Really nice Festivas - What do they go for?

[Dustin]

Still looking? No pics, but only $500 (not mine, know nothing about it). Might be worth looking into: sale-ettxj-2701611378@craigslist.org

[Lannis]

I'm using plenty of clever emoticons so I hope no one is taking me too seriously ...

To "buying, restoring, maintaining, and PROTECTING", we must immediately add DRIVING, because that's the part I like. Buying takes money (and I'm really tight); maintaining, restoring, and protecting all require long evenings in the shop of getting greasy, which is not my favorite thing although I do what is necessary ...

... but DRIVING even my little rag-tail Festiva is fun! Half the weight and size of most of the behemoths on the road, two to three TIMES the gas mileage, and I'm taking off from lights with everyone else and cruising at 65 MPH when the road allows it.

I get to laugh at almost everyone else on the road ... except the other Festivas, and our cousins the Geos and the Suzuki Swifts .....

Lannis

KARMA strikes - with me talking about laughing at other people on the road, fate was laughing at ME.

Running down the highway at a steady 60 on the way into work, I noticed the defroster air suddenly getting cool. Being old in the ways of old cars, I immediately looked down at the temperature gauge and it was rising fast.

Pulled off into a convenience store (it was VERY convenient!), and steam started rolling out from under the hood. Couldn't tell what it was, but went in and bought a gallon of coolant anyway, the radiator was almost dry. As I was filling it, I noticed coolant dripping from the top radiator hose clamp.

Turned out that all it was was a loose hose clamp. Borrowed a screwdriver, filled it up with Prestone, and down the road I went.

I'll have to watch how I gloat from now on .... !

Lannis

[skeeters_keeper]

Off Topic: Lannis did you get your wipers fixed? I have a set of good linkages from a car I bought two weeks ago (can't beat a $200 parts car, its been completely stripped now). Let me know if you need any parts, most of its been taken already... put the engine in my red car etc.

[Lannis]

Off Topic: Lannis did you get your wipers fixed? I have a set of good linkages from a car I bought two weeks ago (can't beat a $200 parts car, its been completely stripped now). Let me know if you need any parts, most of its been taken already... put the engine in my red car etc.

S-K -

The wiper problem was actually due to the failure of the sheet metal to which the wiper pivot was attached. The linkage had a bad bushing, but I made one out of a little piece of steel tubing.

My body-and-fender guy cut a little access hole through the firewall and tack-welded a new bit of sheet metal in there to which to bolt the pivot. Works fine now, and cost me $90.

Among the many mechanical crafts I have never learned is welding. It's never too late, though, they say!

Lannis

[neanderpaul]

I need that linkage Nate!