[mblanc]

Well, I did it!

£875 spent on a steel blue 2001 Puma (95k) with relatively good bodywork, and i drove home last night with a big, big smile! Its an amazing amount of fun for the money. I would have liked some more history of recent services, and cambelt changes, but everything worked, and the car seemed genuine.

So here are my first impressions

good points - fantastic engine, gearbox, steering and handling. Really, just a sublime balance of lovelyness.

but the brakes are pretty woeful, i think they need some tlc. I nearly ran into the back of my gf's Focus at the first junction on the drive home! Talk about eyeballs out on storks.

Anyway, i'm sure I can bore everyone by posting questions that have been answered a thousand times already, but i'll try and check previous threads, and then try and think of something interesting to say.

Thanks to the forum as a whole for giving me the confidence to buy such a wonderous 13 year old rust monster!

Marcus

[Ian G]

Welcome Marcus.

Yours being a late one actually has the larger discs so technically should be better than an early car.

Worth checking the condition of the discs and pads although any major wear would have been evident in the form of grinding noises when you brake.

I would be whipping a wheel off and having a look that everything is wearing evenly.

[happy-kat]

Welcome :-)
Could be old brake fluid too but you do have to use your foot to brake the servo assistance is quite mild when used to driving a newer car.
Steel blue very nice not many seen in that colour.
Check your oil level frequently while getting to know your Puma.

[mblanc]

i think it just needs new discs and pads. its an advisory on the last Mot, and my technical adviser, ahem, well, my Dad (!) said the wear and scoring was enough to make a significant difference.Various bits of pipe work were replaced at the MOT a few weeks ago, so I think its basically sound.

To be honest, when I test drove it I was concentrating hard on the engine, gearbox, suspension and clutch, and I forgot to try a proper emergency stop. It is a nice colour tho!

I have been driving various vehicles with top quality brakes recently, so the mild servo thing is very useful info, as I anticipate arriving at the braking zone with a significant amount of speed on board, on a regular basis.

Thanks for the advice, the car is ace! I keep laughing every time i arrive at a corner, and the gearbox is the dogs...

[mblanc]

oh, and will check the oil level when I get to work 2moro, where it is flat.

thanks for the tip, its easy to get excited about driving the thing, and to forget the basics I have read about on here.

[Y0ungn1ck]

Welcome from another Medium Steel Blue owner.

[mblanc]

thank you kindly

tho i am lovin the colour, i think the black one for sale in Essex would have been a better buy, even if its miles from me in Leicester.

and bearing in mind it did take me 3 hours to travel the 41 miles to Wolverhampton last night to pick it up, i would have got there quicker!

It also has to be said that the Essex car would have really needed immediate wheel arch attention, to do it justice (which would have cost money I don't have right now), whereas it appears that mine must have already been done, or maybe the car was garaged for some of its life.

My gf said she really likes the colour, and she is the sole arbiter of style and taste in our house, so it must be good...

[DJdi]

Another Leicester pumaperson. I may see you around. My puma is an earlier one on an S plate Curiass blue, the purpley colour