Newbie questions about modifying my '93 festiva

[olivia1993]

Hi there, I'm new to having a car and have a few questions about modifying my Festiva;

Where can I go to find out if I can do the following things to my car?

- Converting it to 4WD
- Putting in a sunroof
- Putting all power steering, power windows and locks in
- Allowing the back windows to be rolled down


Thanks in advance!

Olivia

[TominMO]

All of that except the sunroof is very difficult/expensive, if not impossible (rear windows). If you want all those things, get a different car that has them, like a Subaru.

[FestYboy]

whoa whoa whoa Tom, the 4WD can be had with GTX goodies (or possibly Suzuki Ario SX parts)

power everything can be done with universal kits OR buying parts from over seas

sunroof is cake

only part that can't be done without compromising the structural integrity of the car is the rear windows.

[Bert]

Unless you are preparing, planning, and capable, of doing things like this yourself the expense of adapting 4WD components is going to eat you out of house and home. There are lots of things we all wish for but time and money are usually major constraints. More than one forum member has been involved with trying to install 4WD but I have yet to hear about any successful end products.

[Safety Guy]

Welcome Olivia!

Buy a Ford Excursion, throw it in the wash with real hot water, then into the dryer on "high heat" for about a day or two. It should shrink down to about what you want!

The advantages of Festivas is that they're small, simple, easy to work on, and will save you lots of money--but you'll need the right attitude and a willingness to learn.

As for rolling down the back windows, you could approximate that rather easily. One of our members hooked up a bike brake cable to his right rear window and could open or close it from the driver's seat. Other members have used solinoids to pop them open and closed.

Karl

[TominMO]

Arty, I was considering that she is new to cars, and is probably not very mechanically skilled at this point. Therefore others would have to do the work; lotsa money. Hence the Sube recommendation. Not saying it couldn't be done, but....

[koRnhead]

Most of that is not all that hard to do, making the back windows roll down, not just open with power would take some work as there isn't room for the glass to slide down in back.

And making it AWD....well if you have to ask, you don't have the ability to do it. Sorry, just the simple truth.

[olivia1993]

Thanks for all your posts!
Money isn't really an issue, but I do want to keep this car. I just wanted to make it 4WD because the winters where I live are very long and we get probably over 30 feet of snow in just a few months. Rear windows that roll down aren't a necessity. Power windows and locks would be nice though. I want to put in a panorama sunroof; is that as easy?

[Team Lightning]

Olivia1993, where are you located?

[TominMO]

These cars do pretty good in the snow without 4WD. Just mount some good snow tires, with studs if legal. Get 13" Geo Metro rims from the JY (195 and later Metros) for your winter tires.

[Charlie1717]

Thanks for all your posts!
Money isn't really an issue, but I do want to keep this car. I just wanted to make it 4WD because the winters where I live are very long and we get probably over 30 feet of snow in just a few months. Rear windows that roll down aren't a necessity. Power windows and locks would be nice though. I want to put in a panorama sunroof; is that as easy?

If money isn't an issue then you can probably do all of your wishlist, minus the rear windows. Many people use universal kits for the windows and locks. 4wd will be tough, but again if money isn't an issue I'm sure someone will be able to do it for you. Check out the Fun tops too.

[olivia1993]

I am in northern Canada. I had really good winter tires this year and i still got stuck all the time.

[bravekozak]

A 1988 MAZDA 323GTX already has AWD.

[Safety Guy]

Olivia, if money is really no issue, then maybe you should get a dedicated 4WD for the worst of winter travels. For anything up to 8-10" of snow, a well set up Festiva with the best snow tires should work fine.

I recommend the following:

Aspire suspension and brake conversion, to give you bigger brakes and superior handling, along with more wheel choices.

Raise the car slightly (about an inch at most) to provide more ground (actually, snow) and tire clearance.

Get 14" or 15" wheels with the best snow tires you can fit. I'm planning on going to 185/60-14 tires, including snows, for my work Festiva. Taller tires can raise your car another 1/2" to 1".

Get a B6 engine swap, for a little extra power (from 63 to 82hp) without too much trouble or cost.

Extra insulation for heat and noise control. Rebuild most everything likely needing to be rebuilt (due to age). This includes all of your hard lines (fuel, fuel return, brake) and all brake hoses.

That's a good start, then you can think about "luxury upgrades." My own opinion is that the simpler, the better. (I hate power anything, including but especially windows.)

Good luck, and post some pictures!!

Karl

[TominMO]

Even better would be the dedicated winter car route; maybe an Impreza wagon with the Legacy suspension swap for more ground clearance. Or a 4WD pickup (with weight in the bed over the rear wheels for snow).