It started right up!

[Dave G]

I haven't driven the Festiva since early December, 'cause the brakes suck and I got another car. So after six months of sitting, it started pretty much "first kick" this afternoon . I was impressed! Drove it around the block a few times. The brakes are still pretty scary though... Trying to decide if I want to invest the time & money into fixing it, or sell it to one of you guys.

[Charlie1717]

I haven't driven the Festiva since early December, 'cause the brakes suck and I got another car. So after six months of sitting, it started pretty much "first kick" this afternoon . I was impressed! Drove it around the block a few times. The brakes are still pretty scary though... Trying to decide if I want to invest the time & money into fixing it, or sell it to one of you guys.

Fix it!! No wait I'll take it

[Bert]

Good yarn!
I bought an abandoned EFI LX a few years ago which fired right up (via a booster battery) after sitting for 3 years. Surprised the heck out of the owner. He figured I'd have to go through all kinds of conniptions in order to get it up on a landscape trailer. Mind you one rear brake was so horribly seized that I had to wreck the drum despite trying everything else more polite for the better part of 2 hours.
The little devils (Festys) seem to thrive on attention and don't care how old the fuel going in is.

[zoom zoom]

I'd love to get into another festiva if the price isn't gonna break my bank account. If you should decide to sell it let me know.

[Safety Guy]

Dave! If you need any help lemme know!

Karl

[Dave G]

Dave! If you need any help lemme know!

Karl

I might take you up on that . Drove it a lot today - I'd forgotten how fun it is. At minimum, I need to replace all the flexible brake lines, and run a new hard line to one of the rear wheels. All the other hard lines are new, but when the last one popped I just capped it off in front and took the one rear brake out of service (I couldn't tell any difference...). Also need to figure out what's wrong with the two-circuit safety system, because I know from experience that it doesn't work - when a single brake line fails, all four go out! Is that an issue with the proportioning valve, or the master cylinder? And it needs new front rotors, but if I wasn't so worried about hydraulic failure, I could probably live with that, just for running around town.

[Safety Guy]

Good questions Dave!

My answer is to turn the thing on its side and replace ALL the hard lines at once, as part of a complete refurbishment procedure.

If you want to do this, I'll spring for the plywood bulkheads front and rear to turn the car without touching the ground. That way mine will already be made for when I need them. (They would attach to the bumper mounts, so you'll have to take both bumpers off.)

Since you have a nice truck to drive, I think this would be the way to do it. You could have her ready for Madness, easy.

Karl