Looking to buy a festiva need advise

[91blufestiva]

That second one can't be a 1990, it has to be a 88-89 with all of it's features it has.

[Festiva_tunner]

Here is an old Article that I saved from the old Forum:

Where to buy a Festiva?

There are several options available, each with advantages and disadvantages:

New Car Dealership (Used Auto Sales)

Festivas may be found at a new car dealership, primary a result of being used as a trade-in.

Advantages:

• Condition: Usually, Festivas sold at a new car dealership tend to be in slightly better than average mechanical condition. When sold from a Ford dealership, you can expect perhaps better attention to pre-servicing. Now, of course this is hardly a excuse not to verify the car out yourself. Play it safe!
• Title Issues: Festivas sold here should have no problem with a clean title. If they did not, then of course that would mean you have a right to pursue legal action, a phrase that new car dealerships dont take lightly.
• Legal Recourse Options: Just in case you were made a guarantee by the dealer as to your Festy's condition. It is important to note that the white disclosure form is the final authority and when "as-is" is checked, you are purchasing the vehicle with acceptance of it's mechanical condition, whether you truly know about it or not (It is usually the case that no warranty is offered),
• Financing: Might be possible for longer term financing, but given the price value..I don't know
• Licensed: They will be around.

Disadvantages:

• Costs: Likely you will pay a premium price for a Festiva by going this route, whether by buying outright or by financing (financing through your own moneylender is usually the way to get lower rates). Keep in mind though, the lot cost is already going to be high to start with, then add to that finance charges. In the end your $2,500-$3,000 nice Festiva may end costing anywhere from $4500 on up by the time it's paid off (definitely not acceptable for many and utterly ridiculous in my opinion). Watch for the typical price changes that are slipped in during the deal (funny how the customer is held to their word, but the salespeople shirk the question if they can agree to a price ("Uh, I'll check with the manger and get back with you")
• Dealing with salespeople: A well trained salesperson can eat a unwary car buyer alive, regardless whether youre in there to buy new or used. Most people enter a lot unprepared, on impulse (particularly when they are looking for a "special" car ..hint hint). Coming into negotiations with a story of desperation and strong desire("I REALLY want this car") lets the salesperson know that its possible (and likely) to go the extra length to make a deal swing towards their favor. Always be neutral. Their goal is precise and to the point, sell you a car now at maximum profit.

Used Car Dealership (Large Scale)

These places (examples would be Auto Nation USA) have a lot in common with a new car dealership, though I believe most of the Festivas you would find here are obtained through auction (much like the smaller used car lots).

Advantages:

• Condition: Much the same as buying from new car dealership. Might expect better pre-service if the used car superstore has it's own dedicated service department
• Title Issues, Legal Recourse Options: Same as new car dealership.
• Financing: Just to say it's available...but youre going to pay.
• Licensed: They will be around for a while (but likely not as long as a new car dealership)

Disadvantages:

• Costs: Premium. Though lot cost may be lower than that from a new car dealership, finance charges likely will make up the difference
• Dealing with salespeople: Same as new car dealership, but likely even more tenacious because of the high profit margin potential for the sale.

Used Car Dealership (Small)

These are typically smallish used car lots (typical inventory of 50 or less vehicles). The vehicles are obtained through an auction in nearly all cases.

Advantages:

• Credit: It's available, but short term (see high down payment below under disadvantages).
• Title Issues: Likely the Festivas sold will have a clean title.
• Legal Recourse Options: The laws say its there (FTC mandates used vehicle disclosure form to be placed within easy view of potential customers) but...(see complaints below under disadvantages)
• Licensed: Most used car dealerships are licensed but... (see complaints below under disadvantages).
• Cost; Well, often the Festivas are cheaper than at a new car or used car superstore lot but... (see condition below under disadvantages).

Disadvantages:

• High Down Payment: These places love credit based sales where the buyer belts out a high down payment and ends up being committed to a short term loan essentially (high monthly payments are norm)
• Repossession- Don't expect any sympathy from these places should circumstances cause you to miss payments. Small used car lots repossess cars nearly as fast as they sell them (lol).
• Salespeople: Or shall I say person. The smaller staff means just more attention to getting the most favorable deal for the lot. And, as they say "trust a used car dealer like you'd trust a moose in a china shop". Plus they a bad habit of calling a Festiva a Fiesta!
• Condition: Have to be careful with some places, whose pre-service consists of thickening up the oil, cleaning the engine and spraying with high gloss clear paint (under the pretense "a shiny engine must RUUUUUUUNN GOOOOOODDD"). Most of the lots have perhaps a "mechanically inclined" individual to change dead batteries, screw up the carb, and the like. If you are familiar with repair work (on Festiva) yourself, then a used lot may not be a bad choice IF the price is right. This is the most likely place to end up with a Festiva with hidden structural (collision damage). Very easy to wind up with a Festiva requiring major repairs if you're not careful.
• Complaints: Too many of these small lots are of the "here today" "gone tomorrow" variety, due primarily to poor business practices, including lots of complaints (which ends up making legal recourse a tough road). Many of these (but by no means exclusive) will sometimes fail to include the required disclosure form (telling you that vehicle is being sold "as is/no warranty" or other).

