February/March Festiva of the Month(s)

February/March Festiva of the Month

Fred’s Fastiva

We seem to be featuring Canadians for 2004 Festiva of the month winners. Fred Huard is a Canadian set apart, not only because he drives a B-6T Festiva, but Fred is also a very talented YOUNG man who has done some pretty amazing things already on his own. Here’s the scoop on Fred’s “FASTIVA”:

FF.COM: Tell us about yourself, Fred. Where are you from, what do you do?

FRED: I'm 19 years old, and I live in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, which is by no means a small city, the population is close to 1,000,000 in our region. It’s about an hour drive north-east from the Niagara/Buffalo US border. I currently and going to school for Mechanical Engineering Design and Drafting, and I work part time at a pizza store. And I like cars. A lot.

FF.COM: How old were you when you did your B6T swap? Who pitched in to help you with the swap?

FRED: I had it finished at the beginning of last summer, so I would have been 18 at that time. For the most part, I did all the work myself. Chris Rummel pitched in and helped me with the wiring. That’s when we discovered the vast differences between the Capri and 323 GT wiring harnesses. Other then the wiring, I didn't really receive any help because no one really knew what to do. It’s not like it’s a common swap.

FF.COM: What was your inspiration for performing a B6-DET swap into your Festiva?

FRED: I was surfing the internet a long time ago, before I had my license, and I came across fordfestiva.com. I was reading the swap pages and then I got this idea in my head that maybe the B6T could be swapped into the Festiva. Then the SCC Article featuring Cam's Festiva came out, which confirmed that the swap was possible. So when I turned 16, I went and found a cheap Festiva that needed a new engine. I couldn't find a B6T at that time, so I swapped in a carbureted B6. A year or so later, while driving that Festiva, I found a 323 GT for very cheap. I had planned on driving that 323 around for a while, but it would have never passed a safety inspection because the whole thing was rotted out. So I got another Festiva, one that was in better condition then the current Festiva I was driving, and started gathering parts for the swap.

FF.COM: Have you done any mods to the engine/drive train?

FRED: Last year my only mods were a cone filter, and an exhaust system. The funny thing is that the exhaust system actually didn't add any horsepower, because I was using the stock Festiva catalytic converter, along with 2.5" piping and a Flowmaster 60-series muffler. Once you put a free flowing exhaust on these cars, you'll start to notice boost creep. My car didn't have any boost creep at all, so that should give you an idea of how restrictive that catalytic converter made the exhaust system. The only mods I had on the drive train were the ACT clutch setup with a machined flywheel. I had a Phantom Grip in one of the transmissions, but that transmission blew up and I didn't bother swapping it into the new transmission.

FF.COM: What kind of performance numbers does it deliver? Boost pressure, HP, 1/4 times, etc.

FRED: When I ran my best time, I was running full drag slicks. Strangely enough, I've got the best times with the boost controller switched off and the down pipe removed. This is almost like leaving the boost controller on though, because at around 4000rpm, the boost creeps up to 12 psi due to the tiny waste gate the B6T uses. Other then those two things, I didn't change any other part on the car. I ran two 13.9 second runs, at 102 mph. This was achieved with a less-then-ideal 2.2 second 60' time, the slowest launch ever known to man, and non-destructive-transmission-friendly shifting and gear changing. I haven't dynoed the car yet, but I'd think it’s making power levels close to those of a stock B6T.

FF.COM: Any other performance mods?

FRED: Other mods include an Aspire brake upgrade with slotted and drilled front rotors and plated drums in the rear, Aspire rear axle beam with integrated sway bar (makes a big difference) KYB GR2 struts with FMS lowering springs, Autometer boost and air/fuel gauge, Pacesetter short shifter, Turbosmart one-stage boost controller, Turbosmart Type-One blow off valve, HKS VAF adaptor, Flex-A-Line rad fan, aaaaaaand thats about it.

FF.COM: You've done some nice looking upgrades to your Festiva, Fred. What are some of the interior and exterior upgrades you've done?

FRED: I haven't really done much to the interior, aside from the 323GT instrument cluster swap and Autometer gauges. The only real mods would be the a-pillar gauge pod, and the radio being located to the lower console tray. The exterior has had a couple things done to it though. It rolls on 14" Mazda Miata wheels, which I believe are the base model alloy wheel for the Miata. I had the car re-painted last spring. I added a FMS fiberglass hood with Sparco hood pins, removed the side moldings, shaved the lock on the fuel door and the antenna hole on the A-pillar, installed a Ford Focus centre mounted antenna, I added the OEM Festiva rear spoiler (which I get a lot of positive comments for, surprisingly) and painted the grey trim piece on the hatch the same colour as the body. I also had a nice set of fog-lights last year, but I don't think they will be coming back this year. Unfortunately, a big, silver "Air conditioning condenser" will be in the way.

FF.COM: Do you have any future plans for the Festiva?

FRED: Yes. The first thing on the agenda is to stop exploding transmissions every other month. I had changed my transmission more than I changed my oil last season, and that’s got to stop. I think I'll have something figured out by the time the car is ready for the road this year. After that is completed, I'm going to get my exhaust re-done, an ECU chip that allows 16psi, bigger injectors, and some sort of fuel management that will allow me to run higher boost levels. Hopefully I'll have a bigger turbo (VJ11/VF11 hybrid) by later on this year. Next year I'm going to do one of two things, depending on which is most cost efficient. Its either building the B6T up, with forged rods, and pistons, or swapping a JDM BPT in, although the BPT will be dependent on my successfully finishing the current project.

FF.COM: My favorite part: Do you have any good roadkill or track stories you can share?

FRED: My Festiva's Kills include a GSR Civic hatch, a B16A CRX, a modded WRX on the highway, a WRX from a stop (AWDs are fast off the line, but slow once they get moving) a Camaro Z28, and a couple others.

Thanks, Fred. I think we’re all impressed with your innovation AND your abilities. Keep up the good work, and keep us posted as you improve and upgrade a great little Festiva.

Article by Jeff Davis

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