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Hey all. Bought this 1988 Ford Festiva L after selling my truck and paying bills. This is what it looked like when I first got it.
$350. The engine runs, but puffs considerable white smoke from the PCV, dipstick and oil fill. The shifter linkage was "mushy", and the brakes traveled to the floor. Later I find out the engine will stall when brakes are pumped. Also, the turn signal would turn on upon turning the wheel. Seats were shot.
I added an air compressor catch can to minimize the oil going into the carb, then topped the oil off with ATF and let it idle for a while. After I fixed the vacuum tee's to the EGR on the firewall, I seafoamed and changed the oil. It smoked a lot. Runs better and doesn't want to stall when braking as badly.
Replaced the seats with a set from an Escort LX. Little white plastic piece and steering wheel from a 1992 Mazda MX-3.
Shift linkage.. Well, the previous owner mashed the brackets inward and put sleeves on the bolt (stabilizer bushing?), which made it incredibly difficult to do advancedynamic's bushing mod. Thankfully, I had also taken the short shifter from the MX-3- including the shifter arm and bracket. I could have hammered out the old one, but the MX-3 bracket looks beefier. It's all back together now, short of the lost nylon washers I failed to buy more of.
Rustoleum paintjob in the works: Sandable primer with 600 grit dry on the hood. I'm going to 600 the rest of the body and spray with a 50/50 Colonial Red and mineral spirits.
$350. The engine runs, but puffs considerable white smoke from the PCV, dipstick and oil fill. The shifter linkage was "mushy", and the brakes traveled to the floor. Later I find out the engine will stall when brakes are pumped. Also, the turn signal would turn on upon turning the wheel. Seats were shot.
I added an air compressor catch can to minimize the oil going into the carb, then topped the oil off with ATF and let it idle for a while. After I fixed the vacuum tee's to the EGR on the firewall, I seafoamed and changed the oil. It smoked a lot. Runs better and doesn't want to stall when braking as badly.
Replaced the seats with a set from an Escort LX. Little white plastic piece and steering wheel from a 1992 Mazda MX-3.
Shift linkage.. Well, the previous owner mashed the brackets inward and put sleeves on the bolt (stabilizer bushing?), which made it incredibly difficult to do advancedynamic's bushing mod. Thankfully, I had also taken the short shifter from the MX-3- including the shifter arm and bracket. I could have hammered out the old one, but the MX-3 bracket looks beefier. It's all back together now, short of the lost nylon washers I failed to buy more of.
Rustoleum paintjob in the works: Sandable primer with 600 grit dry on the hood. I'm going to 600 the rest of the body and spray with a 50/50 Colonial Red and mineral spirits.
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