The Puma diary
Discussion
I usually keep a car around a year or so before i get bored and change. This year i was planning on replacing my Zetec S with an 8th gen Civic but that went out the window when a Puma came available, it had a snapped timing belt but it was free. Never heard it running, never drove it, no history, had rust, what could go wrong?
2nd Feb 15:
Car collected, it's clearly neglected and scruffy. Has 4 brand new tyres which are the wrong size on wheels that are the wrong offset and catch the struts, how can you get it so wrong?
turns out it had no towing eye, absolutely nowhere 'suitable' to tow from without it, that made things interesting.
8th Feb 15:
Second hand engine sourced for £75, looks clean and has all ancillaries. Cheaper to replace and engine rather than repair the existing, head gasket is £50 alone.
10th Feb 15:
Old engine is out without a fight. Timing belt tensioner had collapsed, tore the belt and bent 6 valves after further investigation.
New engine is cleaned up and mated to the box to be dropped back in, it fell in suspiciously easy and fired up first time. Sounds good.
15th Feb 15:
Fiesta ST150 280mm discs and calipers bought, straight swap and a massive improvement apparently.
5th Mar 15:
A Puma isn't a Puma without rusty arches and this one was a fine example. Rear arch repair panels bought and welded in, full arch on O/S and just parts on N/S
Looks much better now tacked in and skimmed. Inner arches caked with underseal to help prevent the inevitable.
8th Mar 15:
New wheels from a Mondeo ST24, they suit the car nicely
I still have a fairly long list of things to do which include paintwork, seats as the originals have been replaced with fiesta items for some reason and possibly a set of Eibach 30mm springs. I plan on putting the car on the road at the beginning of April and keep it going for another year or so on a tight budget.
2nd Feb 15:
Car collected, it's clearly neglected and scruffy. Has 4 brand new tyres which are the wrong size on wheels that are the wrong offset and catch the struts, how can you get it so wrong?
turns out it had no towing eye, absolutely nowhere 'suitable' to tow from without it, that made things interesting.
8th Feb 15:
Second hand engine sourced for £75, looks clean and has all ancillaries. Cheaper to replace and engine rather than repair the existing, head gasket is £50 alone.
10th Feb 15:
Old engine is out without a fight. Timing belt tensioner had collapsed, tore the belt and bent 6 valves after further investigation.
New engine is cleaned up and mated to the box to be dropped back in, it fell in suspiciously easy and fired up first time. Sounds good.
15th Feb 15:
Fiesta ST150 280mm discs and calipers bought, straight swap and a massive improvement apparently.
5th Mar 15:
A Puma isn't a Puma without rusty arches and this one was a fine example. Rear arch repair panels bought and welded in, full arch on O/S and just parts on N/S
Looks much better now tacked in and skimmed. Inner arches caked with underseal to help prevent the inevitable.
8th Mar 15:
New wheels from a Mondeo ST24, they suit the car nicely
I still have a fairly long list of things to do which include paintwork, seats as the originals have been replaced with fiesta items for some reason and possibly a set of Eibach 30mm springs. I plan on putting the car on the road at the beginning of April and keep it going for another year or so on a tight budget.
Edited by lel on Sunday 8th March 23:42
Edited by lel on Tuesday 28th July 11:46
You'll be very lucky to find one without rusty arches unless they've been repaired, sills and rear chassis legs seem to go on really neglected examples. There's plenty about so finding a good one shouldn't be too hard.
The repair panels are £40 through the puma forum or £50 off ebay, you can also use the lip off Peugeot 206 front wings on opposite sides. O/S wing will repair the N/S Puma arch for example.
The repair panels are £40 through the puma forum or £50 off ebay, you can also use the lip off Peugeot 206 front wings on opposite sides. O/S wing will repair the N/S Puma arch for example.
Thanks!
I've just booked it in to get the paint sorted on the 19th, 2 rear 1/4's, sills and the bottom of the doors are getting done. Front wings have been sprayed in the past and aren't a great colour match but im not concerned as they're in quite bad shape and will probably be changed at a later date anyway.
I've just booked it in to get the paint sorted on the 19th, 2 rear 1/4's, sills and the bottom of the doors are getting done. Front wings have been sprayed in the past and aren't a great colour match but im not concerned as they're in quite bad shape and will probably be changed at a later date anyway.
26 Mar 15:
The puma is painted, taxed and insured! Drove it for the first time today and i am very surprised at how it drives, it's a little go-kart.
Taking it easy for a little while to let things bed in, brakes are gradually getting better but it does feel like one is a tad warped, £40 for a pair so it isn't a big deal.
Next up are Eibach 30mm springs and better headlight bulbs, possibly seats if i can find some.
The puma is painted, taxed and insured! Drove it for the first time today and i am very surprised at how it drives, it's a little go-kart.
Taking it easy for a little while to let things bed in, brakes are gradually getting better but it does feel like one is a tad warped, £40 for a pair so it isn't a big deal.
