Tweet
After missing out on several deals on Craigslist, I saw a Festiva for $150. The ad said it needed a tranny and it was an '88, although the picture clearly showed a 90+ Festiva. So I figure it's either an '88LX, he found a random picture on the internet, or he doesn't know what he's talking about.
So I figure, for the price, I can replace the tranny and sell it for a nice profit. I called up the guy, who said it ran OK but burned a little oil, which I figured was normal since it had 177k on it.
I went out to look at the car, and at first sight I was excited. It was a different car than the one pictured in the ad, but the body was straight as an arrow, although the hood and grill were spray painted black. Not a big deal, right?
Well I went to look inside it and I was confused. The interior, which was from an '80s Festiva, was trashed. Yet the dash was from the '90s and had the white gauges and switches. Where the VIN tag should be was a sticker saying something about a salvage title. At this point I learned the car was rear ended and the hatch was stuck shut, the locks were worn and he used a screwdriver to start it (no keys), and it would randomly cut out and die. I also discovered the transmission had no gears, so it wasn't a worn bushing or something. Basically the car was going to need a new interior and a bunch of small stuff fixed.
Not to be discouraged, I popped the hood. The first thing I see is no oil cap, and oil on EVERYTHING. Apparently he drove it without one and dumped oil in as needed. It also sprayed oil on the windshield at highway speed. Someone had swapped in the wiring harness, engine and 5 speed from an EFI Festiva and did a really sloppy job - hoses and wiring splices were everywhere.
So I at least wanted to hear it run. But there was a drain on the battery somewhere, and it was dead.
I offered the guy $50 (more than the car was worth, in my opinion) and he declined, so I left. I've never seen a Festiva so abused and hacked up as this one. It amazes me that the thing ever ran.
So I figure, for the price, I can replace the tranny and sell it for a nice profit. I called up the guy, who said it ran OK but burned a little oil, which I figured was normal since it had 177k on it.
I went out to look at the car, and at first sight I was excited. It was a different car than the one pictured in the ad, but the body was straight as an arrow, although the hood and grill were spray painted black. Not a big deal, right?
Well I went to look inside it and I was confused. The interior, which was from an '80s Festiva, was trashed. Yet the dash was from the '90s and had the white gauges and switches. Where the VIN tag should be was a sticker saying something about a salvage title. At this point I learned the car was rear ended and the hatch was stuck shut, the locks were worn and he used a screwdriver to start it (no keys), and it would randomly cut out and die. I also discovered the transmission had no gears, so it wasn't a worn bushing or something. Basically the car was going to need a new interior and a bunch of small stuff fixed.
Not to be discouraged, I popped the hood. The first thing I see is no oil cap, and oil on EVERYTHING. Apparently he drove it without one and dumped oil in as needed. It also sprayed oil on the windshield at highway speed. Someone had swapped in the wiring harness, engine and 5 speed from an EFI Festiva and did a really sloppy job - hoses and wiring splices were everywhere.
So I at least wanted to hear it run. But there was a drain on the battery somewhere, and it was dead.
I offered the guy $50 (more than the car was worth, in my opinion) and he declined, so I left. I've never seen a Festiva so abused and hacked up as this one. It amazes me that the thing ever ran.
Comment