Owning a Ford Puma today..
Discussion
Had (well still own actually) a Mk5 Fiesta of the same chassis. Fantastic car to drive, love it too much to sell, actually have a 1.7 engine to swap in too.
Engines are pretty much bulletproof if you make sure to give them oil (like anything then!), chassis is great and are a real simple car to fix. Heater Control Valve is probably the most common thing but it's a simple fix with a replacement and it's right at the top of the engine bay.
I don't want to sell mine as I know I'll regret it, polybushed it, put GAZ GHA coilovers on and flung it round a track a couple times, really should get it back out on the road at some point.
1.7 engine has more torque thanks to VCT, and the gearbox is slightly shorter and more usable (1.6 box is geared for 140ish mph for some reason). Anecdotal comments that the Puma was slightly stiffer due to the body and better made, not sure personally.
It feels it's age inside though, passenger has monumental amount of room because the dash scoops away from them, it's quite bizarre after more modern cockpit like interiors.
Can swap in some recaro's from the 90's Fords, or get some FRP/FRK Sparco reclining buckets in them but they command a bit of a premium now. Standard seats are pretty rubbish.
Gearbox is fantastic, and the ball knob the Puma comes with just makes it feel that bit better and mechanical.
Engines are pretty much bulletproof if you make sure to give them oil (like anything then!), chassis is great and are a real simple car to fix. Heater Control Valve is probably the most common thing but it's a simple fix with a replacement and it's right at the top of the engine bay.
I don't want to sell mine as I know I'll regret it, polybushed it, put GAZ GHA coilovers on and flung it round a track a couple times, really should get it back out on the road at some point.
1.7 engine has more torque thanks to VCT, and the gearbox is slightly shorter and more usable (1.6 box is geared for 140ish mph for some reason). Anecdotal comments that the Puma was slightly stiffer due to the body and better made, not sure personally.
It feels it's age inside though, passenger has monumental amount of room because the dash scoops away from them, it's quite bizarre after more modern cockpit like interiors.
Can swap in some recaro's from the 90's Fords, or get some FRP/FRK Sparco reclining buckets in them but they command a bit of a premium now. Standard seats are pretty rubbish.
Gearbox is fantastic, and the ball knob the Puma comes with just makes it feel that bit better and mechanical.
Edited by Digitalize on Monday 31st August 14:14
Digitalize said:
Anecdotal comments that the Puma was slightly stiffer due to the body and better made, not sure personally.
I don't know either but searching on torsional stiffness I came across this:http://www.theaa.com/staticdocs/pdf/carreports/AA_...
carinaman said:
I don't know either but searching on torsional stiffness I came across this:
http://www.theaa.com/staticdocs/pdf/carreports/AA_...
For some reason they're comparing it to a 1.4si and not the 1.6 ZS I am, actually might be because the ZS didn't exist when the Puma was released. The Puma and ZS share rear beam and I'm fairly sure springs/dampers.http://www.theaa.com/staticdocs/pdf/carreports/AA_...
Farmer Geddon said:
How do they compare for fun against a focus ST170? I have never driven either but some cheap and reliable fun motoring does appeal
I've owned a Puma and now own an ST170.They are completely different cars.
The Focus is faster, handles better and has far superior brakes. But the Puma is much lighter, engine is far more responsive, has a slicker gear change and much shorter ratio box. The Focus is a slow burner, it has a peaky engine coupled to a long ratio'd box.
The Puma handles brilliantly too, but they feel different. In the Focus, you can feel the independent rear suspension working through the corners, where as the back end of the Puma felt a bit dead in comparison.
The Focus has a bit too much grip for it to be fun IMO. You can carry quite a lot of speed into corners, but are worried to push too hard for fear of it suddenly letting go at speed too high for the average driver to correct it.
Where as the Puma will also corner very quickly, but it will start to understeer at lower speeds, which can be corrected by gently lifting off and if you were to lift off to quickly and cause oversteer, it is very easy to straighten up.
The brakes were a big let down in the Puma, they were just standard Fiesta items IIRC and weren't up to the job when driving quickly IMO.
