JEDsContour
CEG'er
We’ve been having some rotten weather here the last week. A kind of gloomy, relentless drizzle. I’ve been planning to sell one of my 99 SVT’s, but it’s been impossible to take decent pictures.
Well, the rain let up for a bit yesterday evening and the roads dried. I decided to drive the car to take my daughters out to dinner. I hesitate driving it because the undercarriage is so clean, but what's the sense of having a car? I use black rubber Ford "Mondeo" mats to keep the SVT mats pristine - exactly the same size and a perfect fit with a lip that keeps them nicely centered.
The point is – I had forgotten how nicely balanced these cars are in stock trim. This car drives and runs perfectly, and I mean really nice. The sound of the engine is so sweet and the transmission shifts smoothly and cleanly. The secondaries open with an authority that pushes you back in the seat.
SVT Contours are great fun! I live on a long winding blacktop country road and it was hard to keep the speed down to just the “mildly illegal” range. I could easily talk myself into keeping this car if I didn't have another just as nice.
I frankly think the stock suspension setup with these cars is much better balanced for daily driving then any of the typical modifications, and I’ve owned plenty of both. An almost perfect balance of handling and power.
Think hard about how you actually use your car before you jump into suspension mods. The Ford SVT engineers did a great job with this design. I think Contours have to be the most under-appreciated SVT automobile. Maybe it’s the four doors. I can only believe these cars will become more popular with collectors over time, especially since it’s been 10 years now since their introduction.
I first saw this car parked under a dusty cover in the previous owners garage after responding to single line ad in the paper “99 Ford Contour, low mileage, green.” It had obviously been sitting there for many years. The tires were badly dry rotted and stuck to the cement floor, and the battery was toast. I put gas preservative and five gallons of fresh high test in the tank before I even tried starting it. Other than the simple neglects of time, the car was in terrific shape and the owner had kept all the paperwork, to include the window sticker.
After I got it home I replaced the tires (same as factory original), battery, all the fluids, rotors/ pads, and both front lower control arms (the ball joint rubber boots had cracked) and both tie rod ends. I also replaced the sway bar bushings with BAT polyurethane and all the sway bar end links with new Ford parts, front and rear. Overkill to be sure – but once the car is on jack stands and all apart, it only makes sense to just do it.
I’ve never even waxed the car – though I did give the inside a good cleaning with the seats removed. I also installed the Ford Dashboard warp repair kit. I’ve done that to both my current cars. I can imagine how bad that warp must get with cars that are left outside and uncovered all the time. The kit is well thought out and it does make a difference.
As of this morning I have 20,238 miles on the car. Its kind of crazy to see this showroom-fresh car and know it’s nearly 10 years old. I’ve never thought of these as being true collector cars – but maybe that’s changing.
Well the sun is out finally and I have a short trip I need to make…. This car is too much fun!
Well, the rain let up for a bit yesterday evening and the roads dried. I decided to drive the car to take my daughters out to dinner. I hesitate driving it because the undercarriage is so clean, but what's the sense of having a car? I use black rubber Ford "Mondeo" mats to keep the SVT mats pristine - exactly the same size and a perfect fit with a lip that keeps them nicely centered.
The point is – I had forgotten how nicely balanced these cars are in stock trim. This car drives and runs perfectly, and I mean really nice. The sound of the engine is so sweet and the transmission shifts smoothly and cleanly. The secondaries open with an authority that pushes you back in the seat.
SVT Contours are great fun! I live on a long winding blacktop country road and it was hard to keep the speed down to just the “mildly illegal” range. I could easily talk myself into keeping this car if I didn't have another just as nice.
I frankly think the stock suspension setup with these cars is much better balanced for daily driving then any of the typical modifications, and I’ve owned plenty of both. An almost perfect balance of handling and power.
Think hard about how you actually use your car before you jump into suspension mods. The Ford SVT engineers did a great job with this design. I think Contours have to be the most under-appreciated SVT automobile. Maybe it’s the four doors. I can only believe these cars will become more popular with collectors over time, especially since it’s been 10 years now since their introduction.
I first saw this car parked under a dusty cover in the previous owners garage after responding to single line ad in the paper “99 Ford Contour, low mileage, green.” It had obviously been sitting there for many years. The tires were badly dry rotted and stuck to the cement floor, and the battery was toast. I put gas preservative and five gallons of fresh high test in the tank before I even tried starting it. Other than the simple neglects of time, the car was in terrific shape and the owner had kept all the paperwork, to include the window sticker.
After I got it home I replaced the tires (same as factory original), battery, all the fluids, rotors/ pads, and both front lower control arms (the ball joint rubber boots had cracked) and both tie rod ends. I also replaced the sway bar bushings with BAT polyurethane and all the sway bar end links with new Ford parts, front and rear. Overkill to be sure – but once the car is on jack stands and all apart, it only makes sense to just do it.
I’ve never even waxed the car – though I did give the inside a good cleaning with the seats removed. I also installed the Ford Dashboard warp repair kit. I’ve done that to both my current cars. I can imagine how bad that warp must get with cars that are left outside and uncovered all the time. The kit is well thought out and it does make a difference.
As of this morning I have 20,238 miles on the car. Its kind of crazy to see this showroom-fresh car and know it’s nearly 10 years old. I’ve never thought of these as being true collector cars – but maybe that’s changing.
Well the sun is out finally and I have a short trip I need to make…. This car is too much fun!
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