Ford Puma. Thoughts?

[joel88]

I'm not into cars, at all. But need a new one, badly.

My mate recommended a Puma, which i like the look of quite a bit.
I know it's a bit of a poor hairdresser's car, but i think it looks cool.

But aside from looks, anyone got any thoughts on whether it would be decent? Any major reason not to buy one?

Like i said, not into cars - basically, it gets me around and thats all. Currently got an old VW Polo, which is hateful.

 

[accyuklad]

you can check how much mpg it does and insurance group http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/specs/

mr2 or celica are nice cars aswel

 

[lmccauley]

Great, fun little car. 1.4 was underpowered - 1.7 much better. The driving position is a little off-centre, and I had back problems which seemed to go away once I got another car. Parts were cheap, as it's just a tarted up Fiesta. Handling great, as it's just a tarted up Fiesta

 

[Qactuar]

Great, fun little car. 1.4 was underpowered - 1.7 much better. The driving position is a little off-centre, and I had back problems which seemed to go away once I got another car. Parts were cheap, as it's just a tarted up Fiesta. Handling great, as it's just a tarted up Fiesta

Bingo! Cheap to run, but still hold their value quite well, even after this long.

It's got to the be the 1.7 VVT engine though - all the Ford technicians I've spoken to over the last few years seem to really rate them for having good amounts of guts.

 

[un1eash]

I always heard the Puma was abit of a let down and was never really the car it should of been. The racing puma is meant to be alot better and hold there value very well.

I'd also consider a celica, GT if possible 190bhp at 8000rpm

 

[FZR400RRSP]

The 1.7 Puma has a low friction block designed/built by Yamaha.
For that reason, that's the engine to go for.

 

[lmccauley]

Forgot to say, I owned mine for 6 or 7 years from new, and I don't think it developed a single fault. Tyres, pads and servicing is all I think I paid for.

The 1.7 is 125bhp, so 0-60 around 8 seconds, but the decent handling and feedback through the steering wheel makes driving it fun.

 

[Qactuar]

Forgot to say, I owned mine for 6 or 7 years from new, and I don't think it developed a single fault. Tyres, pads and servicing is all I think I paid for.

The 1.7 is 125bhp, so 0-60 around 8 seconds, but the decent handling and feedback through the steering wheel makes driving it fun.

It's what the Fiesta Zetec-S should have been in terms of performance, but never was. The Yamaha developed engine is still used today, in the form of the 1.25 and possibly the 1.4 as well .. but don't quote me on the latter.

If you clap eyes on an FRP, consider yourself lucky. I've seem some pretty rare cars (a Ford GT was my favourite - you nearly miss it as it's so low, but boy do you hear it), but I am yet to see an FRP in the flesh!

 

[un1eash]

Come to leicester then, theres a house down the road from my friend who's had a Puma and Racing Puma in the same colour for years. Having said that i doult they have them anymore.

Plus 0-60 is 9.2 according to parkers which is why i said it wasnt quite the car it should of been. Racing puma is 7.9

 

[Qactuar]

Come to leicester then, theres a house down the road from my friend who's had a Puma and Racing Puma in the same colour for years. Having said that i doult they have them anymore.

Plus 0-60 is 9.2 according to parkers which is why i said it wasnt quite the car it should of been. Racing puma is 7.9

Yeah the FRP was 160bhp and codenamed the ST160 - same book times as the ST170, though the 170 had the Getrag 6-speed box and delivered the power a bit more brutally.

Gotta love the FRP seats though!

 

[alexs2]

A good friend of mine had the Racing Puma for a while....actually a very good car and commendably quick for it's power.
Excellent handling.....an excellent buy if you can find one,as Ford lost money on every one they made.

 

[lmccauley]

Plus 0-60 is 9.2 according to parkers which is why i said it wasnt quite the car it should of been. Racing puma is 7.9

I've read 8.6, and I think that was the official ford figure. Parkers lists 2 different speeds for the 1.7 and 1.7i (I don't recall there being two different 1.7 engines - other than the standard and FRP). It doesn't sound quick these days, but was a step up from what I had at the time I remember being excited by the thought of the upcoming Racing Puma, then disappointed by its price

 

[davepuma]

I always heard the Puma was abit of a let down and was never really the car it should of been. The racing puma is meant to be alot better and hold there value very well.

Who said it was a let down? It was cheap, cheerful, reasonably powerful for a small 1.7 lump and fun to drive. The Racing Puma was vastly overpriced and had little power gain over the standard car. They plummeted in value pretty quickly and seem to have bottomed out.

I will be sorry to see mine go when I get my new car in March.

Check out pumapeople for the pros and cons.

 

[joel88]

Wow thanks peeps!

Not sure about the racing puma though, it'll be a bitch for me to insure i think. I'm 24 and only have one years no claims due to a crash the other year.

 

[accyuklad]

i had a mate he was 19 and he had a 300bhp sierra cosworth for £2000 insurance i got a mondeo mk2 and i sharing insurance with my dad because if it was my own it be £1600 for me im 23

 

[Solomon Grundy]

Good car and if you need any spare bits give me a shout as I have 3 being dismantled in the yard at the moment!

 

[eric pisch]

Wow thanks peeps!

Not sure about the racing puma though, it'll be a bitch for me to insure i think. I'm 24 and only have one years no claims due to a crash the other year.

1.7 is defiantly the one to go for

i would suggest taking one for a drive to see if you like it

if your looking for a sporty reliable but not ultra high car to insure i would also recommend the mazda MX5

 

[Inked]

Only downside to a puma is the aluminium gearstick knob, looks fantastic but if you leave your car outside overnight during the winter it is painful to touch when going to work in the morning.

Other than that they are great little cars, I had one for a couple of years and loved it. Try and get a 1.7l with the Lux pack (Electric heated mirrors, quick clear heated front windscreen and CD player)

You do need to watch out for the wheel speed sensors getting dirty as they are located in the open, also, make sure it has had a cambelt change at the correct intervals (5 years or 80k) as would be a costly mistake if it hasn't. It also needs to be done by a competent mechanic with the correct tools.

Have a look here and you'll be able to get loads of info and help.

 

[accyuklad]

dont the gear knobs come off tho as some you can change to different style

 

[Inked]

dont the gear knobs come off tho as some you can change to different style

Yeah, but I never found one that felt right. The Puma one is a really nicely designed piece, just very cold in winter (how sad am I eh!!)

 

[bazonix]

thats not sad at all... i recently had a short shift kit fitted and 'had' to have the weighted aluminium gear knob for those 'extra smooth' shifts.... and ur right, its BLOODY FREEZIN at the mo!! i keep touching it though!!

but the noise the whole box makes when i shift now, with that solid 'clunk'.... well thats sad!! still puts a smile on my face today though

 

[steve69]

great little car, the step daughters got one and its been a great little motor for her.
i do remember somewhere in this grey old matter of mine is, didnt the 1.7 have problems with the head gasket going. i read this on the net somewhere and when we went looking round most of the 1.7's had the head gasket replaced (because the head is easily warped ).
she's got the 1.4 and it does shift for what it is, all in all a good motor.
i have to say that as im a ford nut. had alot of fords in the past, but i aint as old as the pop though lol.

 

[SteveTDCI]

great car, we've had ours since new and it'll be 10 this year. Just make sure the cambelt has been done, ford charge around £400 for a kit fitted but make sure you get the waterpump done at the same time. Look out for rust and thats about it, bushes can go to. I thinl we might replace ours this year, although the wife says no ...

 

[mikes48]

Doesn't help, but....

My sister bought one a few years ago, at the time when it was heavily advertised on TV.

Went round to her place, had a look at it, nice enough, but can't say it was my cup of tea - "a bit, sort of, girly, isn't it", I said.

"What, you mean like Steve McQueen?", she said, quick as a flash...







I got my coat
















If you never saw the ad, it was the great man himself driving it in the TV ad

 

[lmccauley]

If you never saw the ad, it was the great man himself driving it in the TV ad

YouTube - Ford Puma Steve McQueen commercial