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Looking for the right SVT...

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SpecialVehicleTeam

New CEG'er
Joined
Oct 8, 2007
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Hello, I am a new member to the boards but have been intrigued by the Contour for about two years. At that time, my girlfriends dad purchased a 96 V6 Conour with 23K on it, and I was really impressed with the way it rode, drove, and handled. Of course, this led me to find out more about the SVT to which I've concluded offers everything I am looking for in a sporty daily driver that is actually practical. Practical to me thusfar has been a 1985 Porsche 944 (68K), a 1986 Pontiac Fiero GT (74K), and a 1992 Dodge Stealth Twin Turbo (50K). I still own the Stealth which now has 56K on it. I really would like more of a daily driver that has a functional backseat, hence the Contour. Before I proceed with my exhaustive search (these cars are obviously hard to find), I just want to ask a couple of questions probably typical of newbies around here, so I apologize in advance for my ignorance. First of all, is the 2.5L Duratec a zero clearance motor? Also, are there any trouble spots on the SVT besides warped dashboards, saggy rear bumpers, waterpumps that fail, etc? Finally, what is the best year and most desirable color combo? Thanks in advance for your imput!
 
Welcome, A few more common problems are 3rd gear Syncros, hazed healights, fuel pump faliure and IMRC faliure. With any car there will be additional problems. However, I have only had some of these on my 2000. Which would be your answer to the most desirable...2000 Tropical Green w. Prarie Tan Interior. There were only 204 Made of these. Good luck with the search.

edit. I suppose desirable can be in the eye of the beholder.
 
I would prefer black or silver in that order. I am not sure what year I should be looking for. I know the 98.5 has some improvements over the 98 with 5 more hp etc. However, I have also heard that the dashes warp in the post 98 cars...
 
SpecialVehicleTeam said:
I would prefer black or silver in that order. I am not sure what year I should be looking for. I know the 98.5 has some improvements over the 98 with 5 more hp etc. However, I have also heard that the dashes warp in the post 98 cars...
Click to expand...

98.5 did not have the extra 5 hp.
 
My 98.5 hasn't had any of the common problems.......except things like bumper sag, creaky rear doors and minor issues BUT I found prior owner and have driven this car the same as it has been driven pretty much all its life. Cars get used to being driven a certain way, for instance a granny grocery go getter mobile with only 30k original miles spread over ten years that has been driven gingerly all its life is not going to hold up well to being redlined and generally aggressive driving.

One thing I will say is that between my 98.5 and my 00 I def. like the interior better in the 98.5...........alot higher quality IMHO! And yes, my water pump is still original with 127,000 on it and yes, I know, I need to change it before the inevitable happens.

If I was to buy another ( I own two and don't think anopther is in the works for a while) it would be a 98.5.

Also while we are on the subject of desirability, how rare is a 98.5 without sunroof, spoiler and factory cd options?
 
Oh, and my 98.5 seems ALOT quieter inside than my 00 and the 98 had exhaust but 00 doesn't! Maybe an insulation difference. I know the door panel noise/moisture barriers are different but not sure about firewall insulation.

Anyone?????
 
The following are things you will need to replace on any CSVT after 100k Miles (Maybe sooner, maybe later depending on treatment and general care)


Transmission--- In general... have it rebuilt with a LSD Differential, no Seals, Synchro's,shift forks and have the Shift tower gone over for worn bolts. While this sounds expensive, you can build the Tranny for under 1k (assuming you can remove and re install on your own/with help)

Lower Control arms
Lower Ball Joints (These are assembled with the Lower Control arm, i belive replacements are around $40 from Steve @ Tousley Ford.)
Tie Rod ends
Check the Springs/Struts. Especially if the car is in a state they use salt on the roads (I had 3 Broken springs in my car!!!)
Sway Bar End Links- Good Idea to replace these. They are cheap enough to do so.
Fuel Filter

Those right there are the MAIN things. Alot of it is General Maintanance. But alot of that never gets done.
IF you can do the work your self, that entire list can be done for roughly $1500 and with some planning, have it all done over the coarse of a week/weekend depending on the shop rebuilding the Transmission with the New diff and components.
 
JoeM said:
The following are things you will need to replace on any CSVT after 100k Miles (Maybe sooner, maybe later depending on treatment and general care)


Transmission--- In general... have it rebuilt with a LSD Differential, no Seals, Synchro's,shift forks and have the Shift tower gone over for worn bolts. While this sounds expensive, you can build the Tranny for under 1k (assuming you can remove and re install on your own/with help)

Lower Control arms
Lower Ball Joints (These are assembled with the Lower Control arm, i belive replacements are around $40 from Steve @ Tousley Ford.)
Tie Rod ends
Check the Springs/Struts. Especially if the car is in a state they use salt on the roads (I had 3 Broken springs in my car!!!)
Sway Bar End Links- Good Idea to replace these. They are cheap enough to do so.
Fuel Filter

Those right there are the MAIN things. Alot of it is General Maintanance. But alot of that never gets done.
IF you can do the work your self, that entire list can be done for roughly $1500 and with some planning, have it all done over the coarse of a week/weekend depending on the shop rebuilding the Transmission with the New diff and components.
Click to expand...

I honestly don't see why you would need to replace the transmission at all. My 95's was great at 200K miles on original clutch with no slipping at all.
My SVT with 130K on it is great as well.
As long as you aren't popping the clutch repeatedly over 2.5k-3K rpms you will be fine.
 
Of the three you've got there, I'd go with the second one -- the '99 with 91K. That's a great price to start negotiating at.

TourEnvy is right -- Tropic Green is the rarest color -- I want to say 207 were produced in 2000, with 710 total if you count 1999. While it's my favorite, your results may vary.

At right about 100K, I ripped out the entire suspension -- control arms, bar bushings, end links, struts, mounts, you name it. Also replaced were engine / trans mounts and roll resistors, coolant temperature sensor, and water pump (though it was working fine). More recently, all plugs and wires have been done. There are a few other things -- I'm pretty thorough, and they're all Ford Motorcraft parts -- I'm a purist, too. :cool:
 
Id say if you can just find a clean svt, I would go with that regardless of the year. Finding an svt thats been taken care of is harder to find these days. Most are ending up with door dings on the outside and poor maintained carpet and seats on the inside. Generally, these are the ones that are mostly problem free as well.
 
I'd suggest buying my old SVT. It's up for sale in the classified section. I sold it back in May, and I was the original owner. 2000, black SVT with basically every upgrade/bolt-on available aside from forced induction.

Mark
 
FYI...

Black cars interior colors:
1998-1998.5: Midnight Blue (kinda :blackeye: if you ask me .. black and blue ...)
1999-2000: Midnight Blue or Prairie Tan

Silver Frost:
Midnight Blue for all years.

The "Best Year" depends on the preferences of each person. I like the 98 E0 myself, specifically in T-Red. However, beyondloadedSE is right -- finding an SVT in good condition and known history takes precedence these days over year/color/etc. This is precisely why I have a 99 instead.
 
limeyscott said:
Cars get used to being driven a certain way, for instance a granny grocery go getter mobile with only 30k original miles spread over ten years that has been driven gingerly all its life is not going to hold up well to being redlined and generally aggressive driving.
Click to expand...


I definately disagree with this, why would this be, its not like its a human, it might have some sludge or carbon buildup but nothing you can't easily take care of.
 
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