Frosty
Hard-core CEG'er
Mine was ordered, but in the paperwork that came with my SVT, I have a listing of all the SVT's that were available at dealers in the PA area during that time frame 
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Earliest Build Date CSVT
- Thread starter blu_fuz
- Start date
My T-Red is #988 and the date on the door is 5-15-97.
It has a few holdovers from pre-98 - the antenna base and the window switches are different.
It has a few holdovers from pre-98 - the antenna base and the window switches are different.
tsSVT
CEG'er
Sorry I was a little off on the date,it's 11/16/99
Big Jim
Hard-core CEG'er
I think that is the case for all E0 models. The antenna base changed with the E1, the clock was removed, and a few other things were decontented.
blu_fuz
New Member Classroom vulture
My bro's E0 had the clock but black antenna base :shrug: Sounds like they were just using up stock until it was gone possibly.........
Big Jim
Hard-core CEG'er
I've never seen a black antenna base. The early ones had a teardrop shape base and the late ones had a round base.
CSVT1214
Addicted CEG'er
They did change over to the black antenna base before E1's came around. The late E0's did not have the chrome base.
Newsvt
Veteran CEG'er
The round base is black that's how it was in my 99'.
My car is number 319 I think and was made on 4/18/97
Big Jim
Hard-core CEG'er
The non SVT Contours moved to the 98 1/2 version earlier, something like September. The change in the base may match the other Contour changes.
I could swear that the late base was still chrome. Anyway, I really like the early one better.
I could swear that the late base was still chrome. Anyway, I really like the early one better.
My silver frost 98 had the flat window switches and the black antenna base. I wasn't "in the know" about the differences (other than the 5 horsepower) between the 98 and 98.5+ models when we owned the SF car, but when we bought the T-red I noticed that those two things were different.
Goonz SVT
Hard-core CEG'er
here's my build date...was mine
Smalls
Addicted CEG'er
hes alive!
Big Jim
Hard-core CEG'er
The 5 hp increase didn't happen until the 99 model year.
For the 98 model year, both the E0 and E1 were 195 hp.
The E1 did have improved front strut valving though.
Frosty
Hard-core CEG'er
My 98 came with the raised switches and the clock, but the plain antenna base. I added a pre-98 chrome antenna base to it after I got it.
sav0320
CEG'er
Wow, this was originally a Ford owned car; not sure what they called the saleable pre-J1 milestones back then...FEU, IB? It was "sold" on January 1, 1997. (warranty start date)
Check out my M-plate photos, this could be one of them! Too bad I was in my second year of college back then and never had the foresight to record VINs of the cars that showed up in our driveway. http://mlav.us/picofpic/
Check out my M-plate photos, this could be one of them! Too bad I was in my second year of college back then and never had the foresight to record VINs of the cars that showed up in our driveway. http://mlav.us/picofpic/
here's my build date...was mine
sav0320
CEG'er
sav0320
CEG'er
sav0320
CEG'er
dion
CEG'er
Mine has a build date of 04/27/97, I purchased it on 05/27/97. It's build number 507, and I'm one of the few original owners left I guess?