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Petfisheric Samba Member
Joined: November 27, 2014 Posts: 121 Location: Knoxville, TN
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Posted: Fri Dec 26, 2014 4:08 pm Post subject: Found my lost cat |
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Well it is strange how things work out in life. After twenty three years I have my Puma back. I originally purchase the car in 1988 from LeCar Stables in Clarksville TN while I was in the Army at Fort Campbell. After getting out of the Army and deciding to start a family, I sold the car to get a "family" car. Over the years I have looked for the car hoping it would pop up but never with any real belief that I would be able to track it down. Well one day a couple of months ago my daughter comes out the the garage and tells me there is some guy out front who wants to know if I used to own a Puma. Well I went out and met with Bob, he was passing through Knoxville, Tennessee on his way to see his son in Kentucky and took a chance that I might be home. Bob lived in Florida and had just purchased it from a friend of his down in Florida and that he was tracking the history of the car. We talked about the car for a while and he went on his way. Well a few weeks later he called and asked if I would have an interest in the car as he was too busy working on his BMW motorcycles to really get involved in another project. With out hesitating I told him yes. So we worked out the details and I now have my cat back.
I will be posting more photos in the future as I work on the car to bring it back to its Roaring glory. Fortunately the several owners had taken some care with the vehicle did some of the maintenance items like a new sail cloth top and recovered the seats back to the original leather, but the Paint and some of the electrical will need mucho work. The paint is original and looks like alligator skin. It will have to be striped to the bare glass surface and resprayed.
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BL3Manx Samba Member
Joined: August 29, 2006 Posts: 6767 Location: Northern California
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Posted: Fri Dec 26, 2014 6:12 pm Post subject: |
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Very cool |
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qwerty8669 Samba Member
Joined: January 07, 2012 Posts: 231 Location: kentucky
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Petfisheric Samba Member
Joined: November 27, 2014 Posts: 121 Location: Knoxville, TN
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Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2014 12:43 pm Post subject: |
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Got a call earlier today from the transport company. They have picked up the Puma and wanted to know if I would accept delivery tomorrow night. it will be a Happy New Year.
Can't wait but for now I have to make room in the shop for the old cat. |
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79SuperVert Samba Member
Joined: May 31, 2002 Posts: 9758 Location: Elizabeth, NJ & La Isla Del Encanto
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Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2014 4:30 pm Post subject: |
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That is a sharp looking car.
It must have a "homing" instinct. _________________ Central Jersey VW Society
Wanted: Art Collins VW (Savannah, Georgia) items - license plate surrounds and other items. Also ivory "AM", "FM" and "SW" buttons for a US Blaupunkt Frankfurt. |
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Letterman7 Samba Member
Joined: March 14, 2004 Posts: 3198 Location: Downingtown, PA
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Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2014 7:07 pm Post subject: |
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Sweet! I've not seen the convertible version of the Puma. That'll be a nice cruiser in the summer! |
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Bakerby Samba Member
Joined: December 29, 2013 Posts: 136 Location: Kv MO
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Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2015 6:19 pm Post subject: |
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Beautiful |
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Petfisheric Samba Member
Joined: November 27, 2014 Posts: 121 Location: Knoxville, TN
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Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2015 5:30 pm Post subject: |
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I is a great cruiser in the summer. It always turns heads and you have to be ready for people to ask what is it. |
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PumaGTe Samba Member
Joined: January 24, 2012 Posts: 69 Location: Holland
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Posted: Mon Jan 12, 2015 2:39 pm Post subject: |
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ahhhh yes the webbing in the paint, mine has got that as well, but can't afford such a big cosmetic surgery
Keep the pictures coming during the work in progress! |
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madmike Samba Member
Joined: July 11, 2005 Posts: 5292 Location: Atlanta,Michigan
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Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2015 6:42 am Post subject: |
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Lost cat?? I expected a skinned 'kitty' from a fan belt/pully episode glad u found her again ,, we have a vert in our club up here _________________ 'Black Ice'Drag Buggy 'Turbo'
Rail Buggy 1915 turbo
76 Drag/Street bug 2180cc 'Turbo' 11:85 @113 mph"If I go any faster I'll burn up the Hamster" ,gets 28 mpg. also 10/09/22 11.90 @115 mph
"If I'm ever on Life Support,UNPLUG Me, Then Plug me back In see if that Works" |
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Petfisheric Samba Member
Joined: November 27, 2014 Posts: 121 Location: Knoxville, TN
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Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2015 5:52 pm Post subject: |
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Well I have had the car back for a couple of weeks now and between freezing temperatures and a killer cold I haven't got much accomplished. I did change plugs and wires along with adjusting the valves and checking the points to try and get it to run a little better. I also got a couple carb rebuild kits but don't have the energy to go out to the shop and mess with it.
