I have an option to collect a ford Fiesta or Festiva car, and I thought at once about cutting it behind the drivers seat and putting a cab back wall in place with a welder.

Next it would have the rear area completed with a spare bed from a Ranger so that it would be similar to a Holden UTE in that it would have no breaks in between the cab and bed, but still be a pickup truck arrangement of the smallest and most fuel efficient size imaginable.

SO it would be a FORD TRUCK...


But so tiny and efficient that it could scoot all over the country on just droplets of gas...

The idea of the smallest and most economical Ford Truck has been bugging me for ages. Since FORD doesn't seem to want to build one, it looks like the option is in our own laps.

As opposed to a Ranchero - I guess it would be considered a "RANCHITO"


Comments?

 

i say go for it.
but remember: no pictures, it didn't happen!!

 

I would love to see it!

 

Well - I've got the bed, and the back of the cab (the roof got dinged up from fallen branches this last winter, so it isn't useful for much else).

All I need is to go see the guy with the mini's...

 

I would love to see that!! Do it man

 

I'm working on a Suzuki Swift right now - and from what I hear the engines are the same family. It's going to be decked in the back - the original back seat went right in the trash.

What you do is to strip out everything and use large panels of cardboard to make templates for the plywood you will lay down and later carpet over by stapling the edges of the fabric under the edges.

I kindee wanna hear back from anyone with info about who exactly made the fiesta/festive car - because I think in my heart it is a Japanese import just like GEO was for Chevrolet and Pontiac with their "FIREFLY"

Far as I know the tiny cars from FORD are Suzuki made to begin with.

POST ME SOME INFO ON THAT, coulja?


I want to know who I am dealing with for engine parts to start with.
You know as well as I do - it doesn't look like a thing from Detroit.

WHO did FORD strike a deal with at the time?

 

SHOW ME PICS OF YOUR OWN WHEELS!

* My best camera went to crap, remember?


I get so tired of seeing that, when I posted so many of my build before I lost the means.

I'm trying hard not to be mean and upset - but THIS is what it means to post pictures:

If you ever said: "I coulda' had a V8..." by Greywolf - Ford-Trucks


You have no idea how frustrating this is for me, or how hard I have had to just BITE BACK and be mellow.
THAT SUMMITCH THERE - THAT TRUCK is why I have been away so much.

Because on my income and with everything else going on I just can't quite get it done yet...

When I damned sure know what I am doing

I hate having things go so slow....


So think twice before you post that "No Pics - Didn't Happen..." again.

The reason I don't have a new camera is because the money for parts matters more than any jackhole online that I ever met.

I'm not going to apologize for being rude because IMO you were ruder to me...


~ I....

Am worried that this will consume me at times. It is the best project I ever set out on, but may be a bit more than I can chew.
Yet I will still never give it up.


I can do this. I cannot quit


The Suzuki needs to come first because it will deliver the parts and groceries.


A fire inside
You know what you should do
You have few ways
And people may take advantage of you

You know if you quit
Ain't no getting back up again
And the only thing you have going on -
Is damned good friends

 

i remember your ranger project very well, and that was why i was teasing you with the picture comment cause you took pictures of everything you did.
i also know full well you will get it done someday too.
sucks about the camera dying, i was not aware of that.
but there are more important things than a camera when you are on a limited income.

the festive used a mazda engine for it whole production run from 86 to 02.

the fiesta used an english ford kent engine from it's inception in 76 through 02, then switch to the duratec and zetac engines for 02 to 09 not sure who made them. then in 09 switched to the ecoboost.
the fiesta has had a diesel option since 1983 also.

 

Today I pushed ahead the Suzuki Swift project by planting the cleaned up and re-pumped fuel tank back in it. This car is necessary so that I can get out and get stuff without shipping and handling charges or living on groceries bought at a dollar store.

I'm almost back up and driving again - and that is a critical step in getting things going once more.

I can get parts.
I can shop at restaurant supply stores I know of.
I can get raw materials, such as tube and flat metal...

I can go to a decent gas fookin station so that my equipment doesn't get ruined!


The usual pet peeves, ya know? It always seems to me that any time I get down a lot of people want me to be there so that they can take advantage of my situation....
As bad as the Mosquitos are next to the Mississippi river, the vast numbers of parasites that DON'T FLY outnumber them

 

What about using a japanese mini truck for the frame and powertrain?

 

I have an extra Ranger chassis, and two flavors of 351 - both M and Windsor sitting around here.
Also got the complete engine and harness out of the Ranger originally (2.3 dual-plug EFI)

But the idea of the Ranchito is based on using the chassis and driveline of the Fiesta or Festiva to achieve an even smaller truck than a "Built on Frame" truck could be. The back area could be wood decked, so long as there was a complete closing of the cab behind the seats.

Option 2 would be to just deck the back and leave it a hatchback, but that wouldn't be a truck.