Cheap Puma Track Car
Discussion
After taking my 3 month old Fiesta on a trackday last December, my friend and I decided that perhaps we should buy something cheap to take part in trackdays instead. The idea died soon after, but was re-ignited around a week ago amongst much drunken musings. We had almost immediatly decided on a Ford Puma, owing to cheap purchase/running costs, reasonable insurance (for 2x 22 year olds), and above all, great fun to drive. I also remember the press raving about them when I was a child, and I've still got all the launch literature somewhere.
£430 purchased us this little number; quite an achievement, since nearly all of it works! It has a good service history file, loaded with lots of expensive works (cambelt, wheel arch repairs etc.), and the last MOT had one advisory (Unable to operate rear seatbelts due to child seats...). 4k miles in the last 4 years add towards a total of 85k miles. Working Air Con was a bonus on the drive home on Saturday, and the heated screens even more so at 5:30am on the following Monday!
A couple of little things that need addressing - 5th gear not selecting. Not entirely sure what this is, but it will require investigation (as the car will be used on the road too, but a working 2nd hand 'box can be had for £80 delivered), and the fuel gauge only registers between full and 3/4 of a tank. It's not a minter, but it's perfect as a cheap little track car.
Plans are deliberatly simple, throwing lots of money at a car worth less than a mid-spec iPad completely defeats the object of the excercise, but the very aged ditchfinders will make way for some Yokohama Paradas (bye bye lift off oversteer
), K&N Panel Filter, and perhaps a refresh of some of the suspension components.
Purchased last Saturday, we have so far carried out a basic service, replaced front calipers (bleed nipples snapped when we tried to bleed the brakes
), and chuck some new wipers on it.
So far the car still stands at less than £550, and I can think of fewer cars you can have so much fun with. I'd say my Fiesta Metal would have a fright on an A-Road, I look forward to finding this out in due course!
£430 purchased us this little number; quite an achievement, since nearly all of it works! It has a good service history file, loaded with lots of expensive works (cambelt, wheel arch repairs etc.), and the last MOT had one advisory (Unable to operate rear seatbelts due to child seats...). 4k miles in the last 4 years add towards a total of 85k miles. Working Air Con was a bonus on the drive home on Saturday, and the heated screens even more so at 5:30am on the following Monday!
A couple of little things that need addressing - 5th gear not selecting. Not entirely sure what this is, but it will require investigation (as the car will be used on the road too, but a working 2nd hand 'box can be had for £80 delivered), and the fuel gauge only registers between full and 3/4 of a tank. It's not a minter, but it's perfect as a cheap little track car.
Plans are deliberatly simple, throwing lots of money at a car worth less than a mid-spec iPad completely defeats the object of the excercise, but the very aged ditchfinders will make way for some Yokohama Paradas (bye bye lift off oversteer
), K&N Panel Filter, and perhaps a refresh of some of the suspension components.Purchased last Saturday, we have so far carried out a basic service, replaced front calipers (bleed nipples snapped when we tried to bleed the brakes
), and chuck some new wipers on it. So far the car still stands at less than £550, and I can think of fewer cars you can have so much fun with. I'd say my Fiesta Metal would have a fright on an A-Road, I look forward to finding this out in due course!
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