What have you done to your Festiva today!?

[Greywolf]

can a new guy ask a ? thinking about buying 87 model that should have a carb . right what type of ignition? this would be my first one. need to know are they dependable? easy to fix. are parts easy to get?

This isn't AA, newcomers are allowed to speak! In fact, it's encouraged....

Parts can be a trick, but that's why we network. So far I found all the basics at (any autoparts store) and for things like heads, blocks, all of that - the Mazda B series is so widely spread through a lot of makes and models that other parts are not hard to turn up. Interior parts can be unique, but that's where a certain amount of fabrication skills come in.

The cars themselves are so basic that it's like working on a go kart. It doesn't get much simpler or easy to understand. In fact - as a first car for someone just learning to turn wrenches I can't think of a better one to recommend.

In my world right now, "RED WARRIOR NOW HAS..." a water pump, new belts, a thermostat, a new radiator cap, I still have rear brake shoes I need to install, I've put 35 miles on a shot of SEAFOAM in the oil and have new oil and a filter to install. There is a 1.3L transbox I could install with the old clutch...

And I'm waiting for a FEDEX box from Amazon with a security switch and a starter button to replace the hard to find ignition switch with -
Like this one::
Push Button Switch

The only thing holding it all up is too damned much heat and humidity outside


Funny, remember back in school when the teacher made you write an essay on what you wanted to be when you grew up?
Mine was two words: "A Toymaker"

HOT DAMN! I've arrived...

[TorqueEffect]

Went to the BMV to get Historical Plates for mine. Should be here within' two weeks.

[Hatch]

Whoa! That looks great!

Thanks man! I'm pretty pleased myself

[Greywolf]

Finally finished the rear brakes - not sure what I think of the video clips I shot

I have a whole list of things still to do this month.

[fezzy]

Put car back on 4 stands, drained engine oil 2nd time this week. Seem a new brand of oil stopped this excessive smoking at start up. I don't know if it was the other brand of oil.

There is hardly any smoke now.

[wwwdotgov]

Went to Pick-n-Pull and scored a tranny, shifter, header, downpipe, and wiring harness for my upcoming swap. Also, worked on de-greasing engine bay.

BONUS: While pulling the shifter, I found a gift card that had fallen down inside the e-brake console crevice. Checked the balance when I got home tonight to find $65.16 still left on it!! It's for Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in nearby Seattle. Sweet ending for a really tough, but prosperous day at the wrecking yard.

[1990new]

You really did get lucky. I've found a few things of value in cars at the junkyard but no where near that valuable.
Good luck with the conversion. I just finished mine yesterday and it turned out well.
Hope that transmission is as good as mine.
If the clutch fork shaft bushings and seal are worn much and you want to replace them PM me, I bought several in my last FourGreen order.

[Greywolf]

Got the strange steering column swapped out - it began as an explore as to why I had things running when the key was off. I found a blob of solder on the back of the key switch that made contact between the main 12V in wire (Huge gauge wire, white with a black stripe) and the next contact over on the back of the switch. Simple fix, I trimmed it off and checked to make sure all the contacts looked well attached. Now I don't have to pull off my negative battery lead every time I park!!!

~That problem began just a few days ago, I'm glad it was simple and obvious.

Next I went straight ahead and went after the steering column swap, and made sure when I got done that:
A) The steering wheel was centered when the car was going straight ahead.
B) The wiring around the column was tucked back even more neatly than I first installed some of it (I planned that from the beginning)

I took apart the old column which is likely from a 1990 (I saw one in the '90 manual) and I think I can fab something to fix it. I'll do a video on that - it's really a "You gotta see it to get it" kind of a deal...

[william]

The colum you got off me was also a 90 manual .
Let us know what failed in your colum I've never seen one move in and out like yours.

[TWFodor]

Installed new Moog sway bar bushings and FINALLY greased my speedometer cable

[firebush357]

The rear section of the car was nasty so I spent a little time to clean is up, ended up pulling it out of the garage and taking the hose to it and just let it drain out of the spare tire holes.

Before



After

And yes the strut top hat thingy is upside down... Rookie mistake

[Greywolf]

The colum you got off me was also a 90 manual .
Let us know what failed in your colum I've never seen one move in and out like yours.

Like I wrote - I'll shoot pics or videos. It looked kind of odd inside.

On the ignition switch/column lock screws (the ones that break off the hex end when they are installed for security reasons) -

The exact bolt size and thread is M8 x 1.25 with a 16mm length. I know this because I had a box of them leftover, and used them in place of the bolts I took out.

The ideal bolts to use would be M8-1.25 X 16mm Security Torx. I found them on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BW9DE8M/ref=cm_wl_huc_continue

Next month I'll send for a box, I just put them on my list. The ones I used yesterday had hex heads, and there was no room for a wrench or socket around them - I used a punch to tighten them.

I have a full range of torx security bits from when I worked on RV's

Of course you could also get them with plain old Allen heads - the original break off bolts turned out to be stupid easy to remove. I drove the heads in a counterclockwise circle with a screwdriver and hammer until I could spin them out with my fingers.

[Greywolf]

Okay gearheads - here it comes!

[w4rkry]

Today, Regular Car Reviews posted a review of my Festiva!

https://youtu.be/CfMFtXu3Lz4

Sent from my SM-N910C using Tapatalk

[firebush357]

Made a Cardboard Template for the back spare tire area so I can cut it out of wood. I also Painted my Purge Solenoid Bracket.