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im going to start off by saying that this isn't a write up perse, but more of a guide to help you get your lever assembly working with the festiva hardware
if you do this "mod" your outside trunk handle will no longer work you will have to use a key or the inside lever
ok we'll start with the tools i used \
and then the parts needed
the first thing i did was take my door jam trim off pull the carpet back and install the latch assembly its held in with one 10mm bolt. to install the assembly you have to put it in from the front ie: run the cables through the hole for it and finagle the assembly in its respective spot, at first it didn't look like it would fit but its a tight fit
After you get the assembly in you can start taking all the driver side interior pieces off followed by the tailgate card. then remove the latch for the tailgate, to remove the latch for the tailgate it's only two 10mm bolts and the rods for the outside handle and outside lock
once you remove the latch the real fun begins
modding the stock festiva latch
here is the stock latch in its entirety
you have to cut off the lock bar and the link that connects the lock bar to the outside handle bar
now on the inside finger lever that used to lock the tailgate there is a hole that lines up with a hole on the release bar for the latch you want to line those holes up and lock them together. I used an old ford brake shoe pin i had laying around and hammered it in but for a more permanent solution i would just put a small spot weld to hold them.
after you get that done you are done with the latch now its time to move in to the striker. now for me the striker from the mercury tracer didn't work because its tilted up higher than the stock striker. so what i had to do is take the release lever from the tracer's striker and put it in the stock festiva striker. I used an angle grinder to shave the back side of the stud for the release lever and hammer it out, then i put it in the festive striker and put a quick spot weld on the back to hold it in. after you get that done you can install the striker and latch back to the tailgate. when you put the striker back in make sure to install the cable from the lever assembly. good job your done with the tailgate portion of this, now check and make sure the tailgate is working properly
now for the gas flap. first you want to take off your gas flap and the little piece of metal held on by two 8mm bolts that the gas flap lock catches on("flap catch" for now on). now drill a hole in the middle of the two hole for the flap catch i didnt list a size drill bit for two reasons 1. because i didnt check what size i used before i put it away lol and 2. because idk if there is a size difference between 323 and tracer gas flap release pin. after you drill the appropriate sized hole you can install the gas flap release pin (make sure you install the lever assembly cable before you install the pin(protip my cable was incredibly too long so i ran it all the way around to the tail light and back up to the gas flap). now here's where i got stumped and just made something work, the gas flap release pin needs something on the gas flap to catch on in order for it to latch but the fastiva's gas flap has an annoying key lock in the way so what i did was i turned the flap catch upside down and put it on the gas flap lock and affixed it with a couple small tack welds it doesn't look pretty but it works. after that we need a spring to open the gas flap when you pull the lever i didn't really have any good springs handy so again i made something work(not very well though) and just cut the top off a spring from work and stuffed it behind the screw for gas flap (i will update if I or someone finds a better way for the spring. if you need better pics just ask and ill take some more when i get a chance. I WILL TRY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS I CAN BUT THIS IS WHAT WORKED FOR ME
congrats if you did everything right your new levers should work
if you do this "mod" your outside trunk handle will no longer work you will have to use a key or the inside lever
ok we'll start with the tools i used \
- philips 2 screw driver
- 10mm socket and driver
- 8mm socket
- drill and drill bits
- angle grinder
- welder
- vise grips
and then the parts needed
- the lever assembly obviously from a mazda 323 or early mercury
- mazda 323 or early mercury tracer gas flap release pin
- mazda 323 or early mercury tracer tail gate striker
- stock festiva tailgate latch
- stock festiva tailgate striker
the first thing i did was take my door jam trim off pull the carpet back and install the latch assembly its held in with one 10mm bolt. to install the assembly you have to put it in from the front ie: run the cables through the hole for it and finagle the assembly in its respective spot, at first it didn't look like it would fit but its a tight fit
After you get the assembly in you can start taking all the driver side interior pieces off followed by the tailgate card. then remove the latch for the tailgate, to remove the latch for the tailgate it's only two 10mm bolts and the rods for the outside handle and outside lock
once you remove the latch the real fun begins
modding the stock festiva latch
here is the stock latch in its entirety
you have to cut off the lock bar and the link that connects the lock bar to the outside handle bar
now on the inside finger lever that used to lock the tailgate there is a hole that lines up with a hole on the release bar for the latch you want to line those holes up and lock them together. I used an old ford brake shoe pin i had laying around and hammered it in but for a more permanent solution i would just put a small spot weld to hold them.
after you get that done you are done with the latch now its time to move in to the striker. now for me the striker from the mercury tracer didn't work because its tilted up higher than the stock striker. so what i had to do is take the release lever from the tracer's striker and put it in the stock festiva striker. I used an angle grinder to shave the back side of the stud for the release lever and hammer it out, then i put it in the festive striker and put a quick spot weld on the back to hold it in. after you get that done you can install the striker and latch back to the tailgate. when you put the striker back in make sure to install the cable from the lever assembly. good job your done with the tailgate portion of this, now check and make sure the tailgate is working properly
now for the gas flap. first you want to take off your gas flap and the little piece of metal held on by two 8mm bolts that the gas flap lock catches on("flap catch" for now on). now drill a hole in the middle of the two hole for the flap catch i didnt list a size drill bit for two reasons 1. because i didnt check what size i used before i put it away lol and 2. because idk if there is a size difference between 323 and tracer gas flap release pin. after you drill the appropriate sized hole you can install the gas flap release pin (make sure you install the lever assembly cable before you install the pin(protip my cable was incredibly too long so i ran it all the way around to the tail light and back up to the gas flap). now here's where i got stumped and just made something work, the gas flap release pin needs something on the gas flap to catch on in order for it to latch but the fastiva's gas flap has an annoying key lock in the way so what i did was i turned the flap catch upside down and put it on the gas flap lock and affixed it with a couple small tack welds it doesn't look pretty but it works. after that we need a spring to open the gas flap when you pull the lever i didn't really have any good springs handy so again i made something work(not very well though) and just cut the top off a spring from work and stuffed it behind the screw for gas flap (i will update if I or someone finds a better way for the spring. if you need better pics just ask and ill take some more when i get a chance. I WILL TRY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS I CAN BUT THIS IS WHAT WORKED FOR ME
congrats if you did everything right your new levers should work
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