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Why do contour owners like thier cars so much?

98SVTC said:
Huh? My reply was to 111R. No turbo is CARB approved in California that I know of. Our cars would fail the visual inspection regardless of how they would do on the sniffer test.
Karl
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What the heck do all the people in CA who have installed turbos do? Do cars have to meet the restriction of the year they were built? I.E. Muscle cars prior to 71 could have anything and everything done to them?
 
Reasons I Love My SVT Contour:

1: Hot euro sedan design
2: Wonderful handling
3: Fun to drive
4: Don't see on every day on the road
5: You can bring along friends!
6: Sweet cupholders (insert sarcasm)
7: Kind of a sleeper

The end
 
I've had mine since she was brandy new. My first new car ever and after a really nasty divorce it was a sign of my new begining and has become well like a freind, part of the family. It's been around now for 7 yrs and couldn't really think of it not taking up space here. Ive done so much to it, chucked out the cloth interior and put in leather, svt body kit,E1 wheels, exhaust work, dyno tune, audio etc. and last year had to put in $1300 to replace timing chains and tensioners, I better love this freaken car or I'm freaken nut's :crazy: (well I am). Some day I may pass it on to my oldest son has I want to move on to my mustang projects and turn over a new chapter but I'll cross that road when it comes.


at this point the cars haven't been made for 7yrs, so it's going to take people who love them, to care for them and keep them going. It takes guy's/gals like us to keep the contours that are left alive and happy:laugh: .
 
This forum is one of the reasons. The Mystique is pretty quick and fun to drive, but without this forum taking care of the car would be a huge PITA.
 
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This thread is getting a bit long, and this question comes a bit late (maybe this should be start of a separate thread?), but here is a question to those of you who visit other forums and otherwise know cars:

Are there other vehicles out there with followers comparable to what I see/hear on this site? Is the Contour unique in the number, diversity, intensity, and/or longevity of owners?

Are there other car designs where on one hand some models were considered a passable rental car fleet filler, while other models produce such devotion?

I have no idea, and I'm wondering if anyone has some info/insight?
 
I have been waiting to get A CSVT for 3 years! ALways i would save enough money and Buy a computer or something else stupid! Well I got a CSVT recently.

The car is beautiful and owns the tar its on! I love it because of the exclusivity otherwise i woulda joined every other sucker in the world and got myself into the civic world.

Contour SVT is beautiful inside and out. Sounds great! and drives so comfortably.

Thats why i love my CSVT I loved CSVT's when i didnt have one! was on and off this site non-stop and im still doin the same while i have it!

- Amyn
 
elraido said:
What the heck do all the people in CA who have installed turbos do? Do cars have to meet the restriction of the year they were built? I.E. Muscle cars prior to 71 could have anything and everything done to them?
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The only post 1976 cars allowed to have turbos are the ones that had them factory installed. The only thing I can say is that anyone who did install their own turbo on a post 1976 year vehicle either has two setups - one for smog test day and one for the rest of the two years the test is good for or they find a testing station that will "look the other way" on the visual portion of the test. The vehicle obviously has to pass the sniffer test but from what I gather, usually a turbo does nothing to hinder passing the test which is the reason everyone questions the logic of not being able to install one. One other thing though. New cars aren't required to be smog tested for 4 or 5 years (or maybe 6?) so you could install a turbo on a new car and have fun for those many years before having to make a decision on what to do about passing that first smog test. :cool: Who knows? Maybe California will lighten up one of these years. It's not likely though because there is a bill in the assembly to make us test every year and the threat of having to start testing pre 1976 vehicles gets trotted out every so often as well. :rolleyes:
Karl
 
stalkersvt said:
I am honestly amazed that this site is still up. I would like to know why contour owners like their cars so much!

With the lack of bolt on's, and slim to no mods, how is this forum still around?
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For lack of something better, it was sort of the right car, at the right time.
My '99 SE V6 still drives decent, has, AHEM, been wrecked by the wife and fixed twice {replaced entire front clip once, including rad support}, it will do a double nickel on the interstate in wide open places, and feels planted at speed.
I can park it places, and not worry about it being ripped off, in the case of my Buddy who has a 2000 Civic, and his insurance shows it.

