my 94 ford aspire 1.3 / 5spd

[slacktide_bitog]

Originally Posted By: addyguy
The Festiva and the Aspire were two completely different vehicles...folks seem to be mixing them up here.

The Festiva was a Ford re-badge of the Mazda 121 from Japan with I think a 1.2L engine.

The Aspire was built by Kia, don't think it was anything else - it was built by Kia for Ford to help get a toe-hold in the NA market. The whole car was Kia mechanicals.


Both the Festiva and Aspire are different generations of the Kia Pride.

The Festiva/first-gen Kia Pride was a Korean copy of the Mazda 121

The Aspire/second gen Kia Pride was a bespoke Kia design

It was succeeded by the Kia Rio

Also, the past two generations of the Kia Rio are/were sold as "Kia Pride" in some markets

 

[jakewells]

Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
My wife had the older version: a Ford Festiva. Hers was a base model with carb, 4-speed manual, 12" wheels, no rear defrost, and no power steering. She loved it; retired due to engine failure with 273,161 miles.

Check the front struts...you might have cracked a spring.

both springs are fine but the front struts are toast. i need to replace them sometime.

 

[PandaBear]

Originally Posted By: nthach
I remember driving it's predecessor, the Mazda 121 years ago.


How did you stay alive for so long.

Originally Posted By: nthach
I haven't seen those around in the Bay Area in quite a while.


Indeed. Ever since 95 I've only seen ONE driving up and down 19th Ave. Supposedly owned by my friend's dad.

 

[JTK]

Used to see a lot of Festivii and Aspire on the road. I even recall the old Fiestas.

I knew the Festiva and Aspire were Korean imports, but I had no idea they were Kia, I always thought they were Daeweoo or something else.. Interesting.

 

[nthach]

Originally Posted By: PandaBear
Originally Posted By: nthach
I remember driving it's predecessor, the Mazda 121 years ago.


How did you stay alive for so long.

Originally Posted By: nthach
I haven't seen those around in the Bay Area in quite a while.


Indeed. Ever since 95 I've only seen ONE driving up and down 19th Ave. Supposedly owned by my friend's dad.

My mistake, it was a 323 that I drove once or twice. It was driven by someone who used it between home and church.

Last time I saw a Aspire was 12 years ago in Pinole.

 

[jakewells]

i got a few things im going to do to this fine car of mine

next month im replacing all the tired and blown speakers with new 5-1/4 speakers and im going to wire a 15 inch led lightbar on the front bumper since the factory lights are mediocre at best.

 

[fdcg27]

That interior looks like it would clean up pretty well.
The seat upholstery looks surprisingly good.
A good little minimalist car that should last you long enough for you to get your money out of it.

 

[jakewells]

Originally Posted By: fdcg27
That interior looks like it would clean up pretty well.
The seat upholstery looks surprisingly good.
A good little minimalist car that should last you long enough for you to get your money out of it.

i might replace the seats with something out a of a different car since these are not very comfortable and the cushion is thin.
tires are my main priority right now since the tires are terrible in rain and roar. im trying to find a smoother quiet replacement but 13's in general are hard to find.

 

[fdcg27]

Check some online sources.
Thirteens are still available but as with fourteens there isn't a lot of choice these days.

 

[Jarlaxle]

When my wife had her Festiva, the only tires she could find for it (155/80R12).

Simpletire.com has a 155/80R13 for $35.

 

[Number_35]

Originally Posted By: CKN
I guess when you drive one of these you "Aspire" to own something else.......
An older friend's daughter owned one of these back in the mid-90s. He's Dutch, and would say "It ashpires to be a car!"

But she traded it off on a new Pontiac (Grand Am?) that turned out to be a lot more expensive to fuel and repair.

 

[Number_35]

Originally Posted By: addyguy
The Festiva and the Aspire were two completely different vehicles...folks seem to be mixing them up here.

The Festiva was a Ford re-badge of the Mazda 121 from Japan with I think a 1.2L engine.

The Aspire was built by Kia, don't think it was anything else - it was built by Kia for Ford to help get a toe-hold in the NA market. The whole car was Kia mechanicals.
Up here, the Mazda non-rotary small-car model progression went from the 1200 (c. 1969 - 1972) to the 808 (c. 1973-1977) to the GLC (1978 - 1985) to the 323 (c. 1986 into the 90s). The 323 4-door was renamed the Protege in the late-80s/early 90s, and the 2-door (still a 323) became very rare. There were a handful of the 2-door 323s sold here in the mid-90s, and they looked very much like the Ford Aspire. Therefore, I submit that the Aspire may have been a Kia-built Mazda 323, rebadged as a Ford.

I'm not sure why, but I was crazy about a lot of the Japanese econoboxes of the early years. The first car I ever drove with a nice manual transmission was my friend's battered 1970 Datsun 1000. It was a delight to drive. Likely a complete deathtrap though.

 

[jakewells]

im been doing some gumout regane treatments on my car at every fill up and the fuel economy has risen some also.
from 40 to 43.7 i can say that is good.
i added some gumout tune up to the oil to see if it will clean the crankcase any i have already noticed the oil has darkened quickly in the last 300 miles.

 

[nthach]

Originally Posted By: fdcg27
Check some online sources.
Thirteens are still available but as with fourteens there isn't a lot of choice these days.

Costco carried a 13" Michelin Defender for the few oddball Kia/Hyundais that used them.

While I do avoid Chinese tires for the most part, a Primewell/GT Radial/Dextero, Sailun, Milestar or a Taiwanese Maxxis/Kenda wouldn't be a bad choice for a 13".

 

[nthach]

Originally Posted By: jakewells
i got a few things im going to do to this fine car of mine

next month im replacing all the tired and blown speakers with new 5-1/4 speakers and im going to wire a 15 inch led lightbar on the front bumper since the factory lights are mediocre at best.

Shoot, you might as well find a cheap Bluetooth-equipped deck and upgrade the radio too.