Aspire/Festiva suspension swap

[Bert]

This is my very first posting on this site. I have been reading through it on occasion and have been much encouraged to try to keep my 3 identical red 92 Festivas (1 auto/2 manuals) alive and easier to service. I live in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada and commute 150 miles per day with neglible capital costs and peanut operating expenses.
FMS sells performance springs which claim to lower the car by about an inch. I do not want to reduce the ground clearance (nor wheel well space) of a Festiva when the upcoming Aspire wheel/suspension/brake swap is performed. Are Aspire performance springs compatible with Festivas? and would they make the car appear normal instead of lowering it? Thanks.
I have a lot more questions (the parts car 97 auto Aspire is complete and with a solid engine) but one thing at a time.

[Damkid]

I am fairly sure the aspire springs will fit the festiva struts with no issues, i remember reading a comparison of the springs somewhere but i couldn't find it

basically if you are getting new springs and struts get them both for the aspire and you won't have any issues for sure, but i would agree that the FMS aspire springs "should" keep the stock festiva ride height with a bit stiffer suspension

[Aaronbrook37]

This is my very first posting on this site. I have been reading through it on occasion and have been much encouraged to try to keep my 3 identical red 92 Festivas (1 auto/2 manuals) alive and easier to service. I live in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada and commute 150 miles per day with neglible capital costs and peanut operating expenses.
FMS sells performance springs which claim to lower the car by about an inch. I do not want to reduce the ground clearance (nor wheel well space) of a Festiva when the upcoming Aspire wheel/suspension/brake swap is performed. Are Aspire performance springs compatible with Festivas? and would they make the car appear normal instead of lowering it? Thanks.
I have a lot more questions (the parts car 97 auto Aspire is complete and with a solid engine) but one thing at a time.

Hi! I'm in Ottawa as well... well 8 months a year at least, for school at Carleton.

I am fairly sure the aspire springs will fit the festiva struts with no issues, i remember reading a comparison of the springs somewhere but i couldn't find it

basically if you are getting new springs and struts get them both for the aspire and you won't have any issues for sure, but i would agree that the FMS aspire springs "should" keep the stock festiva ride height with a bit stiffer suspension

Yep, Chris is right... no compatibility problems between the Festiva and Aspire stuff.

[Safety Guy]

Hi Bert!

I have long guessed that FMS Aspire sport springs would lower the Festiva to about stock ride height. I don't know of anyone who has actually documented this, though.

Aspire struts will fit fine, but there has been at least one, maybe two folks who are now using '01 or '02 Kia Rio front struts on their Festiva or Aspire. Much newer part (without having to actually buy new), and should work fine with cut Aspire springs. I am about to finish my Festiva with Rio front struts using my cut Aspire springs from an older car (cut one coil).

If you simply want new springs, call Roger at FMS to see if he still has new stock Festiva springs or heavy duty Festiva springs for sale. IIRC, they run $100 a pair.

Welcome! I have a red '93GL ATX (fully B6/Aspire swapped) and a red '92L 5 speed (to be B8/Aspire/Rio front swapped this summer).

Karl

[Damkid]

Hi! I'm in Ottawa as well... well 8 months a year at least

Really?.... That's close enough where we could meet up one day

[Aaronbrook37]

Really?.... That's close enough where we could meet up one day

True... but I have no form of transportation in this province. I only really head down to Kingston or Toronto when there are races I'm running... and the next one isn't until April haha. I'm a fourth year honours student with three jobs and a scholarship... so unless you routinely head up here, it's likely our meets will continue to be threaded and virtual haha.

[Safety Guy]

Aaron, you need to hurry up and graduate (suma cum laude) and get your butt down to an Ohiostiva meet!

Oh, and don't let Nate beat you to a doctorate! Or is that his second doctorate after he designs a hybrid spaceship that runs on compost pile gas? :p

Karl

[Aaronbrook37]

Definitely thinking about it... I'd be without my little monster, but vicarious Festiva ownership is the name of the game! May and June I'll still be here, and I could totally zip down for a day or two with another Canadian member if the occasion called for it and could get the time off! *shudder* The thought of getting summa scares me endlessly... gonna have to compromise a few extra-curricular activities, but hopefully I can pull it off!

[Damkid]

Toronto is like two hours from me, so next time your down that way let me know and I'll make the drive, even if it's not til April that's cool cause it'll give me time to get my festiva ready lol

[Aaronbrook37]

Sounds great, Chris! My 240lbs frame should really help with traction

[Damkid]

I'll need all the help I can get with traction come spring :lol:

[Safety Guy]

240 pounds!

Tall or wide?

Gotta figure center of gravity, center of pressure, etc. for that V6 flight trim! Can't make no mistakes at 200 kph and stray breezes trying to get under your floor pan to destroy that negative pressure area that keeps you grounded!

Karl

[Aaronbrook37]

240 pounds!

Tall or wide?

Gotta figure center of gravity, center of pressure, etc. for that V6 flight trim! Can't make no mistakes at 200 kph and stray breezes trying to get under your floor pan to destroy that negative pressure area that keeps you grounded!

Karl

http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29926&highlight=tall

Some people call me the space cowboy.

[Safety Guy]

Aaron! How'd I miss that picture?

I had one of the guys I train with at a Combatives conference near Whitby (near where Camp X was) get in Luxstiva a few years back. He fit okay except that his legs were jammed up too much under the steering wheel with the seat all the way back. He was 6'9".

Karl

[Bert]

Gidday lads, thanks for the advice. I'm looking forward to the brake swap and if anybody needs Aspire parts (that homely looking thing is going straight to the boneyard after even though it did run fine from Montreal to Ottawa).
For some of you who are current students at my old alma mater (Carleton (Last Chance) U) I'm an old codger who experienced a half a dozen Austin Minis back in the early to mid 70s. They too were lots of fun, but biodegradable, and ultimately I did manage to field a 3/4 race Cooper in slaloms. Ordinary cars were a lot slower 40 years ago and 0-60 mph for an Austin Mini 850 was about 1/2 hour and even a stock Cooper S was not appreciably faster than a run of the mill Festiva.
If you're in Ottawa (I live in Manotick) drop me a line and you can try for yourself how good these things are in snow.