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Contour SVT vs my 1989 Accord... what to do

C

Cash68

New CEG'er
Joined
Mar 10, 2003
Messages
19
Hey all, I'm thinking about getting an SVT... here's my situation.

I have an 89 Honda Accord, 5spd, LX. It has 267,000 miles on it, but it is a honda. I redid all the suspension bushings, I threw in KYB GR2s with some nuespeed springs, new stock exhaust, sony MP3 CD player, new 6.5s, .... overall it's in pretty nice shape, the interior is clean with no rips or tears, and the paint is still relatively shiny. Here's a few pics:

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Now... I love this car. It rides great, handles great, stops fine, and the interior is well put together. I also never worry about it, since it isn't that "nice". It fits my needs very well. However, the carb (YES IT HAS A DAMN CARB ARGH) is starting to fail (horrible idle, poor MPG) and a new carb is $650. With install, that'll be close to a thousand, I'm sure. It also is leaking oil, the locks are starting to fail, and one headlight doesn't work.

So, I found a 1998 Contour SVT for sale locally, for a reasonable price. But it has 150,000 miles. Is this a lot for a contour? I mean, on a honda, it's barely broken in. Hell, the engine in my accord is still pretty great, it just needs new gaskets and the carb is kicking the bucket at 275,000 miles. What do you guys think? Should I upgrade to an SVT? Or just fix a car that I like quite a bit? Would the contour be as reliable? Or would I be downgrading?
 
Well, nobody in their right mind would pay more than 1k for that Honda.

Contours are fairly reliable cars if well taken care of, some members on here are well over 200k, plus you got to figure its 98+ so its alot newer then that thing.
 
The Contour is missing the Honda psychotropic effect. So instead of the same number of repairs hurting half as much on a Honda, they'll hurt twice as much because it's a Ford.

We get pissed off an swear to never buy another Ford when we have to refill windshield washer fluid, but I've seen Honda owners replace entire drivetrains without wincing like it's their duty to god.

But seriously speaking, a non-SVT Contour is a better choice for a cheap reliable DD:

- half the price
- cheaper insurance
- cheaper fuel
- no expensive SVT body parts to lose/break

SVT Contours are faster and have more power therefore the potential is there to wear them out at a faster rate. It's also more likely that previous owners may have done that. I figure that driving an SVT costs me around 15%+ more than an SE would in terms of insurance/fuel/maintenance. My SVT cost me around twice as much as a comparable SE may have. But for me, it's more than worth it.

If you read the stickies in the relevant forums on the CEG and stay on top of maintenance and repairs, there's no objective reason to believe that a Contour will be less reliable than an Accord and the potential exists for the total cost of ownership to be much lower.
 
The contour is a reliable car if you take care of it. My SE had over 200K miles when I sold it on the original clutch, tranny and engine....even took out a deer in the process. Honestly, these have been the best cars that I have owned. And you are getting boned on the carb for that car. There is no way it should cost ~$400 to install a carb on any car. On our truck I have taken it off and put it back on in 10 minutes total.
 
Cash68 said:
So, I found a 1998 Contour SVT for sale locally, for a reasonable price. But it has 150,000 miles. Is this a lot for a contour? I mean, on a honda, it's barely broken in. Hell, the engine in my accord is still pretty great, it just needs new gaskets and the carb is kicking the bucket at 275,000 miles. What do you guys think? Should I upgrade to an SVT? Or just fix a car that I like quite a bit? Would the contour be as reliable? Or would I be downgrading?
Click to expand...

You might want to look out Rob, some people on this site might think the Contour is god's gift to the world.

Desiato said:
But seriously speaking, a non-SVT Contour is a better choice for a cheap reliable DD:

- half the price
- cheaper insurance
- cheaper fuel
- no expensive SVT body parts to lose/break
Click to expand...

Insurance was the same price for my '96 Mystique and my '99 Contour.
 
PurpleMystique said:
You might want to look out Rob, some people on this site might think the Contour is god's gift to the world.
Click to expand...


I don't know if I would say gods gift but if you find one that is properly maintained and taken care of they are a great value for the cost.
 
Hey Laminar, you might want to check my join date. Hint: I've been here longer than you.
 
Beans said:
Well, nobody in their right mind would pay more than 1k for that Honda.

Contours are fairly reliable cars if well taken care of, some members on here are well over 200k, plus you got to figure its 98+ so its alot newer then that thing.
Click to expand...

I would hope not. KBB values it at $950. I've just read a lot about Contour engines having plastic impeller water pumps, where the blades just disintegrate. How could I tell if a car has had a replacement, and if it had a metal impeller? Also, I remember reading about the oil pickup in SVT oil pans is off to the side, so if you have a long curvy onramp, it'll suck air and you'll mess up the engine. True or no?
 
