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SVT dies to save pre98 SE**build thread**

I have seen that too. But nothing even looks close to the bolt, spring and pin set up from the SVT at the stores I have been to. I was looking in the "help" section.

From BrApple "go to a local parts store that sells the Help brand parts. get exhaust bolts for a Chrysler. it will be a bolt, tapered spring, nut w/plate. works great."

Well I found some for Chrysler but they did not have the pin for the up down movement of the dounut. So this Chrysler one will work even though it not really the same design?

Crap!! 3pm and I have nothing done on it today!!!


yes they will work. used them for a number of years and I know other have also. the pin in the original ford design dis allow for movement. but the spring should also allow for movement. with a new donut gasket I never had a problem.
 
Thanks eepals.

I re-routed the brake hard line on the drivers side for now. New line bent and double flared. It went right behind and on top of the fuel tank no problem. This way its nowhere near the exhaust. In the future I will pull the sub frame and replace it fully. Now I can get back to some of the more fun stuff. I will update soon with more exciting stuff....brake lines make me sick right now!!!

Louie
 
I ended up getting all the brakes bled of air but the passenger side rear. As I was bleeding the passenger rear brake, I hear a pissss. Yep, another rusted line. I must have disturbed the old line enough to cause a leak. So back to bending and flaring brake lines, this time on the passenger side. Finally got that done and decided to bleed all four brakes again just to make sure all the air is gone. As I attempted to loosen the bleeder valve on the left front caliper, something I just did a few days before, I hear a snap….and my hand goes flying into the A arm! You guessed it, one front caliper junked!! I had done an amazing clean up on the calipers and had painted them guards red with the SVT brackets painted hyper silver. I was feeling, what a waste of time!! So I pull a left front caliper off my SVT parts car and go about the whole process of cleaning, stripping, sanding and painting one more caliper. Add one more evening to the brake projects now countless hours.

The GOOD NEWS
Brakes are soooo good now!! Although its just stock SVT stopping power, its way better than the rusted, warped rotor, pads falling out set up I had before. I didn’t even have an e brake before now. It’s like a new car; new SVT rotors and rear rotors, new pads all the way around, working e brake, new rear hard lines and new fluid.

The SVT exhaust is on the car. I took it up to have the resonator replaced and long store short, they welded a pipe INSIDE the stock pipe. Not sure how big of a deal this is but it would have been almost as easy to go on the outside!! Not sure if I will take it back or not, they gave me a hard time about it as well, trying to charge $75 after they had it cut apart. So going back will more than likely just add $ to the bad experience. It does sound good, or better than before, before being stock SE pipe with the resonator and no muffler. So as you can image, the Contour is again, much better off than before!!

I also replaced the drivers rear door. Last of the major body panels affected by the deer hit years ago. NO MORE dents, but the Contour is starting to look like a police car, you know the ones…black and white. The way the car sits now, the driver’s side has two silver doors, silver side skirts and silver rear SVT bumper. Like I said, think police car, kind-of?? Pictures, I know!!

Under the hood I have gone with red Ford racing wires, SVT intake and new battery. That’s about it for now. Oh, and the SVT power steering cooler. Soon I will install the SVT radiator and fans.

The next few days I am going to enjoy the Contour out of the garage. I am enjoying driving it again; so much so, I have already picked up a speeding ticket. And the Trooper was nice enough to just write it up for 12mph over at 67mph. I was doing a bit more than that, so I was somewhat thankful!!
 
wow. . . . really all i can say here!
i'm at work and i just wanted to "glance" at the site. . . . then i came accross your post. needless to say, i read every word.

good job on the the hard work and dedication. i know other guys on here have put alot of work into their cars, but no one (i think) has detailed their progress as you have.

i have a SE that i love and plan on doing "some things" to. not quite to your extent but at least now, i can add you to my "smart guys" list and ask you a million questions.:laugh:

really just wanted to say good job man ! *give thumbs up*:cool:
 
Here is a picture of the rear door coming off. It has started to warm up and I can work outside for a change. It was feeling like I was living under the Contour out in the garage for a while!! It’s nice to have it warming up finally.

I did the same with the rear door as the front, swapped out the wiring harness from the SVT door for the better the SE harness. This adds a ton of time to a relatively easy swap. But I feel it’s worth it even though I only gained the light up door handle this time. I also wanted the locks to be the same on all the doors. The SVT was not painted with white lock letters. I also swapped in some new hinges and pins on the rear door. This also added a lot of time. Took about 3 hours altogether.
Project_SeVT_196.jpg

You might of notice in the front seat adjusted all the way up. I fixed the seat track so the seat moves all the way back and forward now. The front pin had come out of the track. Made a new one with threads that will never back its way out again, ever!

