Ford Puma..

[retrogeezer]

I think these are a great looking little car but a fella has one fro sale on RR and it already has rust like this on the wheel arch!

 

 

What were Ford doing, it surely can't have any corrosion protection in the inner arch for it to get like this in less than 10 years?

 

Seller thinks it won't need any metal.....I'd be surprised as usually once you start removing what you can see, it's worse underneath.

[Spottedlaurel]

Is it original, or a poorly-done repair?Puma not really a car that's on my radar - are they getting cheap now, or still reasonably sought-after and worth a bit?

[wuvvum]

I'm not surprised at all - Kas are notorious rot-boxes, I've known more than one Ka fail its first MoT on corrosion. Foci aren't exempt either - a former neighbour had to have a sill replaced on his V plate Focus about three years ago. So it's not surprising to see that the Puma suffers too.

[Guest greenvanman]

Seller thinks it won't need any metal.....I'd be surprised as usually once you start removing what you can see, it's worse underneath.

I'd be inclined to agree with you - that big bit on the right of the picture will be rusted right through. As you say, that's piss poor for such a new car.

[andrew e]

Puma's are normally hardy in all honesty. Fair money for the 1.7's now and a cracking drive. I imagine they do the ford wishbone bush eating thing?

[Ratdat]

That rot is coming from the inside out so that will definately need new metal welding in to repair it properly. Not worth doing on a Poo ma IMO.

[Pillock]

I had a 97 Mondeo, and in 2005 it needed rust sorting above the rear wheelarch, and it was also starting to go on the seam inside the rear door shut. That's 8 years of use. Having said that I've seen plenty that are older and not rusty there, and don't look to be pampered so maybe just the guy on underseal duty was on a fag break, or a stone-chip got infected?I suspect since you only hear of the bad ones (Never get anyone posting to the internets saying "My mondeo hasn't rusted!!!11"), and since Fords are so common, you get the impression they're all rot boxes. I've seen similar odd patches of rust on other 'new' cars like Y-plate Corsas and Astras. Stuff that, if I owned, I'd be furious about rusting so young.

[andrew e]

Combo van top pods anybody?

[retrogeezer]

My Mondeo isn't rusty!! And it's a 96 on a P (first of the Mk2 shape)Most of them are though....rear arches being the prime spot.

[ambla]

I had a 51 plate Puma with rusty seams on the sills at 5 years old. It was repainted (cheaply) but was back again within a year. Wonderful car otherwise apart from a stupidly irritating parcel shelf that was designed with too short bits of string to hold it up and consequently kept falling off. First properly rusty car I had for ages. Now I'm getting all nostalgic about bits of chicken wire and P38.

[Pete-M]

Weird innit, I had a 10 year old Scorpio 24v last year and that was completely rot-free.If only the Puma was a bit less girlie I'd love one. They drive brilliantly, well, the 1.7s do.

[Owain-328i]

Of course they rot, its only a mk4 Fiesta with fancy panels! the 1.7 is a cracking car though! And yes getting cheap too, the Mk5 Fiesta Zetec S is a little belter too, and there getting into shite money aswell.

[andrew e]

The puma's seem to attract a better class of nob-head than zetec S it appears round here.

[Owain-328i]

The puma's seem to attract a better class of nob-head than zetec S it appears round here.

Yes exactly the samearound here. The Zetec S is unfortunately going the way of the XR2 and 3 or 4 owners later is falling into the wrong hands. Id like to own a Zetec S to compare it to the XR2's ive owned in the past, as to me it is the modern day xr2

[pogweasel]

Not surprised it's a bit grotty round the edges. I think around this time Ford were spunking all their money on super-good dynamics & design and let the rust-proofing slip. We all know how horrendous KA's go, plus early foci seem to regularly get 'blebby'. Certainly our Focus donated to mother in law is getting a bit naff in the door bottoms, probably a year or two away from needing replacement or surgery.

[Futuramic]

The puma's seem to attract a better class of nob-head than zetec S it appears round here.

Yes exactly the samearound here. The Zetec S is unfortunately going the way of the XR2 and 3 or 4 owners later is falling into the wrong hands. Id like to own a Zetec S to compare it to the XR2's ive owned in the past, as to me it is the modern day xr2

Interestingly my mum went from a C-plate XR2 (Mk2 in dolphin grey) to a Zetec S in Stardust Silver, I assume we're talking about the 1.25 Yamaha engined trolley here, and there was no comparison. I never drove the XR2, was too young, but loved being a passenger in it. It would never have been sold but the floor rusted beyond repair. Anyway the Zetec felt fairly nippy in the low gears, but that's all it had going for it. The handling was nowhere near as sharp as the XR's and dead feeling power steering ruined the driving experience. There was no sharpness to it whatsoever. The dealer at the time claimed it was a "Modern XR", but it just wasn't. The older car was much harder riding, and more performance focussed. Plus it had th benefit of the sporty interior with far superior seats and instruments. The XR, in the real world, was also faster.The Zetec S isn't really a hot hatch, just a standard Mk4 with a good engine. Nothing else about it is remotely sporting. I assume it's gained such a reputation because it feels a lot faster than Corsas and the like in the 1.2 litre class. The low gear acceleration is phenomenal and it revs nicely, but in fact it's slower than the good old CVH, and has nowhere near as much personality.

