I have a 1998 Ford Contour SVT, modified with high end, proven parts. It is located in Morris County, New Jersey.
I will try to describe the car in as much detail as I can, but feel free to PM me with any additional questions. Please READ the entire ad before replying. I know it's long, but it's full of a detail.
ABOUT THE CAR:
The car has only 107,000 miles on it. I've owned it for about five years, along with owning three other Contours as well. Though this one was reserved as my nice weather cruiser. I actually remember the day that it passed the 100,000 mark, back in November of 2009. It has been sternly reserved for weekends and dry weather. There were only a few instances where I had to use it as a daily driver, while my other car at the time was in the shop.
ABOUT THE TURBO:
The turbo kit started as a pre-owned $2800 ADC kit, but certain components were later upgraded. Below is a list of the current major parts:
-ADC stainless steel piping
-Masterpower turbo (brand new, I'll list more specs below)
-XS Turbo IC (water to air)
-IC reservoir tank (mounted in trunk)
-Ford Lightning IC pump
-Heat exchanger
-External wastegate (new)
-Ford Lightning IAT/ACT sensor and bung
-Ford Lightning PCV valve
-NGK TR6 plugs
-Walbro 255 Fuel pump
-Tial recirculating BOV (new)
-Oil lines and accessories (new)
-Couplers (new)
-new manifold gaskets (new)
- Voodoo boost controller (new)
-Street Flight turbo headers
The ECU is tuned via Sniper Tuning software. If you're not familiar with Sniper, you might recognize their parent company, Delta Tuning. The tune is properly setup to compensate for the turbo kit, as well as the removal of the lower O2 sensors (there are no pre-cats on turbo headers). Tune was done at AirCougar shop.
ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION:
When the stock differential went out on me, I decided to swap in a low mileage '99 Mercury Cougar transmission (with the revised shift forks). If you are familiar with Contours, you know that the stock transmission has two weak points. Those being the differential, and the shift tower bolts. The '99 Cougar transmission has a revised design, which eliminates the possibility of the bolts sheering off into the transmission. With the extra power of the turbo kit, I played it safe and also had a Torsen LSD installed with new bearing, along with genuine Ford "Honey" fluid. This was all done less than 200 miles ago. A few years prior I had a Kevlar Unorthodox Racing clutch installed, along with an SHO Shop lightened flywheel. The clutch was carefully and properly broken in, and still has less than 1k miles on it. With a conservative estimate, I probably invested around $1800 into the transmission and clutch setup alone.
ABOUT THE INTERIOR:
-Power sunroof
-Power antenna
-Power windows
-"Midnight blue" leather seats
-White face SVT gauges
-AEM Digital Wideband A/F Ratio gauge
-AEM Digital Boost Gauge
The car has a 4-channel Infinity Reference amplifier mounted in the trunk, which powers two Infinity component speakers in the front doors (with detached tweeters neatly installed in the door panels), as well as a pair of Polk audio full range speakers in the rear doors. The sound quality is a major step up from the stock glove-box amplifier setup. I will be leaving the speakers and amplifier in the car, but I will be taking the head unit/radio with me. It's a Pioneer Premiere that I'd like to hold onto for sentimental reasons. I've had it in quite a few cars over the years. This is probably the only part of the car that I will be removing. Everything else on the car will be included with the sale.
The interior is in good shape. The dash is not warped, the seats are not torn, and the inside is in very good condition for the year. Please keep in mind that it is a 16 year old car that unfortunately had to be parked outside for the last few years. It is not a "show condition" car anymore, but it was used as a weekend, adult owned, driver. The original SVT floor mats are included with the car, as well as clear plastic mats that I have placed on top of the SVT ones, to keep them clean. So floor mats to protect floor mats, ha.
ABOUT THE SUSPENSION/HANDLING:
When I had the transmission out 200 miles ago, I also had a brand new suspension installed. This is the well-known BAT (British American Transfer) European spec handling kit ($640). The kit subtly lowers the car 1", while providing a stiffer and more controlled feel. Definitely improves the feel of the car.
I also had brand new rotors and BAT Mintex pads installed all around. These also have less than 200 miles on them. New sway bar end link kit installed in June, 2010.
