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I Need Advice...

I

iStepFresh

New CEG'er
Joined
Dec 10, 2008
Messages
14
The Backstory...

I have wanted an SVT ever since my mom gave me her 96 Ford Contour SE. I learned how to drive in that car. I raced in that car (which I probably shouldn't have done but yeah...). So, I was going to convert it into an SeVT eventually. My mom was even gracious enough to let me have the car before I got my license (She gave me the car in like November and I just got my license last Monday). A little over a month ago, this happened:

SDC10073.jpg


But the SE was a lot better off than the car that hit me...

SDC10086.jpg


It was below freezing in the rain right before it started to snow. I was turning the corner dropping off my sister's co-worker and they couldn't stop at the light (or rather they didn't care to stop because they didn't go near their breaks). They caught us at the side... I got a ticket for driving without a license and my mom got pissed off at me. I am still trying to get that ticket thrown out but I had to change the court date because somehow the police officer put the wrong time in on the ticket (the courts aren't even open at 7:45 PM smh).

Skipping to the present...

We get the money from the insurance company today and I have been in contact with a guy that is selling a 2000 Contour SVT for $2500. He even said that I could make payments on it if I give him $1000 up front. It sounds like a deal that you can't pass up. The thing I need advice on is whether I should get it and how can I ask my mom about it. My SE was an automatic and, as you probably know, the SVT is a stick shift. Would the SVT be a good car to learn how to drive a stick or should I hold off until I can learn somewhere else? And how could I convince my mom that I can drive the car in the first place? I've tried telling her how good of a deal it is but that didn't work :nonono:

Any suggestions would be appreciated:help:
 
Yeah, I got the car totaled off because I didn't really have a choice. My mom wouldn't let me :nonono:

But I am wondering if an SVT would be too powerful of a car to learn how to drive since it is a stick shift. My SE was an automatic and that was the only car I could drive. And my mom said that it was too powerful as is (just putting it out there so nobody thinks I am one of those old people who can't get out of their moms house, I'm only 18/Senior in High School).

See, right after I heard that the check was coming, I hopped on Craigslist and found two SVTs. First it was this one...

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3mb3of3leZZZZZZZZZ92l6d5a9de764cb15d4.jpg

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/cto/1044927881.html


He stays about an hour away from me and my mom doesn't want to go out there for a car that I don't even know how to drive. So I kept searching and found this one...

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3kc3o43l6ZZZZZZZZZ92ed07feb389eae124d.jpg

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/cto/1034656886.html

He stays about 10 minutes from me and he said he would give it to me for $2500 and let me make payments on it. Plus, it has keyless entry, aftermarket speakers, and a lot of new parts. I can't go wrong with this one, can I?

How powerful are the SVTs compared to the SE? Maybe that will help my argument.
 
the Zetec (my motor) only produces 125hp stock (MINES NOT)

The Duratec Family runs in many different HP Ranges
170HP (SE Models)
195HP (1998 SVT) and
200HP (1999-2000 SVT)

If you do not know how to drive a manual, I'd have someone teach you on another vehicle, they are all different however, I look at it as every car has it's own "personality" mines a firecracker, it acts like no other Zetec I've ever owned, My Probe SE had a Zetec, and had the 1st gen valve problems and the Outlet problems, but even before that it always had a whistle to it. my Contour has the Zetec-E and has more power than any other L4 I have ever owned......reliability too, fords version of GM's 2.5 Iron Duke as I see it.

I think you can hendle it, just be easy on the throttle.
stay away from the temptation of racing it.
I have Torque Steer from my Zetec, I'm sure the Duratec has it.......but idk.

Hope I helped.

BTW that Toyota Paseo had seen better days.
 
You definitely did. Thanks. I appreciate it. I think I will either find someone that can teach me in their car or just take that risk of learning in the SVT. Pray for me :blackeye:
 
iStepFresh said:
You definitely did. Thanks. I appreciate it. I think I will either find someone that can teach me in their car or just take that risk of learning in the SVT. Pray for me :blackeye:
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If I were closer I'd teach you I have a SPEC series Stage 2+ clutch in mine, so I wouldn't be worried about you doing too much to it , but I no longer live in Hickory lol.

Just LISTEN and PAY ATTENTION to the person teaching you.
If you need more help, message me here or directly E-Mail me at DrewDube@bresnan.net
 
I learned how to drive a stick successfully in my first SVT.

I took my 16-year old baby sister out last week for a drive in a school parking lot in my current SVT. She has NEVER driven a car, just a 4-wheeler, and she got it going on the first try. Sure, it wasn't smooth, but she did great. (She's slightly behind in her development due to oxygen deprivation at birth, so she's really at about a 12-year old mental capacity.)

