Project Puma 'Black'

Got it back!

FRP cams are brilliant, the car pulls like a train, 4th is now just a wonderful gear. Had to drive on some brilliant roads today and I so love this car!

Didn't get home until late this evening, having noticed that my high level brake light had stopped working, popped into Halfords, got four Bosch 501's, removed by boot lining to replace the bulbs, broke the shelf string hanger on one side in the process, changed the bulbs and it still didn't work - at this point I started checking the wiring and found that the wire connecting to the bottom of the o/s boot strut had snapped. Replaced that and then took the front seats and sun visors out. Unfortunately I managed to shear one of the seat bolts in the process.

Jobs for tomorrow are firstly to remove the remaining section of bolt, I need to adjust the fitment of the cover on the drivers Recaro and adjust the routing of the wiring for the seat heaters.

Next is to fit some aluminium pedal covers, which I think will look quite good.

Then fit a drivers side mirror light for the drivers side vanity mirror

Fit a rear interior lamp

Fit new Ghia sunvisors

Fit loom for seat heaters

Fit both front Recaro seats

Oh, and it needs a wash, as does the Honda

The car will be going back to the garage at some point to get the early Puma master cylinder & servo fitted. I think we are going to have to change one of the pipes to the ABS pump, but hopefully that will be it.

Right, today's progress;

1. ordered a replacement hanger stud thing for the rear shelf

2. spent hours, but finally managed to remove the remainder of the broken bolt

3. folded over the carpet flaps for the original seats - they get in the way with the earlier and Recaro seats

4. fitted the new wiring loom for the heated seats and drivers seat power height, though I haven't hooked it up to the fuse box yet

5. fitted the passenger side top hat riser

6. fitted the rear interior lamp, second mirror lamp and the new sunvisors

7. vac'd out the inside

Anyhow some pics;


Clean carpet, no seats, two top hat risers, and the wiring in for the seats, etc.


Rear interior lamp


New sunvisors, Ghia spec, with LHD LH visor




All lit up

Jobs for tomorrow;

1. Finish rebuilding drivers Recaro

2. Fit Recaro's

3. Work out where to fit the TPMS display

And a couple of shots of the rear, without the mudflaps my rear track looks massive! Excuse the quality, it was dark before I got chance.







As an aside, while driving the car very hard yesterday, the brakes worked really well, no concerns over balance, the only time I had any issue was braking very late into corners, where I felt that I wouldn't have had to brake much harder to loose the rear end. I think this was more to do with driving too fast and braking too late than brake balance. Also although this was in the dry, the ABS didn't kick in at all, which was good!

The TPMS display was interesting, when cold the tyres were actually a touch low on pressure, at 27PSI, but I didn't have the time to do anything about it. Before long they were upto 29PSI, so it wasn't really a problem. In hard cross country driving the tyre temps got upto around 38-39C, with the rears a touch cooler, at this temperature the pressures got upto 30PSI. Back on the motorway, cruise set at a gentle 67ish (just over 70 on the speedo) and the temps dropped down to around 30-32C. Quite like the info, just not sure what to do with it!

Ok, so todays progress;

Both seats are in!



Also wired in the TPMS, need to put some air in the tyres though, they are a touch low now it has cooled down



Changed the heater control panel for an early version





And added an aux power socket to the glove compartment



I think my to do list is getting shorter!

Only disappointment today was that some of the trims for the seat runners, etc. don't seem to fit, but I will probably review things later. Still need to hook up the wiring for the seats, but that should be reasonably straightforward.

All in all a busy weekend for the car;

1. new seats
2. replaced high level brake lamp bulbs
3. repaired wiring to high level brake lamp
4. rebuilt / rewired drivers seat (passenger seat already done)
5. rear interior lamp
6. drivers mirror lamp
7. new sunvisors
8. hard wired TPMS
9. added aux power socket
10. fitted seat loom under carpet, running to fuse box
11. fitted replacement heater control panel

Think that is about it.

Comments welcome, as ever!

Ok, deep breath, just bought a new FRP LSD. Cue more expense. I am going to buy a spare 1.7 gearbox, rebuild it with the LSD, and fit that with a Fiesta ST clutch.

Very exciting!

Awesome!!!!

Although hopefully you didn't pay more the £540- seen as there was a FRP Gearbox on the bay for about that much last time i checked

The FRP gearbox didn't have the slippery diff though IIRC.

No it was a option though wasn't it? Some did have them fitted.

The add did say it was a FRP box with LSD fitted

it did? damn!

Don't worry- The plus side for you is that at lease you keep the final drive from the 1.7- so better motorway comfort.

And the knowladge once you ahve sorted out the gearbox that it has had a full service etc- With one off the bay liek that you could never be sure of its history

Just had a look at the two that finished recently and neither had an LSD. Anyhow, not to worry!

Hmm- i just looked myself, couldn't find it?

Then again with my spelling i prob mis spealt it and found it by accident lol

Ok, spare gearbox now sourced, I recall from when the clutch was changed around 18m ago that the flywheel was worn, so I suppose it would be sensible to drop a lightened item in at the same time.

As a particuarly irrelevant update, I have also replaced the hanger for the rear shelf, which broke when I was replacing the bulbs in the high level brake light, which didn't need replacing.

Also I have just ordered some Denso iridium ITV16 spark plugs, as Dean the technician suggested that mine were looking a bit grubby.

On a more exciting note, I bloody love the way this engine goes now!

Sweet- ya'll have to pop over to the nw meet matey id love to have a gander at this beasty.

O the fly wheel front go for the shaw speed item

Currently aiming to have it ready for Ford Fair, but we will see!

Just waiting to hear back from SS, but that is my preference.

im going to attempt to shave a standard flywheel for when i change to my st150 clutch as I am running low on funds.

your car is getting better everyday though flash! nice one!

got a link for that cig lighter in the glove box as I need to do that to mine.

Thanks!

The ShawSpeed flywheel isn't cheap, but I have neither the time nor the skills to do it myself.

IIRC it is from the boot on a Focus. I will look up the FINIS and let you know.

SS from memory is about £150 or there abouts on a exchange basis?

I'm guessing ya PM'd Jon on ZSOC?

Yup!

Actually- Quick cheeky question- Ya ain't got your orginal 9 spokes per chance have ya?

Mine had F1's, being a "Black", but no, sorry, I sold them a while back as they wouldn't fit over my brakes.