Perfect PUMA When rust hit Stewart Shackleton’s Puma, it became the start of something special
My daughter bought this car about 15 years ago, and after running it for a few years she asked if I wanted it. The answer was yes, and it became my commuting car until 2017. That’s when it failed an MOT with a long list of issues. So… what to do? I’d already bought a donor car, and stripping that gave me some idea of what was to come. Ironically it turned out to be in better condition than what I was restoring! Soon the lock-up, shed and summerhouse were all used for storage.
The project car’s sills were totally rotten, so I took it to a local body shop to fix the passenger side. Lovely fella, but when I got the car back the profile wasn’t quite right, so I cut it out and did it myself. My mate Martin lent me his welder and showed me the ropes – I’d never welded before, so that was a real learning experience. Martin said: ‘If you’re going to repair it yourself then do it properly,’ and he was right. I made that sill three times before I was happy with it! The other side needed replacing too, though it wasn’t quite so bad, and by this time I’d learned some lessons. It’s thin metal, so you need a very light touch. Welding isn’t hard, but you’ve got to be patient as it does take time to get the hang of it.
Getting creative
The sills were available to buy, but I had to be more creative with the wheel arches and other areas. I learned how to make new sections by knocking metal into shape around a wooden former. PC helped! There was an article that compared shaping metal to shaping pastry – that was a really helpful explanation that made a lot of sense to me.
The floor was also rotten, so I had to make new sections (I’d do that differently next time), then it was all seam-sealed and
THEO FORD-SAGERS
painted. There was rust at the bottom of the front inner wings and a lot of new metal was needed in the rear wings. As PC’S Deputy editor Walshe found out with his own Puma recently, the front arch on a Peugeot 206 is an exact match for a Puma’s rear wheelarch!
I had the wheels, subframes, wishbones and hub carriers powder-coated, and fitted new shocks and OEM bushes all round. (Poly bushes are too hard in my opinion.) It went back together with new brake lines, calipers, pads and rear shoes, and I painted the fuel pipes different colours to help keep track of which is the return, and which is the supply.
Once it was all together, I filled the repaired areas, flatted it all smooth and sent it off to the paint shop. It came back looking smashing, but I still had to fit a rubber strip that goes under the front bumper. So, I lifted the front with my hydraulic ramps, fitted the strip, then went to reverse the car out of the garage… but forgot to lower the ramps. Outcome: one thoroughly knackered bumper! As you can probably imagine, I had to shut the garage door and leave it alone for a few days. Finally, it all came together, and a local mechanic gave it a once-over and put through its MOT.
Now the Puma comes out of the garage just a few times a month, and I’ve a got ten car shows lined up for it this year. It certainly brings out the boy racer in me! ■
ADRIAN FLUX INSURANCE QUOTE
1999 Ford Puma /Value £3000/Comprehensive cover/£140 premium including IPT/£150 excess.
Determined to do things properly, Stewart mounted the bare shell on a spit. That gave him unbeatable access for all the welding that was needed. He then sold the spit to recoup some cash.