Got the car. She's running well, there's a few minor issues that need addressing:
1) There's a ticking/rattling coming from the gearbox when idling. When you press the clutch in, it stops. J reckons it could be a gearbox bearing. An old work colleague thought it could be the clutch release bearing.
2) First gear is difficult to move into on the gearstick. It's not impossible, but it requires force and sometimes slips out of gear before you move off and you hear grinding :roll: To remedy both of these a reconditioned gearbox would be in order. I'll get some local companies looked up online.
3) There's some sort of ticking sound coming from the front left wheel. J said to get the car back to the workshop tomorrow afternoon to do a once over and check all's ok and work out what the issue is with the wheel noise.
4) The Mondeo throttle body hasn't been fitted. He said he'd need parts from the original one to modify the Mondeo one I bought off eBay. I'm going to get a cold air induction system and then get that all sorted along with the gearbox in one go.
5) Struts and door cards need fitting at a later date. But at least I've got the car back
Other than that, it's running real nice. J said the power band seems most apparent after 4k revs and he's right - it's awesome. A few brief seconds to 5k but I'm keeping it between 1750-4000 rpm mostly. Accelerating and then easing off allowing the engine to slow us down. Work that rev range son.
40 miles since rebuild so ECU should have adapted by now. I'm just uploading a video to YouTube at the moment and hoping it picks up this gearbox noise.
I forgot how confidently these cars handled. Whilst the engine can't be worked hard for a week or 2, the handling can. Mind you, I also forgot how, at 6'4" a Puma's cabin isn't suited to my proportions. Neck tension.
Ed