Accepting Entries For January FOTM

[Damkid]

Remember being a new year, any and all entries are welcome even from previous winners!!

[freshtiva]

Im going to enter Festdiva. Ive entered it before but it never wins, but what the hey, no one else has entered. Ill do the write up later, it will be a long one.

Here is a recent photo shoot.

http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32527

[freshtiva]

^ One pic at least , sorry for lack of follow up guys, have family things going on. I will complete the entry.

[kumalaba]

^

got my vote that baby is super clean!

[Damkid]

Marcus - once you do a follow up i'll combine your posts for one entry

[freshtiva]

Festdiva:

Here is my write up on Festdiva adapted from a past FOTM Entry:

I bought “Festdiva” March 2006 shortly after I joined this forum. I’ve probably sunk over $3500 in this car. I’ve just now put 5,000 trouble free miles on it this summer (2007) so hopefully the pay off begins. Ive put a lot of work into this car but it’s now performing like a true festiva. I bought Festdiva mainly because it was low mileage, a GL, and has an excellent body and interior. If it wasn’t for those things I would have never invested so much in it. I like to keep track of the things I do to my cars for myself and future owner( heaven forbid). Below is notes I made for record keeping purpose.

Up to April 2006:

Bought the 1993GL with 115,446 miles on it. Soon found out it had a cracked head or block. Since it had a newer head on it, I figured someone had already tried changing the head so I assumed the block was cracked. (Later found it was the head }When I bought it there was no thermostat in it, the cooling fan was unhooked and the temperature gauge didn’t work. I hooked up fan and bought both a fan switch and a temp sending unit this got the fan and the temperature gauge working. Bought a new thermostat and radiator cap also but if car was started with thermostat in it would blow coolant out of the radiator if cap was off and out the overflow bottle with cap on. Definitely engine compression in cooling system. Posted a want add for replacement engine at Ford Festiva dot Com and found one in Minnesota from member IdealSociety with 124,000 on it ( see prints out of that posting on engine). Got the engine changed out.

Did the following to the car and motor during engine swap:

1. Replaced the original instrument cluster with a cluster with a factory tachometer, The new cluster had 118,454 miles on it so true car mileage is 3008 miles less then what is indicated.. True engine mileage is 5,546 more then indicated.
2. Replace rear wheel bearings and grease seals, and a grease cap that was missing.
3. Put in a deluxe dome light combo with map lights.
4. Took out new thermostat, new radiator cap, new temperature sending unit, and new cooling fan switch from old engine and put on replacement engine.
5. Replaced oil pan gasket on replacement engine, replaced valve cover gasket on replacement engine. Also put new water pump and timing belt on replacement engine.
6. Drained trans-axle fluid and replaced
7. Flush out radiator, heater core, and entire cooling system, added new antifreeze.
8 degrease engine compartment which was oily from old motor.
9. Waxed car and factory aluminum wheels and shampooed carpet and interior.
10 bought a jack, jack handle and lug wrench and t- bolt which holds jack as these items were missing from car when purchased
11 replaced intake manifold gasket
12 changed oil and filter
13. Cleaned engine bay
14. Adjusted rear hatch latch to stop squeaking

I have driven the car about 100 miles since engine swap and everything works fine no leaks runs good.

Cost breakdown as follows ( see receipts)

Original purchase price $900.00
Replacement motor $100.00
Gas to pick up motor $168.00 ( 713 miles round trip in van )
(Fluids) oil, trans, coolant $17.00
Thermostat gasket $1.00
Wheel bearing and seals $57.00
Rad cap and thermostat $15.00
Coolant sensor $17.00
Temperature switch $35.00
Wax and polish ,degreaser $20.00
Manifold gasket and filter $11.00
Engine paint $6.00
Valve cover and oil pan
Gasket $33.00
Water pump and timing
Belt $55.00
Labor help with motor swap $100.00
Factory tach and dome lgt $75.00
Grease cap $3.00
Jack handle jack, lug wrench $25.00

Total $1638

The half shaft looked as if they had been replaced, boots still in good shape. Tie rod end ok, but control arms need to be replaced.




