This is near the end

[iriegnome]

My daughter came to me and told me the passenger door was clicking when she opened it. Turns out it was hitting the front fender.. Upon further inspection, the frame at the front has rotted and it looks like the nose on the passenger side has dipped a bit. Well, this got me to looking over the whole car. Turns out most of the drivers floor is gone, about half of the passenger floor is gone. My kid's feet were only off the ground because of the carpet!!!!... Fan belt was squeeling (Again after putting on the new belt)..
Retightened the belt so that's ok. Bought some sheet metal and am going to pull the carpet and set up a new floor pan coming this next weekend, but nothing to be done about the frame, so as long as it is stable, it stays until it is done

[jaketlong11]

you could part it out once its done for.

[shadetree]

Part it out its done . The car is not safe for the road .

[Pu241]

Part it out its done . The car is not safe for the road .

I have to agree with Shadetree on this!
If the front end has collapsed enough to bind the door it is done.
Might consider this for its frame/body to get you back online:

http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/showthread.php?54085-1993-Festiva-Gl

Price reduced to $300.

[SWRT]

Man, I'd give up on that. You're currently a small step away
from driving like Fred Flintstone. Swapping your stuff into another
car sounds like a great idea though

[bhazard]

I would not put any work into that at all. There's plenty more out there.

[old yellow]

time to part it out!

[william]

I have to agree with the above I'm doing the same to mine and it's not nearly as bad as that.
Mines around the rear beam mounts

[F3BZ]

these cars were never bank vaults when new. add 20+ yrs. of metal fatigue and rust and the proliferation of SUVs weighing 3 times as much sharing the road. as an adult, do what you want but maybe consider not letting your daughter drive or ride in it.

[muleskinner]

I would get a good Festy shell and swap parts.
Shadow, my dd, is severely rusted as well, but seems like a solid frame and body still. I have a parts car right now that has a much better rust free frame & if I don't get a 1st generation B6 in it first I will use the parts car to do the switch when & if it comes time!

[TominMO]

Agree, too dangerous to drive. If you can't find a good enough shell up there, I could sell you Matthew as a roller (basically everything but motor/tranny/axles/exhaust) to flat-tow back there. Matthew is EFI, but is your car EFI or carby?

Possibly we could meet in Bloomington or Springfield, IL, but first I have to get another car set up for towing (ironically Matthew has a strong 1.25" hitch welded in, but will have no motor, so I can't tow with it). Matthew would have a rust-free hood, door and wiper/washer hatch, all of them white like the car itself is. All Matthew's rust issues were superficial, and I have dealt with them.

I was planning on stripping the car and getting rid of the empty shell, but it would be nice to keep him on the road. We could discuss price depending on features (i.e. do you want the radio, seats, etc.). All brake and suspension parts are in good shape. He's still a beater IMO, but a solid one. Festy brakes, new Aspire Monroe rear struts, good used KYBs on the front. Blue/grey GL door cards w/pockets. Side windows tinted ~50%. Windshield badly cracked, but good-used replacement one included in the deal.

Edit: Here's some pics: http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/showthread.php?51458-Matthew/page2

That is not the hatch on it currently BTW. I haven't installed the good hood yet, due to clearance issues with Matthew's custom intake. Nor have I installed the rust-free driver's door, but will do it this week. He would come with four 155/80x13s (cheap but good tread) on Metro steelies, plus a 12" spare. I will want the console stuff, but might find good replacements.

[festyxfi]

Also in agreement. There's cosmetic rust (which doesn't hurt anything) and there's structural rust. My suzuki sidekick I use for adventuring has loads of cosmetic rust (which I've cut and fab'ed a few places) but the important stuff is solid. I have a 5 year old and as much as I'll risk my own safety (safety 3rd!) I won't risk his safety.

Just my 2 cents.

FX

[Bert]

I'm glad to hear that folks here are not blinded in worship of become-old unibody cars. Like you I live in the rust belt and oiled the 'feces' out of my Festys every chance I got during the past 10 years. Despite that the floors got soft and rust holes slowly appeared in the firewall/hatch etc etc. When trailing arms, spring pockets and brake backing plates start developing holes then you know for certain the car is getting near the end. If you're serious about a long-term relationship with a Festy then obtaining a southern body is an absolute must as is hiding the car away during the winter months.
Pretend you own an MGB, Fiat 128 or a Llada; those cars literally dissolved withing 3-4 Ontario winters whereas the average Festy toughed it out for about 10-11!

[Damkid]

Bert - do you hate life or something? You're always so negative.... Not all cliffs have protective fences, just saying

[Bert]

Bert - do you hate life or something? You're always so negative.... Not all cliffs have protective fences, just saying

No. Being entirely realistic. Vintage and Classic cars (and Festys are darn near there!) you see on the road are sourced in the south and/or have not been wintered as daily drivers for 2 decades in the north. Unibody vehicles are unlike body on frame designs in that any holes, creases or corrosion compromise the structural integrity of the vehicle. Over the past 10 years I have been thoroughly impressed with the longevity and quality of steel that was used in Festys but no amount of effort can overcome the long term effect of O2 and moisture. I've always been a believer in using vehicles to full advantage and Festys are especially good in snow but as a consequence have had to retire all three of mine last spring, despite their having been routinely oil-sprayed. Having said that 21 years is pretty amazing; cars my parents owned all during the 50s, 60s and 70s only ever averaged 8-10 years before they got hauled off for scrap.