Festiva Madness

[sam.1956]

Yes it's true. Festiva Madness has been sweeping the country! Raleigh NC has recently been infected and we have a small, but growing contingency of carriers. No one's 100% sure how it spreads, but it's rumored to be transferred by handling Festiva bodily fluids (oil, gas, antifreeze, brake fluid, trans fluid & wheel bearing grease). Another theory is, simple, casual contact... all you have to do is lightly brush up against a Festiva and BAM! you've contracted The Madness! My own F.M. came about via the visual cortex method... one look at that little red go-kart and I got it bad. Doc Dean sez that it's incurable!

This car is sort of like having a bag of potato chips... once I got started doing stuff, I just couldn't stop! By the way, the racing stripes are vinyl sign material that took me about 15 minutes to install. So far, I've mainly done "cosmetic" mods to the car, as it's currently my only vehicle! I'll be adding some more photos of my '88 L soon that show some of the mods...

New clutch
New carpet (red of course)
13 inch wheels with blingin' $30 buck chrome plastic wheel covers
Repainted bumpers & interior vinyl (dash, doors, rear inner panels)
Hot-rod flame seat covers
Vinyl racing stripes
Shifter Console scarfed from an auto-trans Festy
Grant GT steering wheel
Tach cluster
Anti-skid pads on dash & instrument cluster bezel (I made 'em)
FESTIVA MADNESS sticker across the windshield
Gen-U-Wine Lambo "Raging Bull" sticker on the hood (I don't know why)



4-9-08 OK... here's some more photos of my little go-kart... what fun!

Low-buck bling... contradiction of terms? Not in Festiva Madness land.
My genuine simulated chrome plastic AutoZone wheel covers.


Interior upgrades... tach, Grant wheel, red carpet, etc. Eye candy.


Cheap way to spiff up a boring interior door panel... paint it!

[SIBladerunner]

sweet ride

[Axlander9289]

Good looking car, man, and it seems you've got a way with words too.

[scitzz]

I need to get some more madness myself in raleigh......

[packrat427]

Awesome Sam , I like that !!

[25Horseplay]

If this is madness I think I'm infected!

[freshtiva]

Ive had it for awhile now. Your car looks real nice !

[b3 madness]

Madness?? Did someone say Madness??? :evil4:

[Axlander9289]

MADNESS! MUAHAHAHA!

The red carpet looks awesome! How easy was it to make it fit?

[sam.1956]

Since I had never replaced the entire carpet in a car before, I was overly cautious, etc. The UPS guy delivered the box about 2 pm and I started immediately. At 9 pm that nite, I was done. So it took me about 7 hours, not rushing myself & just trying to enjoy the process as much as possible. It really wasn't that difficult to fit, its just tedious work.

The carpet is from 1A Auto. (They have about 10 colors you can order for the Festiva's. It really is insane.... or should I have said, "madness"?? LOL!) And although their carpet is specifically hot-molded to fit the Festiva floorpan, NONE of the access holes are cut in the carpet, and it is delivered oversize. So I had to do a lot of fitting & measuring & cutting. I had already tossed away my old carpet, which in retrospect was a mistake, because if I had it as a template, things would have likely gone considerably faster.

[endersjeff]

Besides keeping the old carpet for a template, got any other suggestions? I'm just now shopping for a new carpet. Also looking for the pieces in the back that conceal the trunk area and the cardboard thing that goes over the spare tire. Good advise about the old carpet.

[sam.1956]

Other suggestions for carpet... When you unscrew the plastic door sill plates, you'll see that the original carpet has some plastic upside-down "V" strips attached to the carpet with heavy staples. It helps keep the carpet in place on the metal frame of the car. Remove the "V" strips and re-use them on the new carpet. You'll need some kind of really heavy duty stapler.

When I ordered my carpet from 1AAuto.com, it came with that separate piece to cover the spare tire area. They've got like 10 friggin colors of carpet to fit the Festiva! But no fasteners! So it's a trip to your fave auto parts store to get a handful of the plastic button carpet fasteners, if your original ones get damaged when you remove them.

[endersjeff]

I love that little red cart. The interior is awesome. Say.....what is the hood ornament?
I am also interested in finishing my seats, any suggestions. Question: What year Festiva parts will fit my 91L? Because i'm new to this i have more questions than answers.

[MONSOON]

^^ Everything from 88-93 will work^^

With a couple exceptions from 88-89 carbed models.

[sam.1956]

Thanx. I think the interior did turn our rather nicely. It was loads of fun to do. You shoulda seen me masking off the doors then spray painting them! Paper & tape were everywhere.

The hood ornament: oh my. Why did I do that? I don't know. Going senile, I guess. LOL!

Its an actual Lamborghini sticker from "way back when". Back in the 80's, a buddy of mine in Europe found out I was nutz about the Lambo Countach & so he shipped me a pack of Lamborghini stickers. I found them in a box a couple months ago when I was cleaning out some stuff. SOMEHOW it found it's way onto the hood of the car. Mamaw used to say that idle hands are the tools of the devil. Guess she was right!

I love that little red cart. The interior is awesome. Say.....what is the hood ornament?
I am also interested in finishing my seats, any suggestions. Question: What year Festiva parts will fit my 91L? Because i'm new to this i have more questions than answers.