A complete, nearly stock overhaul for my Festiva's B3?

[bobstad]

I worry I'll start to seem like the boy who cried wolf too often: However, I've been thinking more about my Festiva's motor; wondering about giving that a full overhaul as I did four times to the '66 VW "square-back" sedan I had a dozen years from '82-'94.

I think with the Festiva I'd like a professional's touch; since though I did good work on the VW, there were enough snafus I don't want to ever experience those again.

I'm imagining with 180,000 miles and some blow-by; getting everything in the head renewed, the engine cylinder bores all redone with new rings and/or pistons and rods, all balanced, and the crankshaft turned with appropriate size new replacement bearings. Also all new seals all over the motor, with a new oil pump and whatever else is worth replacing while the motor is torn apart. This cost me about $600 for parts and machine work for the VW, including rebuilding both Solex carburetors; doing all the work myself: New or rebuilt rods, cylinders and pistons; case halves align-bored and everything else.

I simply can't justify the risks of an used motor; nor the work of having to be constantly fooling around under the hood, experimenting. Thus, I feel the need to become a control freak so to speak. The same way I had to approach the VW; which was by spending more, to avoid uncertainty. With mechanically competent friends with secure places to work on cars, also able-bodied I'm not; they could afford to use old parts or any other number of reliable expedients, for an expert.

I'm in a town where I don't know anyone, and at age sixty-one doubt I'm going to make too many new friends, particularly automotive geniuses. So, I'm trying to imagine starting to shop around to find a shop which would work with me; getting the Festiva's motor overhauled. And, while at that also replacing the clutch, pressure plate and throw-out bearing.

One recent experience was having a local shop replace the passenger side drive-shaft and control arm on the same side, which has the ball joint. They charged me $165 in labor and some transmission fluid; while the shop which had recently replaced the water pump, timing belt, timing belt tensioner, alternator, valve cover gasket and seals on the crank and cam shafts, quoted me a price for the same $165 job-labor only, of about $360. The place who did the work for $165 based their charge on $75/hour shop time; while I have no idea where the $360 quote came from? Making me think I could've done much better elsewhere; for the earlier work they'd done, too.

Thus, the idea of shopping around looking for an engine overhaul; as mentioned above, seems like something with the potential of excellent results? And, I'm a convinced B3 fan, folks; with their excellent fuel economy, my bottom line. If someone were to lay a B6 on me I might seriously consider using that instead; since probably there'd be good mileage too, with a little more torque and power nice in a pinch. Though since I already have the current motor, and do feel having that made fresh a good long term investment; staying B3 is my plan.

When I was overhauling the VW's motors; using the John Muir Idiot's Guide was far from my bible, with companion manuals of other brands far more useful in many respects. Though I did get a cohesive sense of what I was doing; I'm far from feeling with the Festiva shop manual and the companion Haynes one. Maybe I've simply not immersed myself enough; though the anti-technological Idiot's Guide, sure made for feeling I had a blue-print to follow. If also letting me know why so named.

The Nazis' perverse character certainly is well reflected in their stunningly successful consumer product; which is worth some serious contemplation, as to the effect on the generations of the sixties and seventies and eighties well after the second world war. I've read a good number of the available holocaust survivor books; within which I've always tried to balance my horror of all the participant's roles, probably as much as anything due to the fact of being forced to do much of my own mechanical work to be able to drive, in societies where that is rare of most people.

I never think of money as a fair exchange; while always surprised in automotive endeavors, how some appreciate my knowledge and efforts while others dislike that...of the commercial entities I end up dealing with. The places who like stupid people; like them to have lots of money! Which is sure a dim philosophy; in my opinion. Only since discovery of Paul Polansky's Gypsy survivor books and his other books about Gypsies during the second world war, my ancestry; have I started to run across books so horrifying and discouraging I've not been able to finish them. I don't believe the propaganda of the Nazis, though do believe such propaganda is designed to touch nerves which are sensitive. Understanding the monstrosity of such agendas; is a project worth working at, too few seem interested in? Worth some infrequent skin off my knuckles at least.

[bravekozak]

Find a B6 engine from an old Mazda 323 and rebuild it. Direct bolt in replacement, but more fun. Then you could swap engines on the same day.