Unlike some of the guys here, I leave the mods and upgrades to a different pair of vehicles for myself. I just like being able to get in, hit the key, and drive 2,000 miles, and not think about the car other than gas, and checking my speed on the interstate.

I like the forum, because this group is a good resource for help.
 
This forum is around because it's a good resource for those who still have these cars.

I bought mine on a whim after a friend let me drive his several years ago. I had just sold my heavily modded Formula and needed a low mileage family car. As had been said, I liked the car because it was quick on its feet, cheap to own and had an awesome "lets get in and go" feeling.

Age and miles are catching up with mine, so it'll be time to trade it in soon. Maintenance costs are getting too close to what a new car payment would be, so it's just not worth it to own this car anymore.
 
clcell2 said:
This thread is getting a bit long, and this question comes a bit late (maybe this should be start of a separate thread?), but here is a question to those of you who visit other forums and otherwise know cars:

Are there other vehicles out there with followers comparable to what I see/hear on this site? Is the Contour unique in the number, diversity, intensity, and/or longevity of owners?

Are there other car designs where on one hand some models were considered a passable rental car fleet filler, while other models produce such devotion?

I have no idea, and I'm wondering if anyone has some info/insight?
Click to expand...

You can find a following for pretty much any car out there. Pick a car and do google, I'm sure you'll find something. The Civic used to be nothing but a boring sedan with a few people taking advantage of its light weight, but as soon as The Fast and the Furious came out, everyone decided it was an OMG RACECAR LOL. I really don't think the Contour is unique in this respect.

Why do I like my car?
-Perfect size. I can get fairly good mileage, but still haul around 6 people or my bicycle (completely inside the car) when needed.
-It's not that slow. I can pass and merge easily enough. I can make it up to the speed limit soon enough
-It's invisible. I can go 10 over down city streets and no one cars because it's just some old purple POS, and no one would bother to see if there's a reason I installed that alarm

What don't I like?
-Gas mileage. My Probe got 34 mpg, but of course it was an MTX 4cyl. I can get 24 with mostly highway driving, but if I stay in the city I'm looking at 18ish.
-It's invisible. No one cares about my car because it's just some old purple POS
 
I love the unique-ness of the Contour. People never pay attention to the "normal" Contours so when you spruce one up, it really stands out.

My 96 MTX cost me $800. Worth every cent. It sticks like glue and is a blast to drive. When it gets a turbo, it will be a super sleeper. Tan on black steelies and 300HP. :cool:

My tan MTX is also invisible. I can also swear that cops have mistaken it for a undercover car at a distance. 2/3 scale Crown Vic. :)


stalkersvt said:
Hates:
Impossible to work on the engine
DOHC engine
rear seats dont fold down
Like to leave me stranded
whoever had it before me may have been shot because there is a "red/brown" substance all over the sucker.
there are no hoods out there for these things, hood would make it into a new car for me
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LOL! If you hate working on a Zetec, you should check out a Duratec. I can fit two cases of beer under the hood of my Zetec. You'd be lucky to fit two cans under a Duratec hood. ;)

It's also easy to convert a non fold-down contour to a 60/40 split rear seat. I did. Everything bolts right up.

As for leaving you stranded...preventative maintenance is key. Waiting until something breaks will always cost you.

BTW, Zxtuner carries both fiberglass and CF hoods for pre-98 contours...

https://www.zxtuner.com/categoryNavigationDocument.hg?categoryId=24

HTH,
BP
 
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I see it like this. The contour (esp the SVTs) are nice cars. I don't need to mod my car like every other civic or accord. I never have a problem getting on the interstate, passing is not even a question, and its american made!!

I was pulling up to a family function and my aunt had never seen my car. As I got out, she started asking me questions about it and seemed very interested. She then informed me that she was looking for a new car and the SVTC was a new option on her small list composed of a Mazda Miata, or another Celica.

Contours ROCK!!
 
