Ford Puma advice

peanuthead · 30-12-2009 12:57am #1

Hi

Switching my car at some stage during the year - whenever I get the cash up really!

I'm looking at a Ford Puma - around 01. On carzone the average price seems to be about 3500.

Anyone have any advice on them? I've heard that they're pretty good, but if there are any owners/ex-owners that have any advice it would be appreciated!!

thanks
P

unkel · 30-12-2009 12:59am

Get the 1.7 Racing :cool:

peanuthead · 30-12-2009 1:06am

thats actually the one I was looking at!!

Would have to inquire about insurance first tho

26 f 4years no claims, full licence

Dublin 22

bazz26 · 30-12-2009 1:18am

You will not buy a Racing Puma for €3500 though.

Initially the Puma came in 1.4 litre and 1.7 litre and later 1.6 litre, fun to drive, parts and servicing are cheap as it is based heavily on the Fiesta.

peanuthead · 30-12-2009 1:59am

bazz26 wrote: »

You will not buy a Racing Puma for €3500 though.

Initially the Puma came in 1.4 litre and 1.7 litre and later 1.6 litre, fun to drive, parts and servicing are cheap as it is based heavily on the Fiesta.

Okay well maybe I'm confused about it being racing, but it was a 1.7.

I wouldn't actually want a racing one anyway, the bf would, but its not about him anyway.

But like all cars, it must have bad points...

JHMEG · 30-12-2009 2:10am

Based on the Festhy of the same era so parts are cheap. Slick gear change, nice handling, rubbish headlights. Oh and the A-pillar is seriously low. I still remember pain!

elleburp · 30-12-2009 2:13am

I bought my Puma in 2004, it has never give me any trouble. There was only one previous owner before me and the only thing I have to say is it has a wonky wing mirror so it always has trouble getting through the NCT first time around. This is from a passer-by pushing my wingmirrors in one night, when they aren't supposed to be moved! Anyway, it's 1.4 Petrol, yr 2000, silver and I'd sell it to ye cos I want to buy a Vespa.

The mechanic told me I'd have to get the timing belt replaced around the 10 year mark (now!) which he assured me was standard for all Ford's like this one. So that'll be happening along with the NCT in Jan....

peanuthead · 30-12-2009 2:14am

JHMEG wrote: »

the A-pillar is seriously low. I still remember pain!

I've tried to google this - but could I have it explained to me a bit please?

cheers

mink_man · 30-12-2009 2:15am

drive it....off a cliff!

Mr Benevolent · 30-12-2009 2:19am

Lovely cars, I'd prefer a Cougar though, they're even better looking.

peanuthead · 30-12-2009 2:19am

elleburp wrote: »

I bought my Puma in 2004, it has never give me any trouble. There was only one previous owner before me and the only thing I have to say is it has a wonky wing mirror so it always has trouble getting through the NCT first time around. This is from a passer-by pushing my wingmirrors in one night, when they aren't supposed to be moved! Anyway, it's 1.4 Petrol, yr 2000, silver and I'd sell it to ye cos I want to buy a Vespa.

The mechanic told me I'd have to get the timing belt replaced around the 10 year mark (now!) which he assured me was standard for all Ford's like this one. So that'll be happening along with the NCT in Jan....

Well thanks a lot for the information and thanks also for the offer.

However girly it might sound I really have my heart set on a black one. I wanted my colt black but settled for a dark green. But I never stopped wanting for a black one, so this time round I'll have to go for black! Plus, trying to do this without the help of the banks so it could be sep/oct of 2010 by the time I'm ready to buy

JHMEG · 30-12-2009 2:19am

peanuthead wrote: »

I've tried to google this - but could I have it explained to me a bit please?

cheers

The A-pillar (between windscreen and door) is low. I'm not tall. Yet I managed to whack my head off it every time I got out of the car. Puma is the only car I ever had this problem in.

peanuthead · 30-12-2009 2:20am

mink_man wrote: »

drive it....off a cliff!

explain?

peanuthead · 30-12-2009 2:21am

JHMEG wrote: »

The A-pillar (between windscreen and door) is low. I'm not tall. Yet I managed to whack my head off it every time I got out of the car. Puma is the only car I ever had this problem in.

Thats what I was thinking you meant, but I was too embarrassed to say in case I was way off. I'm 5ft 5 so I should have no problems unless it's extremely low. Bf not much taller either!!

JHMEG · 30-12-2009 2:29am

peanuthead wrote: »

Thats what I was thinking you meant, but I was too embarrassed to say in case I was way off. I'm 5ft 5 so I should have no problems unless it's extremely low. Bf not much taller either!!

After a couple of days of whacking your head you'd probably train yourself out of it anyway...

peanuthead · 30-12-2009 2:36am

JHMEG wrote: »

After a couple of days of whacking your head you'd probably train yourself out of it anyway...

Ha!! Well I will test drive plenty and you see this time round I'm in no desperate need for a car because I have one.

It's terrible looking for your first - you'll take anything once it gets you out on the road! But I've plenty of time to think this one through.

I'm even open to persuasion on the model - I want something that looks nice, my idea of looking nice would be the following cars:

mitsubishi colt (not new model)
ford puma
hyundai coupe (v. common on the roads now)
opel tigra (although I've heard a lot of horror stories)
toyota celica (I feel they have a bit of a 'skanger' label attached though)

Henry Ford III · 30-12-2009 10:52am

1.7 is the best engine. Fun little cars. Not expensive to run. Try to get one with a/c.

Saab Ed · 30-12-2009 12:23pm

A friend of mine has a mint 00 Puma coming in in January. I know this because I have it traded to him. The car is mint in silver. If its any use to you then contact http://www.rathcoolemotorcompany.ie/

RichyX · 30-12-2009 1:34pm

They're alright cars, but I could never get over the feeling that it was a more cramped and expensive Fiesta.
It might have just been the one I was in but the trim was very rattly and wasn't aging well. The mileage was around 100k so that obviously contributed.

As mentioned above the 1.7 engine and the gear change are good.

peanuthead · 30-12-2009 6:22pm

Thanks guys

Thanks Saab, but as mentioned before, I'll be holding out for a black one!!

Cramped seems to be the buzzword connected to these cars. Was looking around the colt today and I was thinking about whether or not I would feel comfortable or not with less head space, even though I don't really use it.

I'm short enough, and have to be close enough to the pedals as it is with my short legs. Wonder what that would look like in a Puma.

How do they hold up in a crash test, couldn't really find one on youtube, but from what I did see they look like they crumble.

EDIT: Just looked at a few more and not so bad. Depends what you're hitting I suppose

Not that I plan on hitting anything btw

RichyX · 30-12-2009 6:41pm

peanuthead wrote: »

I'm short enough, and have to be close enough to the pedals as it is with my short legs. Wonder what that would look like in a Puma.

I'm 6 foot so I occasionally have trouble with smaller cars. You should be grand

How do they hold up in a crash test, couldn't really find one on youtube, but from what I did see they look like they crumble

The Fiesta it's based on is a 3 star car, not bad, not great.

zilog_jones · 30-12-2009 7:02pm

elleburp wrote: »

The mechanic told me I'd have to get the timing belt replaced around the 10 year mark (now!) which he assured me was standard for all Ford's like this one.

That's correct for Zetec-SE engines (all the ones in the Puma) - 100,000 miles or 10 years is the interval for timing belt changes.

peanuthead wrote: »

Cramped seems to be the buzzword connected to these cars. Was looking around the colt today and I was thinking about whether or not I would feel comfortable or not with less head space, even though I don't really use it.

The old Colts are pretty cramped cars too. I think rear passenger space is the worst part with the Puma, not like the Fiesta was bad enough!

How do they hold up in a crash test, couldn't really find one on youtube, but from what I did see they look like they crumble.

Crumple zones are there to absorb energy away from the passenger compartment, so it is not necessarily a bad thing.

daftd · 30-12-2009 8:40pm

mink_man wrote: »

drive it....off a cliff!

Down with this sort of thing

B00MSTICK · 30-12-2009 9:13pm

http://www.adverts.ie/showproduct.php?product=121124&cat=all

peanuthead · 30-12-2009 9:34pm

Just checking on the cost of insurance for this one.

FBD 700 odd euro, fully comp (dont know the excess)
No Nonsense 471 fully comp (250 excess) or 497 with windscreen cover.

Now I've a few quesstions about this: Why would I want windscreen cover if I'm fully comp? Is that not automatically part of the 'fully comp' package?

I thought FBD and No Nonsense were the same company - so why the huge difference in quotes.

Online quotes by the way.

TheColl · 30-12-2009 9:38pm

peanuthead wrote: »

How do they hold up in a crash test, couldn't really find one on youtube, but from what I did see they look like they crumble

http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/reviews/ford/puma-1997.aspx?Page=4

doesnt give much info, but doesnt sound the best really.

bazz26 · 30-12-2009 9:59pm

Policies vary, don't assume fully comp includes windscreen cover. Insurance companies are like Ryan Air, the base price is low to get you hooked but then add on certain features and the price climbs.

BTW Nononscense Insurance are FBD by another name.

JHMEG · 30-12-2009 10:20pm

peanuthead wrote: »

Why would I want windscreen cover if I'm fully comp?

One affects your NCB the other doesn't.

FTO has a helpful owners forum in Ireland. colm_mcm on here is the man to talk to. Fair difference between the FTO and a Puma/Tigra tho.

peanuthead · 30-12-2009 10:33pm

JHMEG wrote: »

One affects your NCB the other doesn't.

FTO has a helpful owners forum in Ireland. colm_mcm on here is the man to talk to. Fair difference between the FTO and a Puma/Tigra tho.

FTO is too performance for me (even though many would prob argue its not perf at all)

I'm not actually looking for the racing model of the puma either, I got mixed up at the start of the thread.

JHMEG · 30-12-2009 10:39pm

There are several black Pumas for sale, 1.4, 1.6 and 1.7. You shouldn't be stuck for choice anyway.

AlanD · 30-12-2009 11:20pm

We have a '98 Puma 1.7 sitting in storage. Only 50k on the clock, so we're keeping it til the kids get older and we can go back to use it then. A free car essentially.

What a cracker to drive though. Love it. Nippy, handles great and has never given us trouble.

Ford Puma advice

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