New festiva on the block!

[Safety Guy]

You're right about that too. If it's a 5 speed it's probably an LX and she needs to look under the right seat for the tray!

Which, since she really wouldn't need it, she could sell me for maybe ten bucks. I'd even pay postage! :p

Karl

[Smedley]

LOL Karl. If she's going to sell one for $10 I want it!!!

Mel, welcome and don't let Karl snooker you. Underseat trays are rare.
Here's a little easy ID info.
If you see a big air cleaner like this, you have carburator:

If it looks like this, you are fuel injected:

Look on the back where it says Festiva and see if it says L or LX:

If it says L and has the hockey stripe on the side, it is an L Plus:


If we know which tank you need, one of use can probably help you out. What color is it? We would love to know more about it. Also, who is your friend? I don't think I've seen another member from Roxboro. We do have members in Durham, Chapel Hill, Raleigh, Burlington and Greensboro who are not too far away from you. Welcome to the site and you are not so far away that we couldn't get together sometime. Don't have to wait for Festiva Madness in October.

By the way, put October 1st on your calender and plan to be here. It will be well worth it.

Barbara

[Jon]

Hey fellas. Im Jon. Mel's friend that drove the car back, Imma Tell yall a story.

First, bout me. I dont personally own a festiva, Im more of a toyota guy, with a 85 cressida and an 83 4wd tercel wagon. I do own a ford though. A 1978 Ford LTD with a 351M/400.

Anyways. Found Mel a festiva up in Roanoke. 120 miles from Timberlake NC. Well, we loaded up the Cressida and headed north.

We found a red 89 festiva. 4 spd with a carb which made me happy. Its like my first tercel. lol. Clutch was so far at the top of the pedal it was insane. Parking brake is useless. Rear hatch had to be tied shut. Drivers wheel bearing is shot. Drivers CV boot is clicking like mad. One of the rear brakes was kinda stuck, but it loosened up on the way home. Brakes, were full of air. Stopped at the first gas station and bled them. That was also when we noticed the Gas tank leaks when over 3/4 full. The car had sat for two years so the battery was dead so we left it running the entire trip back.

Not letting all that deter us...I headed home...through the mountains. About halfway back to danville it starts raining. By that, I mean death rain with 70mph winds. Luckily I had my scanner on and head about the severe storm over danville. We pulled over at a bojangles and while letting the car run....went in to eat. Mel got in the car with me at this point for the first ride in her car. I was glad for some extra weight in the car since its so light and the cross winds were so strong. Once we got to danville Me and her BF switched cars and met back at my house.

Mel put the interior back together all by herself. Me and her BF adjusted the clutch to where it doesnt slip anymore but thats about all weve done so far.

Exhaust will be welded up eventually... I want this thing quiet. My tercel has a side pipe and they kinda sound the same at the moment. lol. But yeah, as Mels first car. It will be done up right.

Pics will happen eventually like she said. lol.

Oh yeah, its a festiva L.

[skimsucka]

I have a good condition carbed gas tank if you need 20$ plus shipping

[Safety Guy]

When you do the front bearings be aware of the preload spacer that has to be retained and put back in the proper order or your bearings will crap out way too early. A lot of folks don't know about how to redo them.

Karl

[Jon]

I have a good condition carbed gas tank if you need 20$ plus shipping

Thanks. I told her about it and she'll PM you later. I think there was another fella in chapel hill that said he had one.

Found him.

Good to see a new local member! My father (Tex Law) and I live down in Chapel Hill about 30 minutes south of you, depending on the year of your festiva i may have a tank for you, and im almost positive i have the speaker panel you speak of as well as the cargo shelf! also have a welder at the shop so i can help you out with that exhaust. welcome to the site and you will learn lots here. do like me and read more than you post

-W.F.

So I guess what we'll do, is if wflaw45 doesnt have the one we need, we can send you the money and you can ship it. Sounds like a plan to me.

When you do the front bearings be aware of the preload spacer that has to be retained and put back in the proper order or your bearings will crap out way too early. A lot of folks don't know about how to redo them.

Karl

Thanks Safety. Seams a little different than my toyota ones.

None of yall would happen to have a link to an online FSM would you?

[DriverOne]

None of yall would happen to have a link to an online FSM would you?

Members of the clergy carry bibles. Members of ff.com carry Hayne's manuals. Well worth the money to get one. Mine stays in my car and goes where I go. Welcome to both of you (or all 3, including the boyfriend?). I recommend a 5-speed swap, just so MelBoo's not revving 4K at highway speeds. Note that there are SEVERAL unadvertised upgrades available for the Festiva, a lot of which can be found in junkyards. That being said, I hope to meet the lot of you in person at FM5.

[Safety Guy]

I'm not sure if any of our online links are still working.

Go to ebay and look for Ford shop manuals. You should find one for under $25 shipped, sometimes a bit less. Haynes can also be had for around $12 shipped sometimes. Either an '88 or '89 Ford manual should work. One of each would be best for the long run since you could keep one in the car and one in the garage/house. They have different pics, too for some variety.

Karl

[MelBoo]

i finally got a pic onto the computer.

