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'89 Festiva build...

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  • '89 Festiva build...

    I'm not one to normally name my cars, and this ones no exception! Here's the back story...

    In 2009, I was looking for a cheap/interesting winter beater so I could get my SR20DET powered Nissan 240sx off the road. I found a Festiva that had been sitting in a chicken farm for three years. After four hours of cleaning, this was what I had





    I eventually sprayed it with rocker guard when I got tired of the white/rust





    After a year and a half of daily duty, I discovered it was too rusty to keep putting money into and the engine was smoking fairly badly, so I sold it. I don't know what it was about these little cars, but I missed it ever since.

    Five years later, my girlfriend of four years led me out to our shop with my eyes closed, and this is what was waiting...



    A one owner since new, Ford employee owned '89 Festiva L, complete with every piece of paperwork since the car was delivered May 2nd, 1990. To say I was blown away was an understatement. A quick trip to the car wash and this is the result.









    I daily drove it for a week then winterized it for storage until the spring, when the real fun will begin. After reading the advanced suspension modification thread probably a dozen times, I decided that an aspire brake swap with either Advanced suspension setup can most likely not be beat, though someone has now found that 94-99 VW Polo coil overs may bolt right in. I have three-four months to decide what I want to run, so I'm in no rush. Engine modifications will come after the suspension is completed.







    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    1990 Flat black Festiva...Mostly stock...

  • #2
    '89 Festiva build...

    First thing I did was order a spoiler from another forum member. It's not here yet, but will be getting painted and installed come spring when the car goes to the body shop to have all the dings/dents removed and some minor rear wheel arch rust repaired



    And then the search for the perfect wheels started. I know I wanted to go with 13's, despite tires being hard to get, it's just the look I wanted. eBay didn't turn up much in my price range, and most of the cool stuff was 4x114.3, which wouldn't work because I planned on running Aspire brakes. After I week, I was randomly browsing Kijiji on break at work and came across these...



    There were similar mesh wheels on eBay, and I loved them, but they were either too much or the wrong bolt pattern. I pulled the trigger and made the hour drive to pick up the Exim's last night. 13x6, ET13, currently wearing 185/70r13's...





    These are exactly what I wanted, and I'm very happy! Now to find tires and aspire parts, as these are 4x100...


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    Last edited by Zman86; 12-05-2015, 06:34 PM.
    1990 Flat black Festiva...Mostly stock...

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    • #3
      Love the wheels

      Sent from my LG-H631 using Tapatalk

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      • #4
        Dismounted the tires and cleaned the Exims today. It is obvious the previous owner never cleaned them.



        After some Spray Nine and elbow grease



        All done, they are in need of refinishing, but that is not in the budget this year, so that will be next winters project




        Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
        1990 Flat black Festiva...Mostly stock...

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        • #5
          Awesome car! Those wheels were a great find too! I have some very similar BBS baskets.
          Driving for me is neither a right nor a privilege. Driving is my passion, as it was for the people who invented the automobile, the people who paved the first roads and the people who continue to improve the automobile. Please respect this passion.

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          • #6
            If you get a chance could you snap a pic or two of the center caps? I'd like to find a set of them for mine.
            Better Than Nothing Racing

            Way too many cars

            :woc:

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            • #7
              Nice find on the wheels. I really like the gold on the silver car. I'm off to look for gold wheels now.

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              • #8
                I'll post some centre cap pictures when I get home


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                1990 Flat black Festiva...Mostly stock...

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                • #9
                  My new spoiler arrived from a fellow forum member today!





                  And the Exim centre caps










                  Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
                  1990 Flat black Festiva...Mostly stock...

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                  • #10
                    Sweet thank you
                    Better Than Nothing Racing

                    Way too many cars

                    :woc:

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                    • #11
                      Made the 10 hour round trip to Jim's house in Michigan to pick up my aspire swap. Next on the list is tearing it all apart for powder coating









                      We used my girlfriends 770,000km Volvo 240 wagon for this trip, as its auto so we could split the driving! Gas in Michigan is half the cost of gas in Ontario, which was great as this thing loves fuel!






                      Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
                      1990 Flat black Festiva...Mostly stock...

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                      • #12
                        I had a volvo S70 for a bit and I loved that care, I also had a 5 speed in mine.
                        (Formerly SCENE_STIVA)
                        1988 Ford Festiva- Totaled
                        1992 Mercury Capri XR2 Turbo-Sold
                        2001 Ford Focus ZX3- SOLD
                        2016 Ford Focus SE 1.0 Ecoboost- Current



                        GIFSoup

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                        • #13
                          I acquired a set of MK1 rear coilovers, like what will come in the Polo kit. I don't think they will work nearly as well as the KYB/sleeves type that I've been using. There are several reasons why I say this.
                          1. They are wider on the bottom than the KYB excel G shocks. This will cause binding issues unless you do some grinding on the beam.
                          2. The 60mm springs that they come with are wider than the 1 7/8 springs that I use on the KYB shocks. This may cause tire clearance issues.
                          3. The springs are too stiff, so you'd need to order softer springs and it isn't easy to find 120lb 60mm springs. The 2 9/16 springs from southwest speed will work, but be even wider and heavier than the 60mm springs with the kit.
                          3. They are significantly heavier. Weight in the rear of a Festiva is very bad. The heavier the rear is, the more the car wants to spin in circles during high speed corners.

                          I will attempt to put these on a car to verify all this and get pictures.
                          Driving for me is neither a right nor a privilege. Driving is my passion, as it was for the people who invented the automobile, the people who paved the first roads and the people who continue to improve the automobile. Please respect this passion.

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                          • #14
                            Zman, I hope you didn't stop for a drink of tap water in Flint.
                            Next time let me know. I would have split the gas and driving.
                            I also have tokens for the Blue Water Bridge!
                            Last edited by bravekozak; 02-02-2016, 09:34 PM.

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                            • #15
                              I almost bought this car until I got into an accident this summer. Glad to see its still in Ontario. Aspires are so hard to find here. I think I'm gunna do the same and cross over the river to Michigan for parts.
                              90 Festiva L Auto - Parts
                              93 Festiva L 5 speed
                              93 Festiva LX 5 speed

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