'91 Festiva, fun daily build

[parrainx]

April & March rolled around:

I will bundle these two months together.... cause I feel like it .

- Installed new black carpet (very looks! much good! *ruff ruff*)

http://i.imgur.com/dGNDa7z.jpg

- Removed automatic seatbelts (I liked them, but they looked nasty and did not match my black interior).

Replaced them with universal 3 point in black up front and universal 2 point in the back. Everything was bolted to factory locations. I was unable to find any Festivas with 3 point factory belts to see what kind of trim panels they used, so I ended up modifying the A-B pillars to make the 3 point work. Wasn't very hard and probably saved few pounds, if you're into that sort of thing.

http://i.imgur.com/YOAUe96.jpg

- Taillights were letting some water into the cabin, so I had it addressed prior new carpet installation. Replaced worn weather seals with some thick window weatherstrip from local race shop, maybe you heard? Home Depot.

http://i.imgur.com/lg5uve9.jpg

- Upgraded ancient fusible links to PAL fuses. Another nice quick plug-and-play upgrade.

http://i.imgur.com/e3tk6g0.jpg

- Replaced weathered, old, wrong colored windlace (rubber around the edge of door opening, that's the name?), got universal black one, I think 20 feet was enough to do both doors. $45 on eBay. I think it was listed for first gen Mustang, sold in foot increments.


- Did a quick buff job on the paint, wax on wax off.

http://i.imgur.com/qs23g6t.jpg

[parrainx]

Messed around with stickers:

http://i.imgur.com/kB5i6f3.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/GNUiwMp.jpg

They were removed soon after.

[parrainx]

Since photobucket messed up the rest of the photos in this thread. I'm reposting some of the more significant ones.

http://i.imgur.com/2CnpEe3.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/XReEDnH.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/pdIYDZC.jpg

And some eye candy:

http://i.imgur.com/qQCb8D1.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ICPP5Cl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/5fMGL0t.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/zVJhOeL.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/IPmn43u.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/HNTOik8.jpg

[parrainx]

Other than the Festiva, I've been busy at work on my other projects.

Back in February I swapped my M45 supercharger setup for a GT2560R.

http://i.imgur.com/VY1UNPh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/x7ISDvh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/YbYgEwi.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/jIgfQZK.jpg

June/July was spend working on my '65 Valiant that has been stored since summer '13.

http://i.imgur.com/QjDRCqB.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/J1a99Mw.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/YLvaxhR.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/dcbU5KX.png

http://i.imgur.com/X2CYi2a.png

[parrainx]

I've been busy trying to get all of these things done before my 2nd little one arrives in December.

At this point I'm done with the Festiva. Since I don't like to have my cars parked and I don't really have good storage with easy access for me to rotate what I drive. Having just bought another car for my wife (minivan); I now have another daily to use as a commuter, that's more sensible and safer to drive my kid(s) around in. I've contemplated letting the Festiva go :O . But how could I?! I let one go before, why in the world I would do it again?! After all the time I've spent making it what I always wanted it to be?! If I get rid of it I would never do another one like that! *Smacks own face.*

Anyway, I figured out the perfect solution. I'm going to let my very good friend look after it and when the time is right I will take it back. So, the car is currently in Los Angeles being enjoyed. He is a designer/fabricator that will do some front end upgrades to it such as fender braces and core support. He may even make sets for those interested (via group buy or something) if the pricing makes sense for everyone involved. He plans to Autocross it as well.

I believe people get together in San Diego area for an annual meet? Maybe I can make it there one of these days; however, since I have a new job my schedule is not as flexible.

[xXxEpicxXx]

do you have a picture of your rig for seat mounting i was talking with my buddy last night and i think those seats are what i want to install

[parrainx]

do you have a picture of your rig for seat mounting i was talking with my buddy last night and i think those seats are what i want to install

- removed bottom stock mounts (they just slide out after drilling out a tab
- steel bars across, leveled, bolted on (i don't have a welder)
- stock miata sliders shortened at front and back (basically cut off the stock bolt holes)
- drilled new holes to locate the stock miata sliders onto the steel bars
- seats are at factory height

http://i.imgur.com/fIm1qJq.jpg

[xXxEpicxXx]

sweet thank you !!

[ryanprins13]

I've been busy trying to get all of these things done before my 2nd little one arrives in December.

At this point I'm done with the Festiva. Since I don't like to have my cars parked and I don't really have good storage with easy access for me to rotate what I drive. Having just bought another car for my wife (minivan); I now have another daily to use as a commuter, that's more sensible and safer to drive my kid(s) around in. I've contemplated letting the Festiva go :O . But how could I?! I let one go before, why in the world I would do it again?! After all the time I've spent making it what I always wanted it to be?! If I get rid of it I would never do another one like that! *Smacks own face.*

Anyway, I figured out the perfect solution. I'm going to let my very good friend look after it and when the time is right I will take it back. So, the car is currently in Los Angeles being enjoyed. He is a designer/fabricator that will do some front end upgrades to it such as fender braces and core support. He may even make sets for those interested (via group buy or something) if the pricing makes sense for everyone involved. He plans to Autocross it as well.

I believe people get together in San Diego area for an annual meet? Maybe I can make it there one of these days; however, since I have a new job my schedule is not as flexible.

Woah! You have done a ton of work, wow! But it looks like you have hardly gotten to drive your festiva! Seems a huge shame to not drive it after all that work.
You'll obviously do what works best for you and it sounds like you have already decided, but i have 2 kids as well, 4 and 2.5yrs old so i thought i would let you know what works for us.
The carseats are in my wifes car and i have a backup vehicle for her parked at the back of the yard in case something happened to hers. I daily drive my festiva. Its rarely worth taking the carseats out of her car and putting them into mine. If we go somewhere as a family we take her car 99% of the time. With 1 kid we switched the carseats all the time but with 2 kids its just not worth it. Its only once a month or less that ill put the carseats in the festiva and we will go somewhere for fun, never because we have to switch them.

Thats what we do, as an aside i dont see the festiva as being really less safe. Ive been meaning to write about why for a while but havent had the time.
Just as another point or fyi- the carseat quality itself, how well you installed it and how well the kid is strapped in makes just as much difference as the vehicle. That may seem like a stupid statement but if you have a moderate crash in a minivan and your kid comes out of the carseat or slams into the back of the seat when rear facing or your seat breaks off and crushes your kid (honda odessy) your better off in a worse crash with a festiva with a good carseat...

I spent more on carseats than i paid for my first festiva and it may seem dumb to spent $400-$600 on one carseat but how most of them are built-even many of the high dollar ones is really disgusting with what we know and the technology available now or even 15 years ago for that matter....

But ill shut up about that, i like your festiva and what youve done, hope you get a chance to enjoy all your hard work! I especially like your front bumper. Did you keep the front rebar or get rid of it?

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