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The 'Tour... A Lost Cause?

S

Savior

CEG'er
Joined
Dec 6, 2002
Messages
306
Location
Honolulu, Hawaii
You know... Every time I read a thread about Contours racing other cars of ANY type (see half the threads in this sub-forum), ranging from firebirds and camaros to subies or hondas, I come closer to the conclusion that, no matter what you do to a contour, no matter how many thousands of dollars in mods you dump into it in the form of bigger engines, turbos, exhaust, tunes, etc., the SVT Contour is just not a very fast car and will never net much respect... Like, it's barely possible to beat even mid-range cars and other 4-door cars in the same class, and completely out of the question to avoid being completely raped by any sort of "fast" modern car.

So why do we own these cars..? It seems I see more and more people on this forum buying WRX STI's and the fast new Pontiacs and MazdaSpeeds.

You know, I think I may just stop modding my tour. It's jsut such a lost cause. I love it, but I think it's time to retire it to the Daily Driver position.

I think I have just made the decision that I will install my new (used) tranny, my magnaflow res/cat, and polish off my stereo system. Maybe some simple paint mods to keep me busy. Then, in a year or so, after I save up several thousand dollars after this coming deployment to the Persian Gulf, I will just buy a WRX STI. I always wanted one anyways, and it sounds like a bone stock late-model STI will rape a heavily-modded SVT any day.

First I will buy a monster of a gearbox, some nice rims, all sorts of drivetrain-related mods, exhaust, and a tuner chip, and then after I have all these mods sitting in my garage and ready to install, I will buy the car itself and bgein installing them. Just like with my SVT... Only when I install these mods on my new STI, I will have a "fast" car, instead of an overpriced family sedan that can't stand up on the track. It's sad, because I've been through three Contours now, and love my SVT, but it just can't seem to pan out as a good investment in the long run.

Do STI's come with leather interiors?
 
because when the SVT came out it actually had the most horsepower of any car in its class. because its design still stands the test of time. because a 3L turbo will take a wrx from a roll ....because some of use still like these cars and know that we still enjoy driving them and don't car about having the latest and the greatest, etc, etc, etc ...

I would stick with it unless you just have to be faster then everyone else ... or be like everyone else ....
 
:nonono:

The car was never ment to be a drag car with the quickest 0-60 or 1/4 mile. Period. It was built to go up against the BMW 3 series and Audis, and it beat them. Ask the people on here with a turbo if the car is "slow". 1/4 mile time yes.....that is because the car doesn't get traction in gears 1, 2 and 3. Period. If you just sit there and spin and spin and spin the tires then yes the car is going to suck at the track. I would have figured people would have found this out. Go read your SVT booklet again that came with the car. It says they went out to build a balanced vehicle. One you could drive every day, long trip etc and not get tired in it. One that could carve corners with the best of them. If you want a drag car, go get a trans am or mustang.
 
like brapple said, if you need to be the fastest and just like everyone else, go ahead and buy an STI.
or you can save your money, have a fairly exclusive and (imho) better looking car that handles great and is dang fast. So no, your 8 year old 8k tour isnt going to beat a newer 30k STI...shocking? But it will still hang with if not beat newer sivic SI's and the like. So you can't get great traction off the line... on the track that really only happens once, then your fantastic handling will help you make up for that... and the power that you have will be very nice.
but if you need the fastest street racer vehicle, yeah you definately dont want a tour.
what drew me to the contour wasn't its impressive speed (if i wanted a fast street car i would have gotten a 5.0 mustang like everyone else). it was the fact that it was unique... and it was dang fun to drive.
 
Shouldn't also matter that CSVTs are limited in production and will also be worth something in future compared to a WRX STI that will always be a WRX STI. Just my 2 cents but no matter how much we mod, swap, or sell these tours they are rare. They may be over shadowed by Contiques but there will be a time in the near but distant future that real SVTs will probably be worth something and we will recieve much more praise than we do now, simply because it is a contique. We see the number of SVTs drop regularly on thes Forums, whether it be a part-out or accident, they are becoming rare. Me personally, I know that it isn't the fastest car on the road, but stock it is far from slow and anything that has a number next to it, like mine being 203 of 2760, it's worth keeping. I may not drive this car forever, but until I really have no reason to hold on to it, I am keeping it.
 
