Project from Spain

[Pumaddict]

Good evening everybody.

After months thinking on it, my brother and me bought a 1.7 my1998 Puma on past week.

We always liked the Puma since McQueen´s spot and in March we decided to start a new project with this car. After searching a lot we found a green 1.7 vct unit in awful condition: blown engine due to broken sump and stopped since four years. We thought about changing car for our new project and we left the project for a while.

Past week we´ve decided to sell one of our cars so start to think on the Puma again and phoned the seller. He still had it. After discussing price he accepted our offer and now we are proudly owners of a Ford Puma.

As I´ve told the car is broken so first we have to find a rebuild engine to start, but we need some help about what to do on the car.

We have read the car has a good chassis and suspension, poor standard brakes, good engine, and close ratio gearbox.

Which are the main engine faults we have to solve first?.
Which are the best:
suspension mods?
chassis mods?
brake mods?
wheel and tire size?
geometry set-up?

The car has Sparco Cromodora rally wheels with 195/50/15 tires, Koni Sport dampers front and rear with lowering springs (don´t know the brand) and fog lamps that I never seen. All of this from the previous owner son.

Oh, I forgot to mention: I have bought a used Escort RS Turbo S2 gearbox to rebuild the viscous LSD and install it on the puma box.

I would like to show you the pics on the car but I don´t know how to do it.

Thanks to all.

 

[jimfrp88]

Hola senor, como estas? :grin:

Sorry, that's about the limit of my Spanish :-D

Welcome to the site... Glad to see you got bitten by the Puma bug.. they make great project cars k:

With regards to your questions:
Suspension - I find the standard suspension to be quite firm. Any stiffer and I feel your back will start complaining :lol:
Chassis - Do you mean strut braces and things like that?
Brakes - The later brake set up with a decent set of discs and pads work well... Or you could upgrade to the ST 150 brakes.. But I'm not sure if you need to change your wheel size, I'm sure someone else can clarify this.
Wheels - These aren't my speciality, again I think someone with a little more knowhow will be able to assist you here :-D


Make sure you get some pictures up! :thumbs:

 

[Pumaddict]

Hi Jim.

Good spanish.

I don't know how the standard dampers are but as it isn't a daily car we was thinking on a custom coilover.

With the chassis I mean modified wishbones, tie rods, roll bars, uniball joints or poly bushes, where to put one or other, braces, which ones and again where.....

Std. brakes are so poor?. It has 239'5 vented disc and later cars has 258. Is it not enough with late brakes, racing compound pads like 3000, 4003, RC6, 1065, metallic hoses and racing liquid?. Does the system fade?

I think with std. tire size the car is ok for 125 hp and better for handling than 17's", but maybe half an inch or an inch wider wheels with similar et and same tires.

 

[jimfrp88]

Oh sorry, I misunderstood.. If you're looking at modifying for track days etc, then there's LOADS of options out there for you.

Unfortunately I'm not a big 'modder' but if you're sticking with a 1.7 engine then I highly recommend you get a Sportex 4-2-1 manifold.. Along with an FRP remap makes a nice improvement over standard.
However, I don't know what the regulations are in Spain regarding MOT emissions.

This is the manifold I'm referring to...
There are better manifolds out there but for the price I can't fault them.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ford-Puma-1-4-Sportex-De-Cat-Exhaust-Manifold-/271632235770?&_trksid=p2056016.l4276" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Keep us updated with your progress :thumbs:

 

[Pumaddict]

No no no Jim, don't worry.

It isn't for track days. We prefer spirited driving on B-roads.

The engine will be the last thing we will do, but I take your notes, manifold and FRP remap. Like a budget cup car her in Spain.

First we have to do is putting a engine and installing the lsd. When the car runs, we start with chassis, suspension, and so on.

I told custom coilovers because we have them on another car and there's a world between oem and custom: better traction on wet, amazing grip on dry, higher corner speed, better braking.... and if the work is well done more comfty than standard.

