• Welcome to the Contour Enthusiasts Group, the best resource for the Ford Contour and Mercury Mystique.

    You can register to join the community.

Need some advice

96MystiqueGS

Veteran CEG'er
Joined
Jan 26, 2006
Messages
632
Location
Wilkes-Barre, PA
As you all know, or not, I purchased a wrecked 99 SVT. The car suffered a rear end collision and was totalled. I bought the car with the intent to fix it and retitle. The guy who owns the car lot I purchased it from made it out to be much easier than it was to fix and retitle.

I have been going through a lot of trouble to get the car inspectable. The inspection will cost $106 with an additonal $70 if I fail. Pictures will be taken and sent to PennDot so they can decide if the car can be retitled. If ANY parts are replaced, you must show a receipt for the part. I don't have a receipt for the gas door or bumper I have, I've owned them for a long time. PennDot says if I tell them how much I paid and when, they will charge me tax on the "market value" of the bumper and might let me use it.

I am in the process of purchasing a 96 Mystique 4 cyl for $50 which is in good shape but has a small coolant leak.

Do I keep after the SVT? It's not looking too good the more I see. Or do I put the good parts from the SVT into the 4 cyl Mystique and sell what's left of the SVT? I can only keep one car.

Looking for some input.
 
I would put the SVT engine and drivetrain into the Mystique. That way you already have a good title, and it will cost much less to insure the "4cly" car :).

However you still run into a problem with inspection. Obviously the emissions will be way off from the stock numbers. It's a pickle of a deal. You could always sell the SVT for parts and cruise in the 4cyl and get much better gas mileage than the SVT :cool:. Is power important to you, or great gas mileage?
 
I work for a company that puts up gas station canopies over the gas pumps. We are delivering a canopy to Wilkes-Barre, PA on Aug 4th! You get the SVT there and help load it on the semi for me and they will bring it home ;).
 
I would put the SVT engine and drivetrain into the Mystique. That way you already have a good title, and it will cost much less to insure the "4cly" car :).

However you still run into a problem with inspection. Obviously the emissions will be way off from the stock numbers. It's a pickle of a deal. You could always sell the SVT for parts and cruise in the 4cyl and get much better gas mileage than the SVT :cool:. Is power important to you, or great gas mileage?

That is what I was thining, but I never thought about emissions. I'm not sure how in depth the PA emissions inspection is, from I what I remember, they just put the gas cap in a testing machine.
 
Why not just have someone draw up a receipt for you , for the bumper & fuel door , and continue with your SVT quest ?? You're buying used , after all . If all else fails , go to a u-pull-it , buy a cheap bumper for the receipt , and then toss/re-sell the bumper .

The whole re-title BS is why I let my Jetta get totalled a couple years ago . I loved the car , but hated PA's jump-through-hoops-and-HOPE-they-retitle-it mentality :crazy: ...
 
Truth be told, I snuck the car out for a drive last night and the block a few times....my god was it fun to drive! It drives 100%, it's just down to the bodywork. I'm going to try to get it good enough to get it to pass the "enhanced inspection", but I am affraid that I'll spend a lot of money and still fail the inspection.

I have to call PennDot back on Monda. They told me that if I told them how much I paid for the bumper and gas door they would make me pay the tax on the "market value" and I will be abe to use the parts.

I have to find out just how much I will be paying to get this car going and judge from there.
 
Back
Top