Next up are Eibach 30mm springs and better headlight bulbs, possibly seats if i can find some.
Thanks, i had to search high and low for those wheels but i think it was worth it.
It's not impossible to find a clean one but they do seem to fetch a premium over its average rusty arched sibling, although if you could find one cheap enough it might be worth getting them repaired as it's not really a huge job.
It's not impossible to find a clean one but they do seem to fetch a premium over its average rusty arched sibling, although if you could find one cheap enough it might be worth getting them repaired as it's not really a huge job.
Had the Puma out for a good drive yesterday which brought some issues to light. It feels a bit skittish which i think is to do with worn top mounts, there's a fair bit of vertical play in the strut with the car jacked up, i'll order these along with the springs and replace both at the same time.
The brake pedal feels stiff and a bit vague, i also have no ABS. I did repair an ABS sensor when i got the car as the wheels that were fitted caught on the inner wings and wore through the sensor wire, my fix has either not worked or there is another issue somewhere. The ABS and traction control lights have been took out of the dash by the previous owner but when i plugged in my code reader it showed no codes, therefore no lights which is a mystery. I think i'll replace the front discs as one is warped and then the 2 front flexis, hopefully they feel better afterwards.
I'm looking at around £400 to remedy the problems, including 4 new tyres, but hopefully its worth it
Apart from that its a blast to drive
The brake pedal feels stiff and a bit vague, i also have no ABS. I did repair an ABS sensor when i got the car as the wheels that were fitted caught on the inner wings and wore through the sensor wire, my fix has either not worked or there is another issue somewhere. The ABS and traction control lights have been took out of the dash by the previous owner but when i plugged in my code reader it showed no codes, therefore no lights which is a mystery. I think i'll replace the front discs as one is warped and then the 2 front flexis, hopefully they feel better afterwards.
I'm looking at around £400 to remedy the problems, including 4 new tyres, but hopefully its worth it
Apart from that its a blast to drive
Managed to get hold of a brand new set of ST150 discs for a grand total of £33 so now i have judder free braking
I'm taking it in for an alignment this week, the front end feels a bit skittish over bumps and the steering wheel is off centre so i'll see what its like afterwards, i know it needs a set of top mounts which could also be the culprits. Trying not to spend too much money at the moment with my job on the line but i'm sure i'll be making some changes soon.
Also found a guy that makes FRP style splitters in the correct size for the standard puma bumper which i'll be buying eventually
Fitted some mudflaps today, I'm never normally a fan of them but with wide wheels and curvy bodywork the sides get filthy in no time. I went for the rally style PVC ones but i've kept them quite small and subtle, front only at the moment i can't make my mind up about fitting the rears yet.
the size of my flaps
I'm taking it in for an alignment this week, the front end feels a bit skittish over bumps and the steering wheel is off centre so i'll see what its like afterwards, i know it needs a set of top mounts which could also be the culprits. Trying not to spend too much money at the moment with my job on the line but i'm sure i'll be making some changes soon.
Also found a guy that makes FRP style splitters in the correct size for the standard puma bumper which i'll be buying eventually
Fitted some mudflaps today, I'm never normally a fan of them but with wide wheels and curvy bodywork the sides get filthy in no time. I went for the rally style PVC ones but i've kept them quite small and subtle, front only at the moment i can't make my mind up about fitting the rears yet.
the size of my flaps
Managed to find a set of brand new Eibach springs on ebay, i stuck in a last minute bid and won them for a brilliant price. I love the way it sits now, the way it should have sat from the factory IMO. Nice and level rather than the rear end being sky high. The ride is brilliant with these springs, can't recommend them enough.
I completely agree about them being underrated, such a brilliant car for such little money.
jimmyjimjim said:
I'm usually not a fan of lowering from standard, especially as much as 30mm - but that looks so much better it's untrue.
I've never lowered a car before and never had the desire to either, i think the puma "needs" it to lose some of the excessive arch gap they are built with and it makes one hell of a difference. Its been a while so i thought i'd do a little update. The Puma is still battling on as strong as ever and i have absolutely no desire to change it any time soon.
I noted earlier in this thread that the car felt a bit twitchy and unstable at speed which turned out to be the rear axle bushes, a common fault on these and in my opinion a bit of a silly design. New standard bushes have been put in, didn't fancy the harshness that people report with polybushes, car handles wonderful now.
Also found a set of seats from a mk5 Zetec S, same seats as fitted to the puma as standard but with a different colour centre which i don't mind. Also got to work with the wet vac and the hoover!
finally gave it a good clean and machine polish for the first time in a while, cleans up well for being 15 years old and majorly neglected for most of its life.
Next up is a rear disc conversion once i source some parts!
I noted earlier in this thread that the car felt a bit twitchy and unstable at speed which turned out to be the rear axle bushes, a common fault on these and in my opinion a bit of a silly design. New standard bushes have been put in, didn't fancy the harshness that people report with polybushes, car handles wonderful now.