[bobstad]

Find a B6 engine from an old Mazda 323 and rebuild it. Direct bolt in replacement, but more fun. Then you could swap engines on the same day.

That does sound like lots more fun, swapping motors the same day; even another B3, would be nifty that way. The only problem is space; so I've rented a 5' x 10' storage unit and am now at work, trying to get rid of a plethora of possessions making my 450 square foot apartment a constant nightmare-of a supposed living space.

The city of San Francisco recently approved zoning for 220 square foot apartments, so with that as a sign of the future me thinks; I've literally tons of improving myself to do, getting lighter. Their rent for such a small space is set at around $1300/month. I'm already well into going vertical; so hope those places have high enough ceilings.

One project well on the design path is a sound proof 8' x 6' music practice room I can sleep in as well; with storage and/or a loft bed on top. I practice flute, alto sax, clarinet, guitar and electric bass guitar laying down; due to back problems. I think I'd build the motor in this current apartment; as a more easily controlled space, than the storage unit.

[Movin]

Bob, let me just offer discussion on a few points you have placed on the table.

Your experience with estimates on the shaft and control arm are interesting. The nuts and bolts of this are that there are two parts to replace. Each have there
own repair time listed. However they also share time in that several operations
have to be done that are common to both parts. If the job is done both at the
same time then time should be subtracted from the total of the two jobs to reflect the job being done. This is called overlap time up to a point. At some point related jobs will reach another total, in this case there is a "Suspension
overhaul, one side" time that no matter what you do to that corner of the car
with suspension, you should not exceed. Some service writers ignore these
guidelines and slap on all the labor they can, and most are financially rewarded
if they do. Others may choose to run up the labor if they really don't want the job for some reason. New service writers quickly learn one thing and that is
when the boss kicks the door open shaking a estimate with violence..well it
is much easier to defend a lost job and a high estimate than having a job done,
a upset customer at the cashier who just gave said boss the written estimate
that was too low. When the boss gets the boom lowered on him guess what
happens next.

Long blocks can be purchased and installed but that is usually the most expensive way to a new engine. A shop can build your engine for you
and that should be less expensive as you still have a running engine.
Some machine shops will build your engine for you and usually the is the
least expensive way to a rebuilt motor. Or you can do all the labor yourself
and have the machine shop only do the machine work. Sometimes they can
provide the overhaul kit for less than the parts stores.
Installing a newer 1.6 might be very quick and nice to install. They are easy
to get down here by California.
Enough for now.

[bobstad]

Bob, let me just offer...
Enough for now.

To Movin...

The shop with the high estimate has been around locally almost forty years, whose owner drives a couple of the flashiest late model Mazda sports cars I've ever seen, a rag top and one with a half door to the rear seat passenger. A large, fancy, expensive looking motorcycle is also always parked there I assume is one of the mechanic's. Their waiting area is huge, uncomfortably overheated, with a full horse race trotters rig displayed which relates to the name of the place, as well as an electric powered bicycle, nice comfortable seating and lots of magazines.

The place which was far less expensive, has only a small waiting room also where their cash register is located, the benches are cheap and not too comfortable and no reading materials. They also specialize in brake work and front end work only; while located on the corner of the block next door to the local food bank, where three days a week people stand on the sidewalk for hours in front of the place which worked on my car. Their service bays are smaller than the more expensive place's, and conditions are far more crowded.

At the more expensive place, I had the feeling they felt like they were doing me a favor working on my car; while at the less expensive place they were more courteous, felt less judgmental of me, and as if glad to have my business. They also seemed a lot busier.

I like the idea of finding a machine shop willing to overhaul the motor; imagining a professional's touch in many ways superior to my own. There is a popular clay 3/8 mile oval track Skagit Speedway near here; I've been to races at a couple times, most recently about two years ago.[http://www.skagitspeedway.com/

Their Outlaw Hornet class, which races just before the last race of the night the main event; has cars which resemble Festivas considerably. So one of my ideas is to look carefully in their website at all the places and people associated with those Outlaw Hornet class race cars, to try to find a good shop to rebuild my motor. Basically stock, though with the pistons and rods balanced, and any other small things which could add to longevity and economy; which people who build motors for racing should be well qualified to do?