What have you done to your Festiva today!?

[Tommychu]

One of the boxiest vehicles ever made, the Haflinger, had round headlights.
Styling is a very subjective thing (even the Pontiac Aztec has its fans), but I can tell you I got a lot more compliments on my car after I bolted my 7" rounds to it. However even if I didn't that wouldn't really matter to me.


Besides, with a Festiva usually headlight options come down to A) Drive around with a cracked, rusty, water-filled headlight on the driver's side, B) Be (or pay a king's ransom to) that lucky/determined guy that managed to find one in a JY or C) A sealed beam setup of some sort.

[Tommychu]

And on that note, I forgot to post a pic of my new marker lights. More round stuff woo!

[purg3d]

Replaced driver's inner tie rod with a raybestos unit.
Replaced driver's tie rod end with a mcparts unit.
Replaced sway bar bushings with energy suspension (grinder wheel special).
Replaced rounded, 14mm sway bar flange nuts with 15mm zinc coated flange nuts

I'm dirty, but after a quick drive around the block I'm optimistic the steering and suspension has improved. I wonder how easy the passenger side rod will be.

[Skrapbob]

New battery!

[Advancedynamix]

I made a sub floor type thing. My car is like a big hollow echo box and my exhaust is made from .050" wall tubing (super thin) so my car is quite loud inside. Since I am driving for 6 straight days in the next couple of weeks (and I don't have a stereo in the car), I figured I'd make a foam floor to quiet this down, so I can atleast hear myself think (dangerous lol).





The panel board is glued to the foam insulation and tomorrow I'll glue some carpet onto the panel board. It's strong enough to dance around on it, but weighs like 5 lbs. Hope it quiets the car down a bit.

[DriverOne]

I made a sub floor type thing. My car is like a big hollow echo box and my exhaust is made from .050" wall tubing (super thin) so my car is quite loud inside. Since I am driving for 6 straight days in the next couple of weeks (and I don't have a stereo in the car), I figured I'd make a foam floor to quiet this down, so I can atleast hear myself think (dangerous lol).





The panel board is glued to the foam insulation and tomorrow I'll glue some carpet onto the panel board. It's strong enough to dance around on it, but weighs like 5 lbs. Hope it quiets the car down a bit.

Appropriately placed L braces and I braces will fix that issue.

I noticed that you often speak of not having a stereo. The slip seat drivers use something called a 'toy box' that is usually home made, and is fabricated using MDF and vinyl or treadplate aluminum, and sits either on the dash or on the floor. It is usually powered by a 12v cord with a 15A fuse to plug into a cigarette lighter or charge port, and contains a stereo, 5.25" speakers, a CB radio, expansion speaker, another 12v socket, and even cup holders, depending on where it is designed to fit.

Your lack of a stereo could very well find it's solution this way, as well as give you the conversation and companionship of other motorists/Festivians in transit. I suggest a design that sits in the passenger seat to be harnessed for safety. It doesn't have to be larger than a VCR or Coleman cooler.

[fastivaca]

Charlie, the only thing I be worried about is the foam squeaking anywhere it contacts metal around the perimeter. Wrapping any carpet or other covering around the edges would eliminate that possibility.

Sent from somewhere west of here!

[Advancedynamix]

Appropriately placed L braces and I braces will fix that issue.

I noticed that you often speak of not having a stereo. The slip seat drivers use something called a 'toy box' that is usually home made, and is fabricated using MDF and vinyl or treadplate aluminum, and sits either on the dash or on the floor. It is usually powered by a 12v cord with a 15A fuse to plug into a cigarette lighter or charge port, and contains a stereo, 5.25" speakers, a CB radio, expansion speaker, another 12v socket, and even cup holders, depending on where it is designed to fit.

Your lack of a stereo could very well find it's solution this way, as well as give you the conversation and companionship of other motorists/Festivians in transit. I suggest a design that sits in the passenger seat to be harnessed for safety. It doesn't have to be larger than a VCR or Coleman cooler.

It's really secure, no need for brackets. I was saying it's strong enough for me to dance around on it (I have to do the spider walk back there, lol). The foam is super tight fit. It's not permanent, just to keep me comfortable for this trip. It was like 12 dollars worth of material from HD racing. It doesn't come out without destroying it.
I was just going to use my IPod, but thanks for the hint. Previously, the car was so loud that I couldn't really hear the music with my earbuds unless it was turned way up, and that's uncomfortable.

Charlie, the only thing I be worried about is the foam squeaking anywhere it contacts metal around the perimeter. Wrapping any carpet or other covering around the edges would eliminate that possibility.

Sent from somewhere west of here!

I have carpet underneath the foam, between the foam and the metal. Yeah, the squeak would drive me crazy! Lol.

[Christ]

I second wrapping the carpet to prevent squeaks. (Nevermind, just saw your update)

Something you can usually find pretty cheap is carpet underlayment... attach it to the bottom of a piece of lauan paneling and cut it to fit, then wrap it bottomside in 1 mil plastic and top side with glued carpeting, makes a great sound deadener and helps insulate the car.

IF you have enough, warm some of that foam (the stuff you used. Underlayment can be squeezed in through the inside door shell and worked around the window regulator) up and glue it to the outer door skin inside the door shell (you have to remove the window and regulator and slide it through the channel). This also tends to make quite a difference in interior noise and temperature on thin cavernous cars.

[blkfordsedan]

Added a couple of lights to Semper Fi-stiva's grill. Well, not today exactly. Actually took about a week of piddling. Before and after shots. Color difference is due to different times of year, day, and cameras.

I like......kinda looks like a tiny Hummer. All it needs now are some black louver vents on the hood and some D-rings on the front bumper.

[twopass]

new used console in the 89

http://i1079.photobucket.com/albums/w515/Donnie_Thacker/IMG_20120924_152305.jpg

http://i1079.photobucket.com/albums/w515/Donnie_Thacker/IMG_20120924_152256.jpg

http://i1079.photobucket.com/albums/w515/Donnie_Thacker/IMG_20120924_152244.jpg

http://i1079.photobucket.com/albums/w515/Donnie_Thacker/IMG_20120924_152218.jpg

[Flw Sock]

Yesterday I went through and thoroughly cleaned my car. After cleaning it, I figured I would paint the ebrake cover black, because the oem paint was kind of rough. So I took out the ebrake cover, and the shifter boot, and painted them black. Then I thought that the ebrake handle (the grey part) would look cool red, so I painted that red. Then I remembered that my grill was in rough shape (paint wise). So I took that off, and painted it a dark metallic red. It looks really nice. I'm hoping within a week or two I'll have an escort console that I can paint black and slap in the Festiva.

[Oren09]

Got an alignment.
Here's the printout:


They say the steering rack is bad and the alignment won't hold specs. They blame the rack on the bad caster.
As you can see, the driver's side rear toe is bad and my old tire had feathering to indicate that. The passenger side rear has bad camber.

I'm not sure what exactly the number mean for a Festiva or what they should be. Is the final result really bad?

Finally got my Nakangs mounted and balanced. They corner pretty good and when they spin, they don't squeak like a mouse.

[Christ]

Your steering rack doesn't affect caster angles. 'Nuff said.

[Oren09]

I didn't think that would have any effect on the caster, either.