Sevs Project

[Severio]

Hey guys, ive been a member on here a while now an thought its about time I made a project log.
I started with a Red 1.7 on a Y plate with full ford history, had it 3 weeks an it got taken out by a woman in a Rav4!

While my red puma was in the process of being written off I was already on the hunt for another!
After looking at a few I found this nice X reg moondust with ford service history an average mileage for age.
After some negotiation (has to be done!) I snapped it up from a private seller in Colchester.

It came completely standard an the first mod I did was ProjectPuma stickers!!

 

[Severio]

Since then i've been slowly doing bits to it to get it looking an running better..

Fitted some smoked repeaters. (Alloys need a referb!!) an painted calipers red (no pict)

 

[tux]

Alloys look pretty tidy compared to most that I've had on cars in the past!
Nice looking ride though. Shame about the red one.

 

[Reechard]

Stop slacking sev and do more work lol.

Liking the smoked side repeaters though.
What plans you got for it?

 

[Severio]

Cheers tex!

Got bored the other day so gave the headlights a good clean inside an out..

Got bored again...

 

[Severio]

Lol Rich, I actually have a day off for once!

well as you know I took the resinator out of the airbox an fitted a k&n panel filter, makes me boot it more now to hear it roar :roll:

I managed to service it last week, sparkplugs were black an so was the oil!
Just need to do the fuel filter.

This is todays mod...

 

[Reechard]

Oooh liking the red of the engine cover. I need to decide if mine goes back on lol.

You going to keep it fairly standard looking?

 

[Severio]

Pretty simple to do, just put the rubber tip on the aerial in boiling water till its soft an gently pull it off, then just use a hacksaw to gently saw through it, I took my time an turned it while sawing like a beaver does to a tree lol
Need to watch you dont go to mad tho as its like fibreglass an can split, i just sawed the tip off to test if it would crack or not.
In the centre of the aerial is a copper wire an what looks like string so once your down to the wire just gently twist it off.
To refit the rubber tip just heat it up an slide it on again

 

[Leopold]

Nice car mate, where do you get the Projectpuma stickers?

 

[Severio]

Yea I want to keep it standard looking to a point, looking to lower it 40mm an maybe get some side skirts as it looks a bit bare between the wheels lol

Might also add some of the engine dress tubing to compliment the red cover (dont want it looking tacky tho), also spraying the washer, coolant an powersteering caps red as we speak..

 

[Severio]

Hey Leo, stickers are from a company called DMB graphics.
http://www.dmb.uk.com/Category/wwwprojectpumacom/72" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You can also get the gel overlays for the ford badges in different colours or even have the puma logo on um.

I forgot I added some aero wipers the other day too, gave it a clean too!

Crappy phone camera sorry :?

 

[Severio]

Little update today..
After working 7 days in a row I finally found time to buy an fit a few parts...

The lower arms looked original as they had the ford stamp on them and really didnt want to come off, had to use a torch on the rear bush bolts an cut them out, then had to get a lift up to my local ford an get some new ones!

The drop links were also changed an I brought some anti roll bar bushes but ran out of time to fit them, also looks like you have to drop part of the sub frame to get the were there bolted down, unless anyone knows a trick to fitting them?

 

[yippeekiay]

There is a trick to fit them. Something to do with just undoing some bolts and twisting this that or the other to remove and replace.

Can't remember where I read it.

 

[Reechard]

Glad your making some progress again sev. Need pics of them on the car though, otherwise im claiming you just got google pictures of wishbones

 

[Voa]

Anti rollbar is a barsteward to change one way is to drop the subframe or use great big bar to leverage the anti roll bar up you have to undo the droplinks,but this is really fiddly but possible there is just enough room not much.It was while ago when I did mine but remember I needed help leveraging the anti roll bar and involved alot of swearing.A 5ft 3 10 stone mate wouln't be any use here :-D

Lower arm bolt seems to cause alot of people problems suprisingly when I did mine copius amounts if wd40 seemed to work.

 

[Severio]

Ok cheers, I really dont want to drop the sub frame so will look into levering the roll bar for room.
The rear bush bolts on mine were siezed to the bush an using an airgun an long bar did'nt want to shift them even after submerging them in wd40, so out came the heat!

Sorry Rich but i did'nt take any pictures of them while fitting so u'll just have belive me lol


Next on the list is sports shocks an springs all round an rear beam bushes (looking into getting the bush tool)
Cambelt due for changing soon too!! :roll:

 

[Severio]

Well its time for an update I think!

Finally got hold of some spax shocks an springs thanks to Crispy1980, so now the Puma is sitting 40mm lower an driving alot better, Its a subtle difference and you can only notice it when its parked next to a standard Puma but it does improve the handling alot, and only feels slightly firmer!
While I was at it my old top mounts were shot so they got replaced.

Rear before

Rear after

 

[Severio]

Quick update:

Well since lowering the puma I started getting a knock from my rear suspension an also the car was sitting lower on one side, this turned out to be my rear beam bushes, but they were on my to do list so after a few weeks (cough) of hunting
I managed to find a bush tool (I really didnt want to remove the beam!)
I can recomend using one as it took about an hr an a half to change both sides (needed some heat tho)

Next jobs for the puma(s)

Mine~
Cambelt kit an water pump - Done
Aux belt an pulley - Done
Rocker cover gasket
Anti-roll bar bushes
Track rod ends - Done
Drive shaft seals
Front an rear strut braces - Front fitted
Wheels powder coated matt black?

The mrs puma~
Track rod ends - Done
Lower arms - Done
Rear beam bushes - ordered
Full service - Done
Fit bigger brakes - Done

Should keep me busy for a while... :roll:

 

[Severio]

Ok, so not much of an update but I did get time to work on both pumas, mainly brake tho..

Firstly the mrs (black) puma felt a bit lacking in braking power so I managed to source her the later 258mm setup an got those fitted, what a difference!

Left - old 240mm caliper / Right - newer 258mm caliper

240mm disks with 258mm's

 

[Severio]

While I was at it I had a look at my puma's brakes an fitted some EBC disks, new pads an wired up a ford 6 cd changer to the glove box, I did want it under the passenger seat but the cable was just short of it fitting :x

Took some pictures too..

I really cant wait for the cold, wet weather to end as the cars filthy an im noticing more an more rust spots!

Thats all I got round to doing as it was getting really cold in the workshop an has no heating! :?