Tell me about...... FORD PUMAS.

[Lankytim]

Hi Shiters,

 

Iv'e been offered a very cheap Puma in 1.4 flavour, and naturally i'm dreaming up reasons why I should buy it. It looks in pretty good shape apart from a scabby O/S rear arch (the N/S is fine), a slightly scrubby interior and lack of a radio. It comes without an MOT and will need a back box and a set of brake felxys.

 

I'm guessing that they're lovely little buzz-boxes, economical and chuckable, but does anybody have any experience with them?

[Negative Creep]

Great fun to drive, as long as the bushes aren't worn. However they can suffer from epic rot - my friend had one with seemingly slightly scabby arches, but underneath looked like an Alfasud that's spent its life in a salt mine.

[Guest]

Hi Shiters,

 

Iv'e been offered a very cheap Puma in 1.4 flavour, and naturally i'm dreaming up reasons why I should buy it. It looks in pretty good shape apart from a scabby O/S rear arch (the N/S is fine), a slightly scrubby interior and lack of a radio. It comes without an MOT and will need a back box and a set of brake felxys.

 

I'm guessing that they're lovely little buzz-boxes, economical and chuckable, but does anybody have any experience with them?

 

The rear arches rust like fuck and the one fours are gutless. Lovely to drive if they're in fine fettle - although I've only had a quick blezz in a one seven.

[Guest]

Hi Shiters,

 

Iv'e been offered a very cheap Puma in 1.4 flavour, and naturally i'm dreaming up reasons why I should buy it. It looks in pretty good shape apart from a scabby O/S rear arch (the N/S is fine), a slightly scrubby interior and lack of a radio. It comes without an MOT and will need a back box and a set of brake felxys.

 

I'm guessing that they're lovely little buzz-boxes, economical and chuckable, but does anybody have any experience with them?

 

The rear arches rust like fuck and the one fours are gutless. Lovely to drive if they're in fine fettle - although I've only had a quick blezz in a one seven.

[Richard]

I believe there are no rear arch repair panels available, something to bear in mind if you're thinking of doing it up.

[Junkman]

When I see or hear Ford Puma, I am always reminded of this:

 

[cort16]

I'm doing one up just now. Rots the no1 enemy and only new body parts you can get is the front panel. I used a Kia front wing to fix my arch. Apparantely pug 206 arches are a good match.

You want the 1.7 one for Yamaha Zetec revvyness. I can't imagine them being the same without that engine.

[KruJoe]

There's a new lad on here (the one with the blue 1.4 ZX, can't remember his user name now... Beko123 or something?) Anyway, he was breaking one recently..? He might have some answers/ bits for you.

[trigger]

My wife's 1999 Ford Puma 1.4i 16v which is for sale by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr

 

I owned this one a few years back, Well i say owned, it was my wife's car, anyway it wasn't a bad car, the 1.4 zetec is a bit of a flyer, revs well and handles like it on rails I found, certainly quick enough to be fun, the rear arches do rust, badly, but you already now this.

 

I never got on that well with it though, I'm 5ft 11 and found the "A" post to always be in my way when coming up to roundabouts creating a blind spot which was dangerous and i was forever banging my head or back getting in and out of the sodden thing resulting in headaches.

 

Another thing was when you opened the boot in the wet all the water would run straight into the boot floor, which was a design flaw and a PITA when you've got a boot full of shopping.

 

The best thing to do is drive one and see how you get on with it.

[dave862]

oh timmy, why not a Tigra? anyone who says the 1.4 zetec is sluggish is talking out of their bottom.

[Mr Lobster]

How lanky are you? Not sure anyone particularly tall would get comfy in a Puma. Worth trying first though.

 

As everyone says they really do like to rust but a decent one is pretty entertaining. Had a 1.7 for a while as a company car and it was ace (if a bit girly).

[beko1987]

There's a new lad on here (the one with the blue 1.4 ZX, can't remember his user name now... Beko123 or something?) Anyway, he was breaking one recently..? He might have some answers/ bits for you.

