Panther Black Project

ProjectPuma

Help Support ProjectPuma:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

mogsa98

New member
Joined
Feb 21, 2016
Messages
18
I currently use a 1.4 Puma as my only car. I love her to pieces, but at some point in the near future, I'll be able to insure the 1.7 (I'm currently 19), so I decided that I would save a Puma that might not otherwise be saved. I have limited mechanical knowledge, and have repaired small bits of my current Puma using information gained from here and PumaPeople.

Images will follow, but this is where my Project starts... I bought a Black Edition as a project. First off, a quick bit of history about the car: It had been off the road since 2013, and between 2013 and 2017 had been started occasionally for the then-owner to use the air conditioning while taking breaks from gardening during the summer.

Obviously it had no MOT, so I had to pay for it to be transported, and it didn't start.

First job - now complete was changing the fuel pump. As of this weekend just gone, it starts and runs as it should. It idles beautifully, fluids haven't leaked, and everything works as far as I can tell. Managed a short drive around the block in her, and apart from the brakes not really working, all is well.

Next job is to change the brakes. I'm just going straight for an ST150 setup on the front. Rears seem okay, though I might change all drum components when I get round to it. Handbrake isn't working quite properly - definitely produces some resistance, but not enough for me to be happy with it...
 
:cool: Good luck with the new project! Sounds like you've mad a good start at least.
 
Good luck with the project. You will learn a lot by getting "hands on"
I am a great believer in getting stuck in instead of reading about things and claiming to know it all....
 
Hi Morgan - good to see you over here! Will be following this thread with interest. :thumbs:
 
Okay, getting the hang of using a forum... so attempting to attach my current two photos of my project car to this...

First is the car arriving (no running engine, so £60 to take it 5 miles!)

[image]5786[/image]

Second is the back of the car. On axle stands with the rear wheels off, spare wheel out and me taking a break from shouting at ceased bolts holding the fuel tank on. Note the Halfrauds equipment :lol:

[image]5785[/image]
 
Quick update after a comparatively long time absent from the site... Engine has done 145k miles, but started first time with the new fuel pump (and fuse of course) fitted. It has been running beautifully, and continues to do so, though when I took the tank off, I had to cut the rubber hose from the plastic filler to the fuel tank (Does anyone have a link to a replacement? I can't seem to find one anywhere!)
I am going to be doing some welding classes soon, so that I can repair the rust (there's plenty of it!). I've got Millenium edition recaro front seats for it, in need of some repair, but not too bad.

I've also replaced the rear brake shoes, but the handbrake still doesn't work. Have I done something wrong? Do I need to adjust the self-adjusters a bit? They aren't in great condition, so might it be worth replacing them?
 
well done so far, always good to get the hands dirty.

Handbrake...slacken the adjuster nut(10 mm by lever) right off, pump the brakes a few times then re-adjust and see if it holds
 
Evening all, after not owning this car for very long, I had a complex situation arise. I will try to keep this brief, but it will explain why the Panther project car has/will have a slight change of purpose...

On July 2015 I had an accident involving a bus (I was at fault - just don't ask any more). Insurance makes little-to-no sense at the best of times, so in November 2015, I bought myself a silver 1.4 Puma, and loved it! Awaiting my insurance renewal in July 2017, I ran some quotes online, and discovered that it was cheaper for me to insure a Millennium Edition than any other Puma. The difference was £1700 for a Millennium, or £2300 for the 1.4. Obviously, I justified to myself that I might as well buy a Millennium! So I did!

It has caused me very few problems in the first month of ownership - last week, after around 1000 miles, I had the half-expected HCV failure causing the car to overheat and split a hose (not ideal - but a few evenings and it was as good as new).

The Black edition now needs a re-think. My girlfriend now drives the 1.4, and obviously I drive the Millennnium. The Black edition has very rusty sills currently, and so needs some welding. It has also done 140k miles (not a problem for me), and been stood for 5 years (needs a cambelt change, but not too worried at this moment in time.

My current project part of this car is that I've taken off the inlet manifold to clean it (properly disgusting currently), but once I have done that, I think I'll be looking at taking the engine apart and teaching myself to re-build an engine. Let me know if this is something any of you have done before!

Once welded, possibly before I get the engine rebuilt, I would like to take part in the Isle of Wight Car Club's events. It seems to suit the Puma well from what I have read...

That's my current thoughts, I think I'll upgrade it as I go, and if I'm any good at it(!), but the Millie is coming first for the moment.
 
On my thread you could find pletny of images and research, but since Photobucket has taken me as a hostage, images are not in the thread. You can, I guess, open them up one at a time, but that is the way it is ATM.
I have been trying for few days to download them as albums, but no success :evil:
 

Latest posts

Back
Top