What have you done to your Festiva today!?

[Twistiva]

Took my 88L DD back to the tire shop to tweak the alignment (last night's attempt resulted in a "straight" steering wheel with the car tracking to the left). Today, after the second attempt, it's pretty danged good.

Sweeeet! :thumbs_up:

Learned from the tire shop that a 195 tire fits nicely on a 6.5" wheel. I knew it would fit based on posts I've seen here on ff.com but wasn't sure if the tire would have to be stretched or perhaps if a 6.5" wheel was too narrow for a 195. Nope, they said it should be a good fit. With that then, I'm committed to find 15 x 6.5s wheels and 195-45-15 tires. #1 on my list of tires is the Nexxan N3000.

Also bought a brand new dome light from a Mazda dealer. With a military discount plus shipping to my door it was about $7 cheaper than the same light on e-Bay.

Oh yeah....yesterday a brown front seat/under-dash cubby that I bought on e-Bay arrived in the mail. Pretty nice shape for how old it is.

[bravekozak]

I found what you need. I dare you to break this one.
On the bay.

[Oren09]

Picked up an engine hoist. Found a coupon for a $130 one from Harbor Freight. I've half assembled it. Still need to finish putting it together then prep my car for engine removal.
How difficult is it to remove just the engine and leave the auto tranny in the car? On my last engine swap I left the manual tranny in the car and it wasn't that difficult. Took a bit to get the input shaft lined up but not bad overall. I can't get the passenger side axle shaft removed and can't locate a 30MM 6pt 3/4" drive socket in retail stores.

[bravekozak]

If you think it brakes better now, just wait until you do the front.

[Festevil3]

Finished my Aspire swap (on the rear), and installed new stuts

[Twistiva]

Funny all the darn shops tell me slightly right is the correct way. Even when I tell them I do not want it that way. Dead straight is what I want.

Screw that. I'm with you....

I want "straight" to be "straight".

Taking it back tomorrow to get it fully aligned and then some body work and a whoooooole lotta painting in January.

[rbrown]

Picked up my trusty 88L from an auto body shop after they straightened my frame.

Hallelujiah!!!!!! banana time

Shop owner said the driver's side front wheel well panel and portions of the sub-frame had been pushed back almost an entire inch. The old guy pointed out to me how much closer the front left tire sat in the wheel well/closer to the front of the driver's door than the passenger side front tire was positioned to the front of the passenger door. Never noticed that before. Anyway, the driver's door no longer makes a horrendous squeaking noise when opening or closing it (funny because I'm not used to it opening and closing without a sound after driving with it that way for just over 10 years :highly_amused: )

Then.....took it down the road from the body shop to a tire shop to get it aligned. They claimed my Festy would track straight down the road like an arrow. But.....it doesn't. :nono:

They over-compensated the steering wheel....went from being slightly left of center to drive straight down the road to slightly right of center. I'll take it back tomorrow for them to get it right.

Lesson learned: don't drive fast on icy roads in Boise, Idaho.

Funny all the darn shops tell me slightly right is the correct way. Even when I tell them I do not want it that way. Dead straight is what I want.

[Twistiva]

Picked up my trusty 88L from an auto body shop after they straightened my frame.

Hallelujiah!!!!!! banana time

Shop owner said the driver's side front wheel well panel and portions of the sub-frame had been pushed back almost an entire inch. The old guy pointed out to me how much closer the front left tire sat in the wheel well/closer to the front of the driver's door than the passenger side front tire was positioned to the front of the passenger door. Never noticed that before. Anyway, the driver's door no longer makes a horrendous squeaking noise when opening or closing it (funny because I'm not used to it opening and closing without a sound after driving with it that way for just over 10 years :highly_amused: )

Then.....took it down the road from the body shop to a tire shop to get it aligned. They claimed my Festy would track straight down the road like an arrow. But.....it doesn't. :nono:

They over-compensated the steering wheel....went from being slightly left of center to drive straight down the road to slightly right of center. I'll take it back tomorrow for them to get it right.

Lesson learned: don't drive fast on icy roads in Boise, Idaho.

[blkfordsedan]

Today, I bolted the front wheels on, took it off the jack stands and drove it around the block once before backing it in the garage to begin changing the oil pump. It had 70lbs of oil pressure at cold start up. I let it warm up to about 1/4 gauge and idle down to about 800rpm, and it only had about 15lbs. We'll see what happens with the new pump.

[blkfordsedan]

You could always stick a long bolt through the hub with a washer on each end to help hold the hub together.

[DriverOne]

Bought a junkyard Aspire engine for my Aqua car. It was already pulled and sitting on a shelf so condition and mileage is unknown but the yard does have a warranty.
Now I just need to source and engine hoist and swap them out. Also need to get the passenger side axle nut off. It is NOT 29MM. All of my other big sockets are customary and 1 1/16 is too small and 1 1/8 too big.
How far can I move the car without axles in the hubs? The size of the garage I'm working in will require me to move the car out to exchange engines.

You're probably looking at a 30mm socket. As far as the axles not being in the car, it's fine to move the car with the axles out, just as long as the rest of the hardware is mounted solidly.

[fastivaca]

Finally have a replacement transmission! Picked it up at the bus depot this morning... hoping to be back on the road on Saturday.

Sent from somewhere west of here via Tapatalk!

[Oren09]

Bought a junkyard Aspire engine for my Aqua car. It was already pulled and sitting on a shelf so condition and mileage is unknown but the yard does have a warranty.
Now I just need to source and engine hoist and swap them out. Also need to get the passenger side axle nut off. It is NOT 29MM. All of my other big sockets are customary and 1 1/16 is too small and 1 1/8 too big.
How far can I move the car without axles in the hubs? The size of the garage I'm working in will require me to move the car out to exchange engines.

[robmac]

That's what i'm saying lol I've stole the front clip out of that car, a seat belt, e-brake cable and countless other things.

[Festevil3]

^ can't beat free ninety free