Trackshite Puma - Replacing rear seats with bigger boot

[Sloth in a bowl]

Oil, oil filter and fuel filter change tonight and I learnt something about oil changes on my driveway.

 

Next time do it with the car facing up hill so all the old oil gets out the hole rather than just 90% of it.

 

Apart from that and not finding the oil filter chain wrap thingy so having to use a sharp spike and hammer to get the old filter off, all seems well.

[Sloth in a bowl]

Tonight I got a set of Pigid, front disks, pads, grease and cleaner for about £75 and I set about learning the joy of brake replacement.

 

The calipers came off easily enough but the caliper mount, not so much. Plenty of plusgas and hammering on a smaller socket 1/2" on a 13mm did the trick. 

 

Now I need 4 new ones of these, before putting on the new brakes.

 

Can you tell which is the old pad?

[Sloth in a bowl]

New brakes are on

 

[phil_lihp]

I always find that there's something deeply satisfying about fitting new brake pads and discs to a car.  Probably because they look so much better but more importantly you know it'll stop better and therefore be safer.

 

These have reached proper shiter prices now and I'm quite tempted by a cheap little sports car this year once the dust has settled on an impending house purchase.  You're making me think a ratty Puma should be on the list. 

[Sloth in a bowl]

I always find that there's something deeply satisfying about fitting new brake pads and discs to a car.  Probably because they look so much better but more importantly you know it'll stop better and therefore be safer.

 

These have reached proper shiter prices now and I'm quite tempted by a cheap little sports car this year once the dust has settled on an impending house purchase.  You're making me think a ratty Puma should be on the list. 

 

 

I recon you have a year or two of these being cheap and plentiful enough that good ones are still easy to find. 

Within 30 miles of me about 15 of them have been on Gumtree in the last month so currently, you can be fussy on price and condition.

[Matt]

So are these a proper hoot to drive? I want to like the Puma but I just can't bring myself to it, would it be worth me getting some seat time in one?

[Sloth in a bowl]

So are these a proper hoot to drive? I want to like the Puma but I just can't bring myself to it, would it be worth me getting some seat time in one?

 

 

The steering and gearshift is lovely, the motor is perky but I'm used to over 220hp in the Skoda so in comparison it's not quick.

The tyres on mine are 3 brands of ditch finders and it understeers in a very predictable safe manner even with knackered bushes all round.

With decent tyres and fixed suspension it will be very nice.

 

Even with knackered disks and pads the brakes were good, so I'm hoping for excellence, now they have been changed.

My last reason for the purchase was that if I trash anything then there are lots of parts cars about.

 

Overall, try one, and I think that you will like it for a B road toy. 

[phil_lihp]

A friend of mine has a very early R-reg 1.7 which he's had since it was about 3 years old, I haven't seen him in years but I believe he still has it.  He got it chipped and it has some sort of rare rally wheels and (rather odd-looking) massive spoiler on the back and I have never been in anything that accelerated like that thing did.   

[fordperv]

A sorted puma is a laugh, the last one I drove had polybushes, coilovers,stainless 4:2:1 manifold going to a full stainless system, uprated fuel pressure regulator, a few other mods and a cone filter, it was a right giggle, it wasn't the fastest thing on 4 wheels but it went well.

[Sloth in a bowl]

So, as the rear seats are pointless I decided to see if it's worth replacing them with a boot extension.

 

The mockup (measure once, cut approximately) was made with these

 

To produce this

 

Which fits in the boot like this

 

 

 

 

The main piece will be somewhat less rough and ready in the shaping.

I have some plywood that will do for the main parts and random off cuts of wood for the hidden supports.

Then cover it with cheap black carpet material.

I'm currently considering how to bolt it onto the seatbelt mounting points.

[320touring]

So, as the rear seats are pointless I decided to see if it's worth replacing them with a boot extension.

 

The mockup (measure once, cut approximately) was made with these

 

To produce this

 

Which fits in the boot like this

 

 

 

 

The main piece will be somewhat less rough and ready in the shaping.

I have some plywood that will do for the main parts and random off cuts of wood for the hidden supports.

Then cover it with cheap black carpet material.

I'm currently considering how to bolt it onto the seatbelt mounting points.

You are Will Cleland mk2 aicmfp!

 

willbit be getting an xud conversion?

[Sloth in a bowl]

Ladies and gentlemen I present the Puma Touring.

The wife's first question was, 'How much wine will it carry?'

 

With a boot that is now approx 49" x 36" x 16" plus space around the edges that's about 500 litres.

It needs a tidy-up, better mounting and black cloth, but the basic framing is done.

 

It will not get an XUD conversion, I'm very happy with the current peak of 125hp at 6500rpm thanks.

 

The stick is my 36" ruler for scale

[320touring]

bet the ladies love your 36" stick;)

 

looks a useful space but how tall is it from boot floor to inside of bootlid?

 

is this a motorsportshome in the making?

[face]

First impression s on driving Puma to work. It's not as quick as the Skoda, it doesn't steer as well or brake as well. The mirrors are pants and the seat is 2 inches too high. On the motorway it needs another gear.

 

I love it.

 

It's got the back road chuckable pep of the Y10 with decent pedals and the easy limit finding of the Kia Pride. I want to drive it like a bad boy everywhere. Me and this car are going to have a right bunch of giggles.

 

Has it got the electrical seat height adjuster?

[Taff]

I always find that there's something deeply satisfying about fitting new brake pads and discs to a car.  Probably because they look so much better but more importantly you know it'll stop better and therefore be safer.

 

These have reached proper shiter prices now and I'm quite tempted by a cheap little sports car this year once the dust has settled on an impending house purchase.  You're making me think a ratty Puma should be on the list. 

 

"coughs" MGF "coughs"

 

Ladies and gentlemen I present the Puma Touring.

The wife's first question was, 'How much wine will it carry?'

 

With a boot that is now approx 49" x 36" x 16" plus space around the edges that's about 500 litres.

 

 

if you waterproof it and just pour it in, you should achieve at least double that

[phil_lihp]

"coughs" MGF "coughs"

 

That's also on the list.  I'm slightly put off by the absolutely appalling one I went to see last year, sold as needing work but driveable when the reality was quite different and in fact it did not even run.  There was an adequate amount of oil in the engine but unfortunately most of it was in the header tank rather than the sump.  I do like the idea of a dark red one with cream leather though.  Pumas, sadly come in a fairly awful set of colours and the interior, only available in black as far as I know, is rather gloomy.

[Sloth in a bowl]

Has it got the electrical seat height adjuster?

Though it's a late 2000 car it has manual seat adjust. By putting it close to the lowest setting then the driving position is excellent but the lower backrest is not as comfortable. I raise it a bit for crusing comfort mode.

[beko1987]

"coughs" MGF "coughs"

 

 

if you waterproof it and just pour it in, you should achieve at least double that

Just dont emergency stop...

[Sloth in a bowl]

Just dont emergency stop...

With a ton of booze in the car then emergency stopping would be the least of my worries. Anyway I measured up a typical French box of 6 wine bottles and have considered that a load of 30 boxes (150 bottles) plus a weeks worth of holiday kit would be a practical proposition.

 

I'm currently considering how to test which bits of floor I can tap through for solidly mounting the new boot floor extension without creating an expensive swearing situation.