A Puma at 53......

I drive American trucks, one for work the other for show. But I have always loved the look of the Puma but mates slagged me off as they said I was too old, too tall or too 'bloke'. So after listening to a load of sh##t for five years I bought a 1.7.
Now to the questions, the only thing I don't like is the relatively high sitting back end, any advice on the best spring kit (price/quality) to bring it down a bit would be really welcome, and any different tyre/ wheel combos. This Puma won't be driven on a track but I will give it some where possible, I haven't trawled the net yet but what do any of you recommend for a relatively cheap performance upgrade for now. I'm not a skin flint but have a fuel bill that looks like a bingo card.
Many many thanks in advance.

Maybe look at these: http://www.apcoilovers.com/ap_coilover_details.php?id=119

They can be adjusted between 30-60mm.

Wheels wise - maybe look at the FRP wheels and Toyo tyres.

The Ford approved spring kit was the Eibach one - bit tricky to find now and does lower the back end down to look "right" rather than "moon buggy" Other similar 20-30mm drop springs will do the same.

Best mod you can do is to make sure it's well serviced and has some great tyres to take advantage of the handling. k:

PS: Never too old for a Puma!

Hello and welcome, if you're thinking of lowering don't go with 17" wheels as they will contact the front inner wing flanges and rip the tyres.
Barry

tuonokid said:

[post]353534[/post] Hello and welcome, if you're thinking of lowering don't go with 17" wheels as they will contact the front inner wing flanges and rip the tyres.
Barry

Click to expand...

....if you pick the wrong offset and tyre size combination with extra low spring. I ran ET37 offset and 205.40.17 tyres with a 30mm drop for years without a single rub.

OP - have a look here for frequently asked questions - worth a read if you're new to the Puma. k:

>click me<

I personally find 16s to be a nice balance between handling, ride quality and looks. I've seen a few that look really good lowered on 15s but I think they've been dropped quite a bit. There's stacks of info on tyre choice in the Tyres, Wheels, Brakes & Suspension section. Toyo, uniroyal and kuhmo seem to be most popular.

That's 205/40/17s at -40mm it's the flange hanging down from the inner wings that's the problem. It can cut tyres like a knife!
Barry

40mm drop may be a tad too much then, mine was about 30mm and never grazed the tyre.

205/40/17 7J are about 20mm larger in diameter than 195/50/15 6J so that won't help either.

Hi,
Go for a 30 mm drop. I run Ford focus St 170 wheels (17") with 30 mm spacers. I have 10 mm spacers on the rear, with the focus wheels and spacers the bearings only see a 16 mm spacer load. Four years now with no problems. Plus for insurance purposes you are using all standard Ford parts. If you wish to see how they look go and view 'Pictures at last' in the project thread.
Regards,
Richard.

As Dal said - you're never too old.

I had my first Puma at 40 and now have a further 2 at 50.

They are fantastic cars, easy to work on and so much that can be done with them and at this age we have the knowhow and finances available (both to spend on parts, work, etc and obviously cheap insurance).

I got my Puma from my daughter when I was 63!
Shouldn't drive it really - brings out the boy racer in me, especially on corners!!

welcome to Puma ownership