I don't think there's any "perfect" car to learn in. I did well in the SVT because the torque of the motor (compared to the other car I tried to learn on, my dad's '86 Tercel) and the stiffness of the clutch made it easy for me to be precise. Don't be afraid of it, that will just make it harder for you.
 
Just get it, You'll probably only stall in twice:laugh: Seriously though, have the guy drive it for you, watch exactly whats he's doing. If then he lets you drive it, take it easy and be smooth on the clutch. You'll be fine. I bought a manual car before I knew how to drive one.:shrug:
 
So help me out here: your mom gives you a car, which you decide to go out and drive WITHOUT A LICENSE, then you total said car, and now you're trying to get advice on the best way for your mom to buy you another car?? Not to mention the huge insurance hit you guys are sure to encounter. And how do you plan on getting that ticket thrown out? Did you have a license at the time it was issued to you? Contrary to popular internet legend, a minor technicality isn't going to get it thrown out.

I would've loved to have that kind of conversation with my mom. Let's just say I wouldn't be doing too much driving with two broken arms and two broken legs if I'd had the balls to come at her with that kind of nonsense.
 
The old Todd would rain a shiz storm on this post but it won't do any good. People need to live to learn I guess and some never will. I can't imagine what my parents would have done had I did something like this. End my life maybe since the accident didn't. Sure in Hell wouldn't be driving for many years.
 
Don't buy a svt for a first car, you obviously need to learn how to drive better and I mean that in the nicest way, I'd get a se or mystique first.
 
I'd be lucky to be living, I see him trying the same thing I would, deal with it as it comes and move on, the number one thing that causes panic and more consequential decisions, is thinking about th things your in when it's not in need.

I have 2 driving w/o insurance and 1 DUS, and after getting all the crap sorted out, I'M OK.
 
My CSVT was my first car, and I didn't even know how to drive stick :shrug:

My brother test drove it for me.. then said..

brother: "alright you read online about how stick shifts work right?"
me: "yeah i guess.."
brother: "sweet good luck!"

I didn't even know how to get the parking brake disengaged :laugh:

I drove it an hour home.. shakey, but did it.

Driving stick is easy, mastering it is another story.
 
todras said:
The old Todd would rain a shiz storm on this post but it won't do any good. People need to live to learn I guess and some never will. I can't imagine what my parents would have done had I did something like this. End my life maybe since the accident didn't. Sure in Hell wouldn't be driving for many years.
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Then Todd needs prozac, the guy is 18, he'll drive whether his mother wants him to or not, nowadays (even with the fuel prices) driving is a NECESSITY

Sure, accidents happen, bad decisions are made.....it's life, move on.

Shizz Storm.....Damn, people like this make others not want to ask questions.
 
You know, I'd trust a kid in a good condition SVT over a v6 mystique or a regular contour any day of the week. It was my overconfidence in my '99 V6 Mystique's handling that made me flip it 6 times. Why should we recommend that someone get a lower-power car when the higher power car not only will be fun as a true 'first' car, but will be safer?

Oh, and I'd never risk wrecking my SVT. That's what keeps me out of the street races.
 
Because that, IMO, is backwards logic. If you're overconfident in a vehicle that performs at a lower level, you're going to be overconfident in a higher-performance version. By that logic, we should turn every 16-year old kid loose in an Enzo.
 
Beans said:
Don't buy a svt for a first car, you obviously need to learn how to drive better and I mean that in the nicest way, I'd get a se or mystique first.
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I would say that I am a pretty good driver. But the accident wasn't my fault, accept the fact that I didn't have my license.


Epheron said:
You know, I'd trust a kid in a good condition SVT over a v6 mystique or a regular contour any day of the week. It was my overconfidence in my '99 V6 Mystique's handling that made me flip it 6 times. Why should we recommend that someone get a lower-power car when the higher power car not only will be fun as a true 'first' car, but will be safer?

Oh, and I'd never risk wrecking my SVT. That's what keeps me out of the street races.
Click to expand...

Yeah, you kinda did lose me too. But I can agree with the not racing thing. The SVT will be strictly daily for me (a few mods here and there but that is it).

Btw, I am getting it, probably tomorrow. Thanks for the advice, whether I listen to it or disregard it (not on purpose lol).
 
Epheron said:
You know, I'd trust a kid in a good condition SVT over a v6 mystique or a regular contour any day of the week. It was my overconfidence in my '99 V6 Mystique's handling that made me flip it 6 times. Why should we recommend that someone get a lower-power car when the higher power car not only will be fun as a true 'first' car, but will be safer?

Oh, and I'd never risk wrecking my SVT. That's what keeps me out of the street races.
Click to expand...

That has to be the most stupid post I have ever read on here. :help:
 
I have another dilemma. The guy I am buying from said that the insurance company may qualify it as a sports car. Has this been done to anyone? I mean, it's still a Contour, right? Or do the insurance agents look that far into it?
 
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