New Guy on the forum...the official 3 chapter introduction!

[Mysticle31]

Hello! This is my introduction here with a few thoughts and wonders should anybody read these sort of things. I hope to go though this forum and learn much about your passions about and what you all are doing do your cars.

Just a background on me here, as this is my first post:

I'm Steve, Live in Folsom, California. I'm looking for my next project car. And I think I've decided on a Festiva. These seem to be neat tin cans!

I've been looking for a small car that:

Is a hatchback; their just very versatile, I can load it up!

Maneuvers well in traffic (I currently drive a LARGE 77 Ford)

Cheap to purchase

That you could swap the engine to get a good HP to weight and you don't have to buy some a crazy expensive new engine.(read: cheap or bang for buck) And of course said engine has tuning options and is durable since obviously you'd find one with a few miles on it. Rebuilds are fairly low cost if necessary..

Gets good gas mileage (even with a high powered swap)

Cheap to insure

Able to find bigger brakes and suspension components from other factory cars (although I'm still at this moment unsure of how well the Aspire brakes work on the festivas? And opinions? Any other options then the Aspire stuff?)

and isn't real flashy to attract any unwanted attention (theft, 1.5 mph over speeding tickets, girls )

Looks like a Festiva fits the bill! Unless anyone has any better options All wheel drive or rear wheel drive maybe
Safety wasn't on my list… How safe are these things? Simple roll cage should I build for mine? (less the beams to hit your head on of course..) Maybe nice seats to keep people (and their heads) from going out windows...

My Automotive past:

I've done a few engine swaps in my old cars..
MK2 VW Jetta VR6 (that thing ripped.. nice 6.. low 14s)
460 Ford in a 72 Ranchero (loved the gas...shredded tires)
MK1 VW GTI 16V (almost vr6 speed..)
I helped a guy do a v8 in an RX7.. man..tough drive trains and 25mph highway...(for a 375hp v8)!

and my first car was a Nissan Sentra that would just keep on going! It was an auto and I'd put it in first rev the snot out of it and shift to second and BAM it'd go.. Then it started doing that all the time.. slamming gears. But it kept on going!! Foolish days.

[Mysticle31]

This is the first time I've been on a forum that uses the spelling cow!! I need one of those.. I've been typing my stuff up in MS: Word!

[qaking]

Welcome!

[EVOGUN]

Yes, Festiva good project car. Be warned you will get fond of it though.

Thanks :wink:

[Gro Harlem]

umm....as for teh aspire brake swap, put it this way.

It stops so hard that if you are strapped into your seat, the welds on the seatbracket will eventually break. It happened on my car lol

[danwheeler]

Hey Steve,
welcome from a fellow newbie. I'm in the same boat hoping to start this fall/winter. Planning on a BP swap and Aspire brakes. I still haven't even been near a Festiva let alone drive one but it seems like the obvious choice for so many reasons. I do wish it was 4wd but oh well - only other thing I could think of was a Subaru Justy or I think Nissan made a little 4wd hatchback at one time.

dan

[Mysticle31]

I wonder if someone had a bad welding job on those seats

I drove a festiva yesterday.. fun car. Even stock! Surprisingly roomy in there!

[oxbrain]

It's amazing how well you can fit two adults into a festiva. The only thing is that you bump the passengers leg when you shift into 5th/reverse.

The festiva is a really fun car to drive.

[booster1976]

So far mine has bee fun to work on but I've only had it about a week

As far as upgrade engines go don't expect them to be cheap. I've been rebuilding/upgrading a B6T and the parts are astronomical.

Abe

[oxbrain]

it's also really hard to find the right parts, and junkyard owners tend to laugh when you ask for festiva parts.

[Mysticle31]

So, uh.. Hows the traction issues on such a short wheelbase car?

These can be made to handle well even with such a short wheelbase? The rear just follows the front around? Is the rear grip soo little that their nice on those e-brake turns and being a dumb-dumb and hitting the brakes around the corner spin outs (I had so much fun in my rabbit) . I've been reading people say 'they multiply like rabbits' always the first thing I think of, besides the intended meaning.

[Mysticle31]

Oh, yeah.. how many people have crashed their cars and lived to tell about it?

I read that the inside space of these cars holds it's shape ok for this size of car but the danger is that the driver hits his head on the driver window/frame.

[oxbrain]

that window is damn close for comfort, but I think my skull is tougher than it is, I'd be more worried about what is on the other side of the window.

[SooprmanX]

I got love for the VW's that you had! The Festiva's and the MK2 GTi's are very much alike. I have an MK2 GTI, had an MK3 GTI vr6 s/c'ed and I had an MK4 Jetta 24 vlave VR6. I am currently lokoing for another mk3 Vr6 to do stuff on.

Anyways, back on subject, baased on your criteria, I would say the Fetiva is the way to go.

[rotinaj13]

Oh, yeah.. how many people have crashed their cars and lived to tell about it?

I read that the inside space of these cars holds it's shape ok for this size of car but the danger is that the driver hits his head on the driver window/frame.

I have. rearended twice in a festiva. both from ppl going 35-40 and I was at a dead stop. And wrecked an aspire into a guard rail. and asd far as I can tell I am alive. as for the window tilt ur seat back and u will hit something different LOL