ABOUT THE BODY:
As seen in the photos, the car has a real carbon fiber hood and trunk lid. The trunk lid is referred to as the "Nascar style trunk lid." Highly popular, but not many still around/for sale. I think I've seen only one other for sale in the last few years (on Facebook). I bought them second hand, so the condition is not faultless, but they are still a great asset in reducing the total curb weight of the car. Not to mention the aesthetic advantage as well. I still have the stock trunk lid if you are interested (with deck spoiler).
Brand new Optima RedTop gel battery relocated to the trunk. This allows more room in the engine bay, and took a little bit of weight off the front end.
The starter and alternator were changed late summer, or early fall, of 2010.
The car has a REMUS cat-back exhaust, which connects to a high-flow catalytic converter, and eventually to the turbo headers.
With all these upgrades, I decided to upgrade the car's security too. The car has a Viper alarm system. I believe the range is up to a half mile away. You can even remote start the car without being in it! It's a very neat system. It is a top of the line DEI system.
The paint is good, but there are a few spots that could be touched up. Nothing terrible, but there is paint abrasion on the front bumper. Also, the passenger side door is showing early signs of rust. I believe one of the back doors might have a squeak when you open/close it. I'll try to grease it for you before the sale.
The rear bumper cover was replaced a few years ago, painted and color matched, due to the car getting rear-ended while it was parked. No frame damage occurred, but the bumper cover was badly cracked.
I believe the previous owner kept the car inside of their garage, but unfortunately, we did not have garages at our housing complex. The car has been stored outside since 2009. As you can tell from the photos, the car is no longer in showroom condition. It's simply the effects of being stored outdoors. There are no dents, just hazy headlights, faded paint, faded carbon fiber, tire dry rot, etc.). Despite being outdoors, the car was strictly not driven during snowy conditions/rock salt (I have a daily driver for winter months).
Stock 16" aluminum e0 SVT wheels (good condition, but paint is peeling)
New rear brake line replaced, fall 2014.
I have a new FG800A corrosion-resistant Motorcraft fuel filter. It's not installed, but I will be including it with the car.
WHAT THE CAR NEEDS:
Being a 16 year old car, it's not without faults. Most of the major work has already been done. Though below are 5 remaining issues worth noting:
1. The car has a bad power window (one of the rear windows).
2. Ever since the turbo kit was installed, if you had the radio on low, you could somewhat hear a high pitched sound coming through the speakers that changed tone with the RPM. I believe it could have something to do with the IC pump interfering with the radio. Though it was never noticeably boisterous enough for me to rewire the pump to another location. I still wanted to mention it on this list though.
3. There's a harsh looking bend on the cold side from the IC to the throttle body. It's not completely collapsed, but is definitely not ideal. I haven't found a way to re-route the piping for a smoother path to the TB. It's a cramped engine bay. It's not a major issue, but you might be able to yield a few more HP with a better pathway.
4. The car failed NJ inspection, but only for emission reasons. The car no longer has pre-cats and an EGR valve. As you may know, the upper O2 sensors are heated and control the fuel ratio, but since the car no longer has pre-cats, the lower O2 sensors had to be shut off in the tune. They are preset into the tune to "tell" the ECU that they run at a certain voltage all the time. This allows the ECU to work properly with the turbo headers, but consequently, will throw the CEL (check engine light) for the emission systems being "not ready." I heard that this can be fixed in the tune, but that exceeds my current knowledge. A professional dyno shop should be able to fix this if you plan on having the car pass emissions.
5. I had the car washed within the last two weeks. After leaving the wash, I noticed that the speedometer was reading 0 MPH while driving. I was going to check into the problem, but it started working again by the time I got back home. I thought it was a temporary issue caused by water, but I noticed that the problem happened again briefly the next time I drove it too. It was very brief/intermittent, but I still want to note it.
WHY I AM SELLING IT:
I've been contemplating the idea of getting something a bit newer. Possibly a new Fiesta ST, or perhaps even a low mileage/well kept "New Edge" Mustang GT. I figure now may be a good time to look into those ventures.
ADDITIONAL TECHNICAL INFO:
Master Power turbo (T3 turbine)
.50 compressor A/R (48 trim)
.63 turbine A/R (83 trim)
TiAL QR bov
(20in/hg idle, 11psi spring) recirculating setup since I'm using MAF
Torsen LSD (replaced the stock open diff)
SHO Shop lightened flywheel (approximately 15lbs, versus stock 19lbs)
S&B air filter (custom intake)
The wastegate spring is ~4psi, and the boost controller is currently set to 7psi. (This allows you to adjust the positive boost pressure anywhere from 4psi and up.)
