Ford Puma | PH Used Buying Guide
On the hunt for a Puma? Pounce on our buying guide first...
It seems almost obscene in these days of spiralling prices for some very so-so mid-1990s sports cars that Ford's Puma can still be had in fine fettle for £1,000. Still, it also means you can enjoy one of the very best driver's cars to emerge from that decade, or any other.
Based on the humble Ford Fiesta chassis, the Puma was nigh on perfect from the moment it was launched in 1997. The press loved it, dealers loved it and buyers thought it brilliant. All of these plaudits were for the 1.7-litre version, which came with variable valve timing courtesy of a cylinder head designed and fitted by Yamaha. It gave the Puma a fizzy, rev-happy nature that suited its superb handling and pin sharp steering.
By comparison, the 1.4-litre base model, and the 1.6 that replaced it in late 2000, just felt too slow to make the most of the handling. Even so, the 1.7 needed 8.6 seconds to get from 0 to 60mph, but the almost metronomic precision of the five-speed manual gearbox let you keep it sparking away around 7,000rpm where peak power of 125hp was produced.
Early Pumas had quite simple fabric upholstery and, in usual Ford fashion, a number of special editions followed with leather seats, fancy body colours and different alloy wheels.
However, the only significant change to the Puma in its all too short life was the launch of the Racing model. It took the 1.7-litre engine to 153hp thanks to a new intake manifold, camshafts, exhaust and ECU. That resulted in 0-62mph in 7.9 seconds and an increased top speed of 126mph over the standard 1.7's 123mph.
In many ways, the Racing Puma didn't feel special enough to warrant the big jump in price, even if the cabin was decked out with excellent Sparco seats trimmed in Alcantara. However, it was the handling that made it shine. The track was 70mm wider and firmer springs made it almost impossible to keep up with on twisty roads. Ford only made 500, all painted Imperial Blue metallic, and a handful were specified with a limited slip differential that makes these cars even more desirable to collectors now.
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Due to its rarity, a Racing Puma will cost from £10,000 upwards depending on mileage and condition, but you can be sure prices will continue to rise. For the rest of the Puma breed, you can pick up scabby examples for less than £500, while £1,000 should find you a car in decent nick but with some rust bubbles showing through. Spend twice that and you can bag a very clean 1.7 that will make you smile every time you drive it.
Bodywork and interior
Rust is the natural predator of the Puma. Most of it will be obvious on the rear wheelarches and sills, but also check around the fuel filler and pretty much anywhere else you can see. If caught early, the rear arches are a simple, cheap fix, but if the rot has spread it can be too costly to repair as panels are hard to come by. Also, inspect the boot floor as it was poorly protected from the factory.
The Racing Puma also suffers from corrosion, though most have been more pampered. Its problem stems from the wider rear wings being glued and welded over the original body. Rust happens out of sight, so you need to strip the interior panels to inspect in here. Repair panels are available, but restoring rot here can run to £5,000.
The Racing Puma has aluminium front wings and there are no new panels available, so that means scouring for good used ones if they're damaged
Racing Puma bumpers are made from fibreglass and are very susceptible to knocks, so check them carefully.
The standard car's interior wears well, but the Racing Puma's Sparco front sports seats quickly scuff. Matching the blue Alcantara is a tricky job.
Engine and transmission
Overheating is common due to a faulty thermostat. If the temperature dial fluctuates, replace the thermostat as a preliminary measure.
If the throttle hesitates during a test drive, its position sensor needs replacing, which will cost around £40 for a new sensor.
The 1.7-litre engine is best run on 5W-30 semi-synthetic oil.
Cambelt changes are required every five years or 80,000 miles.
Some 1.7s have suffered from bore wear, so look for smoke from the exhaust, poor starting and oil leaks.
Any misfire is probably due to the HT leads shorting due to coolant leaking on to them.
Suspension and steering
Sloppy, worn bushes ruin the Puma's handling. Original spec replacements are cheap and easy to fit, but a better bet might be polybushes to give a longer lasting fix and firm up the suspension without losing the supple ride.
The Racing Puma gained Eibach springs and Sachs shock absorbers, which are no longer available new.
Wheels, tyres and brakes
Look for uneven tyre wear as a sign of worn suspension.
Alcon supplied the brakes for the Racing Puma and they need a service every 3,000 miles to maintain their excellent bite. The calipers can corrode and repairs will cost up to £700, while front discs are £400 for aftermarket items.
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SPECIFICATION - FORD PUMA
Engine: 1388/1596/1679cc 4-cyl inline
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Power (hp): 89/105/125/153@5500/5500/6300/7000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 92/107/116/118@4500rpm
MPG: 39.0/38.0/38.0/35.0
CO2: 171/171/178/NAg/km
Price new: £14,550
Price now: £500 upwards
Ragged it everywhere, and did a few track days in it, and it never missed a beat. We used to love taking it on track. It was always the cheapest car there, always one of the lowest powered, but never the slowest. Brakes would wilt after a few hard laps, but otherwise it stood up brilliantly.
