1988 Ford Festiva Reviews from North America

I bought the car for $300 because it would not start. Got it home & replaced the distributor cap; started right up & ran just fine.

The first thing I did to the car was spray used motor oil under the whole bottom. Then got on a dirt road at 45 to 50 mph, & got the dust up on the oil. Then put racing plugs & wires, K&N air system, a $60 power chip, then sprayed WD-40 on the plugs, plug wires, and inside the distributor cap. Then put ceramic brakes on the front of the car. Also 13" wheels & tires from a Dodge Vista wagon.

Also changed oil filter, put Lucas heavy duty oil stabilizer in the oil, Lucas trans. treatment in the transaxle, and Lucas fuel treatment in every full tank of gas.

Replaced rear wheel bearings 3 times, tires 5 times. Have changed the oil & filter every 3000 miles. Timing belts 3 times, alternator belts 4 times, distributor cap once.

One of the best cars I have ever owned.

The seats are not very good; I put S-10 Chevy truck seats in.

Brakes need to be upgraded also.

At 6' 3" tall & 350+ lbs, I can't believe how much room there is in these cars.

With the chip installed, the car has 100 HP, & it really peps it up a lot. On the 4 lane at 60 mph, I can get 50 MPG. Very small gas tank - only 10 gallons.

Mufflers don't last long, so I've got have a lifetime one put on. Also the same with the brakes, rotors, struts, shocks, starters, & so on, because in the long run it will save you a lot of money.

This was my first Festiva, & my wife & daughters love this car as much as I do.

When I purchased the car, it needed all new brakes, calipers, struts, wheel bearings, and a few brake lines, and all new tires (fixed all this over a weekend for $500). This was all due to sitting for many years.

The #2 spark plug was ejected from the head due to stripping out (fixed with a re threading kit for $15, and 20 minutes).

Alternator quit around 70K, fixed with a new alternator, but due to this hard to find part, it took me a week to acquire. Luckily I got it for free :) HR removal, 1 hour install.

Most recently on a 0 degree day, the driver's side door handle snapped off. For about 2 days I opened the door from the inside, going through the passenger door. Then I realized you can just use a key ring to open the door (may not work for everyone LOL).

I've owned 25 cars. This one I got 8 cars ago, and since then I've had a Mustang, rotary Corolla, VR6 Jetta, RX7, G35 coupe, Honda Fit, and a Turbo Festiva. All the others have sold besides the Fit. I like this Festiva so much, I can't part with it.

Parts are extremely cheap, and last forever, excluding wheel bearings; they last about 15k miles because of the small 12" tires.

I have more love for this car than any of the others I've owned. In the summer I get about 40ish mpg in the city, and have done road tests (at 50mph) and achieved just shy of 60mpg. FROM A CARBURATED CAR THIS IS AMAZING.

I drove it without the alternator for 2 weeks. Bump, or hill starting it. The car is so light, you can put your foot out and push if on level ground. I'm always looking for another one in good condition.

Love this car.

Jesteratc

FordFestiva.com