With the Contour getting some much needed attention, it seems to be paying off. I think the Contour likes the attention, and pays me back with 26.4MPG. And that’s with some, well a lot, of spirited driving!
 
I like what you are doing, pre98 SVTs definitly look better then 98+ SVTs. I can't wait to see you finish this up.

Where in St. Louis did you find this? Cause I live in STL and I never saw it pop up. There is a guy in my town selling a silfro SVT bumper on CL, and I have a feeling its the same guy that was selling SVT cams last year. I believe its a guy that drives a really clean 98+ silfro non-svt, its always garaged kept. I've never seen an SVT in my town, so I doubt its somebody parting out their car locally, I would have found out by now. What I'm getting at is I wonder if the silfro SVT front bumper that's here is the one from your car?
 
I like what you are doing, pre98 SVTs definitly look better then 98+ SVTs. I can't wait to see you finish this up.

Where in St. Louis did you find this? Cause I live in STL and I never saw it pop up. There is a guy in my town selling a silfro SVT bumper on CL, and I have a feeling its the same guy that was selling SVT cams last year. I believe its a guy that drives a really clean 98+ silfro non-svt, its always garaged kept. I've never seen an SVT in my town, so I doubt its somebody parting out their car locally, I would have found out by now. What I'm getting at is I wonder if the silfro SVT front bumper that's here is the one from your car?

I found this car on craigslists. Called up and bought it over the phone. Next day, drove from Ohio to St. Louis to get it. Picked up around 11pm in some dark alley in East St. Louis. I still have the sellers cell phone, but that’s it.

The SVT is missing the front SVT bumper because it was in an accident. They repaired it without the SVT front bumper. So I always thought the original SVT bumper was damaged beyond repair, but who knows??

This silver frost SVT was definitely from St. Louis. Spent its whole life there.
 
I drive pretty calmly and in town I average 22-23 mpg. Is there magic I am unaware of to get almost 27?? :shrug:

I am now getting about 320 miles to a tank. I can squeeze in around 12-12.5 gallons of fuel (most fill ups are 12@320miles). So it’s coming out to about 26+. But I have had a few recent tanks at 27+mpg. If I would slow down and drive it a little easier, I could get it to 30mpg or close to it. When the car was new, my wife would get it to a constant 28mpg every day for years. Not sure what, or if there is any secret to the MPG. Tune up. Tire pressure, alignment, air filter, O2 sensors and style of driving, maybe??
 
I can squeeze about 300 miles out of my ride and that is the actual SVT motor so getting 320 out of a non SVT motor shouldn't be hard at all.

A good tune up works wonders I'm sure. Mine has a brand new set of plugs/wires and all the fluids recently changed.
 
I am at 325 miles with 1/4 tank left on this tank. We all know how quickly that last 1/4 tank goes, don't we. I started out with my last fill up of 13.3 Gal.(really-really full)

So I am looking at about 28+ MPG on this tank. On the way home tonight I gave an Audi A something a fun time!! I'm saying I don't drive this car slow....So I am very pleased with the mileage out of the last 6-7 tanks.

I think my Contour is just happy to NOT be in a junk yard and is paying we back with some good mileage....

Louie
 
Snaped a quick shot last night. Its coming along. 2 good silver doors now. Not sure if I will keep the tint on the the silver doors...maybe. You can see the front pre98 SVT bumper needs work in this shot.(cracked from hitting parking blocks) I just hope that does not happen after I paint it!

I also replaced the sun roof motor the other day. nice to open that up after so long!!

Project_SeVT_199.jpg
 
Looking good. Isn't it nice when everything works? Ugh, I need to do what you did and find a silver frost parts car. I have 2 doors with cancer...
 
Thanks!

Quick update on the mileage. The last tank went to 368 miles. That's the most miles I have ever traveled out of a tank in 11 years with this car! Put in 13.38 gallons (completely full, same as last fill up). Comes out to 27.503 MPG. Just to double check the #'s, I am going to verify the odometer with my GPS, again.

This tank was mixed driving city/highway. City driving was not easy driving. Highway driving was 70-75 mph windows down.

Louie
 
cant wait to see this car one solid color. Have you decided what color your going to go with?
 
I want to go a burnt orange or amber color. Everyone seems to try to talk me out of that and just stay the original black.

T-red is as close to amber I can find on a pre98 SeVT tour...
DSCN0980.JPG


Or classic Black
Blackpre98SeVT.jpg



Or is this AMBER on a pre 98(looks like it)....

2990021850101789754S600x600Q85.jpg


2699838650101789754S600x600Q85.jpg
 
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