RE: PH Fleet Update: Ford Puma
Discussion
johnpeat said:
The thing is - it's the sort of job you won't do if you leave it too long because the car gradually 'owes you less' - the good news is that once it's showing, the rust will usually be really really bad in the space of 1 good winter and we appear to have one of those right here!!
Fair point... let me get back to you in April and we'll see where we're up to 
Riggers said:
Sebo said:
Just noticed you have leather seats in yours. Lucky git.
Oh yes - 'Thunder' run-out special edition don'tyerknow...Hence leather, heated front screen, traction control (not troubled that with such an aged clutch, mind) and Fiesta Zetec-S alloys. swanky, eh?
The downside with mine before I sold it was that we took the cats to the Vets in it and they p*ssed themselves on the way back. Never could get the smell out.
Sebo said:
Other than the questionable (over sensitive in my opinion) traction control, I think the Puma is the ultimate station / winter car. The heated screen is a god-send !
The downside with mine before I sold it was that we took the cats to the Vets in it and they p*ssed themselves on the way back. Never could get the smell out.
Apparently, if you get a white cat to pee in the same place, they cancel each other out.The downside with mine before I sold it was that we took the cats to the Vets in it and they p*ssed themselves on the way back. Never could get the smell out.
Lots have the heated front screen (even my daughter's 1.4!) which is a big plus (not a standard fit though, so some might not have it and some might have lost it, so check for elements in the glass if you're buying!).
Not sure I'd worry about leather seats myself, although they might be easier to get cat pee smell out of than the cloth ones!
The 1.4's no dragster (even the FRP isn't FAST on paper), but I had a smile or two leaving Audi A3s and BMW 3s behind on roundabouts at the weekend.
Of course they proved their manliness by storming past in a straight line 5 minutes later
M.
Not sure I'd worry about leather seats myself, although they might be easier to get cat pee smell out of than the cloth ones!
The 1.4's no dragster (even the FRP isn't FAST on paper), but I had a smile or two leaving Audi A3s and BMW 3s behind on roundabouts at the weekend.
Of course they proved their manliness by storming past in a straight line 5 minutes later
M.
Edited by marcosgt on Wednesday 2nd November 14:57
slikrs said:
And that Rust can't be sorted without replacement metal, it's rusted through from the inside. Arch replacements or go wide arch - aka Racing Puma.... It's always an issue with these cars, tbh it was always going to be - when you fold metal over in a particularly wet and salty area you create an ideal rust trap!
Sounds the same as my e36. Such a shame, but totally uneconomical to replace of cars of this value.onset of rust? oh dear that looks bad... not a lot you can do about that, the car is 10 years old so the only real remedy is cut out the rear arches, weld in new ones.. a proper job will mean painting both sides of the car.. not really worth it.
Your best bet is dont ever wash the car and no one will notice
Your best bet is dont ever wash the car and no one will notice
Hello Riggers - on the rust front - make sure no mud/crap/dust is being held in the folded-over part of the arch (up on inside) as water-soaked s
te like this will keep the inside of the arches wet (& maybe salty if winter) for longer once they do get wet, rather than drying out straight away when it is dry outside again. Try and treat/remove as much rust as possible then you could put some grease/wax/vaseline on to coiat it once clean & dry. should help keep water (& oxygen) out and slow the process. Think there is even some rust stopping grease stuff on the market (from aviation industry, oh and motorcyclistas use it too).
Hope this helps a bit - you might get some strange looks (as I did) buying quite so many tubs of vaseline however!
te like this will keep the inside of the arches wet (& maybe salty if winter) for longer once they do get wet, rather than drying out straight away when it is dry outside again. Try and treat/remove as much rust as possible then you could put some grease/wax/vaseline on to coiat it once clean & dry. should help keep water (& oxygen) out and slow the process. Think there is even some rust stopping grease stuff on the market (from aviation industry, oh and motorcyclistas use it too).Hope this helps a bit - you might get some strange looks (as I did) buying quite so many tubs of vaseline however!
marcosgt said:
Lots have the heated front screen (even my daughter's 1.4!) which is a big plus (not a standard fit though, so some might not have it and some might have lost it, so check for elements in the glass if you're buying!).
Quickclear was £250 as part of the "Winter Pack" which included heated, electric door mirrors.In good weather, the easy way to test is to turn the screen on, and if mist lines appear, those lines are knackered. That said, in most cases, just wait for a windscreen chip....
Bin the standard length springs and fit Eibacj 30mm drops (and get tracking set back to std after - other wise tyres will last a few k miles), bin the brakes - they are TERRIBLE.
Fit 300mm grooved vented and Mondeo Mk3 calipers and std pads and nothing will get near it in the twisty bit If you want the details just PM me (it is easy if reasonable with basic tools).
Power is over rated - this thing are awesome on the twisties.
(Save the big power for other stuff).
Arch rot can be fixed if you can find a local welder to put in fresh metal and paint just the 2-3" arch area (need exact paint), I'm getting close to doing this. Perfect fast shopper.
Fit 300mm grooved vented and Mondeo Mk3 calipers and std pads and nothing will get near it in the twisty bit
If you want the details just PM me (it is easy if reasonable with basic tools).Power is over rated - this thing are awesome on the twisties.
(Save the big power for other stuff).
Arch rot can be fixed if you can find a local welder to put in fresh metal and paint just the 2-3" arch area (need exact paint), I'm getting close to doing this. Perfect fast shopper.
Riggers said:
tomoleeds said:
horrible car with a crap interior,ok for a 17 year old girl,but would not want more than £350 in it
Wow. Strong opinion there. Ever driven one?tomoleeds said:
i buy and sell cars so driven 90% of cars,did not mean to be harsh, (sorry !) but dont like the dash with it being same as fiesta,prefer the focus for that sort of money,much nicer inside,and wont rust (as much)
Fair enough. The Focus (mk1) is a good car (not driven later ones), but I think you're being unfair on the Puma.Sure the dash is like a Fiesta, but that doesn't affect how it drives and keeps the cost of parts nice and low! All Fords of that period are pretty low rent, imo. In fact all Fords before the current generation, if I'm honest...
Writing it off as a car for a 17 year old girl (as well as being rather disparaging of 17 year old girls) suggests a distinct lack of objectivity...
I doubt I've driven a fraction of the cars you have, but the Puma's more fun than 90% of the cars I have driven...
M.
Edited by marcosgt on Wednesday 2nd November 17:13
Riggers said:
Sebo said:
Just noticed you have leather seats in yours. Lucky git.
Oh yes - 'Thunder' run-out special edition don'tyerknow...Hence leather, heated front screen, traction control (not troubled that with such an aged clutch, mind) and Fiesta Zetec-S alloys. swanky, eh?
The Thunder alloys - look like Fiesta ph2 Zetec S alloys, but in fact aren't. They're identical in design, but use a different offset. They're pretty rare and nigh-on impossible to buy from Ford anymore. Only the Puma Thunder was fitted with them.
Cambelt's the other thing as mentioned. 100k/10 years is the interval. They do snap and when they do, they make a nice mess
On the plus side, they're not too bad to change, even with the floating crank design.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff