Are you serious? I see many more SVTs better cared for than a regular contour. Of course don't buy one some random teenagers has been ragging out, but don't buy any car a random teenager has been ragging out.
My SVT was two owners before I bought it, a LOT less than the prices you're talking about, a little higher mileage than average but pretty well cared for (especially the important stuff, like the engine).
There are plenty of cheap, good conditions SVTs out there. I see them everyday on here. People picking up decent rides, needing very little work for $2k-$3k. You can't beat the value of a SVT contour.
By the way, before I got my svt, I thought I too couldn't afford one (during my financial situation at the time) but I wasn't looking. I just happend to get the best instant message on AIM that I ever got and I now have a svt. Since then, I've noticed plenty of people getting the same kind of deal I got. At the price they go for, it doesn't really matter if something breaks, you spend so little on a nice car that fixing something, even something major, still leaves you better off than going with any other comparable vehicle on the market.