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Used SVT opinions?

F

FireFox

Be Gentle I'm New Here
Joined
Oct 16, 2005
Messages
4
I know someone who is selling his 1998 SVT, and I wanted your guys quick opinion.

1998 Contour SVT
166,000 miles

No performance stuff that I know of. He's asking 2,700 while the KBB is 3,300 and he knows it. He cited as his reason "The starter might be about to go."

I know (and have seen) that it has some cosmetic damage in the center of the rear bumper, a scrape and/or a small crack, not really that noticable unless you're looking for it. It has new-ish tires and a few things like window tint I think.

So, your gut feelings? What should I look for when I go test drive it other than normal used car stuff? If the starter IS in fact about to go, i know it's like a $110 reman part.... how hard to install? My uncle has all the tools I'll ever need, and is a certified mechanic.


Thanks in advance you guys.
 
well I think that it would come down to maintenence ... are you going to do whatt it takes to maintain the car and prevent anything from happening? are you ready to swap motors or the trans if it gives you issues?

there shouldn't be any issues if you know how to take care of a high milage car ...
 
Starter isn't too bad of a job. It's a tight fit to squeeze it between some hoses, but you can just move them out of the way if needed. Not sure how he can say it might go out soon. :shrug: Anyway, what are your plans for the car? Gonna fix it up? Wanting to mod it? If so, you might look into paying a little more for what you want. But try to test everything out. Sunroof gears have a tendency to go bad. Listen for any grinding when shifting gears, clutch slippage, any noises/rattles, etc.. If the car is in good shape, it might not be a bad buy.

Mark
 
I plan on light mods, but this will be a low-use DD car for the most part. I wondered how he could tell if the starter was going out as well. What's the worst case I could have with engine tranny problems? How much do swaps of either run?
 
My 98 SVT has about 168,000 miles, and as long as the routine maintenance has been done, it should still last a while. Things to verify are oil change regularity, transaxle fluid changes, and spark plugs/wires. Also check to see if the water pump has already been replaced, because if not he is lucky to last this long, but you're going to need to do it sooner rather than later.
 
FireFox said:
I plan on light mods, but this will be a low-use DD car for the most part. I wondered how he could tell if the starter was going out as well. What's the worst case I could have with engine tranny problems? How much do swaps of either run?
Click to expand...


if a starter is starting to fail...it will sometimes just click instead of engaging other times if the gear on the starter has a bad spot (worn teeth) it will make a terrible noise the first few times you try to turn the car over and in most cases it will usually catch, either of those are signs of a starter on the way out
 
Alright, I did more reading about swaps and they don't frighten me too much.

How do I check the water pump?
 
FireFox said:
Alright, I did more reading about swaps and they don't frighten me too much.

How do I check the water pump?
Click to expand...

Just ask if it has been replaced, and if he has the paperwork. Eitherway, I wouldn't let the waterpump be a make or break to your decision because they are cheap and easy to replace. Anyways, the impeller in the waterpump is plastic, and they are know to shatter. Mine already shattered, and I replaced it with one from an autoparts store that has a metal impeller so that it won't happen again. Waterpump was about $55 new, and installation is easy... especially if your uncle is a mechanic or whatever! :)

Shift into 3rd pretty hard and see if it crunches at all. The 3rd gear syncro is a common thing to go in the trans.
 
svt

svt

I did my swap at 120 and just replaced everything, it's better to do it sooner than later. I'd buy it test drive it than swap it, or just rebuilt it. Than you have at least another 100,000 miles on the car if you maintain it.
 
Well, to resurect this thread, I didn't get his car. BUT, I'm back to looking at it again. Were all of my bases covered in this thread before? Oh yes, and I will add I'm a new one to MTX. Would that have any impact? I.E. tranny/clutch wear due to me being dumb?
 
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