[Festiva_tunner]

Mechanic's Specials

Festivas can be found at auto repair shops when the owner brought the car in for service and was unable to pay the bill. After a reasonable amount of time (laws vary state to state), the shop can legally sell the vehicle to recoup repair costs.

Advantages:

• Expectations: Most of the times you will be told what's the reason for the car being in the shop, work performed, etc.
• Cost: Often, auto repairs shops just want to get rid of it so they can have more parking space. Sometimes you can come across a good deal, sometimes not.

Disadvantages:

• Cough up the cash: Really not a disadvantage though.
• Title Issues: Make sure any disputes between the shop and the former owner are resolved before buying the car. Titles in fact may be unobtainable, making this a poor choice for a car you plan to put back on the road.
• Towing: Might be required in the event of an incomplete repair.

Private Individuals

A large majority of Festivas are sold by private owners. Well it's done right, it's the best way to pick yourself up a decent Festiva for a good price. When it goes wrong, well, better hope you have knowledge to work on your vehicle.

Advantages:

• Cost: Price is usually right, though you will experience the occasional seller that believes just cause its clean and has reasonable miles it's ok to sell it at a used car dealership-like place. Most people don't either know how to sell or really want to bother haggling. Cash in hand talks and the early bird gets the...Festiva. See cost in disadvantages below also.
• History: Sometimes, you may be able to gather some info on the Festiva's use (like repair records or maintenance performed). You'll luck out if the seller is the original owner, but this is a rarity.
• Mild "sales" pressure: Probably will be a comfortable buying experience. Sometimes the old "Yeah, Ive got 10 other people wanting to look at this car" ploy gets used to speed up towards a possible sell at or close to the seller's original price. That's usually about it.

Disadvantages:

• Cost: Many owners are not too keen on the actual worth of their vehicles (when its higher, of course you will remark on it lol).
• Disguises: Watch for sellers who actually may be a dealer disguised as a private individual. This happens far more often than you think. If you see newspaper ads with the same recurring phone number, chances are it's a dealer.
• As is- No guarantees, so if you have hopes to drive a worry free Festiva home, you best bring a "mechanic" friend or know what to look for yourself.
• Lack of legal recourse- As it says
• Time- Some people may not have time to travel around town or elsewhere to look at possible Festiva prospects. These are likely the ones to rely on the seller's description of the car (condition), which upon actual viewing may not be anywhere near what you expected. Some people's idea of paint in good condition is "well the only rust is in the fenderwells".
• Condition: You might be lucky and find a really nice one, but more often than not, these Festivas are well USED. Not a problem though for most people who already have reliable transportation and are just looking for a fixer-upper.
• Title Issues: Always possibility of a bad or otherwise missing, unobtainable title. The owner very well for all you know may have just bought the car from someone else and what happens next when you buy the car along with the signed title, the last seller doesn't show up within the title owner database. Obviously a problem.

Online Auctions

Online auctions are the latest way to purchase a used vehicle. Usually one or two Festivas appear on Ebay as an ongoing auction.

Advantages:

• Convenient: Well, primarily if you have time off to watch the auction come to a close and protect your bid
• Cost: Most of the Festivas are starting off at a decent price, but (see cost in disadvantages below)

Disadvantages:

• Blind faith: You are bidding on an item (and legally obligated to purchase should you win) that you have no way of inspecting unless you are lucky enough (and the seller agrees to) to view before the auction comes to a close. Not much chance for a test drive. Ebay is currently evaluating methods to insure vehicle quality (such as confirmation of the used vehicle to have proof of emissions compliance). Much can be wrong with the vehicle that a clean emissions slip will not tell you though. At least dealing in person the "old way" you can walk away should the car not be to your liking. With an auction, you are responsible for completing your end of the transaction. In the inperfect world we live in, junk does get passed off as mechanically sound from online auctions and bidders have aborted the deal once they have seen the vehicle up close.
• Cost: What started out as a seemingly good deal may not be after 15-25 people get done raising the price. Many auctions have a reserve that must be met anyway and you have no way of knowing what that may be until you or another person bids that amount or higher. Higher degree of uncertainty in a car's mechanical condition should help keep auction costs down compared to other methods of buying used, but sometimes it doesn't end up that way.
• Title Issues,Lack of Legal Recourse, As Is- Same as a private individual selling.
• Disguises: Same as a private individual.
• Jacking the Bid: There is always the possibility that the seller may be dubious enough to bid on his own auction, or have a friend, etc do it, all just to raise the bid amount.