I really need to sit down and start a punch list of must do and want to do items so I can prioritize the work and money going towards the car. |
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Petfisheric Samba Member
Joined: November 27, 2014 Posts: 121 Location: Knoxville, TN
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Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2015 5:21 am Post subject: |
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Weather here in East Tennessee has been pretty crappy with ice and snow on the ground for two weeks. Unbelievable!!! I have made a dent in some of the work that needs to be done. Put in new head lights and fixed a bad electrical connection on a turn signal. Rebuild the carburetors, and tuned the engine so it will now move on its own using all FOUR cylinders.
Put a new trigger shifter in to but still have some additional work there. The shifter sits about 2 inches higher but it is raked back so it is way more ergonomic. No more leaning forward to get first or third.
I also spent about 40 hours cleaning he wheels. It didn't look like anyone had touched them since I sold the car 23 years ago. Here is a before and after.
And After
the camera wouldn't focus on the shinny wheel but you get the idea.
Here they are installed.
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fishybastard Samba Member
Joined: May 13, 2013 Posts: 269 Location: Holland MI
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Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2015 8:46 am Post subject: |
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Those wheels!!!!! I love em! Great looking car |
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Petfisheric Samba Member
Joined: November 27, 2014 Posts: 121 Location: Knoxville, TN
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Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2015 5:17 pm Post subject: |
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Over the last two weeks I go a few things done starting with last week while trying to figure out were the oil was coming out I ended up just pulling the motor out. I also received a set of Porsche Cookie Cutters which I have cleaned sanded and repainted.
Today I spend most of the day installing my bench stand and then mounting the motor. When I first put it on and let the hoist down the stand bent and the motor came to rest about 20 degrees from were it should have. Glad I save all that money. So of the bench and I found a stick of square tube and added two legs and a hoop to create a basket. Now it holds the engine much better
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hopkin Samba Member
Joined: June 25, 2012 Posts: 2480 Location: Ottawa, Ontario
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Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2015 5:23 pm Post subject: |
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I always like to read stories of someone finding their old car. Congratulations
I've only seen one Puma, last summer at a show in Joliette, Quebec, I wish I had taken some photos of the interior:
_________________ 1971 Super Beetle (past)
1971 Super Beetle (past)
1974 SunBug (past)
1972 914 (past)
1991 Honda Civic (Original Owner)
1996 'Open Air' Mexican Beetle (current)
2015 Golf (current)
2017 Dune Edition (daughter's car) |
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Jacks Samba Member
Joined: July 15, 2006 Posts: 2348 Location: San Clemente, Ca.
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Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2015 5:35 am Post subject: |
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You are supposed to put the engine stand yoke on vertically on the left hand case half, with one end over a lower engine mounting stud, and the other on the upper mount hole with a bolt. You are lucky that you didn't break something. _________________ Jack Staggs
Actual name |
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Petfisheric Samba Member
Joined: November 27, 2014 Posts: 121 Location: Knoxville, TN
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Posted: Fri May 01, 2015 9:21 am Post subject: |
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Jacks thanks for the tip. I had to make some modifications to the stand to properly mount it to the motor it wasn't the highest quality coming from China.
For the month of April I spent time cleaning and painting and fabricating. Not to mention half of the month traveling for work and not able to do anything.
I did get a call from the wife wanting to know when I was coming home as UPS keeps droping parts off and the living room is starting to look like a parts store.
I had to pull the front rubber strip off to get the front beam out and this is what I found.
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iMurph Samba Member
Joined: May 04, 2015 Posts: 4 Location: Canada
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Posted: Mon May 04, 2015 12:11 pm Post subject: |
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Did anyone else expect to see a picture of a cat/kitten?
Anyways, nice looking car!
I have always loved the Puma marque. |
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Petfisheric Samba Member
Joined: November 27, 2014 Posts: 121 Location: Knoxville, TN
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Posted: Sun May 17, 2015 6:47 pm Post subject: |
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So I'm trying to get the Puma in good driving condition for the summer is totally on us and I have work going on at both ends. The motor was pulled for an oil leak and it is almost ready to go back in, as soon as I get my rear seal installer. I cleaned the oil and under coating off the heater boxes and they look almost brand new on the outside. In the mean time I am working to clean up thirty years of crud in the engine compartment and had to rebuild the battery tray. I will get it installed this week at the same time I am doing a little glass work up front to repair a patch job on the spare tire well. I am to sure why it was cut out and patched but the patch started to de-laminate so I trimmed it back and will add a couple of new layers of glass to it to make it right. Also have the front beam out for a referb and it is ready to be assembled and put back in. With a day or two off I could have this cat running by next weekend.
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Petfisheric Samba Member
Joined: November 27, 2014 Posts: 121 Location: Knoxville, TN
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Posted: Fri May 22, 2015 7:27 pm Post subject: |
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Took the day off from work to make it a four day weekend.
Spend the whole day working on the Puma. Things are starting to go back together now. I have the trunk and engine bays painted, the front beam is back together waiting to go back in maybe tomorrow , and the engine is taking shape with all the tin back on ready to go back into the car.
I decided to change the engine bay and trunk color from black to gray with the speckle finish. The black made them both seam like caves.
Here is the front beam ready to go back in.
And here is the motor from when I started to finshed
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