[Owain-328i]

The puma's seem to attract a better class of nob-head than zetec S it appears round here.

Yes exactly the samearound here. The Zetec S is unfortunately going the way of the XR2 and 3 or 4 owners later is falling into the wrong hands. Id like to own a Zetec S to compare it to the XR2's ive owned in the past, as to me it is the modern day xr2

Interestingly my mum went from a C-plate XR2 (Mk2 in dolphin grey) to a Zetec S in Stardust Silver, I assume we're talking about the 1.25 Yamaha engined trolley here, and there was no comparison. I never drove the XR2, was too young, but loved being a passenger in it. It would never have been sold but the floor rusted beyond repair. Anyway the Zetec felt fairly nippy in the low gears, but that's all it had going for it. The handling was nowhere near as sharp as the XR's and dead feeling power steering ruined the driving experience. There was no sharpness to it whatsoever. The dealer at the time claimed it was a "Modern XR", but it just wasn't. The older car was much harder riding, and more performance focussed. Plus it had th benefit of the sporty interior with far superior seats and instruments. The XR, in the real world, was also faster.The Zetec S isn't really a hot hatch, just a standard Mk4 with a good engine. Nothing else about it is remotely sporting. I assume it's gained such a reputation because it feels a lot faster than Corsas and the like in the 1.2 litre class. The low gear acceleration is phenomenal and it revs nicely, but in fact it's slower than the good old CVH, and has nowhere near as much personality.

Nah not the 1.25, the later mk5 Zetec-S 1.6 105bhp units. XR2's are quality, and the early mk2's had the bigger DFT weber carbs so had a little more grunt!

[mk2_craig]

Ford confusingly made both Zetec and Zetec S trim levels, the latter being a 3 door only job that as Owain hints is currently descending to the same level of notoriety as the equivalent Saxos of the era, not that they were ever particularly great motor cars.

 

Zetec:

 

Zetec S:

 

The XR2 on the other hand, I don't think there is anything I can add to what's already been said, a good original example that's been decently maintained is a far better car than its 1990s reputation would imply and rapidly appreciating in value. XR sales were c.25% of mk2 Fiesta production at one stage!! Shame that most of them seemed to rust quicker than the Puma on the previous page.

[Mr Lobster]

Both Fiesta Zetec S and Pumas are good cars if you can find a decent one. Had a Puma company car for a while back when I was a Ford employee and liked it very much.Was just a bit girly being bright red and all though!

[AnthonyG]

Pumas are great cars, and still (considering their age) hold some value.They were built in Cologne, so should last better than Fiestas, but then if you never wash out wheelarches for 9 years, what do you expect?That RR car would need new metal letting in, or a new wing, so is probably overpriced at 2250. However if the price was more reasonable, it wouldn't put me off.Ford stuff on RR is invariably overpriced IMO, due to 'oldskool'/numpty factor.

[garethj]

What were Ford doing, it surely can't have any corrosion protection in the inner arch for it to get like this in less than 10 years?

As anyone who's owned a 1970s Vauxhall / Ford / Audi / BMC etc will say - if it's had no corrosion protection it'll be in that state within 2 years!I've seen plenty of Kas that are bad, but this is the first Puma I've seen go rusty.

[retrogeezer]

Thats what I'm saying - why wasn't there any corrosion protection in there? A quick blast with the schutz gun inside the wheel arch would have stopped that happening and it can't be good for Ford's image.

[trigger]

Brought my wife a 1999 1.4 Puma last year for only £2000.

 

That has started to rust on the rear arches but no where as bad that one on RR, Makes me think it's had a repair at somepoint.

 

The Pumas are great little cars, and are very nippy even in 1.4 form, and handle like a little go-kart.

 

Only problem i have is i bang my bloody head every time i get in it because of the low A pillar and everytime you open the boot in the wet all the water runs into the boot, (A design fault).

 

[AXrescuer]

There a Puma for sale here. The owner is clearly in possession of a fully functional frontal lobe!

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1997-FORD-PUMA-1- ... 0343876871

[Father Ted]

My boss has one, I dont really like her. Sometmes when its dark I stand in the garden behind a tree watching. just because you cant see something like the rust, it doesnt mean to say that its not there. i watch people from behind the tree, they cant see me, but i am there.my bosses is also gong rusty round the back arcches.

[TheScrapman]

Just got an email from our very good friends.

 

She was driving her Puma home from work last night, when the cambelt went. It seized the engine, but also flailed a brake pipe. When she put her foot on the brake the oil squirted onto the manifold, and this was the result

 

[retrogeezer]

yeh, that needs a bit more rust proofing!

[pogweasel]

My boss has one, I dont really like her. Sometmes when its dark I stand in the garden behind a tree watching. just because you cant see something like the rust, it doesnt mean to say that its not there. i watch people from behind the tree, they cant see me, but i am there.my bosses is also gong rusty round the back arcches.

OK I am scared now. Please stop. Please.

[Baz]

The puma's seem to attract a better class of nob-head than zetec S it appears round here.

Elderly nob-heads too! My 74 year-old father has an R-reg Puma in the same green as the Fiesta Zetec above....It still looks very good, with no rust at all and 17" alloys....He's very impressed with it!

[AnthonyG]

Only problem i have is everytime you open the boot in the wet all the water runs into the boot, (A design fault).

a fault Ford lovingly recreated for the new Mondeo - so wet samples for all those happy reps!