 

That's correct, I downgraded to the ZX from a 1.7 black. Had the leathers and F1 style wheels.

 

When I first got it it was brilliant. Fast, chuckable and rev-able. Then it started to deteriorate!

 

Rear arches are a killer, rot free ones are getting very rare now. Mine bent in half when the forklift took it off the trailer at the scrappy, it went in under the front seats... I pulled my drivers side arch off in the end.

Rear bushes. I used mine for commuting and it drove me fucking insane! Needed new bushes all round, it felt like the shockers at the back had been welded together

Mine was about 40k overdue for it's cambelt. Was very tickety and tappity, but didn't explode

The special edition F1 wheels look nice, but the little plastic bolt things crumble out

 

 

Forum wise, you need to go to http://www.projectpuma.com/ There's no haynes book of lies, the nearest you will get is for a similar age fiesta. They share lots of parts, the rear bushes are compatible with a courier van IIRC.

 

I loved mine though, did 20k in 2 years with it. Had the thermostat housing blow out on me in asda car park once, alternator has to come off to change it, and you'll need an extension bar on the ratchet. Rocker cover gasket is a common cause of engine weepiness, £25 from ford and half an hours work.

 

In the end, mine needed:

 

New Exhaust, new bushes, rear brakes looking at, cambelt, battery/alternator, shockers and lots of other niggly bits. Wasn't worth it on a car that cost £1k 2 years ago so it got fragged.

 

I've got a few bits left, ricker cover, seatbelts, all the carpets for the boot and little trim bits.

 

I would say try to buy one that has had the cambelt looked at this decade, some history, and little rust. I doubt you will get no rust at all.

 

Hope this helps! I'm beko1987 on the puma forum too, but not posted recently!

[beko1987]

How lanky are you? Not sure anyone particularly tall would get comfy in a Puma. Worth trying first though.

 

As everyone says they really do like to rust but a decent one is pretty entertaining. Had a 1.7 for a while as a company car and it was ace (if a bit girly).

 

I was ok, I'm 6ft 3. Pretty much turned it into a 3 seater though, as far back and as low as it would go!

 

Here's how my drivers arch looked at the end. Do-able, but financially viable?

 

 

 

[Station]

What makes them go like that? It can't just be poor quality metal?

I think they're really nice looking cars, but would rather get white van men questioning whether I gardened uphill in a 1.6 mk1 Tigra - better built, nippier and don't rust. And they acknowledge the fact there's no room in the back by not putting seats in.

[cort16]

It's caused by a few things. There's no rust protection in the arch at all, the arch is folded over and sealed rather than spot welded so the water can get in and rot it out. The wheel arch liner is made of something that looks like carpet so it soaks in water and presses against the arch. All in all its a right shit setup.

[Lankytim]

Well this shitter should be landing Monday with a bit of luck. The interior is the.only bit that lets it down really so if replacements are easy to find I may stick a new one in. Its had a cambelt in the last 10k.

[mk1_4dr]

Al that has been said is true. Decent enough cars, but cheap ones are starting to show their age now.

 

I always found the 1600 (Fiesta ZetecS lump) and the 1700 (Yammy lump) to be entertaining enough, though the 1400 left me feeling like something was missing....

 

FRP's are an absolute blast, one of the best handling FWD chassis of eVah.

 

I used to work for PumaSpeed so I've driven everything from RSt to 1800Td powered ones, including the silver widearch/F2 kitted 4WD Escort Cosworth based effort.

 

What colour is the interior? Blue, black or brown?

[Lankytim]

I think it's grey! Could be black though.

[Cavcraft]

Never driven one but they're snazzy looking little things alright. Imagine they're pretty good on fuel as they look quite aerodynamic?

[mk1_4dr]

I think it's grey! Could be black though.

 

 

Never mind, i think I have a some bits of 'blue' trim at home in a box. What colour is the car, as that usually dictates the interior colour. Although, until you get them side by side, all of the interiors look grey.

[Lankytim]

This is the sucker anyway..

