition. Its surprised the hell out of me that the car has ended up in a museum! So the MK1 is a biggerr challenge. I'm proud of Jim though for being so bloody brave to trust to work I put into the cars that seems to make them stick the relentlise pace.
Jim is a Panda fanatic but I can see the charm, I've worked on and own Ferraris but the little Pandas have something special. I love working on them.

 

[collyirwin11]

congratulations dude, all the effort as paid off!! my parents where in italy recently and said they all used panda 4x4's!

 

[Maranellohouse]

congratulations dude, all the effort as paid off!! my parents where in italy recently and said they all used panda 4x4's!

Put a set of knoblies on them and they will go just about anywere. I've seen places they can go that more established 4x4's can't.

 

[Maranellohouse]

First update. Jim who's responsible for making all the arrangements for Juppy to go to the USofA has flown over to America for a few days to take Juppy sightseeing. He's just sent back the first pictures of Juppy playing in New York.

Jim posing with Juppy.

 

[AndyG]

That is brilliant.

Just read the "build" there.. what a cool little car

 

[Maranellohouse]

News update at 21.50

not something your used to out of the back window of a Fiat Panda.

Then just when Jim thought things were going well it snowed on the I89 to Vermount.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xU59tiPEbgc&feature=player_embedded]YouTube - Driving I89 in Vermont in the Fiat Panda 4x4[/ame]

 

[Adamm]

Awesome story, congrats! Very cool

 

[c120bb]

pah! it can handle the snow

 

[Gavlar]

This was at Scoobfest in the summer wasn't it?

Thats an awesome story

 

[Maranellohouse]

This was at Scoobfest in the summer wasn't it?

Yes, I took 2nd in class with it and when I was loading my Fiat 500 on it's trailer onto the back for the Panda to tow home 2 of the judges (well I think they were judges) came over and wouldn't believe me that I used the Panda to do this and most of the winter. They said If they'd knew that I'd have had 1st in class. I originally thought the prize was for the 500