The Puma is the only car I regret selling and I'd have another in a heartbeat!
As someone has hinted at earlier, 172/182 if your budget will reach to it. The 1.7 Puma is great (that engine is brilliant), but the parts-bin design means that it always feels like a Fiesta made pretty, and some of the design niggles really grate after a bit. (The crap parcel shelf that always falls out, the rainwater that always soaks everything in the boot if you open it in the rain, the passenger side mirror that's partially blocked by the A pillar, the poor seat adjustment etc)
The 172 I have is everything the Puma was and more, a brilliant small daily.
The 172 I have is everything the Puma was and more, a brilliant small daily.
Edited by Krikkit on Monday 31st August 16:36
I had a puma as a cheap runaround and it’s a surprisingly good, capable and fun car to drive. It got literally no maintenance, was abandoned in places i wouldn’t walk through at night and driven hard and i actually started to like it! The only thing mine needed in 20k miles was a water pump and rear bushes. It had started to rust on the back arches when i stuck it on eBay right enough!
It was a result of owning that car that inspired the build for my girlfriends track car, a combination of all the good bits in one car – A completely rust free Mk5 fiesta with a puma engine, coilovers and ST170 brakes. Not the fastest thing in the world but a very capable car indeed.
It was a result of owning that car that inspired the build for my girlfriends track car, a combination of all the good bits in one car – A completely rust free Mk5 fiesta with a puma engine, coilovers and ST170 brakes. Not the fastest thing in the world but a very capable car indeed.
More Puma love from me, drove one again the other day:
(Current car, Panda 100HP)
My review:
Just driven a Puma, 2002 model 1.7, really good condition (v rare sadly as many of them are sheds now due to RUST!)
First, the engine is great. Pulls well at all revs (vct) but gets nice and strong as the revs rise, really strong at the top. Makes a good noise, too. The usual (of the time) Ford transmission whine in 1st and 2nd succumbs to a nice rorty...er...rort. I forgot to check actually...this one was particularly rorty so i wondered if it had a modified air filter or some such b
ktry!
So...the engine is tops.
Then...you have the steering, which is quite heavy as far as PAS goes...but this means it's got lots of feel. Really nice to use.
THEN...the gearbox....i've said it before....but this has got to be one of the best gearboxes fitted to a standard car. It just is. Lovely short, yet precise shift...lovely weighting...positive action. To be honest...in ALLL: the many cars i've driven....i dont think i've used a better one. It's got to be up there with the Holy gearbox Grails of the S2000, Integra etc and MX5 etc. Helped by the lovely little aluminium ball knob which is a pleasure to use.
The chassis is highly regarded...but delivers! It's just lovely and...responsive! A bit of compliance...planted through the bends... It' doesn't have any nasty suprises so you could say it's (if you preferred a lively back end and were being harsh)..a bit...neutral? But it's so composed...it's great.
So it's a car that absolutely relishes being flung about and vroomed!
The interior on this one still looked quite nice. The shape of the Fiesta dash is nice and curvy, helped by the silver bits here and there. Room is okay...i had to lower the seat all the way and i would have liked it a bit lower still but it was reasonable (in 6'2). Quite small and dark inside..but then this is the shape of the car. Rear visibility is very poor due to the shape of the pillars and rear window, but again...it's pretty on the outside...so...
The less good...
The ride is a little firm i suppose...not as much as the Panda..but not massively better...
The brakes - as with others i've driven previously...feel a little wooden. They work well enough...but the excellent feel from all the other controls shows how 'normal' the brakes are. In fact...actually....less than normal. The feel is a bit poor, full stop. But they work well enough.
Overall though.....i reiterate...this car is a FANTASTIC combination of performance and handling...and running costs really.
Yes, you could say it's a bit girly...but the blokes who drive these are in 'the know'. They are driving a superb piece of kit.
I mean...to be honest...you could argue that a Fiesta of the time handles pretty much as well....and it kinda almost...does really. But the extra oomph from the 1.7 is fantastic and the whole coupe package thing feels a bit more special..it's a winner.
Shame so few are around now, the usual Ford rust can kill them.
