Cutting out my fender arches...Round 1.

[eurotiva]

Bus...mine are cut. The only advice I can give is be careful.

Once you cut the rear, the inner and outer seperate. You'll have to glue them back together. I found out the hard way.

While driving in rain my car would get wet on the inside. And it smelled like exhaust at all times.

All I cut was the lip that goes inward. And I did all of this years ago, before I was even into festivas. I just had to have 15's.

I like the way the front has turned out on yours. I'm awaiting "new" fenders for mine before I try again.

[Safety Guy]

It sounds as though the rear fenders are spot welded (or seam welded) at the actual wheel well lip. Am I right about that?

So cutting much of anything there will result in getting rid of the welds that hold the outer shell to the inner fender well. I'll have to go out and look real close.

Karl

[Bert]

It sounds as though the rear fenders are spot welded (or seam welded) at the actual wheel well lip. Am I right about that?

So cutting much of anything there will result in getting rid of the welds that hold the outer shell to the inner fender well. I'll have to go out and look real close.

Karl

Like desecrating anything good, valuable, pretty or functional or for that matter a 'stock' car you do realize that blindly sawing out the structural-folded and probably welded wheel wells in an amateur fashion (Likely Jay Leno's SHOgun was sawed-out too, but more deliberately) will only weaken the strength of and depreciate the value of your car to ordinary folks. Think of these econoboxes as strategically corrugated cardboard boxes; take a few folds out, or make a crease, and the overall rigidity diminishes substantially.

I'm still waiting for the first naive soul to proudly exclaim he sawed the roof and pillars off a Festy in order to reduce weight and wind resistance and that he is consequently expecting to win races with it.

[kellen302]

^Truckstiva(s)... nuff said

[BUSTIVA]

Like desecrating anything good, valuable, pretty or functional or for that matter a 'stock' car you do realize that blindly sawing out the structural-folded and probably welded wheel wells in an amateur fashion (Likely Jay Leno's SHOgun was sawed-out too, but more deliberately) will only weaken the strength of and depreciate the value of your car to ordinary folks. Think of these econoboxes as strategically corrugated cardboard boxes; take a few folds out, or make a crease, and the overall rigidity diminishes substantially.

I couldn't care less about resale value, or what anyone else thinks about my car...I'm never selling.

The SHOguns had a rear subframe made which I doubt diminished rigidity, I'm pretty sure it added to it.

Many people cut out the rear fenders on cars to add fender flares...I don't see how this will affect anything if done correctly.

I'm still waiting for the first naive soul to proudly exclaim he sawed the roof and pillars off a Festy in order to reduce weight and wind resistance and that he is consequently expecting to win races with it.

You mean like this complete moron's car that totally sucked and never ever won a race...:p





Well know that I've debunked every one of your claims...what else can you cast your vast unrelenting knowledge upon?

[Movin]

The members on our site who have made mods
know what they have removed and know how to
add back in other ways the strength they removed.
Yes, sometimes something unexpected may wear
but that is corrected as well.

My favorite airplanes to fly have a sticker visible
from the cockpit, it says among other things "Experimental".

These are my favorite Festiva's as well and I would
encourage this as an enthusiast. The exception
would be the broke person just keeping it on the road.

[lessersivad]

It sounds as though the rear fenders are spot welded (or seam welded) at the actual wheel well lip. Am I right about that?

So cutting much of anything there will result in getting rid of the welds that hold the outer shell to the inner fender well. I'll have to go out and look real close.

Karl

Yup, spot welds on the lip along with some sort of adhesive/sealer just above that.

[festivafeva]

I cut my front and rear fenders out in order to fit 17s on my festiva and it is literally completely rusted out underneath. I drive it very hard and 17's make it even harder on it and I have not come across any type of structural damage or premature wear to anything. I would say go for it. My only advice is that you take your time and use a more precise cutting tool than a jigsaw unlike myself.

[BUSTIVA]

^LoL I used a sawzaw for the fronts, I'll be picking up a body saw tomorrow. I know all the proper procedure for cutting out rear fenders for flares. I was just curious to hear from others that have tried it on their festiva. Would love to talk to the owner of baby rocket!

[Bert]

Sorry to appear to be throwing water on your ideas BUSTIVA but folks need to be reminded that 'seat of the pants' mods often times don't pan out. I don't have "unrelenting knowledge", nor an engineering degree, but have been carefully observing what other people do to cars for 4 decades.
The photo of the roofless race Festy you thoughtfully included may have been from its first track run. Unless that roll cage was carefully thought out (to replace the structural roof and pillars) then that car is likely junked somewhere already, or the driver had to weld the doors shut to keep them from flying open every time he turned a corner.
Carry on my good man, and prove me wrong!

[Flyin4stroke]

You only live once! Do it, make it sweet, make it yours, who cares, that's the greatest thing about festivas!!!

[Nerd Racing]

nice NB, I think my next automotive purchase will be an early NB...

[jemartin144]

http://www.stanfordmotorsports.com/festiva.php#future

[Bert]

http://www.stanfordmotorsports.com/festiva.php#future

Notice these guys did not blindly saw off the roof and pillars. Doors now appear to be part of the fixed structure and roll cage takes on role of roof and pillars. Even has a cross brace of sorts.
Nice that you guys found/posted these pictures and description. Love to hear how the car holds up.

[getnpsi]

Even if you do ruin a festiva as part of learning experience, its a festiva...if you saw in the summer and its rusted out by spring, well its springtime again. New car, new build thread