Well I am sure you have not rode in a 3 liter turbo at all because with over 400hp and 425tq you have really under estimated the real power this car delivers on the streets. I can honestly tell you I have raped many of fast cars on the run and do not remember loosing to any except one that was making 600whp here but up top the car could not break away any farther from me. The car is well balanced car and yes this car is not a 1/4 mile race car and why does the 1/4 mile always define what saids a car is fast. Put this car on a road course against some high power car with a good electronic boost controller that has ramping boost controls this car will sweep most cars in a fury. Remember you drive your car 95 time on the streets where no one has much traction an this car was built for a fast daily driver. Many of cars don't have traction but still people mod them 300zx are one I can think of because the car is hard to grip with.

I am installing a AMS 1000 boost controller $1000 boost controller that will allow my car to build the most power based on the grip of the tires or the situation. No one has ever installed a really good boost controller yet on a 3 liter turbo and I haven't yet because my built motor was under the knife again but I will have this install for the gulf coast meet. We will see some 12's if I have to break the axles doing it (another weak peice)(stage 2 axles)
 
i preffer the svt than my gtp long trips or just crusing around the town my svt is better like all the people says want a drag car buy a cobra or a corvette or a sti the svt tour is a fine car. and best off all family car.
 
I couldnt agree more with Joey. You definitly havent riden in a 3l turbo, even a 300whp one is STOUT to say the least. I rape sti's,evo's new mustang gt's ect........ Once boost builds (mine does at 3200rpm) you are absolutly GONE. Till you have riden in one Savior you should say "lost cause"

OMG Joey I just read up on the AMS 1000, wow let me know how that works for you and I may end up getting one

http://www.ams1000.com/home/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.3
 
Investment? What car really is, unless you're looking for a GT500 Mustang or a 1970 Olds 442? Do it for love, not for money. :cool:
 
any car that is actively maintained is an investment.

Savior said:
First I will buy a monster of a gearbox, some nice rims, all sorts of drivetrain-related mods, exhaust, and a tuner chip, and then after I have all these mods sitting in my garage and ready to install, I will buy the car itself and bgein installing them.
Click to expand...

Money in the bank is better than car parts sitting in boxes. Why not save how much you need for everything including the car and buy it all at once? Or even better, save the money, buy the car, and if you actually like it, invest in it.
 
Savior said:
I always wanted one anyways, and it sounds like a bone stock late-model STI will rape a heavily-modded SVT any day.
Click to expand...
and which thread exactly did u get this information from?

Savior said:
Do STI's come with leather interiors?
Click to expand...
negative! they come with crappy interiors.

For ur information, i was at a car show last saturday. i got more looks and stares than a scantily clad pam anderson on hollywood blvd. not ONE person walkd over to the row of STIs and RSXs parked next to me. if u wanna be just another person with an STI, then go ahead n get one.
 
tredsvt98 said:
Why not the sti gets raped:shocked:
Click to expand...

wow! that was quick! the mods were all over that:laugh:. true, the sti gets raped. the only way to do this without an infraction is to direct ppl to youtube and give them a search word like *cough...turbo contour...cough*. and VOILA! the video comes up. no penalties nor frowns from our dear moderators:)
 
A boost controller like that AMS-1000 isn't even necessary. You can get a turbosmart electronic boost controller that would be plenty for 4-500 bucks instead of 850.

As for the whole turbo 3L contour being fast from a roll. Of course it is... it's got 350-400hp and the wheels. I would hope it can spank an STI that puts down 250 at the wheels.

However, the 07 STI's will run 11's in the 1/4 with just a tune and some minor parts. Different ball games.

Although the WRX's aren't even really "drag" cars. They are much more at home on the road course.
 
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