Also found a set of seats from a mk5 Zetec S, same seats as fitted to the puma as standard but with a different colour centre which i don't mind. Also got to work with the wet vac and the hoover!
finally gave it a good clean and machine polish for the first time in a while, cleans up well for being 15 years old and majorly neglected for most of its life.
Next up is a rear disc conversion once i source some parts!
got hold of some spare parts from a mate who's braking a Puma, got his rear lights and cut them up to get the clear lenses out to use for my indicators. Just waiting for some chrome bulbs to arrive and they'll get fitted for good
Also did the FRP airbox mod, should have done this a lot earlier! The standard air intake goes into the inner wing and down behind the front wheel which is a bit of a trek, the new intake goes straight to one of the little slots above the splitter. The intake pipe was also squashed which must have restricted air flow and killed some power, it feels alot more lively now.
Also did the FRP airbox mod, should have done this a lot earlier! The standard air intake goes into the inner wing and down behind the front wheel which is a bit of a trek, the new intake goes straight to one of the little slots above the splitter. The intake pipe was also squashed which must have restricted air flow and killed some power, it feels alot more lively now.
TotalControl said:
Interesting option, these Pumas. Never really considered these before reading this thread.
It could be a cheap run around coupe to have if you buy a good one, which seem to be few and far between.
Would it be better to buy on requiring a bit of work if you wanted to tweak around with the suspension/engine/interior etc?
I really like the look of the Silver/Grey ones.
I've seen ones needing work for as little as £150 with MOT, i would certainly recommend buying one if you intend on spending some time and enjoy tinkering. Clean ones are usually owned by enthusiasts and tend to be quite expensive. It could be a cheap run around coupe to have if you buy a good one, which seem to be few and far between.
Would it be better to buy on requiring a bit of work if you wanted to tweak around with the suspension/engine/interior etc?
I really like the look of the Silver/Grey ones.
Parts are cheap as chips and they share nearly everything (apart from panels) with the mk4/5 fiesta so you'll never be short for bits.
JonoG81 said:
Always had a hankering to get hold of one of there for a cheap bit of fun/spannering.
Looks like you have put a fair bit of effort into yours.
I certainly have, thanks! It's certainly fun, i've loved every moment Looks like you have put a fair bit of effort into yours.
Jay_87 said:
Welcome to the wonderful world that is the Puma, had mine for 7 years now and somehow without me even noticing its morphed into some stupid unusable track car... Still love it though!
Your looks like a very tidy example, the mods your doing will only help to enhance the driving experience. If I were you I would go for the powerflex rear bushes, one of the best mods IMO. Although the best thing you can bolt onto that car is probably the cheapest, OMP lower strut brace, £35 will transform the car, it makes it so much better on turn in. The whole car just feels tighter and more agile with it.
A lot of "puma projects" seem to be for the purpose of track cars so its quite nice to see someone taking care of one for a change, I get urges myself to go out, buy a millennium edition (the one ive always wanted) and give it some TLC, just for fun more than anything.
Will be keeping an eye on this thread!
Thank you! Your looks like a very tidy example, the mods your doing will only help to enhance the driving experience. If I were you I would go for the powerflex rear bushes, one of the best mods IMO. Although the best thing you can bolt onto that car is probably the cheapest, OMP lower strut brace, £35 will transform the car, it makes it so much better on turn in. The whole car just feels tighter and more agile with it.
A lot of "puma projects" seem to be for the purpose of track cars so its quite nice to see someone taking care of one for a change, I get urges myself to go out, buy a millennium edition (the one ive always wanted) and give it some TLC, just for fun more than anything.
Will be keeping an eye on this thread!
I was considering the lower brace but I was told they have a habit of fouling with the sump, is this something you ever came across? For £35 I may just buy one.
update:
The puma has always felt a bit sluggish to me, I thought it was just normal as I've never drove another to compare it to. Turns out my cat had collapsed! Started with a small rattle and quickly turned into a nasty rattle along with misfiring and massive power loss. Dropped the cat out today and 10 minutes with a pry bar left the remains of the honeycomb on the garage floor.
The car is totally different now, it pulls very well and I'm pleasantly surprised at this little engine!
I also ordered a set of proxes T1R's in 195/45-16 flavour to replace the odd and aging 195/50's, not a huge fan of them at first but they seem to be wearing in nicely now.
I'm a happy chappy now
The puma has always felt a bit sluggish to me, I thought it was just normal as I've never drove another to compare it to. Turns out my cat had collapsed! Started with a small rattle and quickly turned into a nasty rattle along with misfiring and massive power loss. Dropped the cat out today and 10 minutes with a pry bar left the remains of the honeycomb on the garage floor.
The car is totally different now, it pulls very well and I'm pleasantly surprised at this little engine!
I also ordered a set of proxes T1R's in 195/45-16 flavour to replace the odd and aging 195/50's, not a huge fan of them at first but they seem to be wearing in nicely now.
I'm a happy chappy now
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