Transportation Issues: Chances are, unless you are selective, the Festiva you are bidding on is out of your local area, as in state. You are given so many days to pick up the vehicle after the transaction is completed

[ejp2fast]

interesting bit of info! thanks tunner

[Nickb1907]

well just to update, called on the white one no answer and the posting went away...guess that one is out. Ill just keep searching, thanks everyone for the input made finding the right one for me a breeze.

[V8Festiva]

Definitely recommend getting a Festiva with 5 speed trans & the fuel injected engine ('90 - '93). Mine is an '88 (carburetor engine) but I got lucky in that it runs nearly flawlessly. Still, EFI is the way to go IMHO.

Sam got a real deal on that car. Runs like a top always. He has been to the Ohio meet twice as a part of the Festiva Madness convoy. His 4 speed, carburetor car ran great with all us that had 5 speed injected engines.

Dean
Raleigh, NC

[fattie]

Thats because your speedo only went to 85 LOL!! Ive had mine up to 110!!! Stock motor.

how long did it take u to get there , 15 minutes ? lol

[solatare]

i miss my 1990 efi 5 spd. alot. but the carbed 4 spds arent far behind them.
i currently have a 88 lx carbed with a 5 spd and that 5th gear is basically an overdrive for better highway mileage. in the hills where i am i rarely get to use it. nothing a turbo cant fix, and im working on that. cali smog laws are my only snag, but im working thru it.

carbed cars seem to be more responsive than efi cars. my current festy is down for the turbo experiment, but ive owned two carbed cars and they def seemed to respond better.

my mileage for carbed cars was high fortys on avg. my efi car was about the same, but that could be the hills. best mileage avg was 60 drafting semis on a 500 mile trip up hwy 99 from bakersfield to chico in my efi car.

the carbed cars are basically mechanical with little electronics, which means they are tricky to start on cold mornings, but very cheap and easy to fix; efi cars get slightly better mileage due to a common 5spd tranny.

my advice? get a manual tranny car. you wont miss the 5th gear unless youve driven one and if the shifter is sloppy or the brakes are bad its a cheap fix and there is alot of help here to get it done quickly.

[Nickb1907]

Well figured i should update this, found one, bought it and drove it home (dallas to houston). The motor is really clean.

1993 Festiva L, 5speed, AC, White, Sunroof, 162K, $693

Body has some dings and the interior is gross. I spent a couple hours cleaning the inside, so its good to drive now but i need a few things for it.

Front seats, they are torn up bad
Drivers headlight, has a hole
Drivers taillight, tape over it

Any good places to get some of this stuff? Also interested in a seat swap from another car if its easy. Also maybe smoked taillights? Or HID headlights?

Also it has defrost rear window but no switch? Anyone know where the switch should be? Found loose glass while cleaning, may have been broken out and replaced with a defrost glass?

Anyway ill get pics up soon thanks for everyone's help a directions.

[TominMO]

Sounds like a good car. Why $693?

Get Aspire front seats from a JY, $20 each. It's the easiest swap onto the Festy seat rails. There is a writeup or two on the board here. Aspire seats are more comfortable and have better material than Festy seats. Escort seats and Mazda 323 seats work too. Look at how your seatback mounts onto the seat base; that's the critical issue for an easy swap. You will find pics in one of the writeups (not mine).

The lights are also JY items.

[freshtiva]

Congrats. $693 is a strange price but it sounds like a good deal. The rear defrost switch would be to the left of the rear wiper switch on the right side of the steering wheel in the guage cluster bezel. Look behind the wiper lever in the pic below.

[Nickb1907]

EDIT:

Need info on some new wheels and tires, thinking 13-15 cause those 12s are impossible to find. What model wheels will bolt up to this thing and what lugnuts would you use?

[marinepolice03]

there is a list on here of cars with the same bolt pattern, if you use Search you can find it

[Nickb1907]

okay i have no switches below the guage cluster so must have been replaced and then maybe hooked up to a switch(have a random home wiring job on a red switch)

$693 came from him wanting $850 me negotiating him to $700 and me and my friend only having $693 on me at the time(was going to offer $650 or walk). He said that will work.

[TominMO]

EDIT:

Need info on some new wheels and tires, thinking 13-15 cause those 12s are impossible to find. What model wheels will bolt up to this thing and what lugnuts would you use?

A good cheap wheel upgrade is the later Geo/Chevy Metro wheels, from a JY (make sure they are 13s!); that'll give you a much better selection of good-quality tires. They are an exact fit, including the center hub.