Wheels? Rims? Tires?

[firebrandtoluc]

I have an 89 Festiva that needs a new driver side front rim and probably a tire too. I don't know if it is an L or an LX and I don't even know how to check. I don't know where to go to look for the parts. I don't know what to ask for when I get to a parts shop. I know nothing about cars in general but I do know that my tire is completely flat and my rim is completely rusted through. It wont hold air long enough to drive down my driveway. So, what I need to know is:

Do I need a new rim? I think I do because last time I got it checked out they said the air was leaking out because of my rim being rusted out. Is that even a feasible diagnosis?

Is there any way duct tape could solve that problem? Probably not, but it's worth asking right?

Do I need a new tire? If the rim is the problem I might not, right?

If I need a rim, where can I get one?

What should I ask for when I get there?

If I need a tire, I got the ones I have at Wallyworld for, like, $30 so that is probably not a problem. I don't want to have to go to a junkyard to get the rim though so if you experts know a better place to order one I would appreciate it.

[mattswabb]

Where are you located? Maybe someone on the forum nearby has a rim. I suggest calling a junkyard. You may even get a usable tire on the rim. I'd say $20 range for a rim.

[ajb999]

call around to tire places around you. be careful when getting a new rim. i got one from a tire place(barely used) and it fit but when i installed it on the front drivers side it was shaped different than stock and hit my brakes. i could only move the car a foot or so. works fine on the back though.

[25Horseplay]

Check this for a junk yard near you that might have the parts.

http://car-part.com/

[firebrandtoluc]

I'm near Canton, OH. I called a junkyard near here and they told me they had a festiva "down in the swamp" that they could check on. That didn't give me a very good impression of the quality I might end up with. That site seems like a really good resource but I still don't what size I need. Where do I look to get that info? I can always take my tape measure to it if I have to.

[firebrandtoluc]

Would a 12"x4.5" steel wheel from an 88 Festiva work on my 89 Festiva?

[25Horseplay]

Would a 12"x4.5" steel wheel from an 88 Festiva work on my 89 Festiva?

Yes, all festiva wheels interchange between years.

[freshtiva]

The steel wheel would probably be a 12" x 4". You might look at the other tires on the car and see what size they are. They are probably 155/12Rs. I cant imagine a wheel so rusted through that it would leak. Maybe its the valve stem. If your wheel is that rusted, Id check the other wheels as well. Duct tape is pretty good stuff but I don't think it could fix a rusted out wheel, :lol:

[firebrandtoluc]

Yeah, it's rusted that bad. It was sitting under a tarp in my grandpa's back yard for six years and that particular wheel was lying next to it in a drainage ditch. Six years, and we just screwed the wheel back on and started it up. I've had it seven years since then too. It just wont die, I love it. Thanks for your help all, my car is back on the road again.

[packrat427]

Another Festiva saved from the Earths wrath ,and Mother nature .
We need pics of this car firebrandtoluc, lets see it