Really nice Festivas - What do they go for?

[Lannis]

So here's a thing - two years ago I bought a "cheap and cheerful" '93 5-speed for $700, which has been doing very well for me. It was a salvage rebuild from a deer strike - over 200,000 on the basic car, I've put about 20,000 on it.

It uses about a quart of oil every 3,000 miles, and I've put new front axles and bearings under it. The rear bearings are howling and growling pretty bad, so it's time for a new set of those, and the windshield wipers are misbehaving (the pivots appear to be loose where they attach to the body), Overall the little car has been great, no rust on it, starts and runs every time, fun to drive, drives great on the highway and in the city, and nets me 44 miles per gallon of regular gas, every tankfull.

For the sake of my wife (who occasionally drives it) I'd like to get something nicer, that doesn't have ripped up seats, a mismatched salvage dash, a house-paint-brush paint job, and has A/C. I'd budgeted about $3500 for something like a 6 year old Neon with about 100K on it, ... But then I thought to myself ....

"I really like Festivas now that I've had this one. I wonder if there are any really nice ones left out there?"

I don't mean nice customized, performance-enhanced ones, I mean nice, stock, unmolested, clean, air-conditioned ones that I wouldn't be ashamed to ride anyone in it, not just my scruffy buddies. Low mileage, excellent paint, no rust, everything works, 5-speed for choice.

Do these exist or should I look for something newer?

Thanks for your input!

Lannis

[David88]

They do indeed exist. Here is one. http://tinyurl.com/2bupopg

[big_ty2003]

That hood is so glossy and sexy...
Makes me want to paint my car back to red!

[easywind]

About a month ago I bought a 03 Taurus with 48k on it with a crease on the rear quarter panel for $2,600, has a moonroof and runs like a top. Hertz was the original owner. Three grand at the moment will buy you a lot of car.

[Lannis]

About a month ago I bought a 03 Taurus with 48k on it with a crease on the rear quarter panel for $2,600, has a moonroof and runs like a top. Hertz was the original owner. Three grand at the moment will buy you a lot of car.

Yes, it will. My wife is driving a former 'AVIS' car at the moment, so I'm familiar with the deals on off-lease cars.

I've got a pretty strict standard though ... my car has to get over 42 MPG. I'd go $3,000 for one, for the right car. The year doesn't matter if the mileage and condition are right.

Lannis

[Nerd Racing]

yikes that really limits your options there!

[skeeters_keeper]

For that kinda money you can buy a festiva and build it with exactly the options you'd like!

I picked up a red festy (250k) for $100, pulled and re-built an engine for it, did some other minor work (fixed the seats, some paint, lights, brakes, tie rod end, sound insulation, exhaust, etc) and have a car that runs like its new (about 4k on the engine now) and is in very good shape interior and exterior, for about $500 in parts. Granted it doesn't have AC, but I'm not a fan of AC anyway.

No matter how good of a car you find, how low mileage, little rust, etc you are still buying a 20 year old car. Rubber dry rots, things corrode, mice nibble, etc. A friend of mine bought an 89 subaru, 50k, great condition interior and exterior... timing belt broke on her way home with it. Not because of mileage, but just because it was 21 years old.

I guess my point is, even if you spend 3000 on the 'perfect' car things are still going to need to be replace periodically. Thats why I'd rather start with a $100 car and spend $2900 fixing it up, because then everything is literally new. Granted, its a lot more work... but thats just my $.02

[red stiva]

I've got a nice one with 20,122 miles on it. Feels like a new car, reliable as anything new. I wouldn't let it go for anything around 2 grand.

[Occhty]

I picked up a 91 auto about two months ago with only 28 thous miles for 50$ blown engine. But the rest of the car looks showroom. Last week I picked up a 94 aspire 4 door, bad trans 120 thous miles 50$. there out there, just harder to find

[David88]

Here is another one

Someone is gonna drill the Buy-It-Now button on this one.

[freshtiva]

I picked up a 91 auto about two months ago with only 28 thous miles for 50$ blown engine. But the rest of the car looks showroom.

Let me know if you want to make a profit on that, Ive been looking for a builder but cant find one.

[freshtiva]

That hood is so glossy and sexy...
Makes me want to paint my car back to red!

My $200 Red festiva, $900 and lots of elbow grease later.

[David88]

Forgot the link. He ended the listing for $1500 BIN and now the price is $2000 BIN. http://tinyurl.com/29ffn8t

[Lannis]

For that kinda money you can buy a festiva and build it with exactly the options you'd like!

I guess my point is, even if you spend 3000 on the 'perfect' car things are still going to need to be replace periodically. Thats why I'd rather start with a $100 car and spend $2900 fixing it up, because then everything is literally new. Granted, its a lot more work... but thats just my $.02

That's exactly what I typically do with bikes - since I'm going to be "making it like I want it" anyway, I buy one that needs work and put money and time into it.

But that's because bikes are my hobby ... cars are not so much of a project hobby, just something I enjoy driving. So I probably wouldn't be motivated to spend a lot of hours and dollars fixing one up - I'd rather pay for a car that someone has preserved or restored .....

Lannis

[Lannis]

So it's right at a year later, and here I am again.

Never did find that "Nice Festiva" last year, so I bought an '88 Mazda 323 from a loyal and trusty Festiva forum member here to replace the Festiva which I had given to a friend who needed an economical car, never expecting to see it again.

Well, he's been driving the wheels off the Festy. It had about 200,000 on it when I bought it, I put 15,000 on in and gave it to him. He put 30,000 miles on it in 10 months, and now needs a car with 4 doors, so I traded him the Mazda and took the Festiva back.

It's running great, still getting 44 MPG. I expect it will last a while longer ... then I really want to get that Nice Festiva that I started the thread with last year. I see very few of them, and the ones I see aren't for sale.

No rust, decent interior, 5 speed, AC. I'll paint it and rebuild mechanical things, but don't want to fight rust or broken instruments and bad wiring and dashboards.

Let me know if you see anything. I'm looking.

Lannis