As the MOT approached, a cursory look underneath found more serious rot setting in around the beam mounts and the rear inner sill area so we decided to call it a day while it still had some ticket on it. Sold it pretty quickly on a local Facebook group for £150 to a chap who wanted the engine and gearbox for a Fiesta project.
For fun per £ spent, it's the best car I've had by a mile.
A cheap upgrade is to use the Fiesta ST 150 setup (Calipers, discs, pads) which is quite literally a straight swap and just fits behind the 15" wheels without faffing about, I did this 2 months into ownership.
Polybushing has been mentioned and I've done mine, people moan that polybushing the rear ruins the car but I haven't found that, its a tad harsher over our roads but not unbearable.
Cambelt, again mine had never been done, hence me being able to knock £200 off of the already reasonable asking price of £800. I got the belt done for £194 from my trusted independent 3 days after picking up my car.
Here is what £600 gets you, a 59k mile 1.7 Puma in decent shape. With bits I've done double that, so it owes me £1200 which I've already saved by selling my old Mercedes which was costing me £300 per month.
My advice is to pick one up whilst they're so cheap. They are also surprisingly practical, the rear seats fold down flat and the boot opening is generous if a tad high. I've had big bits of furniture in the back of mine. Genuinely the best car I've owned and I can't see me getting rid of it anytime soon.
On the FRP, didn't it use Mondeo hubs that were modified to change the strut angle to give the wider track? As well as different lower arms etc. Saying it had a wider track is perhaps under-selling just how modified it was over a standard Puma. A lot of money now though, given how much fun a normal one is.
Didn't buying guides on here used to be spread over several pages, rather than just one?
Best bit? The gearknob. A lovely chunk of metal that felt just right.
Rust on these is incredible though - I bought one with a slight bubble around one rear arch, got underneath it a couple of months into ownership and put my hand through the body underneath - an A4-sized bit of sill just disappeared as soon as I leant on it, and it'd rotted from the inside out. The piece that came off was pristine on the outside.
Will they eventually become future classics, do we think?
Will they eventually become future classics, do we think?
Apparently Peugeot 206 front wings have a very close profit to Puma rear quarter panels. Its a relatively straighforward matter to cut out the arches and weld in the new metal from the 206 front wing. Brand new 206 wings are around £40.
It does surprise me though that noone is making a Puma rear arch repair panel
And from the era when a sporty car didn't have to have 20" wheels and rock hard suspension.
Its a crying shame they were not better built - that "R" word seems to have crept into almost every comment above.
I'm sure it will be a future classic, and not only because so few will survive.
And from the era when a sporty car didn't have to have 20" wheels and rock hard suspension.
Its a crying shame they were not better built - that "R" word seems to have crept into almost every comment above.
I'm sure it will be a future classic, and not only because so few will survive.
They can be pickup up for £500 easily, needing rear arches done, yet mint ones are making £1,500-£2,000.
Thats quite unusual because its usually uneconomically viable to do such major work
The Puma is at an awkward stage where it has an enthusiast following, but is so dirt cheap and plentiful that it isn't worth the time or money needed to restore a borderline car. As the supply of cars dwindles, values will start to rise, but at present, the cost of restoring an average one is significantly greater than the value of it once completed. Unless you're prepared to do it for love, or as a slightly risky long term investment, it makes no sense. Sure, you get the dreamers asking £2,500 for them as "future classics", but a grand is absolute top whack for a mint, standard low miler, realistically. The Racing Puma (or FRP as they are called), are already seriously collectable.
The Puma owners scene is quite bizarre. People fiercely defend them, condemn people who put them on a banger track, and do the whole 'classics in the making' thing, but few people are prepared to spend any money either to save, or restore them. Nobody in any of the Puma groups wanted mine for £150, but I actually got abuse from some for selling it to someone who was going to pull the engine out of it to use in a Fiesta. Very odd.
I think I will buy another this year while they are cheap.
I had a Puma as my first car and I'm enjoying it just as much second time around. That gearchange is the best I've ever experienced and the steering is perfectly weighted.
I've stuck a 30 quid box in the back of the OEM stereo as well so I can now play tunes through it from my phone. Happy days!
I don't think they'll ever get to the crazy values that some of the Capri's have (other than the FRP) but they may be worth enough that people will see the value in keeping them going. After all, they really are a superb car to drive.
It's a cracking car, just wish they had fitted the 1.7 engine to it! Sadly, it's also plagued by rust and i'm at the stage of either spending on repairing it (low mileage), or selling it on.
It's a cracking car, just wish they had fitted the 1.7 engine to it! Sadly, it's also plagued by rust and i'm at the stage of either spending on repairing it (low mileage), or selling it on.
For me, it's a shame they never released a mass produced version with more power. The chassis doesn't break a sweat with 125PS, and if it had the straight line pace to match the handling, it would be a seriously quick fast road/track car.
By the way, the 1.7 will drop pretty much straight in to your Zetec-S
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