Upgrades and Improvements since April 2006
( not in order )

1.Discovered the rear torsion beam was bent Bought parts car for parts and replace rear torsion beam.
2. Replaced front and rear struts and boots
3. Repair frozen e-brake cable
4. New brakes front and back
5. Replaced control arms and outer tie rod ends
6. Put factory alloys on Redford and bought new white 12” hubcaps I like the white on white look better then the silver alloys.
7. Added NOS factory rear hatch spoiler.
8. Added factory cargo cover and complete cover hardware ( very nice cover)
9, Added factory cargo light and factory grounded hatch latch.
10. Added rare factory orange clock and bezel
11. Added equally rare orange factory fog light switch. ( no fog lamps yet )
12. Repaired factory A/C ( the holes in the block where the a/c bracket mounts on the replacement engine did not have any good thread so I had to retap them. A separate nightmare on its own. I finally prevailed and it now has cold air.
13. Replaced oil pan gasket
14. Successfully Replaced oil pan gasket
15. Added factory LX console, boot, retainer
16. Added NOS factory shifter knob
17. Replaced factory dual manual mirrors with 1990 LX power mirror and switch
18. Purchased factory rear window with defrost and switch
19 Added factory intermittent wiper module
20. Complete change over from white to orange instrumentation including Tach cluster, combination switch, radio, lighter, clock, defrost switch, rear wiper switch, fog light switch, interior dimmer switch, power mirror switch, heater a/c controls.
21. Removed after market radio/stereo and install factory unit ( like to find one with cassette.)
22. Replaced cracked left rear tail light lens
23 Replaced all four tires and got computer four wheel alignment
24. Replaced right rear spindle
25. Replaced both axle seals ( one was leaking )
26. Replaced exhaust from cat back last month
27. Added NOS factory hockey stick stripe kit
28. Removed door panels lubed window inners and replace weather stripping on driver side window
29. Replaced several minor misc interior parts when parts car yielded a better replacement
30. Bought new battery.
31. Upgraded to dome light with map lights
32. Added factory mud flaps
33. Bought new Ford floor mats.
34. Installed new fan motor
35. Added NOS festiva GL decal ( it had none )
36. Added 1.3 L decals
37. Added FordFestiva.Com decal
38. Bought on ebay original owners manual with the blue cover and full paper work on sound system, tires, etc.
39. Replace noisy blower motor
40. Finally resolved persistent high idle and surging problem
41. Many other minor things to numerous to mention
42. Added chrome window and door handle trim

6/6/08
In the past month I have done the following to Festdiva. Recharged A/C unit, flush out brake fluid and replaced. Put new tires on it. A belt shifted on the goodyears that were on it so I replaced all the tires. Festdiva will be getting one of the sets of 13 inch wheels Im working on currently.
Present
Haven’t done much to the car lately. It doesn’t need anything. I just drive it and do regular maintenance on it . It is a nice driving festiva. A minor squeak and a rattle or two on rough terrain but quiet on the highway.
　

[Maxtiva]

Nice entry Marcus !!!

[Damkid]

I am still in aww at just how well maintained your festivas are!!

[Damkid]

Only a couple more days til voting time and we still need another entry for there to actually be a vote

[mattman]

i know the FESTANK isnt any compitition for FESTDIVA but look at her this way for all the beauty that is FESTDIVA and its truly a beautiful car that has the showroom new look ( love it ) FESTANK is the opposite a car only a truly demented an edjamakedly challenged NC mountain man could love ( originally i come from WV ) an investmant of a grand she runs well gave me 49 mpg on the almost 300 mile trip home reaching earthshattering speeds of 70 mph she has the ability to blend into her surroundings and is clearly invisivble to law enforcement armed with what once kept the heat in on sunday burgers for a turret an a healthy pvc barrelled cannon she stands ready to defend against attacks on our soil ( see where military cutbacks go ...lol ) an in this pic of her she stands gaurd at the Battleship North Carolina ..ah yes i can hear gas guzzling big blocks quiver in fear at the site of the mighty FESTANK ,,( ok you guys can stop laughing now...no really you can )

[mattman]

no really you can stop laughing now ...lol

[stdsmt22]

that thing is awesome...it's a battle between beauty and braun.

[batstiva]

no really you can stop laughing now ...lol

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahaha
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahaha!!!

Think I'm done.

Nope, ha ha!!

Now I'm done.







Just kidding, of course.