General Music Chat

* Disclaimer* Rave to follow - see link below to see my buddy Greg in his festiva smoke a new Saleen mustang!!

So you folks have seen my obsession with the festiva. Best car ever. I went to festiva madness Saturday. It was in Raleigh N.C. 69 Cars showed this year. Up from 55 last year. I saw one there with 650,000 miles. Did I mention he delivers pizza with that car?!!! I saw one the week before with 465,000 original mile..... get this..... on the original clutch. This car is the hands down winner of the total cost of operation contest. Durability is the biggest factor in that. Gas mileage, insurance, ease of working on, parts etc are other factors.

They are also quick and fun stock. Modded they are straight beast. Can you say power to weight ratio FTW?!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ABrUNCC ... re=related

Festivas for the rest of us!

How do you know that saying?!!

Wow 14.0 not fast but definitely not slow.

I can see the economy and fun factor, but man those things are dangerously small.

My car is a f350 4x4 diesel supercab. It weighs 7000lbs and has a frame. That helps in crash. It gets 22mpg in case you were wondering.

I am not trying to one up you or anything, it is just such a huge contrast in vehicles I find it interesting.

Cool thread and video but damn those are small.

Remember the tv commercial where the guy rents a 2 door speck?

Deisel fuel economy for the win! And diesel durability ftw!
Our fastest festivas run 12.1. Some run 0-60 like a fox body - 6.0 AND get 50 mpg!

And yes they are tiny on the outside but huge on the inside. Can you fit 17 people in your supercab? A festiva can.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XW8nX_JQfhc
Oh and if it's raining and someone needs a lazy boy (did this), or washer, or drier, or a 580 lb inline 5 cylinder turbo diesel mercedes engine (did this) delivered you'll have to leave your itty bitty truck home (unless you have a camper top.) I'll pick it up with my "big" car.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6eMNvsvWH0

And since they are a cube and a uni-body they are actually structurally sound. I've seen them rolled on the interstate and driven home. I saw one sandwiched between an LTD and another car without much damage. The LTD rearended the festiva. It tore up the LTD's bumper but the festiva's bumber stayed unmoved.

They decided not to consult physics when the legendary festiva was born.

I'm still waiting for one, but I have to come up with a 1000 bucks or so.
Not that easy with my personal economy.

Hey Zip, I have one for sale. I've spent the last 2 months driving it and tying up loose ends. Fly on out and drive her home!

I like my YARIS.

So what's a good year in a Festiva?

I love the yaris. I hope it will be a 300,000 mile average lifespan car. That's what it takes to compete with a festy! I mentioned that 465,000 original mile festiva in the post above. That was in October that I found that one. Later that month I found another one with 475,000 original miles on the original engine, trans, and even clutch!! Durable beasts they are. They are the clear winner of the total cost of operation contest. 38-53 mpg is only part of that equation.


88-89 festivas have carburetors. They are only slightly less efficient than the 90-93 efi models. They are all Mazda components and designed. They are all assembled by Kia in Korea. The all have the b3. That's a 1.3 8 valve with 65 horsepower. Good for 0-60 in 10 seconds - normal not slow. Same as my Honda element. Basically the gas mileage is great on the 4 speeds (88-89 L's) - 35-48 even better on the 5 speeds 38-53 The autos are slower and get bad gas mileage (33-35) bad lol! I've every model with over 300,000 miles.

The one I'm driving that's for sale has 235,000 miles and is getting 45 mpg. Just passed VA state inspection today and needs nothing.

Just bought a F150 4WD.

Fleet version, plane Jane white.

No frills. Compared to driving my Jeep ... the ride is like being asleep at the wheel.

It's big, it's gaudy, it gets poor gas mileage.

But there is room to spare & my 1911 fits perfect under the arm rest.



I love my truck.

My dads 97 f150 is really car like in ride. It's not truckish until it's off road. The 4.6 is anemic yet thirsty but it is durable. I've seen a few in cop cars and taxis with gobs of miles on them. His 76 f150 was a MAN truck. It would fly!! Short bed, full time 4 wheel drive, and a 390 he built himself. He got it out of a 68 fairlaine. I loved that old beast. What year did you get George? Did you get to keep the jeep?

I drive a 86 Dodge Ram 50 that looks like it was painted with a roller...badly. It has 3 bald tires, & no shocks to speak of. I'm trying to get those things taken care of so I can get an inspection sticker on it & put it back on the road, cuz it's all I have to work with. The seat has a huge hole in the driver's side, & so I stuffed a lil sofa pillow & rags in there so I can sit sorta straight. It has no radio or A/C. No inside dome light, either. The horn is on a separate switch, that someone stuck on the dash. The tailgate only latches on one side, unless you jam it, but then you hafta pry it open with a screwdriver. The tailpipe is loose, & keeps dropping down to hit the ground occasionally, but I can fix that myself.

My wife drives an 09 Toyota Corolla. It's just peachy.

That D-50 is in the same boat as the festivas. It is a mitsubishi badged as a dodge. Dodge did a LOT of that in the 80's.
I started a thread called "cars that are other cars" on another forum.
Here is that list.
It needs to be updated. Saab is selling a rebadged GMC!!

Feel free to update or submit corrections. This is what I can recall off the top of my head and all from memory. The guidelines are - American released cars that are actually other cars altogether. We'll start with the most important car... ever

Ford Festiva - mazda 121/kia pride

Cadillac Catera - Opel Omega MV6
Chevy Aveo - daewoo Kalos
chevy luv - isuzu p'up
Chevy Metro - Suzuki Swift
chevy nova (80's) - toyota corrolla
chevy spectrum - isuzu i-mark
chevy sprint - suzuki something with 2 letters and numbers as a name??
chevy tracker - suzuki vitara?
dodge colt - mitsubishi mirage
dodge colt - mitsubishi colt
dodge colt - mitsubishi expo
dodge colt (70's) - Isuzu something
Dodge Sapporo/Challenger - Mitsubishi Galant Lambda coupe
dodge stealth - mitsubishi 3000
eagle talon/plymouth laser - mistubishi eclipse
ford courier - mazda b series truck
ford aspire - mazda 121
geo metro - suzuki swift
geo storm - isuzu impulse
geo prizm - toyota corrolla
geo tracker - suzuki sidekick
Honda Passport - Isuzu Rodeo
Isuzu oasis - honda odyssey
Isuzu ascender - gmc envoy
Isuzu hombre - Chevy s-10
mazda navajo - ford explorer
mazda B4000 - ford ranger
mercury tracer - mazda 323
mistubishi precis - hyundai excel
plymouth cricket - hillman avenger
Pontiac Vibe - Toyota Matrix
pontiac lemans - daihatsu charade
Saab 9-2x - Subaru Impreza
sears allstate - Kaiser Henry J.
Sterling - A Rover body with a Honda/Acura drivetrain


this doesn't count all of the American cars with Japanese engines like omnis, caravans, escorts, etc etc

I also read in a car mag several years ago that the Chevy cavalier was sold in Japan badged as a Toyota!!!!!

The first car is what it's sold as the second is the car it actually is.

updates anyone??