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matthewmorgan93

New member
Joined
Jun 9, 2020
Messages
31
Hello everyone I’m going to look at a 1.7 Puma on the weekend and am quite excited. Never crossed my mind to have one before but I think they will be a future classic. The car is emerald green which looks fantastic. I’ve looked through the mot history and there is an advisory for an oil leak would anyone possibly be able to advise me on where this could possibly be coming from ? The current owner is putting a brand new MOT on the car for me before I purchase it. Hopefully il be team Puma soon 🤞🤞
 
Welcome to the site Matthew.

Good luck with your purchase.

Oils leaks could be from a few places, you'd need to see it to know for sure, however the most common place is the rocker cover gasket.

:eek:k:
 
Hi there,welcome along :grin:
As mentioned the rocker cover gasket is a notorious leak point,not too difficult to fix yourself if you are good with the spanners.
Sump sections are also known to weep due to sealant failure,but again not that bad to put right.
Good luck.
 
Thanks guys honestly can’t wait to go and have a look at it on the weekend. Could you give me any advice on what to look for I know about things like the rusty rear arches and around the doors but any other known problems that I should be looking out for? I’m not expecting a miracle as the car is an 02 reg but just want to be as clues up as I can get before viewing it. Thanks again
 
Well an 02 is one of the latest registered, production finished in 2001.

As for things to look out for, we have ->this<- thread which could be useful.
 
Just the usual areas,rear arches,inner and outer sills,rear suspension mounting points etc.
A check of the MOT history is usually a good indication of structural condition,as any rot or welding repairs will be documented,so have a good look through that before you see the car.
Other issues are the standard corroded brake pipes and perishing rubber brake hoses along with failing bushes(usually the rear beam).
Other than that the Puma has proven itself to be very reliable mechanically,engines are normally trouble free if serviced regularly,gearboxes usually last the distance if not abused and electrics aren't normally a problem.Air con may need a re gas(although none of mine have :grin: ).
Most mechanical issues that arise are normally cheap and relatively easy to put right,its the body and chassis that's the main deal breaker with the Puma.
Hope it all goes well for you,if you bag a good one you won't regret it!!
 
Hello guys just an update my viewing has been cancelled tomorrow due to a fuel pump failure on the car is this a common fault on the Puma ? I’m glad it went before I got it but I have agreed to view the same car next week once a new pump has been fitted and it’s got a brand new MOT. I am gutted as I was looking forward to seeing it
 
Fuel pumps are a normal wear and tear item for any car. No surprise at this age, its probably going on its third or fourth by now.
 
Any idea how much garages charge to fit them as I don’t want the guy putting another couple of hundred quid on top of the price ?
 
I would recon on an hours labour for replacing the fuel pump....so around £50-£100,depending on rates.
I've done a few of these and they're really not that bad,corroded captive nuts holding the rear of the fuel tank are the worst part,other than that plain sailing.
 
Feels like an age since I last commented of this but hopefully This is the weekend I see the puma just hope it don’t let me down 🙏🙏
 
Best of luck,I hope everything goes well :grin:
Emerald green is a colour that really suits the puma,especially if its wearing propeller wheels...very nice!!
I've always found that the best part of buying a car is the road trip home again....I live in the north east of Scotland and all my Puma's were bought in the far flung corners of Englandshire(there are next to none up here),so there was always a train journey south(usually the overnight sleeper)then an epic drive back home to look forward to......always fun :grin: :grin: :grin:
ENJOY.
 
So things didn’t work out again with the emerald green one unfortunately because the fuel pump didn’t arrive so after 3 weeks of waiting I’ve decided to leave it. On the plus side I am viewing a millennium tonight which I understand are quite rare to find now. The only issue it has other than the normal rust spots is that the rear bushes are on there way out. Can anyone enlighten me on how much these would cost to replace and fit? Thank you very much
 
Aww,that's a pity...nothing is ever straight forward :? A fuel pump is easy enough to get hold of.
The Millennium certainly has the potential as a future classic,being an individually numbered special edition model with a lovely leather Recaro interior,if its in good nick and unmodified then well worth getting hold of :wink:
The rear bushes (part no F1016439) are listed at £17.29 each.Also best to replace the locating bolt(F1127011)£2.87 each and locknut(F4513449)£1.96 each...you will need 2 of everything.
You can of course fit polybushes instead,which will be easier to refit,although I prefer original parts myself :grin:
A garage will charge around 2 hrs labour as normally the rear beam is best removed.The bush removal tools,ie threaded bar type don't normally cut it when it comes to removing rusted old bushes in situ,so it's quicker to do it off the car.Once the beam has been removed there are several options,the best being a hydraulic press to remove and install,or the trusty old blowlamp method of melting the rubber(best done outdoors) then cutting the metal sleeve and pressing in the new ones.
Done this job many times over the years and usually have everything buttoned up in 1-2 hrs.
 
Cheers buddy always appreciate the wise words. All I can say about the car itself is that the interior is a bit tired looking but it is 20 year old so it’s to be expected no rips in the seats that I can see from images. No major rust just the normal bubbling on the arches. With regards to replacing the rear bushes I’m looking at powerflex bushes to replace the standard ones as they come with a lifetime guarantee. Let me know if you have any thoughts on using these cheers
 
No problem,always glad to be of some help :thumbs:
Good that there are no rips in the seats,as you say some wear is to be expected being 20 yrs old and the leather will restore with the right cleaner.You even get special paint to be able to touch in any badly worn parts(usually the drivers bolster),so you could have the seats looking great again with some elbow grease :grin:
Many members here use the powerflex bushes,and I'm sure they offer a worthwhile handling improvement,I just like to keep everything as original as possible...but that's just me :lol: :lol:
Hopefully this one is worth your while,but there are more out there if not...the right car will come along...sometime!!
 

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