 

[beko1987]

Very nice! That red polishes up very well if you're that way inclined.

 

If it's running a bit shit, a good clean of the MAF and ICV works wonders, if not then the coil pack is the first ting pointed at on the forum. Rocker cover gasket is a weak spot as well.

 

Got lots of shit in the garage doing nothing if you want anything for postage? Got various engine bits, air tubes, seatbelts, bits of trim and the boot carpets/sides.

[Pete-M]

I like 'em. A firm I worked for a few years ago had a few and they always made me grin.

 

1.4 isn't up to much, but isn't too bad. 1.7 is ace fun.

 

Don't know much about them now they're old but when they were new the 1.7 was a licence liability! Very fussy when it came to tyres but other than that and heater servos not much went wrong despite them being thrashed like a ginger step-child.

 

I borrowed a Racing Puma for a few days. They're mental, but need a few tweaks to make them as quick as they were designed to be. They handle that well Ford strangled the engine to stop them being quicker than the Focus RS (which was still in development at the time). If you get the chance to try one, do so.

[Lankytim]

I'm yet to have a proper poke about but so far I deffo need a gearknob as the original alloy jobbie has been nicked, along with a head unit to go into the huge hole in the dash. The interior is pretty grubby with dog hair so any replacement bits in better shape could be very useful!

 

The 1.4's seem to be less of a laugh than the 1.7's but i'm not too fussed. I'll just have fun more slowly.

[Morgan84]

Headlamp output is crapola,but they are a fun car; on my 'to do list'

[Lankytim]

Had a bit more of a poke around this today. Stuck 5 litres of pez in so it would actually run properly and apart from a clattery tappet it seems to run great. It's been standing a few months so hopefully the chatter will fix itself. I fixed the non working washer jets and replaced the 5 missing wheel nuts. No idea why they were missing but a quick breakers rummage had them sorted.

 

The exhaust back box is borked and the rest of the system is pretty rusty so I'll be scouring ebay for a replacement. Will a Mk4/5 fiesta item fit? Also the brake discs seem worse for wear and the clutch can be provoked into slipping. I hope there's some adjustment to be had, but I bet I'm going to have to replace it. I hate doing clutches!

[beko1987]

I bought mine with a slipping clutch, and finally changed it about a year later. It did become pretty much undriveable. I ended up redlining it with the clutch up until it caught and went! Parts came from ford, got it fitted by a backstreet, and got the gearbox oil changed at the same time (gave them a bottle, they did it FOC.

 

Do an oil change if you haven't already, general consensus is the engines are fussy bastards, and only the finest 5w30 semi will do, due to the nikasil. Mine clattered like a diesel, but that was pulleys I think, as WD40 killed the noise for a few k each time.

 

I'm 99% sure I have my old knob in the garage (fnarr-fnarr), PM me your address and I'll *Mr. Gimbert* Package my knob up and send it to your flap Seats come out with 5 10mm (I think) bolts. 3 of mine rounded off, so be careful (rust!) Carpet is good quality and comes good with a thorough vac. Interiors are worth money on Puma's, so if it's in good condition keep it that way, may be the most valuable thing left in the end. I got £240 for my leather interior in immaculate condition. Cloth goes for anything up to £150 generally.

 

Don't know about the exhaust, mine desperatly needed one but I never gave it to her. However, currently being talked about here: http://www.projectpuma.com/viewtopic.php?f=65&t=19092

 

I had Hankook Evo somethings on mine, and never found fault with them, including some hairy edge of talent incidents with broken ABS

[whitevanman]

Judging by the ones I have seen today they are all owned by idiots..................the 3 I saw were all going the wrong way down a one way street Obviously no shitter would do such a thing.

[beko1987]

Random Puma pics because I'm slightly drunk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can see the arch starting to go there, and the common rust by the bottom of the door

 

 

 

Sorry for spamming your thread, get some more pictures of yours up!

[Felly Magic]

Watch the rocker cover gasket too, had the same engine in a Fiesta Ghia. Throttle stepper motors can give gyp too on the 1.4, causing stalling.