Cash68 said:
I would hope not. KBB values it at $950. I've just read a lot about Contour engines having plastic impeller water pumps, where the blades just disintegrate. How could I tell if a car has had a replacement, and if it had a metal impeller? Also, I remember reading about the oil pickup in SVT oil pans is off to the side, so if you have a long curvy onramp, it'll suck air and you'll mess up the engine. True or no?
Click to expand...


any 99+ will have the new impellor from the factory. to find out what is in there you will have to pull the pump.

as for the oil pick up, more chances then not its because the oil was already low. My oil pressure doesn't change when taking sweeping right hand turns. just run 6.5 qts of oil and remember to check it and it should be fine.
 
Desiato said:
But seriously speaking, a non-SVT Contour is a better choice for a cheap reliable DD:

- half the price
- cheaper insurance
- cheaper fuel
- no expensive SVT body parts to lose/break


If you read the stickies in the relevant forums on the CEG and stay on top of maintenance and repairs, there's no objective reason to believe that a Contour will be less reliable than an Accord and the potential exists for the total cost of ownership to be much lower.
Click to expand...

Not interested in the regular contour. At all. I'm an enthusiast, and aside from being less desirable, if I get a base model I just get the urge to upgrade everything anyway, and it costs a LOT more to do so from a base model. I'd rather get an SVT and keep it stock, and actually enjoy driving. I guess I'm worried about ford build quality, because the last Ford product I owned was a 1978 Mercury. My honda is 19 years old, and I've had almost no problems until now. The exhaust failed at 220k, the left headlight quit working after a minor accident, but other than that, it's been extremely reliable. I just don't want to get an SVT, and run into a ton of problems. Do contours suffer from any electrical gremlins?
 
elraido said:
The contour is a reliable car if you take care of it. My SE had over 200K miles when I sold it on the original clutch, tranny and engine....even took out a deer in the process. Honestly, these have been the best cars that I have owned. And you are getting boned on the carb for that car. There is no way it should cost ~$400 to install a carb on any car. On our truck I have taken it off and put it back on in 10 minutes total.
Click to expand...

Nice to know, thanks! And no, I'm not. The factory carb costs $650, new. That's the price no matter where you go. I've tried Rockauto, I've tried ebay, I've tried dealerships, I've tried autozone... they're all above $600. It sucks.
 
Cash68 said:
Hey Laminar, you might want to check my join date. Hint: I've been here longer than you.
Click to expand...

Oh...kay? Clearly that means your Contour knowledge is superior and your e-penis is much larger.

Cash68 said:
Not interested in the regular contour. At all. I'm an enthusiast, and aside from being less desirable, if I get a base model I just get the urge to upgrade everything anyway, and it costs a LOT more to do so from a base model.
Click to expand...

Ah, knowledge is just spewing out of every hole in your body!
 
PurpleMystique said:
My favorite mods of yours are the "rims without centercaps" mod and the "headlights are always up" mod. Way sweet.
Click to expand...

I have the centercaps, but I accidentally used the wrong lugnuts when I put the wheels on. They're too tall to allow me to put the centercaps on, and I don't really care all that much to jack it up and take all the lugnuts back off, take the other lugnuts off my other car, and reinstall all the wheels. That's a lot of work just to put some stupid centercaps on.

My headlights are always up because my left headlight quit working. I was in a minor accident a few years ago on that side, and the headlight motor is no longer getting power. It's a :censored::censored::censored::censored::censored: to try to get to, since that area of the car is so cramped, so I haven't bothered.

Neither are mods. I just don't care.

The mods are as cheap as possible speakers to replace worn out factory ones, a CD mp3 deck, nuespeed springs, and KYB GR2 struts. That's it. Everything else is just a stock replacement. It is not fast, nor do I believe it is. Somehow, it is still relatively fun to drive. I blame the double wishbone suspension.
 
ok guys that is enough with the bickering. please come back on topic with this thread.

This means would a 150k SVT be a good buy for the OP, etc
 
PurpleMystique said:
Oh...kay? Clearly that means your Contour knowledge is superior and your e-penis is much larger.
Click to expand...

It means I didn't just join this forum, like you suggested I did on the mac forums. I've been here a while. I knew what an SVT was when you were still riding bicycles. In fact, I'm pretty sure I'm the one who originally TOLD you what the Contour SVT was. I've always liked these cars, and I found one nearby with a good price, so I'm considering buying it. Honestly, the biggest single reason I'm not jumping on it is that you're a prick, you think you're better than me, and I don't want to think of your stupid ass everytime I get into my car.



Ah, knowledge is just spewing out of every hole in your body!
Click to expand...

Oh okay, so it's a better idea to just buy a regular contour and then proceed to track down SVT suspension/brakes/exhaust/engine/tranny and then install them all? Oh and SVT seats and gauges and all that? Sorry. No. I'd rather just pay more up front, and not waste my time upgrading to things that come standard on a model readily available.
 
tredsvt98 said:
Well you may not think the honda is fast but i do...:drool:

Go with the svt!​
Click to expand...

It had 98hp stock, 267,000 miles ago. Which means today it probably has 80 something. So... imagine the opposite of fast. Heh
 
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