Accepting Entries For June FOTM

[Damkid]

Post up those entries!

[Advancedynamix]

Who is going to be the first FOTM for summer 2015?

[sc72]

Calling CharlieZ, I saw your car at a meet in St Louise a couple years back put on by Tomimmo and drdan, I liked it then and I think it's worthy of FOTM, so what do you say, post up some pic's and give us the back story on how you created your car.

[TWFodor]

^^I second that!

[frogman]

3X ^. Come on Charlie, before you have to drive it on a rainy day and have it rust out.:headbang:

[Turbo Turtle]

I agree. This is an awesome car and it sparked an unbelievable inspiration for my design.

[Advancedynamix]

That's an awesome theme. I have the perfect front shocks for that car.

[frogman]

I talked, on-line, with Charlie today. He has consented to searching through his files for build pictures and taking some new photos. I take that as a YES, I will submit my Festiva for competition in the June FTOM.
I'll be watching and waiting.

[CharlieZ]

Semper Fisetva

It was sitting on the back row of a “cheapies” used car lot. I have a soft spot for smaller and micro cars. I had owned a few in the past but no Festivas. It was a little rough and had a fair share of rust but I couldn't pass it up. I didn't know I wanted a Festiva. It started with a jump and ran pretty good. Bought the car in May of 2007 with 175K and change showing on the odometer.

Quite a bit of rust was evident here and there in all the familiar places It had been sitting the weeds where rain water had pool up around the rear brakes.

I didn't know about the Forum at the time and stumbled on to it when browsing for information on the little car.

I started by pecking away at the safety issues first. Exhaust system and tires were #1 on the list. The brake system was rebuilt. New calipers, pads springs & pins, rear shoes, pistons, and hardware. New brake lines too. The tranny support was resting on the front stabilizer bar! The front radiator support and was sorted out with a repair patch Rear suspension attach areas were rusted so strengthening repairs were made there too. The car could now be driven without worry.

I replaced the timing belt, disty cap & rotor, plugs, wires, and thermostat. The Festy actually ran pretty good.

I found that the tail light gaskets/seals were shot. Years of water had caused some rust through in the rear of the car below and around the light assemblies. Repair patches were cut formed and installed. I had a new set of seals laser cut out of 1/4” closed-cell black foam material.

I cleaned up the OEM AM/FM/Tape player and replaced the tiny bulb inside plus a general clean-up of the interior. Installed a couple new front speakers.

Next I tackled the cosmetic rust around the rear wheel areas, rocker panels, and floorboards. I even tried electrolysis to remove rust from the ends of the front fenders. Electrolysis worked pretty good on the rear brake drums and backing plates.

I was able to find rust free body pieces in the salvage yard. Any fabricated pieces like rocker panels and floor board were hand formed from the sides and backs of old file cabinets.

Had a new windshield installed.

I don't have a work-in garage. All my work including the subsequent paining was done in the yard or in the gravel parking area.

Finally in the spring of 2010 I decide to paint the car. I wanted it to be a bit different. A wave of nostalgia set in to help with the color selection, having served in the Marine Corps in the mid 50s I thought, Why not? I settled for DuPont Centari 5.0 SS Code K8256. That color and shade found on 1988 Ford cars was very close to the Federal Stock Number 34088 found on Marine Corps vehicles during and after Korea.

I had never painted a car nor had done body work. I gave it my best shot with a little coaching from the guys at the paint store. When your in your 70s there isn't a large “support group” of peers who have a Festiva interest. They're all busy playing golf and driving their Buicks or Mercury Marquis'.

I was looking for a lusterless or flat green - which was what the Centari was suppose to be. The paint store added flattener to the mix. Well it turned out not to be flat but a satin-like finish. Paint guys said it's all in the technique. Technique? I had none. After my initial disappointment, I actually like the satin finish better. After all it isn't a real Marine vehicle and it's easier to wash and wipe down.

Over a period of a week or so, I prepped and painted the car outside on mild clam days. I didn't paint the engine compartment or several other more difficult places. I just wanted it to look presentable as a driver. I did door jambs and tailgate edges by hand with flat black. It's easy to tell the car was Aqua when it was a baby.

The skin has a few “imperfections” that were better left alone. My attempts to get it right were futile. A couple blisters formed on the paint where I guess, some body filler had not gassed out completely before I rushed in with the spray gun.

That gun by the way was a Harbor Freight LPHV gun on sale for $15 bucks. I bought two. Painting the car was quite an experience. I won't do it again. I have deep admiration for those that do it.

Shortly after painting, the heater core started to leak. A new heater core was installed along with all new hoses. Whew! That was a job.

All the markings were done in vinyl graphics by a shop whose owner just happened to be a Marine veteran so, the cost was material only. And that wasn't much. The emblem of the door is the insignia of my old outfit, 7th Communications Battalion. The vehicle number is my service number.

I even toyed with the idea of a HUMVEE styled grill so I made one up out of wood to see how it looked. Didn't blend well the soft styling of the car and it was just not right for the effect.

Within the last year or so I installed the 7” round headlights using VW Cabriolet light buckets. No mods were made to the OEM headlight area or wire harness. I made short jumpers to mate the different connectors between the sealed beams and the Festiva harness connectors. The original headlight can be reinstalled at any time The new lights were out there looking unfinished, where the mounting hardware was exposed. Last month I fabricated surrounds or shields from 1/8” ABS plastic, formed with a Harbor Freight heat gun.

So here it is May 2015. The car still has the original B3 engine and original suspension. Recently I fitted 13 inch Mazda wheels with 155-80-13 tires. I had a plan to fabricate some truck-like center covers from lawnmower oil filters but while I was painting the wheels, I looked at one of the caps from a can of Rustoleum X2 rattle can. Darned if the cap isn't a nice firm fit on the center hole flange. I found 3 more caps, sanded off the instructions from the top surface, painted 'em and said to myself, “maybe a little hokey but it works for me.”

I took a lot of pictures as repairs progressed. Unfortunately too many were lost over the years when hard drives went belly up.

Eight years later, Semper Fisteva has about 198K on the odometer. (And so do I) I don't drive it much. I don't like it getting wet. Rust has a way of rearing its ugly head as the years go by.

CharlieZ












A few more pictures to add including the rejected HUMVEE look experiment.

[TominMO]

Great writeup and pics! By the power vested in me*, I order everyone to vote for your car.


* not all that much actually

[georgie vertical]

Thanks for the story! Car looks good! Looks like you did pretty decent on the rust repair. I may need a few tips or tricks when I find one

[clphipps79]

AWESOME WRITE UP!!! I know who I'm voting for

[1990new]

Great story Charlie... Seeing your car in the flesh and shaking hands with the person responsible for all that work, is one of the goals in the life of this septuagenarian.
You got my vote. I'm an Air Force vet buy my youngest son is a Marine vet...will that help my chances of reaching my goal?

[Twistiva]

Wow.

Just, wow!

You've got my vote, in spades! Well done, Sir, well done! :salute:

(BTW, what are the small symbols above the wheel wells? I'm assuming there were similar markings on your USMC vehicles?)

[sc72]

Hey CharlieZ, thank you for taking the time to do this write up and posting the Pictures, now the rest of the Festiva Nation knows what we in the Mid West have known for years, That is one fine car and finally Sir,

Thank you for your service.