[Trixie]

I'd appreciate some advice please. I've had my beloved Puma for about eight years now but was told at the last MOT in April that it's unlikely to pass next year due to the rust on the wheel arches and the sills. Since then I've also noticed a small oil leak but can't work out where it's coming from.

My heart tells me to get work done on the car and keep it but my head tells me to just sell it when it inevitably fails the MOT next year. I'll be gutted to see the poor thing go, though - mechanically it seems sound and it's only got about 84k on the clock. It seems a shame that I'd have to scrap a perfectly good engine because of rusty bodywork.

So here's the question. Do I bite the bullet and spend money on the car - potentially more than the car is worth? I have no facilities at home so everything would have to be done by a mechanic. Also. I've not long moved area so have no idea about any local places who I can trust to work on my car without trying to rip me off. Any idea how much I'm potentially looking at to sort the wheel arches out? The rust is pretty bad. Also, any recommendations as to good mechanics in the South Wales area?

[happy-kat]

The oil leak don't the drips on floor help with location?
There are a few Wales owners so hopefully you'll get some suggestions.

[Trixie]

happy-kat, on 26 August 2015 - 03:12 PM, said:

The oil leak don't the drips on floor help with location?
There are a few Wales owners so hopefully you'll get some suggestions.

The oil leak location is still a mystery. It's intermittent and is generally on the offside near the front. That's all I can tell. The RAC man couldn't find out where it was coming from either. He suggested getting the engine steam cleaned to find the source. It's hardly anything but still concerning. It started when I slightly overfilled the oil by accident.

Fingers crossed I can get some decent Wales/West of England suggestions for trustworthy mechanics! I'm still torn as to whether the car stays or goes.

[happy-kat]

PumaBuild are in Birmingham, can't think of any others personally that way.
We do have members in Wales so there must be garages that way.

[muzboy]

Trixie, on 26 August 2015 - 07:34 PM, said:

The oil leak location is still a mystery. It's intermittent and is generally on the offside near the front. That's all I can tell. The RAC man couldn't find out where it was coming from either. He suggested getting the engine steam cleaned to find the source. It's hardly anything but still concerning. It started when I slightly overfilled the oil by accident.

Fingers crossed I can get some decent Wales/West of England suggestions for trustworthy mechanics! I'm still torn as to whether the car stays or goes.

Quite a common Ford problem. Ours does it and we have given up looking for it and accept the MOT note every year. Not enough of a leak to trouble the oil level. If the drips on the drive had been from my Cinquecento Sporting my wife would have gone mad but because it's the Puma then it's been OK!

2 rear arches cut out and replaced? Cost us £500 including all painting etc.

[Pumanx]

Sorry, can't help with your MOT worry but just admiring your profile photo taken by the old toll gate on Marine Drive near Douglas here on the Isle of Man.

Hope it didn't rain the whole time you were here! />




Good luck with the car too, obviously.

[V4FRP]

I have a local garage and paint shop in Ammanford who look after both my FRP's. I just depends where you are in South Wales.

[Trixie]

@Pumanx - small world...! I used to live on the Isle of Man. In fact, it's where I bought my Puma! My profile pic was taken during a Sunday drive out. Marine Drive is a lovely stretch of road, just a shame it's been cut off half way. I'm actually looking to move back but not sure the car would get through the re-registration test. I've still got my old Manx plates and everything (stored in the garage, obviously!).

@V4FRP - I'm about an hour and a half drive from you, which isn't too bad. I had a weekend in Ystradglynlais recently and the drive was lovely. You're not too much further than that, are you?

[Welsh lynne]

I have a similar dilemma with my Black, the oil leak is messy and now I can smell burning. Don't know if it's oil dropping onto the exhaust or what. I have ordered myself a new Fiesta Black 140 but still feel I want to keep the Puma as well. Since I'm no mechanic I would be shelling out a lot of cash. Why are these cars so addictive? I feel as if I am betraying a very dear friend! I am fromthe Valleys originally but I'm too out of date to recommend any garages.

[Welsh lynne]

I have a similar dilemma with my Black, the oil leak is messy and now I can smell burning. Don't know if it's oil dropping onto the exhaust or what. I have ordered myself a new Fiesta Black 140 but still feel I want to keep the Puma as well. Since I'm no mechanic I would be shelling out a lot of cash. Why are these cars so addictive? I feel as if I am betraying a very dear friend! I am fromthe Valleys originally but I'm too out of date to recommend any garages.

