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Howdy folks! I've been lurking here for a little while and figured I may as well share my story. (My Festiva story, that is)
Well, it all started a few weeks ago, my friend and I were bored and wanted something to do, when we remembered hearing that Surge soda was back on store shelves. Since we didn't have anything else better to do, we took off in my '96 Bronco to hit up a few convenience stores in search for that nostalgic beverage. At the fourth stop, we had finally found what we were looking for, and were heading down a backroad on the way home when I spotted a sad looking Festiva with a for sale sign on it.
I had been thinking about picking up an older economy car, since the Bronco is horrible on fuel, so I jotted down the guys number, hopped on the internet, and did some research. I had fallen in love with the platform overnight, and the next day, I was back at the Festiva, looking at every nook and cranny. Boy was the car in sad shape... Rear wheel bearings were shot, oil covered the entire engine bay and underside of the car, steering rack had over an inch of play, interior was dirty and the seats were torn, tires had zero tread left, etc.
But it had two major redeeming factors. 1: It was 100% rust free, from top to bottom, inside to out. And 2: It had working A/C. (It's Florida, give me a break)
So, $550 later, it was mine.
Well, that was the first part of the journey...
After it was in my possession, I looked it over with a fine tooth comb, and began ordering parts like mad.
Replaced the rear wheel bearings, steering rack, inner and outer tire rods, new tires, and took it for a drive. Right away I noticed something wasn't quite right. Pulled it back into the driveway, yanked the spark plugs, and ran a compression test on it. 60psi-120psi-0psi-120psi.
Most people would eat their losses at that point. Maybe engine swap, or part out the chassis? Not me, for the time being, I want to keep the car as close to stock as possible, so, out came the little B3:
She's been leaking for quite a while...
Tomorrow will begin the teardown of the B3. I've got all the rebuild parts in, minus my clutch, that should be here on Tuesday. This isn't my first engine rebuild, but it is my first time doing it in the backyard, I'm sure that fact won't make things any easier. Thankfully, the B3 is a wonderfully simple engine to work on...
Well, it all started a few weeks ago, my friend and I were bored and wanted something to do, when we remembered hearing that Surge soda was back on store shelves. Since we didn't have anything else better to do, we took off in my '96 Bronco to hit up a few convenience stores in search for that nostalgic beverage. At the fourth stop, we had finally found what we were looking for, and were heading down a backroad on the way home when I spotted a sad looking Festiva with a for sale sign on it.
I had been thinking about picking up an older economy car, since the Bronco is horrible on fuel, so I jotted down the guys number, hopped on the internet, and did some research. I had fallen in love with the platform overnight, and the next day, I was back at the Festiva, looking at every nook and cranny. Boy was the car in sad shape... Rear wheel bearings were shot, oil covered the entire engine bay and underside of the car, steering rack had over an inch of play, interior was dirty and the seats were torn, tires had zero tread left, etc.
But it had two major redeeming factors. 1: It was 100% rust free, from top to bottom, inside to out. And 2: It had working A/C. (It's Florida, give me a break)
So, $550 later, it was mine.
Well, that was the first part of the journey...
After it was in my possession, I looked it over with a fine tooth comb, and began ordering parts like mad.
Replaced the rear wheel bearings, steering rack, inner and outer tire rods, new tires, and took it for a drive. Right away I noticed something wasn't quite right. Pulled it back into the driveway, yanked the spark plugs, and ran a compression test on it. 60psi-120psi-0psi-120psi.
Most people would eat their losses at that point. Maybe engine swap, or part out the chassis? Not me, for the time being, I want to keep the car as close to stock as possible, so, out came the little B3:
She's been leaking for quite a while...
Tomorrow will begin the teardown of the B3. I've got all the rebuild parts in, minus my clutch, that should be here on Tuesday. This isn't my first engine rebuild, but it is my first time doing it in the backyard, I'm sure that fact won't make things any easier. Thankfully, the B3 is a wonderfully simple engine to work on...
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