VW parts versus Festiva parts

[Christ]

While taking both cars apart more today, I noticed that the Golf (MK2 and MK1) have the same type of suspension assembly as the Festiva does, except the lower control arm on the Golf locates using 2 points, and doesn't need a sway bar.

While checking into it, I found the following:

Lower ball joints are the same type (bolt in a groove, straight shaft) but the Festiva's shaft is about 75% the size of the one that goes into the Golf's knuckle. That said, a bushing could easily take up that space and be plenty safe to operate. I'll measure them next time I get near the cars with a caliper and figure out what ID/OD the bushing would require.

The tie rod ends, at a glance, appear to be different, but the threads appeared the same. If I get a chance, I'll take the end off the Golf and see if it threads onto the Festiva rack.

We already know the suspension fits in the Festiva using Rio hats in the front.

I have to check and see if the axles are compatible in any way. If they are, the MK1 axles are short enough to match the wheel base of the Festiva.

Point being, it may be REALLY easy to swap an IDI diesel into our cars using the VW trans, axles, and hubs. OR, if the VW and Festiva axles are interchangeable on the hub side, it'll be even easier to just use the Festiva/Aspire front parts.

This is actually something I'm fairly interested in doing, which is the only reason I'm even looking into the parts' ability to interchange. I'll post up pertinent measurements as I get them.

Other than that, there is no point to this thread. Move along, nothing to see here.

[getnpsi]

Hmmm. How hard would it to just use a vw crossmember to accept the whole powertrain that way

[Bert]

I have often stood there scratching at the similarities of older VW rabbit diesels in the JYs. If they were (frame/engine/tranny/suspension and brakes) adaptable to Festys, without radical modification grief, a pre-electronic diesel swap would excite me considerably more than a hopped-up B6 or a B8.
Would also throw the gov't emissions testers for a complete loop too. They don't/can't seem to be able to test diesels.
If you pursue this further please keep us abreast of what's happening.

[Christ]

Terrible. The Festiva chassis doesn't have reinforcement in the proper areas to accept the crossmember, however, the transmission/engine mating area is in approximately the same location, so using some hybrid of the VW/Festiva mounts for that location isn't out of the question. (Using the Festiva's crossmember/lack thereof if you've done that mod).

The VW engine mounts from the left side as you're facing the front, down to the cross member. Probably wouldn't be too difficult to make a mount that bolted to the left side of the engine and wrapped around the front to use the OEM Festiva mount location on the right chassis rail.

The VW's shift linkage setup is ridiculous. Personally, I'd use a twin-cable shifter bolted to the floor and adjust the cables on the shift lever to adjust the throw. If you actually look past all the linkage garbage on the transmission, you find pretty quickly that the design is fairly basic... two arms, one pushes/pulls into/out of the trans casing, and one rotates left/right on top of the casing. Theoretically zero difficulty in setting up a cable shifter, except whatever it would take to make the cable routing guides on the transmission.

I'm also going to measure the rear axle beams when I go out tomorrow (weather permitting) and see if the mounts are close enough to being equal distances apart to swap the VW rear beam into the Festiva's mounts. (No real reason for this, except possibly the ability to have a "different" 4x100 swap, or a fairly simple rear disc swap (GTi))

[Christ]

When I send the rest of this chassis to the junkyard, I'm figuring on cutting the front half off it just to do stupid things like this with it. That way I can seriously check how things will fit together with relative ease.

[Bert]

How'd you get or give yourself the handle 'Christ'? I've envisioned Jumpin Geezus often enough, myself.

[getnpsi]

Ill answer for him if he's already asleep. Its really his name, pronounced Chris with a t at the end. With the manual brakes and now vw powerplant swap potential he's semi savior status as far as festivas are concerned

[Christ]

How'd you get or give yourself the handle 'Christ'? I've envisioned Jumpin Geezus often enough, myself.

Most of my "newish" friends (IRL) screw up and say it in the biblical sense. I've actually gotten so used to it that I don't even correct people anymore, nobody ever really seems to be offended by it, and I wouldn't care much anyway.

The /actual/ pronunciation is like the bassist from Nirvana, Krist Novoselic, so it's "Chris" with a soft "t" sound.

The reality of the name is that growing up, there were entirely too many Chris' where I lived (everywhere I lived) and I never liked the name "Topher" (even though some people call me that, as well, and you're welcome to if it's more comfortable for you), and using the entirety of my first name is just ridiculous (I only make people I don't like use the whole name "Christopher" when calling on me.), so the end result was using Christ. It wasn't until about 10 years old when I started studying religion in my spare time that I realized the similarity.

[getnpsi]

You ever sprain an ankle along the way? Christ on a crutch!

[blkfordsedan]

I just assumed you were a Capricorn who eats organic foods.

(free reps for anyone who knows where that reference comes from)

[Christ]

You ever sprain an ankle along the way? Christ on a crutch!

Actually, my left knee is pretty messed up right now, I can't put much direct pressure on it (kneeling, etc) from a stupid move while cutting a tree down.

I've actually had bar-goers ask me if I could walk on water. The usual response is "No, but I could sure walk on some beer...." which generally gets me a free drink or two.

A slightly more depraved Jesus joke that I encounter regularly is
"Water to wine?"
Nope... Horse piss to human piss. (I apologize if that's too graphic, feel free to remove/censor if necessary.)

[Christ]

Ok, I decided I'm gonna say screw the BP swap and work on this...

So the idea is that when I get rid of the chassis for the red Festiva, I'm going to keep the front clip for mock-up purposes, put some kind of stilts under it, and move it to a more usable area of the yard.

I'm gonna start out with getting the VW knuckles mounted, but this is going to be a VERY slow project... i.e. When I feel like doing something pointless, or between other jobs for the day.

When I get started on it, I'll take pics along the way and start a new thread to document it.

[getnpsi]

Sounds more than great that this is starting in spring not fall as I glance at members location

[Safety Guy]

Sounds good!

Karl

[Christ]

The only issue with working in winter is temp, because I have a semi-indoors location to work on it, and can heat it with an outdoor heater.

Funding is a bit of an issue, but I can work around it for the most part... there shouldnt' be too much that's cost-intensive other than ball joint sleeves and whatever set of axles/modification I need.

The only difference between MK1 and MK2 axles is the tube length, and my Golf's axles were junk, so I'll put the inners and outers in, then measure the distance once everything is in place to figure out if MK1 axles will work.

Anyone here have machining experience/access and feel like turning a set of bushings "for the cause"?

I'm not sure about the dimensions, but it would be the OD of the Festiva ball joint as ID, the ID of the VW knuckle as OD, and the length of the Festiva ball joint stub or slightly longer. I can get exact measurements if anyone's interested in making them for me.