All major work has been done by AirCougar shop, or by Loman Ford in Parsippany.
VIDEO:
Here is a video link of the car driving.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bwa...DEzX3BISnY5ZEk
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED:
Please feel free to take your time. I am in no intimidate rush to sell the car. I don't want to sound rude, but please let's save each other the hassle of low offers. I know that might come off as sounding rude, but the turbo kit alone took me around $3000 to save up for. That's just one of the many investments I've made over the years. If the car does not sell, I will most likely hold onto it for awhile longer. It holds a great deal of sentimental (and monetary) value. I would like to see it go to someone who will appreciate the time and work and put into it.
In the five years of ownership, and not including the purchase price of the car itself, I've realistically invested at least $7,200 into the upgrades/labor for this project alone (almost $10,000 in total if you include the cost of the car itself). I understand, being a niche and fairly unknown car, I probably won't get anywhere near that, but please, keep offers reasonable. Even if the car sells for my asking price, I am still at a significant loss. Though cars are not purchased as investments. It's difficult to get back what you put in. I'm asking $6000. Though I'd be content with $5500, or a trade for something a bit newer. If you have a potential trade that is ten years old or newer (year 2005+), I may be interested. Any possible trade must have a clear title (no salvage or rebuilds) and must be able to pass inspection.
I apologize, but I will not ship the car. You must be here in person, with payment. I prefer cash in full. Though I may accept a payment plan for long-time CEGers, but the keys and title won't be handed over until the full funds clear. This is a good idea if you want to split the payments up over the winter and pay it off by spring. I know that many sellers don't accept installment plans, but when I was younger, someone took a chance on me. You'll have to message me in advance though, and provide at least 3 references/vouches from other longtime/veteran CEGers if you want to pay it off in installments. I will also need to see a valid driver's license before purchase, and an honorable nonrefundable down-payment ($2,000+) to hold the car for you. If you're expecting an easy scam, look elsewhere. I will hold onto the car until the full amount is received. Cash in hand and valid ID or no test drive.
I am selling the car complete. No parting out.
All in all, I hope this car makes it to a nice home with continued appreciation
I will try to describe the car in as much detail as I can, but feel free to PM me with any additional questions. Please READ the entire ad before replying. I know it's long, but it's full of a detail.
ABOUT THE CAR:
The car has only 107,000 miles on it. I've owned it for about five years, along with owning three other Contours as well. Though this one was reserved as my nice weather cruiser. I actually remember the day that it passed the 100,000 mark, back in November of 2009. It has been sternly reserved for weekends and dry weather. There were only a few instances where I had to use it as a daily driver, while my other car at the time was in the shop.
ABOUT THE TURBO:
The turbo kit started as a pre-owned $2800 ADC kit, but certain components were later upgraded. Below is a list of the current major parts:
-ADC stainless steel piping
-Masterpower turbo (brand new, I'll list more specs below)
-XS Turbo IC (water to air)
-IC reservoir tank (mounted in trunk)
-Ford Lightning IC pump
-Heat exchanger
-External wastegate (new)
-Ford Lightning IAT/ACT sensor and bung
-Ford Lightning PCV valve
-NGK TR6 plugs
-Walbro 255 Fuel pump
-Tial recirculating BOV (new)
-Oil lines and accessories (new)
-Couplers (new)
-new manifold gaskets (new)
- Voodoo boost controller (new)
-Street Flight turbo headers
The ECU is tuned via Sniper Tuning software. If you're not familiar with Sniper, you might recognize their parent company, Delta Tuning. The tune is properly setup to compensate for the turbo kit, as well as the removal of the lower O2 sensors (there are no pre-cats on turbo headers). Tune was done at AirCougar shop.
ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION:
When the stock differential went out on me, I decided to swap in a low mileage '99 Mercury Cougar transmission (with the revised shift forks). If you are familiar with Contours, you know that the stock transmission has two weak points. Those being the differential, and the shift tower bolts. The '99 Cougar transmission has a revised design, which eliminates the possibility of the bolts sheering off into the transmission. With the extra power of the turbo kit, I played it safe and also had a Torsen LSD installed with new bearing, along with genuine Ford "Honey" fluid. This was all done less than 200 miles ago. A few years prior I had a Kevlar Unorthodox Racing clutch installed, along with an SHO Shop lightened flywheel. The clutch was carefully and properly broken in, and still has less than 1k miles on it. With a conservative estimate, I probably invested around $1800 into the transmission and clutch setup alone.
