Looking to buy a Puma 1.7.

[3xpendable]

Hi All,

I've always liked the Puma, and have driven a few Fiestas of the same era so gather they handle just as well. I'm currently restoring a classic car but wanted something of a weekend toy while that is ongoing. After looking around at various classics that turned out to be wrecks I came across some Puma's and realised I really liked them and they seem very good value!

I'm based in Cardiff so looking around here at the moment. From the research I've done so far it appears that rust is the main issue and they go in all the common places like rear arches and under the fuel filler. I don't want to do any bodywork so am looking for a rust free example, prefereably under 100K miles too. What else do I need to look for? Any common issues?

Is it just the Racing Puma that has the Yamaha head? I'm going to probably go and drive this one on the weekend as it's near me, but I won't be buying a yellow one as I'm looking for silver or black ideally.


http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...50/onesearchad/used/postcode/cf52ry?logcode=p

I forgot to mention that my father is a mechanic and I'm an engineer, so for example a timing belt is not a big issue and I usually change them as a matter of course on a new purchase, but I have heard it's a bit fiddly on the Puma?

Thank you

 

[748]

Hi and welcome.
Firstly the Puma handles much better than a Fiesta
Any 'rust free' examples will have had the rust already treated or will have been in storage all their life :lol:
Mileage is not as much an issue as regular servicing.These engines last well with regular oil changes.
All 1.7 Pumas have the Yamaha developed head with variable timing on the inlet camshaft, the Racing Puma (FRP) is the same engine with uprated cams, uprated intake and exhaust manifolds and ECU remap, giving an increase of about 30 BHP over the standard 123 BHP.
If you do your own repairs and maintenance these cars can be a cheap and reliable form of motoring and are great fun to drive.
Paul

 

[3xpendable]

Thank you Paul

Oh great! I look forward to trying one then! I'm not so fussed about maybe needing some wheelarch tidying if its a base colour but not metallic as thats too much work to blend in. I've been told i can remove the wheelarch covers and wash out all the common rust traps and paint them?

I thought so, but didn't want to embarass myself, 123BHP is probably enough for plenty of fun! A colleague at work has just told me a friend has one for sale, so I will keep you all updated.

 

[red]

Welcome to the site. The only thing which makes the belt change tricky is the VCT and making sure it's timed up properly afterwards. A lot of times even at garages people find out their cars come out running worse than they went in.

 

[3xpendable]

I'll bear that in mind red, thanks.

So far I gather this:

Make sure they have the right oil used
Rear Brake pipes can corrode
Heater Valve breaks often

Anything else apart from rust to look out for?

 

[red]

Worn bushes and top mounts are common now front and rear as are worn drop links.
ABS/TC lights, make sure they illuminate with ignition else they could have been tampered with. (This might not be true on early pre-98 cars I can't remember)
Check at least one lock works as it's common for them to seize up but technically could also mean you might not have the right key.
That's about it that I can think of immediately

 

[748]

The other main area for rust is the inner sills near the rear beam mounts, this is a common MOT fail.
As Red says, the ABS can be a right pain to fix if it goes wrong, and it's a potential MOT fail
They really are transformed with new bushes in the rear beam and front wishbones, if you get one with no record of recent replacements then I would be prepared to do them. By the sounds of it you would not have a problem with DIY :wink:
Which bushes to use is a matter of personal preference (poly or standard). Personally I would go for standard Ford ones for general road use. They're just trickier to fit.
Pre 2001 (not sure of the exact change) have smaller brakes which although do the job, are inferior to the later models,so if this is an issue for you I would go for a later one if possible.
Proof of clutch replacement is also good positive, any Pumas still on original clutch will most likely need a new one soon.
As with any 15 year old car there will be issues, which if you had to pay qualified mechanics to do the jobs, you would never have any money to put fuel in :lol:
Fuel consumption is pretty good, with people regularly reporting high 30sMPG, even with spirited driving.
Paul

 

[3xpendable]

Great, thanks guys. Will keep hunting and will keep you posted

 

[Wadders]

Hi Welshie, happy hunting - you won't be disappointed, these are cracking little cars. I had a new one years ago and just brought a 1.7 '00/X with 53,000 miles.

It had no service history, but I did some detective work and recovered most of it! Luckily the last owner spent over £2k on it, so I got lucky! All this for less than six hundred quid!

Enjoy it when you find the right car....

 

[3xpendable]

Thanks Wadders! I'm quite excited now and itching to get one. I would like to ask some advice on the following cars if you all care to indulge me.