[Zanzer]

None of yall would happen to have a link to an online FSM would you?

Here's one for a 91. It won't help you much with fuel delivery but it has torque specs and other procedures that should help.

http://www.scribd.com/fullscreen/26457170?access_key=key-2i1i8tso0xgratvrgk6k

[kartracer46]

I can get you a carby tank, I happen to know where there are several already out. Welcome to the site! Can't wait to see it.

[htchbck]

^^^ KartRacer = KarbRacer... lol, he can set ya straight on all the carb stuff. Even got me an extra 2-3MPG by switching some vac lines I messed up during my auto swap. All you NC people are lucky to have such a huge network. Closest member I know of is av8ter and he's currently festivaless, then there's BeBandit who's helped me out with a lot of parts for poor Chuck, but beyond that everyone is at least one (most more than one) state away.

Anyway car looks great! Makes me miss my old red one (first one I owned). BTW, get used to calling it your "first festiva" because it likely won't be your last . My wife (who's name also happens to be Melissa) has a red one like yours, but its an auto now (yuck, but she made me do it lol). If you're looking to get the best MPGs you might want to look into swapping in a 5 speed at some point, if you do any highway driving. Its about the same as a 4 speed around town but on the highway that 5th gear will really save some fuel and it bolts right up!

[Jon]

Here's one for a 91. It won't help you much with fuel delivery but it has torque specs and other procedures that should help.

http://www.scribd.com/fullscreen/264...so0xgratvrgk6k

Thanks a ton for the link. The fuel delivery difference wont be much of a problem. I mostly wanted it for the torque specs and w/e special procedures it might dictate.

Members of the clergy carry bibles. Members of ff.com carry Hayne's manuals. Well worth the money to get one. Mine stays in my car and goes where I go. Welcome to both of you (or all 3, including the boyfriend?). I recommend a 5-speed swap, just so MelBoo's not revving 4K at highway speeds. Note that there are SEVERAL unadvertised upgrades available for the Festiva, a lot of which can be found in junkyards. That being said, I hope to meet the lot of you in person at FM5.

I have a bunch of chiltons. Unfortunately though, none for a festiva. lol. I think the factory service manuals are better IMHO. Yeah theres all three of us. Hopefully we can come to the meet, it would be nice to put some faces to names. Thanks to the tercel, I know alot about junkyard upgrades. lol. Theres really no aftermarket for them either. But thats cool. Its not what you buy, its what you build.

^^^ KartRacer = KarbRacer... lol, he can set ya straight on all the carb stuff. Even got me an extra 2-3MPG by switching some vac lines I messed up during my auto swap. All you NC people are lucky to have such a huge network. Closest member I know of is av8ter and he's currently festivaless, then there's BeBandit who's helped me out with a lot of parts for poor Chuck, but beyond that everyone is at least one (most more than one) state away.

Anyway car looks great! Makes me miss my old red one (first one I owned). BTW, get used to calling it your "first festiva" because it likely won't be your last . My wife (who's name also happens to be Melissa) has a red one like yours, but its an auto now (yuck, but she made me do it lol). If you're looking to get the best MPGs you might want to look into swapping in a 5 speed at some point, if you do any highway driving. Its about the same as a 4 speed around town but on the highway that 5th gear will really save some fuel and it bolts right up!

IF we can find one in the junkyards around here, and IF she gets the money, we might do a 5 speed swap. Unfortunately Mel has a total fubar'd left knee though. She drove my tercel around the neighborhood and afterward her knee hurt real bad. She said that the clutch will act kind of like a physical therapy for her and it will get better over time. We shall see. Worst case scenario we swap it to manual right? lol.

For now though, we can always go up a couple tire sizes, I know that will help.

Just brainstorming here...but,
I wonder if theres a possibility of doing a weber swap and gaining a couple mpgs. Maybe even some 32mm mikuni bike carbs...hmmmm. Ive seen both done to the 1.5 tercel motor...wonder if it can be done to the festi's 1.3

I can get you a carby tank, I happen to know where there are several already out. Welcome to the site! Can't wait to see it.

Wow...thats the third offer for help with the tank. Thanks to all of you. I dont know if Mel has contacted the others yet that have offered. The general consensus is that we want to keep this cheap as possible, (not skimp out on important things, but you know what I mean) so JB weld will happen first.

Oh yeah, dont let yall fool you...thats the good side of Faith in her sig. (I call it faith...cause I needed alot of it to get me home. lol)

[htchbck]

Worst case scenario we swap it to manual right? lol.

Maybe I misunderstood something, I thought the car was a manual already? Or maybe you're talking about a actual manual clutch, kind like what was in the weird old Ford C600 cabover dumptruck we used to have here at work. Similar to a dash mounted parking brake handle in a step van?

Anyway, as for the weber carb several have done that swap you can find a good bit of info from the search function. The bike carb thing has been discussed as well, but as far as I know never done in a festiva. Be the first! Just make sure you take LOTS of pics for us!

[ladyblaster]

too many festivas in north Carolina what gives!!!


Welcome and this site will be your best friend in getting your festiva in shape!

Heheh NC rocks !!!
Welcome to the site where in Nc are you Charlotte area here .