(Current car, Panda 100HP)
My review:
Just driven a Puma, 2002 model 1.7, really good condition (v rare sadly as many of them are sheds now due to RUST!)
First, the engine is great. Pulls well at all revs (vct) but gets nice and strong as the revs rise, really strong at the top. Makes a good noise, too. The usual (of the time) Ford transmission whine in 1st and 2nd succumbs to a nice rorty...er...rort. I forgot to check actually...this one was particularly rorty so i wondered if it had a modified air filter or some such b
ktry!So...the engine is tops.
Then...you have the steering, which is quite heavy as far as PAS goes...but this means it's got lots of feel. Really nice to use.
THEN...the gearbox....i've said it before....but this has got to be one of the best gearboxes fitted to a standard car. It just is. Lovely short, yet precise shift...lovely weighting...positive action. To be honest...in ALLL: the many cars i've driven....i dont think i've used a better one. It's got to be up there with the Holy gearbox Grails of the S2000, Integra etc and MX5 etc. Helped by the lovely little aluminium ball knob which is a pleasure to use.
The chassis is highly regarded...but delivers! It's just lovely and...responsive! A bit of compliance...planted through the bends... It' doesn't have any nasty suprises so you could say it's (if you preferred a lively back end and were being harsh)..a bit...neutral? But it's so composed...it's great.
So it's a car that absolutely relishes being flung about and vroomed!
The interior on this one still looked quite nice. The shape of the Fiesta dash is nice and curvy, helped by the silver bits here and there. Room is okay...i had to lower the seat all the way and i would have liked it a bit lower still but it was reasonable (in 6'2). Quite small and dark inside..but then this is the shape of the car. Rear visibility is very poor due to the shape of the pillars and rear window, but again...it's pretty on the outside...so...
The less good...
The ride is a little firm i suppose...not as much as the Panda..but not massively better...
The brakes - as with others i've driven previously...feel a little wooden. They work well enough...but the excellent feel from all the other controls shows how 'normal' the brakes are. In fact...actually....less than normal. The feel is a bit poor, full stop. But they work well enough.
Overall though.....i reiterate...this car is a FANTASTIC combination of performance and handling...and running costs really.
Yes, you could say it's a bit girly...but the blokes who drive these are in 'the know'. They are driving a superb piece of kit.
I mean...to be honest...you could argue that a Fiesta of the time handles pretty much as well....and it kinda almost...does really. But the extra oomph from the 1.7 is fantastic and the whole coupe package thing feels a bit more special..it's a winner.
Shame so few are around now, the usual Ford rust can kill them.
The Puma is great. My mum drives my old one which I gave to my father last year as a stop gap, when he passed away a few months later my mum had to use the Puma as her daily driver and its been very reliable and economical in her hands.
But in my hands, its an absolute cracker, I love driving it, and not many cars put a smile on your face like a good Puma. Engine and gearbox are a perfect match, the chassis is fun yet still comfortable, and despite it essentially being a Fiesta it still has more magic, can't quite say what it is, as i converted my old Mk5 Zetec S Fiesta to 1.7 and it still didn't feel the same.
But in my hands, its an absolute cracker, I love driving it, and not many cars put a smile on your face like a good Puma. Engine and gearbox are a perfect match, the chassis is fun yet still comfortable, and despite it essentially being a Fiesta it still has more magic, can't quite say what it is, as i converted my old Mk5 Zetec S Fiesta to 1.7 and it still didn't feel the same.
I had a Puma Thunder. Cheap and cheerful and surprisingly good.
Kept up with my nutter mate on a B-road when he was in an E46 328 and I had crappy tyres. He was pretty surprised. On straights he'd bury me but it wasn't long till I caught up.
Really fun little car, pretty slow admittedly but on a twisty road there wasn't much that would get away if you can drive.
Kept up with my nutter mate on a B-road when he was in an E46 328 and I had crappy tyres. He was pretty surprised. On straights he'd bury me but it wasn't long till I caught up.
Really fun little car, pretty slow admittedly but on a twisty road there wasn't much that would get away if you can drive.
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