Dear American Friends...

"Leon711" (leon711)
02/19/2016 at 10:00 • Filed to: Ford Puma

Look out for my friend Chris he has just imported a Ford Puma into the US whilst he is out there for a bit. We think it may be the only Ford Puma in the US, so if you see a black Ford Puma in RHD on British plates, say hi to him, he’d be more than happy to show you around his Euro Ford.

He’s currently staying in Florida but will be travelling around the US. He has a blog too.

http://usapuma.blogspot.co.uk/?m=1

DISCUSSION (27)

daender > Leon711
02/19/2016 at 10:09

How is this legal in the US? It’s nowhere near 25 years old. It’s awesome, just not sure how it’s going to last in the states.

Chinny Raccoon > daender
02/19/2016 at 10:16

No issues with a temporary import, surely?

Leon711 > daender
02/19/2016 at 10:21

As our furry friend chinny raccoon says, it’s temporary. He can have it for a year, he bought the car cheap and can junk it after a year.

daender > Leon711
02/19/2016 at 10:24

Interesting! Well, he’s only a few hours from Columbia, SC, so I might see his Puma around the state or not.

Leon711 > daender
02/19/2016 at 10:30

I know he has got a trip to Rhode Island planned so he will go north. I’m not sure if he can but maybe he could sell it to a Canadian at the end of the year because it’s 15 years old.

Bdog > daender
02/19/2016 at 10:50

You can import any car for up to one year under a “Carnet”. There’s some legwork to do associated with it (post a bond based on the car’s value, and it has to enter and leave from the same port) but it's very doable.

daender > Leon711
02/19/2016 at 11:33

Wait!

HE NEEDS TO HAVE REGULAR CAR REVIEWS REVIEW THIS.

The Puma is sort of a regular car...in the UK. I’m sure a comparison could be made against the US-sold Escort ZX2. Around 200 pounds heavier but with 20 more hp and 30 more ft-lb of torque from it’s 2.0L engine. Both cars have humble origins to their underpinnings and were affordable sporty FWD cars made by Ford in the late 90s to early 2000s.

Kinja'd!!!

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Leon711
02/19/2016 at 11:35

Junk it? Poor Puma. That said this is pretty cool, I’ve always liked Pumas. The rust issues they have scares me from actually buying one though. All Fords of that era (especially the Ka) seem to suffer from tin worm.

96Formula6spd > Leon711
02/19/2016 at 11:46

Neat car, I am Canadian and living in the states. I don’t know what he wants to do with it at the end of the year. But I could help get a Canadian Tag.

scoob > daender
02/19/2016 at 11:47

Why have I always been under the impression that you were in Germany?

daender > scoob
02/19/2016 at 11:52

Ż\_()_/Ż Might have been my post of 40s-era German tanks .

USA Puma > daender
02/19/2016 at 12:45

Well spotted... And thank you Leon for linking me up to this great place.

The Escort is indeed on the same platform, which was partly why I wasn’t too worried about parts while considering the temporary importation of my Puma. The cars were both discontinued at the same time given the retirement of that particular ‘B-platform’.

USA Puma > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
02/19/2016 at 12:47

Check out the blog posted above.. You’ll see just how bad the rust on the rear wheel arches was! But then, I only gave $100 for the car.

scoob > daender
02/19/2016 at 12:53

I remember reading an E30 wagon importing post, guess it was someone else lol.

USA Puma > Bdog
02/19/2016 at 12:54

Didn’t need any of that. Three paper forms, one piece of electronic filing and an approval letter from the EPA (which I didn’t need in the end). I was advised by CBP that they are no longer interested in the car (now that it’s here) so it doesn’t matter where it exits (if it exits) and I do not need to notify them when I’m done with it.

I think it depends on who you get to be honest. Exercise extreme caution, research EVERYTHING to cover all bases and you can’t go wrong. :)

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > USA Puma
02/19/2016 at 12:55

Just had a flick through the engine swap post and a couple others. She was a bit rough before you got to her, the image of that near dead timing belt was scary. Was it ever changed in its 124k miles?

Leon711 > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
02/19/2016 at 16:10

Just poor quality steel I guess. I see Chris has appeared too!

daender > scoob
02/19/2016 at 16:15

I remember that post now! I forgot exactly what I said in it but I remember someone was trying to sell an Euro E30 wagon and the price he was offering it for was tempting!

USA Puma > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
02/20/2016 at 11:14

II don’t think any maintenance had been done in the last 124000 miles to be honest. The belt was a little worrying when I found it (after driving back from London to Brighton).

Fortunately, because of the resilience of the car and the availability of parts, getting it back to where it should be was easy and very cost-effective. The whole project only owes me about 400-500 USD. Couple that with a $1200 shipping cost and it still works out cheaper than a car rental for a whole year, which is the time I’m allowed to keep it here.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > USA Puma
02/20/2016 at 14:24

That’s really cool, this doesn’t help my want for a Puma. I’ve shopped around for them before and I’m looking for another second car at the moment... So cool that one is driving about in the US.

USA Puma > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
02/21/2016 at 23:16

The problem you will come across wanting a Puma in the US; as already pointed out, it’s not 25 years old. Unless you can get Ford to write you a letter to stipulate that the car is ‘significantly similar’ to a car sold in the US (Escort ZX2), ou would need to import rather a lot of them to go through crash testing and the like for DoT standards from what I understand. Otherwise, you could just have mine when I’m done with it!

USA Puma > 96Formula6spd
02/21/2016 at 23:17

I may take you up on that my Canadian friend! My google address is chrisjamesbehan. Hit me up and we can make a plan :)

USA Puma > Leon711
02/21/2016 at 23:24

So I thought you might like to know that I got pulled over the other night for the first time. It was all very exciting. The officer came to the correct side of the car and introduced himself by saying, “well, this is a first for me!” and then proceeded to ask me about my British plates.

I advised him that I am here on the same premise as a Canadian or Mexican driver (or any international actually, but I didn’t say that) and offered him all my documents. He gladly took them, sat in the car while I was eyeballed by another copper from a different unit (told you it was exciting) and came back 15 minutes later with, “okay, you’re good.” - phew!

I was a little nervous because even though I am not doing anything wrong and it’s all above board, I have heard of horror stories where cars are impounded until someone that knows the system works out it’s all ok and then releases it.

Tick tock tick tock....

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > USA Puma
02/22/2016 at 02:33

Oh yeah I’m aware of the faff of getting a car imported to the US but I’m actually in the UK so I could just buy one no problem haha.

Leon711 > USA Puma
02/22/2016 at 03:15

Did he ask anything about the car like, what is it? Does it have the 1.7l yamaha tuned engine? Does the Fiesta architecture make it feel like a shopping cart?

Dsscats > daender
02/29/2016 at 19:42

Temporary import

USA Puma > Leon711
02/29/2016 at 20:37

Leon… You’re an Leon… You're an arse but I love you!