[kittykat68]

Hi,I got my rear wheel arches done for £150 & that was for both of them but it wasnt a cut out as above but it's lasted 2 years & also gives me time to save & get them done properly. I have just got mine MOT 'd today & she's ready to go again, but last year was a killer :(After 7 years of passing with flying colours......She needed new everything underneath Wishbones, tracking rods, blah, blah, blah & my mechanic made new brake pipes. He has noticed I need more welding underneath & to be honest, I'm happy to have it done because the car is mechanically sound.Like you, I have also had mine now for 8 years. Its going to be re welded along the sill then oil sprayed. Then oil sprayed again a couple of weeks later & this should hopefully help to keep my puma on the road for another few years. Go for it girl
P.S.... Yeah, I also get oil leak on my MOT. It was located it to the power steering pump pipe. I bought a spare off ebay just in case it goes completely & I've had them for 3 years now & fingers crossed, I won't need to
but you said you over filled it so it's probably just an overspill. They are addictive & yes, like Welsh Lynne says, I feel like I am betraying her here if I don't

This post has been edited by kittykat68: 09 October 2015 - 07:27 PM

[Trixie]

Thank you for all the replies and advice. I took some pictures of the wheel arches here: http://s5.photobucke...r?sort=3&page=1 (hope that link works). One side isn't too bad but the other is probably too far gone for a rub back and fill. Yes, I know exactly what you mean when you say you feel like you're betraying the car! Damn right these Pumas are addictive!!

On the bright side the oil leak appears to have stopped. That's either down to enough oil having been lost, or - as I recently found out - the other car on the drive has just been scrapped and it looks like it had a gearbox oil leak, so it might have been that, even though the oil on the ground looked too light to be gearbox oil.

Luckily I've had a PM from a fellow local Puma owner and hopefully he'll be able to tell me the score when I take the car to him at some point. Fingers crossed!

[happy-kat]

The rust there is as far as I know inside out so rubbing down wont get you to sound bare metal. A rust stabilisers might halt it for a little while but really it is a cut out and weld new metal in
Glad the leak might have been the other car and not the Puma.

[Trixie]

happy-kat, on 10 October 2015 - 08:14 PM, said:

The rust there is as far as I know inside out so rubbing down wont get you to sound bare metal. A rust stabilisers might halt it for a little while but really it is a cut out and weld new metal in
Glad the leak might have been the other car and not the Puma.

I suspected that might be the case - thank you for confirming as I now at least know what sort of repair I'm looking at.

Not sure about everyone else here, but whenever I see another Puma I have an unhealthy obsession with its rear wings and whether they've been fixed or not! A silver one drove past me yesterday with pristine rear wings and I was most jealous!

Hopefully I'll be meeting Dai on here in a couple of weeks for me to catch up with his mechanic and see what the damage is. If it doesn't cost more than the car is worth then maybe (hopefully) it's worth sorting out. Even a few hundred quid is less than buying a new car!

[happy-kat]

Good luck with that and hope it turns out to not be too bad, just a case of looks worse than it is :-)

[Trixie]

happy-kat, on 11 October 2015 - 08:58 PM, said:

Good luck with that and hope it turns out to not be too bad, just a case of looks worse than it is :-)

Cheers! /> I'm hoping it looks worse than it is too. With relatively low mileage on the clock for the year I'm extremely reluctant to get rid of my lil car! I'll post up when I know more.

[kittykat68]

Good luck & I hope all turns out well for you both

[RooPoo]

I have just read all of the above and it could apply to me! I am devastated to think that I'm going to be parted from my beloved Puma after 10 years great service. Bits are starting to go: fob doesn't work and the door only unlocks on the passenger side , heating only blows cold, unfindable oil leak , small hole in driving well floor where the chassis number's stamped but the killer is early corrosion near rear wheel mount. My tame body shop man says it's not worth doing. Husband says I'd be throwing good money after bad as neither of us can do this type of work so does 'Dave' stay or does he go?I'm about to investigate Pumabuild, as mentioned above, but does anybody have any suggestions for anyone in the Birmingham/ Warwick/Stratford area who work be prepared to help maintain my Puma. Thanks.

[happy-kat]

I'd get a price to repair and then compare that to buying a different Puma and scraping your one. The engine bits don't concern as they are fixable, but how rotten the chassis might be does.

[RooPoo]

Sound advice Happy Kat. Thanks. Off to Pumabuild now. Fingers crossed!