Festiva Convertible

[milehighbear]

Ok, here's my question, i was thinking of cutting the top off the Festiva. As you can see, i have already cut back off. Now, i know it's a uni-body and the cab is probably support beam for car. Would it be possible to weld a piece of steel between the two points on each side and make it strong enough so it doesn't fold in the middle. Then i was thinking about manufactoring a top that folds down or folds into the bed in back. Has anyone ever tried this. I dont want to ruin a perfectly good car if its not possible.

[lanemeyer14]

Have you seen this?

http://www.fordfestiva.com/gallery/image5.htm

[milehighbear]

no i hadn't, but thats not what i want to do. I already have the back cut off as you can see. I want to cut the rest of the top off just behind the windshield. I may have to weld a couple bars into the windshield frame for support or possibly get a jeep window since its shorter. My main thing is the uni-body folding. I may also have to re-do the doors because of window frame, but all that is imaterial if body won't fold. I can't tell if the whole top is cut out of the one in the picture.

[lanemeyer14]

I don't think the whole top is cut out but I'm not really sure. Just thought I'd link that to you since it was similar to what you were talking about
Edit: Looking at the pic again I'm pretty sure the front part isn't cut because it looks to have a sunroof

[festivaWES]

I had one cut off just behind the windshield before i scrapped it. Personally i wouldn't do it. The sides won't fold in, you can brace it to improve the overall unibody structure but it won't be the same as a stock car.

[milehighbear]

I appreciate that too. Sorry, didn't mean to snap at you lanemeyer14, lol

[lanemeyer14]

I appreciate that too. Sorry, didn't mean to snap at you lanemeyer14, lol

Haha, it's cool!

[milehighbear]

I have my other 93GL and i'm going to fix it up and not do any cutting on it. Just thought it might be cool to have a festiva convertible for the summer and drive my other one in winter. Course i'd have to get me a nice hat and a maybe a scarf around the neck, a pipe, you know the type, lol

[JPT]

There was a guy in my hometown who had a home made convertible. He cut the top off of a Plymouth Valiant. It was cool when he first did it, but a month later you could see the car starting to sag in the middle. After two months, the doors wouldn't open anymore, but he just climbed over. After a couple of months more, the car started driving kind of strange. Last time anyone saw it, the car had sort of a "curved" look. Last I heard of it was when a friend told me that he saw it in the middle of the road. The drive shaft had fallen out of it.

[batstiva]

You mean like this, milehigh?

Wish I had a bigger pic, but all my good pics got trashed when my computer crashed a couple of years ago.

[milehighbear]

yea, like that. How did they or you strengthen the frame.

[batstiva]

I wish I knew. That car used to have a site on the Festiva Webring, but it's been gone for quite a while. The guy did a very brief how to. That car was actually a hard top convertible. I emailed him while the site was still up asking for a more detailed how to. Was going to post it on here if anybody was interested. But he never answered.

[Ogrekhan]

If you could get a look at 1 of those metro convertables they are similar size and unibody. Might give you some insights.. better yet if you could find 1 in a jy the top parts might work for ya. Just an idea.. I know theres 1 in a small town near here been sitting over a yr.

[batstiva]

I think I copied all his pics and his short write up on one of my old Win 95 or 98 computers. Have to go check the storage unit and see if I still have that one.

[milehighbear]

ty guys, appreciate the info