This is the nearest to me, but I'm not keen on the colour but I do like the bucket seats I understand the Milenium is a Ltd edition which makes it more desirable but I fancied a black or silver model. It also makes no mention of service history and the rear bumber doesnt look to line up nicely with the rear arches, what do you think?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...e/page/1/radius/50/onesearchad/used?logcode=p

I'm not a huge fan of the colour of this one, but they say it's rust free

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...e/Classified/page/1/postcode/cf30da?logcode=p

I like the colour on this one, and again it only has 'part' service history.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...radius/50/usedcars/onesearchad/used?logcode=p

Pinning down my criteria a bit. A timing belt needing changing doesnt bother me as much as a clutch, and while I dont mind like the last car says "stratches" that can be cleaned up, if I get a metallic car I'd rather have one with repaired arches as I dont have the facilities to do a tidy paint job and blend in metallic. However if its a base black or red i won't mind so much.

 

[3xpendable]

This one has just come on too, again metallic and the rusty arches, how hard is it to blend in, or is it an expensive bodyshop job?

http://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-...-changed-3-new-tyres/1075161289#photo-content

 

[Wadders]

I did a temporary arch repair with Halfords Moondust Silver aerosol paint. Trick is to paint the whole wing under the swage line and then spray lacquer on top...

 

[red]

1. Looks standard which is usually a good start, black mirrors, original wheels, original stereo, might be worth a look and a drive.
2. Same standard condition, could be worth a look if you don't mind green.
3. Again looks nice, advert says Silver but actually looks to be Steel Blue.
4. Potentially looks better than the first green one.

The yellow one is the only one of those which isn't Metallic and is my favourite since it's got the Recarros but you can't see the condition from this picture.

I'd say if any of them are quite local see a couple before making a decision.

 

[748]

Hi Welshie
You should be able to pick up a good one in a private sale for about £700. Traders obviously tend to be a bit more but I would be very careful with them, especially if it's not local to you.
There are some on the market for 1500-2000, most likely one owner, low mileage FSH. And some at stupid asking prices of over 3 grand.
Depends what you want really.
As you probably know, buying any car over 10 years old is always a gamble, best you can do really is lower your chances of buying a bad one by doing your research.
Personally I would be tempted more with the last example you gave (the green one). If everything seemed ok try offer of 800-850 first. Everyone likes a bit of a haggle :lol:

 

[Wadders]

That last green car looks a good bet... Haggle hard!

 

[3xpendable]

Again thanks guys, I might go and look this weekend. The yellow one is about 10 miles from me so might go and drive it Friday avo, but yes I'm thinking the last one is the best bet though I wouldnt pay £1000 for it, my dad tought me to haggle well!

I'll keep looking over the next few days and keep you posted. Again cheers for answering my many questions.

 

[3xpendable]

FOUND ONE!

This has turned up about 5 miles from me

http://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/ford-puma-sale-or-swap/1073249447#photo-content

I called the seller and he is away so going to look on Sunday evening. I really like the look of this one but would appreciate an outside view. He's told me it has a part service history and had a timing belt about 20,000 ago, he said the clutch was fine and it drives fine but didn't say if the clutch had been replaced. Tyres good, and it drives fine BUT:

He said the one fault with it is he thinks it needs a new coolant cap as some of the coolant is evaporating off and every so often he has to top it up. He said it drives fine and hasn't gotten any worse and there are no leaks he can see. Does this sound reasonable or is it a big no no?

Thanks guys, hopefully I'll be joining the crowd soon

 

[748]

I wouldn't bother with that one mate, could be head gasket gone.
If he thinks expansion tank cap needs changing then why not do it? A cheap enough fix.
Also Puma Thunder should have leather interior and be either Silver or Magnum Grey?????
And the wheels are wrong for a Thunder.

 

[3xpendable]

I wouldn't bother with that one mate, could be head gasket gone.
If he thinks expansion tank cap needs changing then why not do it? A cheap enough fix.
Also Puma Thunder should have leather interior and be either Silver or Magnum Grey?????
And the wheels are wrong for a Thunder.

Interesting points mate, I hadn't noticed that. Would it say 'Thunder' on the logbook? It would seem strange someone has repainted it, changed the interior and the wheels? I haven't gotten hold of dad yet but am going to ask him about the cap.

Cheers

 

[748]

The Thunder was a limited edition with all the goodies thrown at it :lol: As such they are more desirable and there would be no point in downgrading it.
I don't know about the logbook but I would guess not, as the FRP is onlly listed as a 1.7 Puma.