Newby - Buying info request

Hi there, I am a newb and I am looking to buy a 1.7 for my wife and have joined to find out as much as I can before purchasing one.

I have a a few questions if anyone has the time to answer them it would be much appreciated.
1 - How much is a 2001 1.7 worth with between 50 & 60k on the clock, full history at a non Ford Dealer?.
2 - What are the main things to look out for as my wife as fallen head over heals & wants to throw her cash at the 1st one she see's!!.
3 - What optional extras are worth looking out for?.
4 - Does using non factory spec tyres effect the handling as I have seen a nice one with Pirelli P6000's on the rear & Toyo Prox's on the front?
5 - Finally does anyone know of a car for sale in West Yorks that will be going to a new Puma convert.

Cheers

Andrew

Hi and welcome to the site

We always have the time for people interested in these little cars!

1. Hard to tell without knowing the condition but that's reasonable mileage so I would say anywhere between £2.5k to £3.5k depending on the condition of course. If it's from a dealer and is immaculate you may be looking at slightly more top end too.

2. That happens quite alot! The main things to remember is that the year of the car is not the most important thing, you may well find a dog of a 2001 but then come across a 1999 in perfect condition.

Servicing is important for the 1.7, be sure to check all fluids, especially the oil!

Listen for any noisey knocks from the engine (not everyday running noises but anything out of place)

3. A few optional extras that not all have were

Electric mirrors
Heated front screen (includes heated mirrors)
Air Conditioning
Enhanced in car audio (standard is silver 1 slot 6000 series)

*Leather seats which were also standard on some special edition Pumas

4. Having good tyres is all that matters, don't buy cheap. I run Bridgestones on the rear andd Dunlops on the front (as they are slightly harder wearing) and this setup is more than adequate for chucking it around a bit

5. I do not have this knowledge.

Please check our FAQ section further down the forums as it is quite an interesting read for new members.. and old to that matter!

If you need anything else just ask!

Thanks,

Matt


EDIT: I responded to your cambelt question here

Red - take it you mean a dog and not a god

My advice is whatever you do shop around a little as there are plenty on the market (area dependent though) and it is very easy to fall in love and not use ones head when buying!

It is really worth taking the time to go over the car with a fine tooth comb as the amount they have been looked after varies hugely.

k: that's exactly what i meant!

Welcome Not much to say as Red has covered pretty much everything. Do check the FAQ's though as you'll find lots of info there. I recently put Pirelli P6000's on mine and theyre very good, got Continentals on the back.

Thanks guy's.

Taking time is always the best & having looked on line you are correct in saying that the newer isn't always better.

What price premium does a Thunder version have over a standard?

Andrew

By the way, where exactly are you from Andrew?

Err thunders are the later models but i'd only pay more for one if it were in good condition, there is not really much difference over the standard except they had leather seats and the 6006 cd player I believe.

And the 6006 CD player can have a whole set of problems of it's own. Quite a few people seem to have problems with theirs not accepting discs or refusing to play them. From previous posts it would seem to be a double edged sword of an upgrade.

Also be sure it is a Thunder, apparently some later Pumas are called thunders on their V5 but don't have the specification to bear it out.

Hi Andrew,

Just a few points on those already made.

Thunders: These were "allegedly" the last pumas made. 1000 in silver and 1000 in magnum grey. The magnum colour was only available on the last thunder versions so that is rare and IMO one of the best colours. They had 15 spoke alloy wheels as well that were only available on thunders.
A possible future downside to that is that as some were registered after the 2001 time limit for the new tax rules, you may end up paying more in road tax some time soon.

Look here for puma car tax info:
http://www.projectpuma.com/viewtopic.php?p=11743#11743" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A low mileage, FSH, Magnum grey thunder would be my ideal choice if I was going to get a puma for the 1st time.

chris3boro,

I am from just Baildon just outside Bradford West Yorkshire

I went to see a so called Thunder this afternoon that is up for £3400 with 61k on the clock. I asked about the cam belt and service history and got the usual 'ooh the guy who part ex'd it had the doc's but took them away with him & he works away alot & will be bringing them back soon'. Do people actually fall for this crap? Wasn't that impressed & the sales guy didn't have a clue about the cam belt etc.

Then I looked at a green 2001 1.7 which apart from a few cosmetic paintwork scratches looked pretty good but was up for £2440 with about 60k on the clock, this seems pretty cheap, I didn't have chance to have a look inside but may do tomorrow and not sure about the history.Is this a rare or not very popular colour? One good was it had dual front air bags which is good as my daughter will be in the front as well as my wife.

Anyway thanks for your help guy's I will keep you posted with the progress

Personally if i was going for "my first Puma" i would go for a Millennium, because its in a unique colour which suits it down to the ground (Yellow) and has the leather seats, was produced in ltd numbers, and just avoids the impending tax bracket etc

also bear in mind, a lot of folks are very skint at the moment, so it is a damned good time to haggle/buy a car etc

why buy from a dealer? their cars are often overpriced, and they always seem to know how to get out of doing the warranty repairs which they charge the earth for.... the local rag or Ebay is worth checking as you may find the car you want ending at silly 0' clock when people are asleep or working etc

Good luck!

The thunder also had scuff plates inside the door didnt it? If you can go for a 2001 onwards one even if its not a thunder then you benefit from some of the very minor tweaks they added towards the end of the cars life. Namely, a third brake light in the boot, and a darker grey trim inside. Though you will be missing out on the launch propellor wheels which imo suit the car the best, the original design team made them.