ABOUT THE INTERIOR:
-Power sunroof
-Power antenna
-Power windows
-"Midnight blue" leather seats
-White face SVT gauges
-AEM Digital Wideband A/F Ratio gauge
-AEM Digital Boost Gauge
The car has a 4-channel Infinity Reference amplifier mounted in the trunk, which powers two Infinity component speakers in the front doors (with detached tweeters neatly installed in the door panels), as well as a pair of Polk audio full range speakers in the rear doors. The sound quality is a major step up from the stock glove-box amplifier setup. I will be leaving the speakers and amplifier in the car, but I will be taking the head unit/radio with me. It's a Pioneer Premiere that I'd like to hold onto for sentimental reasons. I've had it in quite a few cars over the years. This is probably the only part of the car that I will be removing. Everything else on the car will be included with the sale.
The interior is in good shape. The dash is not warped, the seats are not torn, and the inside is in very good condition for the year. Please keep in mind that it is a 16 year old car that unfortunately had to be parked outside for the last few years. It is not a "show condition" car anymore, but it was used as a weekend, adult owned, driver. The original SVT floor mats are included with the car, as well as clear plastic mats that I have placed on top of the SVT ones, to keep them clean. So floor mats to protect floor mats, ha.
ABOUT THE SUSPENSION/HANDLING:
When I had the transmission out 200 miles ago, I also had a brand new suspension installed. This is the well-known BAT (British American Transfer) European spec handling kit ($640). The kit subtly lowers the car 1", while providing a stiffer and more controlled feel. Definitely improves the feel of the car.
I also had brand new rotors and BAT Mintex pads installed all around. These also have less than 200 miles on them. New sway bar end link kit installed in June, 2010.
ABOUT THE BODY:
As seen in the photos, the car has a real carbon fiber hood and trunk lid. The trunk lid is referred to as the "Nascar style trunk lid." Highly popular, but not many still around/for sale. I think I've seen only one other for sale in the last few years (on Facebook). I bought them second hand, so the condition is not faultless, but they are still a great asset in reducing the total curb weight of the car. Not to mention the aesthetic advantage as well. I still have the stock trunk lid if you are interested (with deck spoiler).
Brand new Optima RedTop gel battery relocated to the trunk. This allows more room in the engine bay, and took a little bit of weight off the front end.
The starter and alternator were changed late summer, or early fall, of 2010.
The car has a REMUS cat-back exhaust, which connects to a high-flow catalytic converter, and eventually to the turbo headers.
With all these upgrades, I decided to upgrade the car's security too. The car has a Viper alarm system. I believe the range is up to a half mile away. You can even remote start the car without being in it! It's a very neat system. It is a top of the line DEI system.
The paint is good, but there are a few spots that could be touched up. Nothing terrible, but there is paint abrasion on the front bumper. Also, the passenger side door is showing early signs of rust. I believe one of the back doors might have a squeak when you open/close it. I'll try to grease it for you before the sale.
The rear bumper cover was replaced a few years ago, painted and color matched, due to the car getting rear-ended while it was parked. No frame damage occurred, but the bumper cover was badly cracked.
I believe the previous owner kept the car inside of their garage, but unfortunately, we did not have garages at our housing complex. The car has been stored outside since 2009. As you can tell from the photos, the car is no longer in showroom condition. It's simply the effects of being stored outdoors. There are no dents, just hazy headlights, faded paint, faded carbon fiber, tire dry rot, etc.). Despite being outdoors, the car was strictly not driven during snowy conditions/rock salt (I have a daily driver for winter months).
Stock 16" aluminum e0 SVT wheels (good condition, but paint is peeling)
New rear brake line replaced, fall 2014.
I have a new FG800A corrosion-resistant Motorcraft fuel filter. It's not installed, but I will be including it with the car.
WHAT THE CAR NEEDS:
Being a 16 year old car, it's not without faults. Most of the major work has already been done. Though below are 5 remaining issues worth noting:
1. The car has a bad power window (one of the rear windows).
2. Ever since the turbo kit was installed, if you had the radio on low, you could somewhat hear a high pitched sound coming through the speakers that changed tone with the RPM. I believe it could have something to do with the IC pump interfering with the radio. Though it was never noticeably boisterous enough for me to rewire the pump to another location. I still wanted to mention it on this list though.
