Here we have two domestic-branded shitboxes, each originally built by a different company and each pretty heavily modified. Here at Oddimotive, shitbox is a term of endearment, as regular here know that we love both the Festiva and the Chevy Sprint Turbo. We’re still not sure about the Daihatsu Charade, but even that now has rarity and US brand orphanage going for it.
Car #1 is the redneck version of the Festiva Shogun made famous by Jay Leno. The Shogun was a sophisticated beast with a rear-mounted Taurus SHO Yamaha V6. This version sports a good ‘ol American V8 and some ‘interesting’ touches including keeping it front-wheel-drive (?!) and using an automatic transmission. The seller seems to have a sense of humor about this oddity…
Of course, the Festiva itself was built in Korea by Kia. Ford and Kia maintained a relationship that included Festiva’s replacement, the beloved Aspire, right up until Kia went into bankruptcy and was bought by Hyundai (after the Korean government essentially prevented Ford buying them).
Click for eBay ad
King Ferry, NY
$2,000 with no bids
07/15/2013 update: SOLD for $2,050 with 3 bids. Hopefully, the new owner is lighting up the front tires somewhere…
Seems pretty benign from this angle.
Here we see front tire smoke and the previously-hidden exhaust.
Interior is, well, custom.
There was once a Mazda-built four cylinder here.
Scary much? The ad contains more pics of the powertrain setup…yikes.
Car #2 is a hopped-up Chevy Sprint Turbo. These rebadged Suzukis originally came with 1.0-liter inline three-cylinder engines. The owner of this one decided that swapping in a home-turbocharged 1.3-liter twin-cam four-cylinder was a good idea. The seller indicates it made 150-225 HP at different boost levels and is now set in the middle.
If/when we add a Sprint Turbo to the Oddimotive fleet, we’d go stock because of the three-cylinder coolness factor, but we do applaud this effort. Some day, we’ll also find just the right Swift GT/GTI, but that’s another story.
Click for eBay ad
Burlington, WI
$1,500 BIN
This ‘lil bugger ended unsold…not too surprising.
It’s not great cosmetically, but has great sleeper potential?
We’d re-graphic it and find the original white wheel covers.
Interior looks stock and could be worse.
Clearly, it has four cylinders. The seller mentions an interesting EFI control strategy involving an ECU for a GM V8…huh.
Ad text #1:
Okay, up for sale is my V8 Powered Ford Festiva, I built it about five years ago, I’m not sure why but I built it! It has a 355ci Chevy small block V8 mounted in the rear with a th350 transmission facing the front that runs to a BMW 3seres limited slip differential that it mounted upside down so you still have 3 foreword gears plus reveres. The car runs and drives down the road amazingly well, it runs a little high on rpms at highway speed due to small tires. The exhaust is some what elaborate with retractable stacks and a cut off that will send the flow through two mufflers works good to keep the Cops away. The interior is some what raw with two beard seats four point seat belts some switches gauges two Ebrakes for controlled burnouts and that’s about it, the lights and wipers work as well. It does not have a full roll cage but only needs one if you plan on crashing it. It is cooled by a large radiator up front with two electric fans, also the hoses you see running through the car are the coolant lines they are thick and heavy so they don’t burst. It has a title in my name but I’ve never tried to register it just drove it around on my dealer plate. It’s in good running and driving order probably could drive it a cross the county if you had the courage. It dose have a small leak in trans somewhere drips a couple drops a day when it is parked never bothered to look into it. It dose good burn outs and draws a crowd were ever it gos. Selling because I’m moving to a different shop. SO IF YOU LIKE CARS YOU SHOULD BUY IT BECAUSE IT’S COOL! ask questions, look at pictures and read the ad! (315)four zero six-xxxx-Theon Parseghian
Ad text #2:
1988 Chevrolet sprint 5 spd 4 cyl
converted from the 1.0 litre 3cyl turbo to a 1.3 litre DOHC turbo engine from a 1990 Suzuki swift. The 1.3 was not origionally turbocharged purchased a special exhaust manifold to convert it from N.A.
to a turbo. The turbo is a KO3 origional application was from a 1.6 mitsubishi engine. The engine has a
stand alone computer system origional application was from a 2002 chevrolet 5.3 litre LS1 engine
converted to run on a 4 cylinder engine. Dyno tested it made 150 HP@ 8 lbs boost and as much as
225HP @ 14 lbs boost. Flywheel HP. boost is set at 12lbs now. The engine swap was done 4 years ago.
It has been my summer driver since. the previous owner had some minor front end damage and the car
sat in his garage for almost 10 years before I got it so the car has not seen salt for 14 years.
so the body is in fairly good condition for this type of car.
So what is wrong with the car. When i bought it I put on a used RF fender Hood and grill.interior is fair condition. floor board on passenger side is getting rusted out 1st and 2nd gear syncros are getting bad. I had to install a ceramic clutch to hold the HP so it chatters like most ceramic clutches do. Main problem is I am pretty sure it needs a head gasket no smoke from the exhaust but pushes the coolant back into the overflow tank. the car starts runs and drives just would not want to try and drive it too far would not want to damage the engine.
The car is a blast to drive 3rd gear at 45 MPH stand on it and it will burn rubber!!Hate to get
rid of it but it is time to move on to something different. Price is $1500.00 that is firm. so if you think
you are going to get it for less don’t even bother to contact me.