Hillclimb and sprint Puma

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cartledge_uk

Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2013
Messages
74
So....... Its a long story, but after my modified MR2 mk1 supercharger never really pushed the envelope of reliability I needed a new car with two weeks to go before the start of the season.

I ended up with a scruffy but relatively sound 1.7 Puma.

With no time to prep/build or repair anything, just enough time to put my 1b tyres on a 2nd set of wheels I went along to a shakedown event at rushmore arena. I was in good company, a 1400 rally puma was there and another 1.7.

I realised I didn’t have the locking wheel nut key with the car, so was stuck on the ditchfinder tyres on the car. And my go-pro mount didn't pass scruitineering so no video.

The car is for roadgoing class, so will remain std in appearance but it will have some mods over time.

erm pictures say more than words :lol:






After hammering a socket on, we got the 1b's on the front and as a shakedown was happy with the results and was 0.03s off the other puma, the rally one was a bit quicker :eek:k:
 
SaintGrimm said:
I would love to do something like that!

That first picture is, oh dear :(

There are cheaper ways and just as much fun.

Where are you based?

Join a local motorclub and have a go at some autosolos :eek:k:

for example

http://www.farnboroughdmc.org.uk/autosolos.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 
I too was thinking about doing some hillclimbs, and just so happens there's a £200 Puma for sale in my town but just haven't got the time nor money. Are you running in the A2 class I guess? What are the rules for car mods? I couldn't find any details.
 
http://www.msauk.org/site/cms/contentCategoryView.asp?category=640" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
oli8925 said:
I too was thinking about doing some hillclimbs, and just so happens there's a £200 Puma for sale in my town but just haven't got the time nor money. Are you running in the A2 class I guess? What are the rules for car mods? I couldn't find any details.

Depending on event organisation classes can change slightly.

Regs wise check the blue book link fail is above.

Safety gear is expensive outlay initially but its with you for a while
 
Hi Cartledge. Great to see someone else using the Puma competitively.

I have done a couple of auto solos and loved them (pics and videos in my project thread - link in my sig). My car has had a lot more work now though (got carried away!) so will have to be in the modified class, but then I think you can run cut slicks in that class, which I have recently added to mine. As you say above, the safety equipment is an expensive initial layout and that is the only thing that has stopped me entering a Sprint or Hillclimb so far. Do you have links as to where to get reasonably priced safety clothing/helmets etc?

Are with the Farnborough MC? I'm currently with the Chelmsford MC. Would be good to see you at an event some time if I ever get round to sprinting mine!
 
Scott134 said:
Hi Cartledge. Great to see someone else using the Puma competitively.

I have done a couple of auto solos and loved them (pics and videos in my project thread - link in my sig). My car has had a lot more work now though (got carried away!) so will have to be in the modified class, but then I think you can run cut slicks in that class, which I have recently added to mine. As you say above, the safety equipment is an expensive initial layout and that is the only thing that has stopped me entering a Sprint or Hillclimb so far. Do you have links as to where to get reasonably priced safety clothing/helmets etc?

Are with the Farnborough MC? I'm currently with the Chelmsford MC. Would be good to see you at an event some time if I ever get round to sprinting mine!


Hey Scott, just had a read of your thread, good stuff. Although becasue you dont have an interior, you need a roll cage to enter, its just one of those odd rules

I'm with FDMC and 7oaks although haven't had a reliable car for the last 5 years so not really competed much!

I do go to the odd auto solo so hopefully I will see you at one :eek:k:

As for race wear, I put a thread in the useful links section so its easier to find

http://www.projectpuma.com/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=21057" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I know its not branded, but it saves the ££ for the car
 
Cool. Thanks mate. I was a member of 7Oaks last year too! Will probably renew when I want to do one of their events.
I didn't think roll cage was needed actually so that's annoying! Was always planning one but don't really want to do that yet. I will have a chat with some if the event organisers when I do the next autosolo about exactly what's needed so I can get it right.

Thanks for the links too. Very handy!
 
Sorry, slight miss communication on my part! For sprints, if you have no interior you have to have a cage. For auto solos its fair game!

Most clubs offer out entries to all the other clubs for solos. There are a lot this year but I'm not sure if I can squeeze any in.
 
