RE: SOTW Special: Ford Puma
Discussion
y2blade said:
johnpeat said:
Jayho said:
:S Were the owners of the cars aware of this game you played?
I'm not talking about ragging cars to bits - my job mainly involved checking for rattles, squeaks and other problems related to trim/mechanicals having been removed/refitted (or replaced).The commonest customer complaint when I got there was of rattles or squeaks (or bits of trim falling off entirely). I just sorted-out a test-drive which would find this sort of stuff BEFORE the customer did - and I@m pretty good at finding rattles
Mate of mine does a similar job for a main dealer and his brief includes giving the car considerably more punishment than I did - it's called 'road testing' for a reason
Zero point in pussy-footing-around in your car only for you to get in it, drive off like Sterling Moss and have something fall off it, is there?? Edited by johnpeat on Saturday 16th July 20:30
p.s. I should also add that I know of garages/bodyshops where cars are raced and allsorts - in fact someone I worked-with had his car written-off by a 'delivery driver' doing 120 - I'm nowhere near that mad!!
Edited by johnpeat on Saturday 16th July 20:31
I miss not working in the trade at times (car and motorbike trade)
PumpkinSteve said:
What is the gear change like on the Puma? The only other Ford I've driven from the same era is the KA, which evoked feelings of stirring cake mixture for my Grandma when I was a boy.
In one word excellent drove a puma quickly before my friend put the engine in his fiesta mk5 and I owned a mk5 fiesta which had a really good gearbox far better than anything else I had tried before it and to be honest the Puma's seemed even better PumpkinSteve said:
What is the gear change like on the Puma? The only other Ford I've driven from the same era is the KA, which evoked feelings of stirring cake mixture for my Grandma when I was a boy.
It's been one of the highlights on the ones I've had, a very precise and relatively short-throw - the metal ball is just a bit cold in winter and hot in summer if you have sensitive hands on your powerfully built arms.Pumas are greta little cars, my wife had an early one, we bought it from belguim and sold it with 20k on the clock for more than it cost us! The only complaint I had was the driving position being a bit high.
I tried to pick one up a year or two ago, but after spending a month trekking back and forth across the midlands missing good ones and avoiding ropey examples I gave up.
I tried to pick one up a year or two ago, but after spending a month trekking back and forth across the midlands missing good ones and avoiding ropey examples I gave up.
I'm not bothered about this being a SOTW rule bender.
Surely there's more to be had with someone spending their money and actually buying something and then reporting back running costs and issues?
What's wrong with some facts and information from running something bought from an advert than people spouting bias, misinformation and urban myths about some car that's advertised somehere.
It's a bit like Top Gear buying that 850i and CL600?
What's wrong with a bit more long term test instead of 'fantasy garage'?
Surely there's more to be had with someone spending their money and actually buying something and then reporting back running costs and issues?
What's wrong with some facts and information from running something bought from an advert than people spouting bias, misinformation and urban myths about some car that's advertised somehere.
It's a bit like Top Gear buying that 850i and CL600?
What's wrong with a bit more long term test instead of 'fantasy garage'?
Edited by carinaman on Sunday 17th July 11:17
PumpkinSteve said:
What is the gear change like on the Puma? The only other Ford I've driven from the same era is the KA, which evoked feelings of stirring cake mixture for my Grandma when I was a boy.
That KA was broken then - because whilst it's not as snappy as the Puma's, KA's usually have a decent and precise gearbox (for a Ford, anyway).Unless you're just used to German 'sprung to death' gearshifters - with the consistency of melted toffee and the precision of a lumphammer - and think that's how it's supposed to be
johnpeat said:
That KA was broken then - because whilst it's not as snappy as the Puma's, KA's usually have a decent and precise gearbox (for a Ford, anyway).
Unless you're just used to German 'sprung to death' gearshifters - with the consistency of melted toffee and the precision of a lumphammer - and think that's how it's supposed to be
Agreed. This one area where Ford have always excelled themselves.Unless you're just used to German 'sprung to death' gearshifters - with the consistency of melted toffee and the precision of a lumphammer - and think that's how it's supposed to be
spike ST500 said:
thetapeworm said:
It's been one of the highlights on the ones I've had, a very precise and relatively short-throw - the metal ball is just a bit cold in winter and hot in summer if you have sensitive hands on your powerfully built arms.
put a sock on it !http://www.innocentdrinks.co.uk/bigknit/
johnpeat said:
That KA was broken then - because whilst it's not as snappy as the Puma's, KA's usually have a decent and precise gearbox (for a Ford, anyway).
It's quite possible, I just remember pushing the gearstick in the general direction of the gear and hoping for the best, it was very sloppy. The car had been owned by an old woman, maybe she had hammered the gearbox.mrpenks said:
Can anyone believe that Ford had a decision back in the naughties as to whether to continue building the Puma or use the factory and line to make the StreetKa instead (only one could be chosen)... Just another example of a monumental shocker of a decision that manufacturers make sometimes!
The run of Pumas was more than double the original plan. The tooling was falling apart in the end and many cars were finished by hand. The Puma was also based on an outgoing chassis, but don't let facts get in the way of a convenient story.
PumpkinSteve said:
johnpeat said:
That KA was broken then - because whilst it's not as snappy as the Puma's, KA's usually have a decent and precise gearbox (for a Ford, anyway).
It's quite possible, I just remember pushing the gearstick in the general direction of the gear and hoping for the best, it was very sloppy. The car had been owned by an old woman, maybe she had hammered the gearbox.I had a KA for a while, the gearbox was very good actually...btw the KA handling was superb, only let down by the old rattly Engine
hora said:
Fitting a new ABS sensor- is it hard? It looks as simple as plug n play
http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/Ford_Puma_1.7_19...
The hardest bit is getting the old one out and not snapping any of the old bolts - wheel and brake disc off is about as complex as it gets otherwise.http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/Ford_Puma_1.7_19...
Good choice Riggers.
I drive my wifes pretty much most days and a Puma even in std form is Mega fun and in the bends will spank most things alot faster (on paper).
Few tweaks and it is bloody brilliant.
300mm Front ST170 discs and Mondeo calipers (as brakes are the only real crap bit on a Puma), and a set of 30mm Eibach lower springs (have the std setting put back on after fitted or tyres will wear out FAST). All easy to do and it is so much fun. All that huge power stuff just mean points, but fun in the twisties is the best fun
In Surrey too if you need any advise.
I drive my wifes pretty much most days and a Puma even in std form is Mega fun and in the bends will spank most things alot faster (on paper).
Few tweaks and it is bloody brilliant.
300mm Front ST170 discs and Mondeo calipers (as brakes are the only real crap bit on a Puma), and a set of 30mm Eibach lower springs (have the std setting put back on after fitted or tyres will wear out FAST). All easy to do and it is so much fun. All that huge power stuff just mean points, but fun in the twisties is the best fun
In Surrey too if you need any advise.
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