One last road trip!

Our trusty '92 Festiva is about to head out on what will most likely be its last road trip. We'll be heading from Calgary to stay overnight just east of Regina SK. The next day we plan to drive up the Qu'appelle valley, through Yorkton SK and on to Arnes MB. We will spend the evening in Winnipeg MB and then make the drive home in one go. Why will this be the last road trip you ask? Well let me tell you....

The bad news...
While replacing the gas tank a few weeks ago I discovered that there are at least three spots in the floor of my Festiva that have rusted through. The reason, I believe, that I didn't notice them from inside is that I had installed sound deadener throughout the car prior to our Festiva Madness trip in 2011. I decided to have a closer look over the entire car to see what other rust problems I could find. I already new that the rear wheel wells would need extensive repairs and had a couple of options I was considering for repairs as well as above the windshield. Other areas that I discovered were in the driver side front wheel well, the inner cowl panel where the wiper attaches, beginnings of rust around the strut towers and along the front of the hood. The passenger side front fender is done for as well but I already have a replacement for it. Also discovered that the bottom of the rear bumper beam was completed gone, all the little brackets that hold the bumper cover were hanging in mid air. I feel that the rust repairs necessary at this time would take up too much time and resources so we have decided to regroup. And by regroup I mean find a replacement Festiva....

We established a "best case scenario" list for that replacement:
1. It had to be rust free
2. It had to be a 1990 - 93 model
3. It had to be a standard transmission car
4. It had to be a Canadian car (no automatic seatbelts, thank you very much!) and preferably an Alberta car.

Now for the good news...
We found our car! It fits all the criteria, it's an Alberta car and it's body is very straight. It already had an engine swap done but had no exhaust or battery so had to be towed from its former home in Edmonton AB to its new one here in Calgary. That trip was not without its excitement, but I'll leave that for another post.

En route from Edmonton to Calgary

Our current car was being readied for a new engine... a turbocharged 1.6l DOHC from a 1988 Mazda 323GT. That engine, along with all the suspension, interior pieces etc on/in the red car will now find their way into the new car. Your can read about our current car on this page. 

In retrospect, our current Festiva has served us well. It was purchased in 2002 with 100,100km (62,200 miles) and it's been daily driven year round ever since. We've put over 400,000km (app. 250,000 miles) on it including our Festiva Madness trip in 2011 and our Festiva in the Park trip in 2012.

Check back soon for a report on the upcoming road trip and another on the on the new project.

Thanks for your interest and please let me know what you think in the comments section below!