Looking at a Festiva this weekend, new to the game

[colinsk8s]

Hello folks,

This weekend I'm going to look at a Festiva to possibly buy. I live in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada. I've owned a few cars and I always hit up the forums to get some info from people who know the car inside and out.

So I wanted to ask you guys, what should I look for when checking out a Festiva for the first time?

First, a little info on the car the buyer has relayed to me via email. The seller is the original owner. He bought the car new in Alberta and drove it up to Whitehorse and it has spent it's whole life here. The car is a 1993 model with 200,000 kms. 5 speed manual. If you want to see the ad search on Kijiji Yukon, can't miss it, there's only one haha.

Some background on me. I'm 22 years old, originally from Ontario. My first car was a 91 Volvo 740 wagon. Second car was a 92 Mazda 323 (one of the reasons I'm interested in the Festiva is the Mazda origins). Third car was (and still is) a 92 Honda Accord EX-R. It's the longest car I've owned (nearly 4 years) and it's never left me stranded. It's made the trip between Ontario and Whitehorse 3 times with no issues. My Accord is what I'm looking at replacing with the Festiva, for 2 reasons: fuel economy and the fact that so many parts are on the brink of failure that I've got to decide if I want to run it into the ground, invest in it hoping it will last many more years, or sell it now and hope to get a decent return for it.

I also own a 'summer car,' a 1985 Mercedes Benz 260E 5 speed Eurospec. But that's a whole other story haha.

So ya, just looking for tips and advice on common problems, or rust areas, etc. and questions to ask the owner. Thanks guys! If Festiva's are all you guys make them out to be, who know's, I might even make the trip down to Westiva next summer! haha

Peace in Christ,
Colin

[Flyin4stroke]

Looking at a Festiva this weekend, new to the game

If its original owner it's a cream puff. Check for rust, leaks, take it for a test drive check for steering rack play hit some bumps, also wheel bearings see if he has ever changed them. Rust is the biggest thing. If it has it you have to repair it if you want to keep it. Thin metal spreads fast.

[Bert]

Make sure the car hasn't been seriously 'hit' at one time. To get Festys to weigh-in at 1700 lb (much the same weight as a tiny Smart and 400 pounds lighter than a WWII Jeep that has no doors, rear lid, glass or a roof) the sheet metal box is corrugated and folded strategically. Do a wet and dry compression test on the engine and jump up and down on the bumpers to check for bagged shocks and springs. Be prepared to have to wait for mailed or flown-in parts because they are not stock items anymore. 12 inch tires are scarce as hen's teeth (I have about half dozen new Goodyear 145/80-12 snows if you're interested).
And immediately start searching around for a dead Aspire so that you can graft the undercarraige on to your new purchase: modern and better brakes, stiffer springs, thicker sway bar plus 100mm wheel stud pattern that lets you escape from trailer and wheelbarrow tire status.

[denguy]

While driving it hit the brakes, if it pulls to one side or the other, that will tell you something about the front suspension connections and brakes, all things that often go bad. There is more. Oh yeah, make some sharp turns, if you hear clicking from the front end the axles need work. There are ways to check to tell if the motor mounts are bad, pulls to one side on acceleration.

[TheresGabe]

Don't let little things scare you on this car. If it runs, and doesn't have rust, you are good to go. 99% chance you are going to need to do wheel bearings in the back, brakes all around, and in the front you'll need to do lower control arms, and tie-rod ends. The good thing is, you can do all of this, and have a car you can trust and depend on for just a few hundred dollars, and a Saturday afternoon! Good luck!

[DriverOne]

Re: Looking at a Festiva this weekend, new to the game

Welcome! Key rust areas are the rear beam mounting locations, behind the front fenders at the doors, strut tower areas, and sometimes the frame. Have the owner take pics of those areas for you (behind the fender is something you'll have to do yourself, of course). If it comes back good, go for it.

[Team Lightning]

If you replace/check the rear wheel bearings, the right side has left hand threads. The left side has normal right hand threads.

[PhoenixSHO]

Holy crap , Yukon , thats far from everything. Hello from Quebec.

[WmWatt]

Festiva is too small and underpowered to be a winter car. No good at all after heavy snow. Here in Ottawa I park mine most of the winter, some times all winter.
Recommend spraying underbody every year or two. I use a hand pumped garden sprayer and a mixture of 25% paint thiner 75% used motor oil, about 1.5 litres of the mixture.
Some Festiva parts are hard to find in Canada. Much easier in USA. The 12" tires are special order.

PS Get a book out of the public library on how to buy a used car (eg Lemon Aid) or look up on the Internet. They'll have a check list. Good luck.

[TheresGabe]

Festiva is too small and underpowered to be a winter car. No good at all after heavy snow. Here in Ottawa I park mine most of the winter, some times all winter.
Recommend spraying underbody every year or two. I use a hand pumped garden sprayer and a mixture of 25% paint thiner 75% used motor oil, about 1.5 litres of the mixture.
Some Festiva parts are hard to find in Canada. Much easier in USA. The 12" tires are special order.

PS Get a book out of the public library on how to buy a used car (eg Lemon Aid) or look up on the Internet. They'll have a check list. Good luck.

I'm lost. Throw some snow tires on the front, and you are GOOD with the Festiva as a winter car. I live in an area that gets 24" in 24 hours at least a few times a year. I have passed big trucks with 4wd many MANY times that had slid out while the Festiva just kept on going. The short wheel base keeps it from side sliding very much. EVERY bit of weight that the car DOES have is right on the front axle. If you put chains on it, it'd climb a tree.

[colinsk8s]

Holy crap , Yukon , thats far from everything. Hello from Quebec.

Haha, thanks man!

Just a word to all you guys worried about rust (especially you Ontarians). In the Yukon they do not use salt in the winter. I have seen some really old school cars that have a big rust history (4x4 Tercel wagons, late 80's Sentras, etc) that have NO rust, and the answer is they spent their whole life in the Yukon. I'm hoping this Festiva will follow that trend, but of course I will check all the areas you guys listed (thanks DriverOne). I will also definitely ask about the wheel bearings.

[colinsk8s]

And immediately start searching around for a dead Aspire so that you can graft the undercarraige on to your new purchase: modern and better brakes, stiffer springs, thicker sway bar plus 100mm wheel stud pattern that lets you escape from trailer and wheelbarrow tire status.

I will keep my eyes open, thanks for the tip! So these Aspire parts are pretty much bolt on eh?

[denguy]

Why don't they use salt in the Yukon? Just wondering.

[Bert]

Festiva is too small and underpowered to be a winter car. No good at all after heavy snow. Here in Ottawa I park mine most of the winter, some times all winter.

I vociferously have to disagree with that statement. And I live just down the street from you! Festys (especially ones with manual trannys) with good snow tires are huge fun in the snow and near impossible to get stuck. And if you do they're easy to get loose. I always carry a 20 foot nylon tow rope with me and routinely pull larger lo-slung cars out of snow banks. Especially rear wheel drive models. I would imagine Festys are just about the ultimate ice racer when you look at the easy mods (Aspire stuff plus Mazda engines) that are available.
Underpowered? Winter is the only time a Festy owner can pretend that the car is actually overpowered; I can spin the wheels and do donuts in almost any gear during a snowfall. Handbrake turns are a gas and a trick that always impresses on-lookers is backing out of a parking spot at full throttle while pulling the wheel over hard so that the car turns 180 degrees within it's own length and then you immediately slip into a forward gear so as to continue on your way. I've even taught my daughter how to do it.

[colinsk8s]

Why don't they use salt in the Yukon? Just wondering.

I think for one, they'd have to truck it all in and that's expensive, and two, they know the damage it does to cars, the water table, soil, etc.