Kristen’s Puma Build

After much kindness and some serious negotiations around how many cases of a certain type of beer - BBWestie has been kind enough to swap a full set of shocks.  Tonight after I got home from picking up the kids, cooking dinner and the like, I finally got into the shed and have mocked up the front suspension.  As you can see, only the best drill bits have been used where the nuts, bolts and spacers should go - but wow am I happy!!!!  I think it looks fantastic - not bad for a girl!!

The car is now the right way up, the seats have arrived and are sitting in the chassis, I’ve bolted in the steering column and steering extension and the pedal box is sitting in roughly the right place - mind you, I think I’ll need to move the pedal box forward as I’m vertically challenged.  I also picked up some seat runners today so hopefully, after some minor modifications, the seats can be covered and installed.  Now I feel like I’m getting some where.  At last!!

At last the floor goes on!! Now the serious work starts of putting it all together like……. the top and bottom wish bones connected to the upright, the uprights connected to the disc brake, the disc brakes connected to the wheel hub, the wheel hubs connected to the rim with tyre - and that’s just one side!!

Between yesterday and today I have gathered more bits for the car.  As the heading says: Front wishbones, Panhard rod, 4 x trailing arms, steering column extension and coupling, proportion valve, steering rack brackets and steering rack nolathane bushes.  I also bought a bundy tube cutter.  I have cleaned up the brackets and painted them, have started to clean the steering rack and will remove the old bits of bundy tubing from the proportion valve so that I can see about fitting it to the chassis and start running the brake lines.  From there I will tackle the fuel lines.

Have also arranged to have some work done to the chassis.  I am having some extra pieces of steel welded into the chassis to give extra strength for seat runners before I put the floor on (which is all ready and waiting to be put on). I will upload some more photos after the extra pieces are in and the floor is on.

 Cheers, Kristen