My latest

[David88]

Got this one over the weekend. (2/26) 1 owner. It had 23,241 miles in '02. 31,458 when parked in '03. That's where its at now. I towed it home as it needs some TLC from sitting in a barn with a dirt floor. Should be fun to clean up. I think this will be a keeper.

[packrat427]

Congratulations David on your new addition to the Family.

[Roboskittle]

Very nice ride. I approve. LOL

[mattswabb]

Looks nice, I used to have a yellow one a few years ago. It was a bit rougher than yours. So how much did you pay for it? I bet you have the lowest mileage festiva in the world.

matt

[25Horseplay]

I love to have a yellow one! That one looks awesome!

[freshtiva]

low mileage

Only 31,000 miles, what a find! You should be able to get one million more miles out of that car, I want it. Do I see a little front end damage?

[HappyMom]

So how much did you pay for it? I bet you have the lowest mileage festiva in the world.

matt

From his sig, he has the two lowest mileage festivas in the world.

Love the yellow ones, I have to settle for a yellow festy avatar

[PaulLehr]

My first Festiva was a yellow 89 Fi auto car. I never actually drove it. I hated the yellow at first but it kinda grew on me. Now I'm almost tempted to paint my project car yellow just because I never see any yellow ones anymore

[Festiva_n00b]

:shock: 31k! Holy crap. Nice find!

[David88]

Re: low mileage

Only 31,000 miles, what a find! You should be able to get one million more miles out of that car, I want it. Do I see a little front end damage?

Well I've finally got some time to sit down and get some R&R. Been too busy.

Yes to the front end damage, but I still think it was a good find and still an OK deal. I got it from a farmer so it is a real barn fresh find. I looked it over and tried to get a feel for what the guy want for it (ballpark) and he was looking for an offer. I was so not sure about it I told him I would think it over and let him know him in a couple days. I shot him an offer for $125 over the phone and he took it. I have a pic, its not pretty though.





The front sub frames and core support are tweaked to the left about 3". Strut towers are good. It’s all in front of that. It still drives straight and the cooling and windshield survived.

The whole story is the guy (owner) and his wife had got it new for his elderly mother-in-law. She would use it to go a few miles to town and back a couple times a week. She didn't like the 5 speed so she drove it even less. He said they wished they'd got an automatic. So it went for 13 years. In 2003 she got stopped at RR X-ing and the gates came down on the car and gave her a real scare so she quit driving it. It then went to his name @ 23k miles and his daughter started driving it to college. In less that a year she put it to just over 31k. Then she got on an icy bridge overpass a lost into the guardrail. :cry:

I just have to figure out how to pull the front back over. This should be fun! :shock: . Nothing scientific about what I'm planning. Just down and dirty :twisted: . I'm picturing 2500# pickup + 20' Log chain + 1 heavy foot = backwoods frame machine. :thumbup: I know how everybody likes juicy pics so I will try to keep my camera close.

3/29/06
I ordered a radiator support panel for it. the place I got it said next day delivery then they called me and said it would be in on 4/03. They had to shuttle it in from?.. seems they only had 3 in the country.

4/01/06
I called FMS today and ordered at set of side skirts to go with these...

A bit of Pimptiva will live on.

4/03
Well the radiator supports are NLA. I found web sites that still list them, but when you try to order they are out of stock. Bummer! . I remember seeing them listed on ebay up till about 6 mos. ago. Oh well I'll keep hunting. Anybody have a straight body shell for cutting up?

4/05
I found a web site in the UK that still sells the radiator support panel for the Mazda 121. They are 38 GBP. I emailed them and they said the would ship it to my door for 70 GBP. 100 GBP = $187 :shock: I really wanted new for this car, but that's a little much. I think I may have found a good used one locally.

4/11


I welded up a brace to bolt where the bumper beam bolted to and added a hook to pull with. I hooked my truck up to pull sideways on the front end as the front sub frames were shifted to the left about 3 inches. We used a 20' log chain. I back the truck up to the car with the chain slack and then floored it. Moved the subs about 3/4" first time and spun the car. I liked it so much I set it up for another. 8) It took about four good hits to get it close. Of course the front panel still needs replaced 'cause its all wrinkled.

4/17
Surgery commenced!
:shock:



4/18
I picked up a front clip at a local salvage. Here it is during fitting.


5/17
The front end is all rebuilt. This is during a trial fit of everything.


6/09
Well here it is about 90% done. Still have to put in the inner fender on one side and get some fog lights and add the konigs.

This is was restored to 100% original. Every thing is as it was from factory with the addition of the ground effects so it gets 42MPG highway. I have the original bumpers and exhaust. 31,500 original miles.

6/19
Got the A/C installed today. I just need to get it charged.

6/20
Here is the debut at Wauseon OH June Super-cruise night. That's my Dads '66 International Harvester pickup in in the background. This cruise happens every Tuesday May - Aug. Once a month is the super-cruise. There is live music and food. It starts at 5pm and they block off the streets for the evening till 9pm. All the cars are lined up in rows on the main street and some side streets if need be. This night there must have been 200 cars of all sorts. There were two new Ford GT 40's there. Awesome car! My brother calls them the Corvette beater and with 1000 built, this was a good showing. This is the 15th year for the cruise. 10 years since I've been. Alot of fun! Oh there was a Subaru WRX there. No words for it. Tweaked tuned and as the rear plate read, "ON BOOST". Lets just say the cost of mods likely equaled or exceeded the original sticker price.
I wish I'd had enough time to see if some of you guys in the North OH area could have made it. Maybe next time.

[David88]

So how much did you pay for it? I bet you have the lowest mileage festiva in the world.

matt

From his sig, he has the two lowest mileage festivas in the world.

Love the yellow ones, I have to settle for a yellow festy avatar

The '90LX is my wife's car. I found it in the trader paper in '03. It had 23k on it and the guy was asking $2200. He was the second owner and he bought it at an estate auction. The family of the elderly woman whose estate it was had bought her the the car (hence the auto) and she drove for about 3 years before she had a stroke. She still lived at home though with hospice care. The auction was in '01(went into his name) so the car sat for the most part undriven in her garage for 8 years. The guy said after he drove the terrible gas out of it, it felt like the wheels were going to fall off. The tires had great tread, but flat spots so bad they would not balance and had to be replaced. New tires were on. The old ones were in the back.
I thought he was way high on the price, like car dealer high, 'cause the old lady parked by feel in her garage, and she apparently didn't have enough room to open her door without hitting something.
I offered him $1800 and he frowned. There was a moment of uncomfortable silence and then he accepted.
It was an OK deal. I had to replace the rear wheel cylinders and shoes after a short time 'cause they were leaking. I just wish my wife would take better care of the inside.
You can still read part #'s stenciled in white on stuff like the struts and the front sway bar. Its pretty cool. I get some pics of it too.

[lilred]

festy

i have a yellow one but it has 198,000 and a red door

[freshtiva]

Keep at it ,and get them fixed up right !! Otherwise call me, I want to be first on your part out list. They ARE great finds !

[todd00]

that car looks great. did it come with a/c also?

did you see the 92 listed on autotrader at a dealer in LA, suppose to have 32k. i emailed them asking if the mileage was right, but no reply. i see its still listed for 2500. they probably forgot about their autotrader ad.

[Safety Guy]

Looks like excellent work, David!

Karl