I just checked on the edis, although mine is a 2000 plate it is in fact a 1999

Primary Features
Build Date: 21.10.1999
Vehicle Line: Puma 1997-2001
Body Style: 3 Door Coupe
Version: Series 10
Engine: Zetec 1.7 EFI
Transmission: 5 Speed Manual Transaxle - B5/IB5
Drive: RHD FWD
Axle Ratio: 3.82
Emission: EEC 96 Car (EEC 1)
Air Conditioning: Manual Air Conditioning
Territory: (+)"GB"
Interior Colour: Alchemy Interior
Interior Fabric: Chrome/Twill

so hopefully that means I have the faster 0-60 (which is more psycological than anything else)
 
OOps, Late reply.

Sooo... after my slight incident as seen above, 2 new wishbones, droplnks, and rod ends went on the car. And some 280mm brakes jumped out of nowhere and found them selves on the car.

The clutch was slipping so a helix uprated unit got thrown on just in time then


So the start of my season properly. Wiscombe hillclimb was last weekend and my first time there.



My class was 1400-1800 and had some MG Zr's, lotus elan's, a Nova, mx5 and a few other cars. needless to say I got mugged. properly taken for a kipper due to the amount of power I was giving away, on some of the elans I was 100+bhp/Ton down so didnt stand a chance. After disconnecting the torque limiter I managed to pull in 2sec over the climb instantly. and managed to claw back into touch but the car needs power and fast!

I have some vidoe, but not sure about posting it yet as i'm not happy with the car.


Time (or lack of) is my big factor.

So a panel filter has gone in, as has a rear strutbrace. Werrington hillclimb this weekend, hopefully I can put some time into the car first!
 
Yeah, post the video up mate. I'd like to see it and it will be a good comparison as you tune the car. :grin:
 
Slightly delayed due to being aways with work. I've particiapted in werrington Hillclimb and the car is so underpowered for the class. The split points were well spread over the the 2 fast sections so you could see the times through the slow tight twisty section. I was quicker than most (including elsies) through the twisty section, but was losing out dramicaly where power was required. Still haven had time to work on the car due to being away with work, although I have found this photo fromt eh wiscombe hillclimb.

Thanks to Dave Battarbee for the photo


I need some new video software, but the videos will come
 
looking brilliant :) i really would like to get into hillclimb/sprint next year only living a few miles from shelsley walsh! any idea of the cost of registering and entering? and rules/regs?
 
danbrush said:
looking brilliant :) i really would like to get into hillclimb/sprint next year only living a few miles from shelsley walsh! any idea of the cost of registering and entering? and rules/regs?

Most expensive thing is suit, gloves and helmet you can pay anywhere from £300 to £2000. Speed license (for sprints and hillclimbs) is ~£25 a year

Entering, prices vary from £65-150 for events depends on organisors
 
Two events back to back, a weekend at manor farm hillclimb in charmouth, dorset then Gurston Down on the 22Jun13.

There was a big class at manor (9cars) that saw in with the usual 3 elans, an elise, MR2 mk1, Nova and a few other cars, on the saturday it was dry and once again I just didn't have the pace to compete with the quick/light cars. However.............

On the sunday it was wet, very wet......... So wet that some of the people packed up after the practice runs as they were so far off the pace and didnt want to risk their cars. I spent the day fighting for the class lead with the Nova, sadly I missed out and only managed second in class in the end but my wet time was only ~0.8seconds off my dry time from the day before showing how underpowered the puma is. But still, the Puma's first pot :grin:

Gurston was a mixed bag, due to the class structure I went in with one of my championship classes, which resulted in me thrown in with kit cars, an M3 and supercharged cars (its very complicated why) and also theMG ZR that i'm fighting for th echampionship class win with. Weather was mixed, lots of showers to start with and I was gaining confidence and thinking I could hold my own with the big cars of the class however, it dried out and all the cars with more power just destroyed me. but I really enjoyed gurston.

One more championship event left, but thats not till september, hopefully I may even be able to service the car!

This year has been very much a learning curve with the hills, learning them and how to drive the Puma, next year will be a different story, I'm very happy with it so far apart from its just underpowered compared to the class. I think the car will see some mods over winter, but it depends on cash flow.
 
So the car issue have started :-(

The front wishbones (replaced with patent parts - delphi, 5months ago) have gone already, both bushes have perished. so I bought a set of poly bushes.

Jacked up the car to remove the rear beam and the sill collapsed :evil:

Looks like the rusty arches have let water run into the sill and rotted inside out. What a PITA!
 
So......

First update for a while. First event of the new season and the car now looks like this



There were a few other Puma's at wiscombe this weekend, in the wet I held my own, but the usual story, as it dried out I got beaten by the more powerful cars.

And a little video from this one

http://youtu.be/7rsqwlGIWdU
 

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