Frito Festiva--Ben's '93 GL (LX Clone) Build Thread

[bolokid]

Very, very nice. When will the wiper switch be installed?

[ThisVelologist]

Very, very nice.

Thanks, Bob.

[ThisVelologist]

Wow! It's been a while. I guess it's time to update this here thread. Let's see...where were we? Next came the installation of intermittent wipers graciously donated to me by my brother as well as a Honda Civic short shifter.

Then, after adding a lot of the traditional goodies, it came time to properly christen Frito as an LX with the earlier chrome badging.

Next, I made a new Photoshop of my next stage of exterior mods which included a roof rack and wind fairing, clear "bump" corner lights, yellow driving lights in the bumper, and relocation of the factory turn signals.

First to arrive was the replacement LED turn signal lights strips which were to go under the "eyebrow" trim. ($12 on Amazon https://goo.gl/0btyxw)

Next was what I would be using as driving lights. After measuring the turn signal hole in the bumper support, I found that old style 4651 sealed beams were a near perfect fit after trimming the bumper cover. I found these on RockAuto for around $4 after searching for the high beam lights for a 1984 Lincoln Continental.

I then applied yellow headlight tint to give them that maximum Euro foglight look:

It was then time to disassemble the front end and use this opportunity to repaint the chipped "eyebrow trim".


So, I wired the turn signals to know alternate between the LED strips and the bump on the FourGreen clear corners (the inner bulb still functions as a parking light). Here is the view with the signal on, as well as the parking light and headlights:

And the full light show:

[Advancedynamix]

Nice! Let's see a daylight photo. How close does it match the Photoshop rendition?

[ThisVelologist]

Nice! Let's see a daylight photo. How close does it match the Photoshop rendition?

Thanks! All in good time, my friend.

[AidanG]

Where did you get the wind fairing? It looks very classic I like the look of it

[ThisVelologist]

Here is a little before/after of the front end and light mods. The goal was to try and make it more in the style of 80's Euro Rally, and I am quite pleased with the results:


New tires time! I chose the Achillies 122's to suit my 13x6 Enkeis. They are 175/60R13, match the factory diameter and were only $190 with free shipping on eBay (https://goo.gl/MSy4DH). I couldn't be more pleased. They are quiet and having a surprising amount of grip!

To preserve the the car's rust free status and to enhance its monochromatic look, I then painted the pinch welds and rockers with Rust Reformer which I got at Harbor Freight for cheap:



After a visit to Fecomatter, Frito came home with a fresh buff and wax. It's always incredible how well these cars shine after a good detail. I also replaced the round Ford logo for the more retro block letters logo which I found on eBay (https://goo.gl/pTHU2U):


I ordered a SportRack crossbar set from Amazon for half of what some systems cost. It said it would fit a Festiva and they were right. It's a very tight fit with good quality materials (https://goo.gl/JYgcQj):


The wind fairing, too, was a cheap Amazon purchase (https://goo.gl/PCefj2). I added a OEM Pride decal that I ordered from Fourgreen. Here is the finished project compared to my earlier Photoshop:

[ThisVelologist]

Thanks! I found it on Amazon, $30 https://goo.gl/PCefj2

[Advancedynamix]

It looks better than expected! Good work!

[Shin Hayata]

I ordered a SportRack crossbar set from Amazon for half of what some systems cost. It said it would fit a Festiva and they were right. It's a very tight fit with good quality materials (https://goo.gl/JYgcQj):

Very nice.

Per the SportRack site, model SR1003 is the system compatible with the Festiva. Is that the same model as your purchase? Also, what's your opinion of the front door and rear window sealing with the rack's "feet" secured in place? Any leaking is a deal breaker for me, so I was curious to know if you've tested the installed rack in the wet. Thanks.

[Twistiva]

Enjoyed the write up and looks like a great car. In the future if you ever need to remove pinstiping, go to your local auto paint store and get a decal eraser wheel. You stick it in a drill and it takes the pinstripe or any decals off fast without any damage as long as the car was painted correctly.

Looked up a "decal eraser wheel" on YouTube. Very cool!

Good luck on Frito! :thumbs_up:

[ThisVelologist]

Very nice.

Per the SportRack site, model SR1003 is the system compatible with the Festiva. Is that the same model as your purchase? Also, what's your opinion of the front door and rear window sealing with the rack's "feet" secured in place? Any leaking is a deal breaker for me, so I was curious to know if you've tested the installed rack in the wet. Thanks.

I did buy the SR1003. The feet barely touch the seals and just grip the very edge of the gutter. The hauled my massive cargo topper for 9,000 miles with no issues, and I have never noticed any leaks with months of use.

[ThisVelologist]

Looked up a "decal eraser wheel" on YouTube. Very cool!

Good luck on Frito! :thumbs_up:

I've got one for my next project!

[wwwdotgov]

Looking good!

[ThisVelologist]

Looking good!

Thanks!