Of course it is pricey but I'm not going into 3 or 2-way dampers with separate canister. Just custom dampening valves with custom springs and maybe rebound adjuster. We have to study it.

 

[jimfrp88]

Sounds good... Make sure you keep us updated with your progress :thumbs:

 

[Pumaddict]

Of course. Just need to learn how to upload pics.

 

[jimfrp88]

Do you have a Photobucket account? Upload the pics from your camera to your PB account and then copy and paste the image code to your posts on here :thumbs:

 

[Pumaddict]

Hi again.

Finalky we have bought a rebuild engine (we receipt it 15 days ago) and after two months picking up all the information about the std. 1.7, Racing Puma, S1400, S1600 F3 Kit Car, German Cup, and so on, we have serious troubles thinking what to do with the Puma and our project:

we can make a "budget" project dismounting engine, balancing and wheightening all parts (pistons, pins, rods, crank, flywheel....), porting and matching head and manifolds, refurbished VLSD, ph2 or ST150 front brake upgrade with racing pads, hoses and liquid, and custom monotube dampers basis Bilstein with Ford Eibach lowering springs and right set-up.

Or,

we can make a big project mixing OEM parts with custom and S1600/1400 rally material in chassis, brakes, suspension, custom 1-way coilovers, close ratio gearkit with plate type lsd, FRP body kut, custom rally wheels, seats, dash display, highky modified engine.......

I prefer the furst option but muy brother's have fell in love with S1600 and FRP looks (like everyone here I suppose) and has reason about justo putting the frp style is a non serious project and if we decide to make a S1600 road legal replica we have to do things right.

What do you think?. Of course we will need a lot of help from you abd your knowledge.

Regards.

 

[RICHARD MANSFIELD2]

Hola,
Recepcion para proyectar el Puma. Suena como si usted tiene de trabajo sobre sus manos? Si usted no importa de mi que pregunta caunto usted pago su Puma? Que usted decide hacer de la manera de modificaciones obviamente depende de su presupuesto. Soy muy confidente que usted recibira toda la ayuda y consejo sobre este sitio para ayudarie con su Puma.
Respeto
Richard.

 

[Pumaddict]

Hi Richard.

Your spanish is OK. We paid 400 €. Actually we are on request of S1600/1400, custom, and FRP parts quotation to see what to do. As it could be a custom project, we have received a quotation on two Peugeot 206 S1600 used wheel carriers, but is a headache to install them: larger bearings, no abs rings, 4x120 hubs, larger drive shafts..., but everything is possible. Our first plan was to install a S1400 unpowered engine on a KA, but is impossible to homologate and pass MOT in Spain with that.

We had two BMW MINI R50, the one my brother has sold recently, and the ONE we have yet, made by a 55 times championship winning team in Spain (rally, F3, circuit, one make cups.....) with full custom parts: coilovers, wishbones, H-pattern 6-spd rally gearbox, knuckles, set-up, camshafts, manifolds, plate type lsd,... It handlings like a dream. And as he sold the Cooper car we want to start a new project.

 

[RICHARD MANSFIELD2]

Hi,
A very cost effective brake mod. that works well if you wish to keep it fairly standard is the focus ST 170 disc with Mondeo calipers. I think I did mine all in for about £110. I have Ebach 30mm lowered springs. I think for road use they work well any more than that the ride gets to hard. But I am running 17" wheels with 45 profile tyres which also makes the ride harsher. I will follow your project with interest.
Regards
Richard.

 

[jimfrp88]

Hi..

It all depends on what you intend to use the car for really.

Personally I wouldn't go spending loads of money on the car if you're going to use it as an every day road car. I'd spend the money keeping it in tip top condition making sure it's running smoothly, suspension, brakes, tyres in good condition etc.. But that's just me.

The Puma is more than capable of handling spirited driving on B roads so in my opinion it would be a waste of time and money changing or modifying things you don't need to.

But again, that's me :lol:

 

[jimfrp88]

And get some pictures up, pronto! :lol: