Following the loss of my much loved 1.7 Y-reg Puma...

[xCharlottex]

Sadly (yes, a few tears were shed and more to come I'm sure :-() my 1.7 Puma didn't pass it's MOT last week due to a shunt it had summer last year (which I was told by several mechanics at the time was only "cosmetic" and "nothing to worry about"!).
It failed on 6 things (mostly due to the accident). A friend who runs a garage nearby spent 2.5 hours taking the front end off for me to see what (if anything) could be done cheaply just to get another years MOT out of it. Then I received this message whilst I was at work...
"Bad news. There is severe structural damage, through insurance at the time it would have easily been a write off. No idea how your airbag didn't go off. Even at friends prices there's a grand on this project, several days work. At proper rates, the crash damage alone is the best part of 3 grand. I think it's new car time. Sorry." He then kindly spent another 2 hours putting it all back together so I could drive it away, all free of charge.

After thinking long and hard about what to get/do now I wasn't sure if I could get another Puma, it would feel like cheating on my original one... but decided there was nothing else out there I would even want that didn't cost at least £20,000!

This time around I'm looking to get a yellow millennium edition, they've always caught my eye over the years and I always said if I had to get rid of my Puma, that would be the replacement.
I'm here because I feel I need to ask a few questions to get a bit of help with this. When I brought my last Puma I was only 18/19 and my brother and step-dad knew what they needed to about the mechanics, what to look for, what needed to be done etc etc so I didn't really need to.

I am looking for one in decent nick (obviously) with as few miles on the clock as possible as I intend to keep this car for at least the next few years. Some things I'm hoping someone here can answer for me...
Typically at what mileage does the cam belt need to be replaced?
Typically at what mileage does the clutch need to be replaced?
Should I steer clear of cars with little or no service history?

Also any other information you think I should know before buying or anything to look out for would be very helpful.
I will keep a project thread updated on here once I get it as I tend to slowly (due to £££ ) detail it fully inside and out.

Any help would be much appreciated!
Thanks!

 

[Puma Babe]

cambelt needs replacing every 5 years or 80,000 miles (whichever comes first)

clutch will depend on type of driving (ie mostly start stop driving likely to be earlier than lots of motorway driving) style of driving etc.

lots of service history is always a good thing

 

[quest63]

Hiya welcome aboard :thumbs:

Cambelt should be changed at 80k or every five years

Clutch is entirely down to how the car has been driven, what you want to look for is the clutch biting low down as you raise the clutch pedal.

The more service history the better particularly at selling time.

I would say buy the very best one you can find rather than looking for a bargain.

Bah Puma babe types faster than me

 

[gingerdave]

There's a very low mileage Millenium on Pistonheads

 

[Puma Babe]

but at least we typed the same thing Quest. :-D

 

[quest63]

but at least we typed the same thing Puma Babe :-D

 

[quest63]

:shock:

 

[xCharlottex]

There's a very low mileage millennium on Pistonheads

I've seen the one, West Midlands? Messaged the owner already :wink:

 

[xCharlottex]

This is the car (2/3 years ago, before the shunt) that I will be unfortunately having to strip for parts I want/I can keep as spares, hopefully selling the interior and then scrapping what's left :-( Sad times, it's been a good 4 years with it...

 

[yippeekiay]

Don't focus too much on service history, if it has a nice stamped book all well and good but if it's looks in great condition, drives well and the owner has an envelope full of receipts for new parts and can verify a recent cambelt change in the last couple of years then there's no need to dismiss it for not having a stamped service history.

As the cars are old more and more people carry out the work themselves as it's a damn site cheaper than Fraud.....and chances are the work has been carried out more sympathetically and with more attention to detail than a mechanic who works on countless anonymous Fords for his daily job.

 

[lrrhood]

Hiya, other little bits to check, water in the footwells, that the windows go up and down smoothly, turn the heater up and down on the test drive and watch the temp gauge for the usual HCV probs, all can be rectified but it's time and money, depends on what your paying, have a quick glance through the HELP ME! section at what probs others are having and there is a guide on here linky >>> http://www.projectpuma.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2320" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; If your going on your own don't be put off printing it off and use it on the day as a check list, but you have a head start on most, you have owned a puma, driven one, you will know a lot more than you think. Mainly if it's not right or you have any doubts don't be afraid to walk away, there are plenty out there and most peeps have to kiss a few frogs before they find a prince, good luck :thumbs:

 

[The Arch Bishop]

There's a Millie for sale in Canterbury if you're quick. Needs work but it seems too good to be broken - http://www.projectpuma.com/viewtopic.php?f=108&t=20896&view=unread#unread

 

[Sparx]

Welcome to ProjP k:

You wouldn't be local to Gravesend would you??? I used to live down that way and I'm sure I've seen that Puma before on the A2 on my way to work :lol:

 

[xCharlottex]

Welcome to ProjP k:

You wouldn't be local to Gravesend would you??? I used to live down that way and I'm sure I've seen that Puma before on the A2 on my way to work :lol:

I have lived in the Medway Towns over the last few years so you probably have seen me on the A2 =) I personally haven't seen another puma with the same decals me in the same place

 

[Sparx]

Yep it was definitely you i passed then :lol: I saw you on two separate occasions iirc, both times i remember you sitting in traffic on a slip road off the A2, and my baby would have looked like this back then, not the same decals as you:

 

[xCharlottex]

Ah yes I do remember seeing that awhile back! :grin:

 

[Sparx]

Whey :thumbs:

Yea she's gone white with blue decals since then, and now I've got a company car too so she only comes out on special occasions now like track days and events :lol:

Any progress with the hunt for puma #2?

 

[xCharlottex]

Nice
Not yet - come across a couple that upon investigating turned out weren't even worth a visit.
I am hoping to view one this weekend but as it's still quite a way to go for me I am waiting for the garage it's at to get me more info before I make a decision. Spoke to them on the phone for awhile over the weekend but awaiting more in depth pictures of the car and paperwork they have for it.
Fingers crossed for this one!

 

[Sparx]

Good Luck k: