RE: Ford Puma: PH Used Buying Guide
Discussion
No, PH! I was waiting for the prices to keep going down until I could pick up another 1.7...
Mine was a Thunder run-out special. Aircon, leather (the seats were very hard though) and model-specific alloys. I paid £975 in September 2013, and it was a riot. Handled far better than the mk1 MX5 I came from, and the gearchange was so much nicer. I sold it for an ST150 - which I never really bonded with. Miss that car, hopefully I'll be able to get another one before the values go crazy.
Mine was a Thunder run-out special. Aircon, leather (the seats were very hard though) and model-specific alloys. I paid £975 in September 2013, and it was a riot. Handled far better than the mk1 MX5 I came from, and the gearchange was so much nicer. I sold it for an ST150 - which I never really bonded with. Miss that car, hopefully I'll be able to get another one before the values go crazy.
Have one awaiting resto.
Great cars, mine was stood for 7 years and started up with a little fresh fuel, surprisingly solid especially when you compare to others. Repair panels are available through express steel, I need both sills and I'll use the 206 arch's on the rear. Other than that theres a small hole on the inside, can't wait to start restoring it. Will most likely make a start on it this summer, Keep it standard but with some FRP engine parts
Great cars, mine was stood for 7 years and started up with a little fresh fuel, surprisingly solid especially when you compare to others. Repair panels are available through express steel, I need both sills and I'll use the 206 arch's on the rear. Other than that theres a small hole on the inside, can't wait to start restoring it. Will most likely make a start on it this summer, Keep it standard but with some FRP engine parts
Recently 'invested' in my second Puma after I decided the paintwork on my previous silver one was not good enough to consider fixing up. This second one is, I think, medium steel blue, and I appear to be only the second owner. The previous having bought it from new and he spent a staggering amount over the past 16 years keeping it in fine mechanical condition. It appears to have wanted for nothing.
None of this expensive work has stopped the wheel arches from rusting out however and I shall be 'investing' more into the car to get these done properly before the year is over. It only cost just a few hundred to buy.
I tend to use Pumas as a runabout and occasional track day car where their low price and eager performance make them the basis of a very fun day out with friends. The car always gets mugged on the straights - it's the slowest one out there, but with commitment it keeps up with most normal cars in the corners. Given there's no financial penalty should I bounce off the armco I tend to get the most out of the car.
I have it booked in for a Javelin trackday in October. Silverstone GP which is a bit quick for the type of car it is but there will be laughs aplenty.
None of this expensive work has stopped the wheel arches from rusting out however and I shall be 'investing' more into the car to get these done properly before the year is over. It only cost just a few hundred to buy.
I tend to use Pumas as a runabout and occasional track day car where their low price and eager performance make them the basis of a very fun day out with friends. The car always gets mugged on the straights - it's the slowest one out there, but with commitment it keeps up with most normal cars in the corners. Given there's no financial penalty should I bounce off the armco I tend to get the most out of the car.
I have it booked in for a Javelin trackday in October. Silverstone GP which is a bit quick for the type of car it is but there will be laughs aplenty.
A friend and I bought several of these, as well as MGFs
Both are cheap as chips, we never paid more than £600 for even the best examples and had no trouble moving them on for a profit when we’d ‘had our fussy out of them’
The last Puma was bought for £540 and came with £8000 worth of bills and invoices for work done
Always felt like someone at Ford had entrusted a Youth Opportunities worker (remember those?) with the blueprints for the car and had mistakenly hit the minimise button on the photocopier, and the car ended up being 20% smaller than originally intended.
To be fair, the Puma was a great handling car and the 1.7 was a decent engine; I’d never have thought of using one as a cheap track day car but others on here have set my brain thinking....
Both are cheap as chips, we never paid more than £600 for even the best examples and had no trouble moving them on for a profit when we’d ‘had our fussy out of them’
The last Puma was bought for £540 and came with £8000 worth of bills and invoices for work done
Always felt like someone at Ford had entrusted a Youth Opportunities worker (remember those?) with the blueprints for the car and had mistakenly hit the minimise button on the photocopier, and the car ended up being 20% smaller than originally intended.
To be fair, the Puma was a great handling car and the 1.7 was a decent engine; I’d never have thought of using one as a cheap track day car but others on here have set my brain thinking....
I remember when they were new and seeing them at a motor show somewhere. I was in love and picked up a load of freebie posters, don’t know where they are now though.
The advert was great...
https://youtu.be/6C9XRT-AFxc
The advert was great...
https://youtu.be/6C9XRT-AFxc
I've had mine for 12 months now, it's got 35,000 miles on it with one previous owner,it's got the usual rust on rear arches but other than that it's just the most beautiful thing to drive,I've owned many a great car over the years,lotus,tvr,etc etc, but the reason why this is the top of the pile is because value for money it simply can't be bettered,it just does everything good without the headaches and hassles which can grind you down very quickly, honestly try a(good) one and you will be smitten.
I'm on my second one, first one was a black 1999 T reg which I bought at 88k miles and went on to clock up to 160k miles, faultless, now got a 2002 Puma in red which had 77k mileage now has 88k, this has been a great car too. What I will say is the earlier ones tend to be a little less prone to rust although they all go round the rear wheelarch.
Parked in Cambridge on sunday and a elderly lady commented "what a lovely car" which I must say the Puma don't look dated even 15 years since they made the last one.
Parked in Cambridge on sunday and a elderly lady commented "what a lovely car" which I must say the Puma don't look dated even 15 years since they made the last one.
I've had a 1.4 and 1.6, each less than a grand.
Ran the 1.4 as my first car, and even back then it didn't take me long to realise that it really wanted a bit more power. Still a damn site cooler than what all my mates were driving at the time, though.
The 1.6 was a bit of an emergency buy back when I was at uni. It had its moments, but it was just too shagged to really make the most of. The fact it died of brake failure 6 months after I bought it probably tells you everything you need to know.
Someday I'd love a go in a properly sorted 1.7 just to find out what I've been missing all this time.
Ran the 1.4 as my first car, and even back then it didn't take me long to realise that it really wanted a bit more power. Still a damn site cooler than what all my mates were driving at the time, though.
The 1.6 was a bit of an emergency buy back when I was at uni. It had its moments, but it was just too shagged to really make the most of. The fact it died of brake failure 6 months after I bought it probably tells you everything you need to know.
Someday I'd love a go in a properly sorted 1.7 just to find out what I've been missing all this time.
I love mine - I really couldn't think of what to replace it with if I needed to. Lots of stuff from the same era has the same issues with rust, and although there are other coupes from that time (people wanted such things, then, I think) like the Renault Megane, Alfa Romeo GTV, Fiat Coupé, etc, all have potentially bigger running costs than the Fiesta-based Puma.
Good news for those owning/potential owners - Ex-Pressed Panels are looking to make body panels for the Puma. People talk about rust killing the cars - that, IMHO, is partly true, but is only one view. What really kills them is lack of replacement Parts - new steel panels will help people repair and keep running them, then the dreaded 'bottom of the curve' will hopefully have passed.
A simple, stylish scamp of a car. A great design and a truly classic driving experience.
Good news for those owning/potential owners - Ex-Pressed Panels are looking to make body panels for the Puma. People talk about rust killing the cars - that, IMHO, is partly true, but is only one view. What really kills them is lack of replacement Parts - new steel panels will help people repair and keep running them, then the dreaded 'bottom of the curve' will hopefully have passed.
A simple, stylish scamp of a car. A great design and a truly classic driving experience.
RyanTank said:
Always liked the standard Puma. Love the Racing, especially in Rally colours and with the daft looking rear wing. Were FRP's really down to £3k at some point? 
Yes, they were cheap but they were succumbing to tin worm. I guess the cars going for £15k nowadays have seen some welding. Limpet said:
When I had mine, I was active on a number of Puma groups, and there was a company who were looking at doing a complete outer sill and rear arch repair panel, but there wasn't enough interest to make it worthwhile.
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.
Sounds similar in many ways to the Peugeot 205 GTI scene a few years ago. Well, maybe more like 7-10 years ago. When they were plentiful and decent ones could be had for under a grand. They were getting stripped, parted out and scrapped, albeit rust was (and still is) extremely trivial compared to a Puma. And look where the values are now!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 brand new one on a T plate when they first came out in Silver with propeller alloys just like on the Steve M ad, I was 22 years old I thought I was the business 
. P/X it 3 years later for an Audi thinking I would never see the Puma again, then last year on M25 I see a Silver Puma pull out and it was my old car.
. P/X it 3 years later for an Audi thinking I would never see the Puma again, then last year on M25 I see a Silver Puma pull out and it was my old car.I've owned many many car and the 99' Puma 1.7 LUX was one of the few cars my wife really liked.
It was relaible but did succumb to tin worm as they all do. It was delightfully easy to throw around, great steering and gearchange. High speed stability wasnt all that great but im sure thats what made them fun, also brakes werent very good at all. I remember the ride being ok but there really wasnt much internal space even up front.
It was also one of the best cars at traffic light grand prix, very quick off the line if not all that quick overall. 1st and 2nd were dispatched with enthusiasm
It was relaible but did succumb to tin worm as they all do. It was delightfully easy to throw around, great steering and gearchange. High speed stability wasnt all that great but im sure thats what made them fun, also brakes werent very good at all. I remember the ride being ok but there really wasnt much internal space even up front.
It was also one of the best cars at traffic light grand prix, very quick off the line if not all that quick overall. 1st and 2nd were dispatched with enthusiasm
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