Resurrecting Casper

[TominMO]

Just going to start out with NA BP. I'm going to swap in a G15mr gearbox and move the engine forward a couple inches. At 108hp, it's right around where Pedro is, but Pedro is a full weight car with the engine in the stock location. This car should be considerably faster with a few hundred pounds shaved off and the heavier BP moved forward.
Once the chassis is dialed in, I'll begin my magic on that BP. I've got some tricks up my sleeve for engines like this.

How are you planning to shave a few hundred pounds? Rear seat (already gone), pass. seat, carpeting, spare tire, hatch glass and rear side glass replaced with plexi will only get you to -100 or so. Bumpers are obvious candidates to pull for a track-only car. Maybe pull the bumpers but make it look street-legal with bumper covers only, over a light support, if you are going to license it. Heater box is already gone too. Heater box and bumpers might be another 80 lbs. Maybe pull the dash? Obviously little stuff like horn and washer fluid reservoir (which I installed because it didn't have one), and other unnecessary under-hood stuff perhaps.

[Twistiva]

.... and here picks up the long and spooky tale of the white 90 festiva known as Casper.

Hey, what size tires do you have on Casper in this pix? 195-45-15s? Any spacers used?

[Advancedynamix]

How are you planning to shave a few hundred pounds? Rear seat (already gone), pass. seat, carpeting, spare tire, hatch glass and rear side glass replaced with plexi will only get you to -100 or so. Bumpers are obvious candidates to pull for a track-only car. Maybe pull the bumpers but make it look street-legal with bumper covers only, over a light support, if you are going to license it. Heater box is already gone too. Heater box and bumpers might be another 80 lbs. Maybe pull the dash? Obviously little stuff like horn and washer fluid reservoir (which I installed because it didn't have one), and other unnecessary under-hood stuff perhaps.

I meant a few hundred pounds shaved off compared to Pedro. Though Pedro has no back seat, it's not lighter than a stock Festiva. There is MDF paneling, sound deadening, an amp, sub box, and 4 other speakers in the back. Casper isn't even going to have the original floor in the back, no gas tank, no glass, no rear brakes, no fuel or brake lines to the rear (the fuel tank will be a 5 gallon cell in the passenger footwell.) There will be one Kevlar racing seat with no seat rails. Any bracket or panel in the car that is not used or structural will be cut out. This car will be an actual track car. My other builds have been street cars with some modifications made to improve performance, they have not been dedicated track cars (except the lemons race car, but that was built for a specific race, not for ultimate lap times.)
In AZ there is no inspection and very very little inforcement of any vehicle equipment or modification laws. You can pretty much drive a full blown race car on the street here. Casper won't be very practical for the street, but it will be registered and insured.

Hey, what size tires do you have on Casper in this pix? 195-45-15s? Any spacers used?

Those were 195 40 16, and have been tossed in the dumpster. They rubbed badly. I've got 165/40-16 tires on those wheels now.

It is important to consider that when I bought this car it was barely a roller. There are only a few loose bolts holding the suspension on the car. It was in no way drivable. The chassis of the car has been cut in critical places, and no reinforcement was installed. The fenders have been hacked up to fit those tires. If this car didn't have so much history, I would have considered it scrap. However, since I don't like cutting up solid and straight Festivas, and this car has a long history of autocross, this will make the perfect track car. It's not pretty up close. It's got lots of dents, holes and mismatched panels. When I'm done with it, it'll be a well sorted, and good looking little track weapon.

[Twistiva]

Thx for the info on your tires. I've bought a set of 195-45-15s but have not installed them yet because I need to do the Aspire swap due to the mounting pattern of the wheels I also bought. From various threads on here I found that 195-45-15s will fit, barely, WITHOUT having to roll the fenders. I know I will need spacers on the rears but have not yet determined what size. So much to do, so little time......

Good luck with the Casper rebuild. Any time a Festy is saved, that's a good thing! htd

[Advancedynamix]

You may still need to roll the fenders, depending on how low your car is and what your camber is set at. I had to roll and stretch mine a bit, just to fit 185mm tires.

[Twistiva]

You may still need to roll the fenders, depending on how low your car is and what your camber is set at. I had to roll and stretch mine a bit, just to fit 185mm tires.

Not going to drop the car at all. Bought 2 sets of wheels for my 88L and 88 LX: one set has a 32mm offset, I think the other set is 38mm offset? Still need to get parts for my 88L to accept an Aspire swap because the wheels are not the factory 4 x 100. Here's one of the threads that gives me hope all this should fit: http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/sh...-stock-springs

Won't hijack your thread any more. PM me if you want. I value the opinion of mega-experienced guys like you. Cheers!

[FestYboy]

No rear brakes for the track.... Might as well single wheel it in the back... Less weight and rolling resistance.

[Advancedynamix]

No rear brakes for the track.... Might as well single wheel it in the back... Less weight and rolling resistance.

The 3 wheel concept will be tested on a prototype chassis. It would be counterproductive to do it with a unibody car, especially a tall hatchback. This car will need it's rear wheels to keep pressure on the inside front while accelerating in corners.

[FestYboy]

Sorry, the sarcasm was lacking (i know you want all 4 corners). Though I can't say I would be too comfortable not having any rear bias... I've grown very comfortable with a squat in hard straight braking (more rear bias). I feel that it helps load the rear so it's ready for the turn in, but that's my experience in Scrappy.

[Advancedynamix]

I've had problems with oversteer. Eliminating the rear brakes allows me to brake later and harder without the rear end coming out. My fastest laps in both Pedro and Tweak have been with the rear brakes disabled.

[Fecomatter]

I've had problems with oversteer. Eliminating the rear brakes allows me to brake later and harder without the rear end coming out. My fastest laps in both Pedro and Tweak have been with the rear brakes disabled.

I guess SCitzz was onto something then lol

[Advancedynamix]

Yeah, actually, that's very true. Paul and I discussed this at Madness 6. Lol.

[Grey Vw]

Wow, you just keep pushing the Festiva to the next level. I hope to shamelessly copy some of your ideas ty1

[Festiver]

Wow, you just keep pushing the Festiva to the next level. I hope to shamelessly copy some of your ideas ty1

Don't feel bad we all do lol charlie is just an extremely fast pioneer of festivas like Louis and Clark if they had planes instead walking

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

[Advancedynamix]

Wow, you just keep pushing the Festiva to the next level. I hope to shamelessly copy some of your ideas ty1

Knowing you, you'll improve upon them. We've got to meet up at a track day soon. How far are you from Chuckwalla? I have been wanting to hit up that little track in Riverside too. There's always Fontana and Willow too. Or you could swing on over here for some cheap track days.