3. There's a harsh looking bend on the cold side from the IC to the throttle body. It's not completely collapsed, but is definitely not ideal. I haven't found a way to re-route the piping for a smoother path to the TB. It's a cramped engine bay. It's not a major issue, but you might be able to yield a few more HP with a better pathway.
4. The car failed NJ inspection, but only for emission reasons. The car no longer has pre-cats and an EGR valve. As you may know, the upper O2 sensors are heated and control the fuel ratio, but since the car no longer has pre-cats, the lower O2 sensors had to be shut off in the tune. They are preset into the tune to "tell" the ECU that they run at a certain voltage all the time. This allows the ECU to work properly with the turbo headers, but consequently, will throw the CEL (check engine light) for the emission systems being "not ready." I heard that this can be fixed in the tune, but that exceeds my current knowledge. A professional dyno shop should be able to fix this if you plan on having the car pass emissions.
5. I had the car washed within the last two weeks. After leaving the wash, I noticed that the speedometer was reading 0 MPH while driving. I was going to check into the problem, but it started working again by the time I got back home. I thought it was a temporary issue caused by water, but I noticed that the problem happened again briefly the next time I drove it too. It was very brief/intermittent, but I still want to note it.
WHY I AM SELLING IT:
I've been contemplating the idea of getting something a bit newer. Possibly a new Fiesta ST, or perhaps even a low mileage/well kept "New Edge" Mustang GT. I figure now may be a good time to look into those ventures.
ADDITIONAL TECHNICAL INFO:
Master Power turbo (T3 turbine)
.50 compressor A/R (48 trim)
.63 turbine A/R (83 trim)
TiAL QR bov
(20in/hg idle, 11psi spring) recirculating setup since I'm using MAF
Torsen LSD (replaced the stock open diff)
SHO Shop lightened flywheel (approximately 15lbs, versus stock 19lbs)
S&B air filter (custom intake)
The wastegate spring is ~4psi, and the boost controller is currently set to 7psi. (This allows you to adjust the positive boost pressure anywhere from 4psi and up.)
All major work has been done by AirCougar shop, or by Loman Ford in Parsippany.
VIDEO:
Here is a video link of the car driving.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bwa...DEzX3BISnY5ZEk
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED:
Please feel free to take your time. I am in no intimidate rush to sell the car. I don't want to sound rude, but please let's save each other the hassle of low offers. I know that might come off as sounding rude, but the turbo kit alone took me around $3000 to save up for. That's just one of the many investments I've made over the years. If the car does not sell, I will most likely hold onto it for awhile longer. It holds a great deal of sentimental (and monetary) value. I would like to see it go to someone who will appreciate the time and work and put into it.
In the five years of ownership, and not including the purchase price of the car itself, I've realistically invested at least $7,200 into the upgrades/labor for this project alone (almost $10,000 in total if you include the cost of the car itself). I understand, being a niche and fairly unknown car, I probably won't get anywhere near that, but please, keep offers reasonable. Even if the car sells for my asking price, I am still at a significant loss. Though cars are not purchased as investments. It's difficult to get back what you put in. I'm asking $6000. Though I'd be content with $5500, or a trade for something a bit newer. If you have a potential trade that is ten years old or newer (year 2005+), I may be interested. Any possible trade must have a clear title (no salvage or rebuilds) and must be able to pass inspection.
I apologize, but I will not ship the car. You must be here in person, with payment. I prefer cash in full. Though I may accept a payment plan for long-time CEGers, but the keys and title won't be handed over until the full funds clear. This is a good idea if you want to split the payments up over the winter and pay it off by spring. I know that many sellers don't accept installment plans, but when I was younger, someone took a chance on me. You'll have to message me in advance though, and provide at least 3 references/vouches from other longtime/veteran CEGers if you want to pay it off in installments. I will also need to see a valid driver's license before purchase, and an honorable nonrefundable down-payment ($2,000+) to hold the car for you. If you're expecting an easy scam, look elsewhere. I will hold onto the car until the full amount is received. Cash in hand and valid ID or no test drive.
I am selling the car complete. No parting out.
All in all, I hope this car makes it to a nice home with continued appreciation