ButtonPuncher said:
I can also swear that cops have mistaken it for a undercover car at a distance. 2/3 scale Crown Vic. :)
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Dude, honestly, with the headlights on, I swear that Ford has like, its own look. I have quite the eye for Ford headlights, seeing as nearly all cops reside in the CVPI. However, I get scared by the occasionally 'Tour that is coming towards me with headlights on at night. It looks so similar its scary. Even the newer Taurus' look similar at night. It's just a Ford thing. They all look the same, lol. Anyone else notice that? (Sorry to hijack the thread :p)
 
I own two Contours and love them both.

My first Contour is a 95LX V6 AT. It's quick for an automatic and has served me well through some extreme driving conditions -- rain/hail/blizzards/etc. I drove this car a solid 90-100mph from Montreal to Ottawa in hot weather and it didn't flinch, as well as some long spirited trips across southern Ontario. It's really been a free/highway warrior for me. It drives incredibly well for a twelve year old car.

The feedback and handling on this car have saved my life more than once through accidence avoidance.

I'm still learning my 99 SVT after buying it last fall and parking it for the winter. I look forward to every drive. It took me six months to find this car. I drove it home to Ottawa from Chicago and the ride never became uncomfortable. It's not the fastest car on the road, but it's very quick and accelerates very well at highway speeds. The handling and feedback are outstanding.

The wheel, pedals and suspension communicate road conditions brilliantly. Most cars feel numb to me after driving Contours for so long. It's not just that the Contour handles well, but it has the feedback to allow you to take advantage of that handling.

The SVT is very responsive in every way. I'm going to perform the throttle hang fix to improve its responsiveness further. I don't believe many cars feel so well tuned in stock form.

I like the euopean design and ride. SVT's are exceptionally rare in Ottawa so it's distinctive in stock form. It doesn't seem to attract attention from police, unlike Mustangs, which allows me to drive pretty quickly in most situations.
 
contours rock!!!!!

contours rock!!!!!

I own a 95 se with 63000 and when im on the open road it rocks!!!!!handling is great.i can imagine what the later svts feel like.unfortunetly with one kid in college and one a freshman in h.s my car buying is limited .this car is great.it is my family car and it is not a 2007 but it still gets looks when im cruising and rocking at loud dbs and it looks pretty good still in parking lots!!!!!
 
Like a few in this thread I am a relative newcomer. I have owned a 95 Mystique Zetec ATX for a few years and at 188k it is still going strong. These cars handle great, ride great, go great, the interior is awesome, they look good (there are not 10 billion around like the Accords out here in the NW) and so on and so on. Plus I can put an aftermarket cd player in without some funky looking kit!! Hearing all the Duratec guys out there gave me the urge to just get a 95 Contour SE V6 ATX. Just a side note, I worked at a Ford service department when these cars came out new and remember thinking how great these cars were new, nice to see they hold up 12 years later. :cool:
 
We've had our '96 SE Duratec MTX for ten years now, having bought it slightly used. It was my wife's driver for most of that time, and it recently became my commuter after I sold my '93 Probe GT. It has 85k miles on the odo.

My feelings about the car are mixed. I've dealt with all the CEL's, the bad water pumps, the bad catalyst, the bad starter, and eventually I'll have to deal with the bad wheel bearings. Sometimes this car feels like Ford's cost-cutting poster child.

But I always look forward to driving it. On my way to work there's a two lane 45 mph off ramp that I like to take at 65-70. It passes the other cars on the ramp like they're standing still. The cornering and steering are tremendous. I bought it because it was a bargain-basement sport sedan, and for that, I'm glad I did. At the time, I also considered an Integra GS-R, but if I had bought that instead I wouldn't have it anymore because it would have inevitably been stolen.
 
I like my Contour every time I drive it. I like the interior design, the big windshield, the handling, the performance. Little things like the glovebox hook, the change holder, the armrest, upgraded cupholders, and the floormat hook. Most of these can be found in other cars, but the Contour delivers them in a well-rounded midsize sporty package. Hey, I sound like a commercial.

The only things I don't like are the non-folding rear seats, the rattle in my exhaust, and the low-beam headlights. The high beams kick ass though.
 
Pretty much the same reasons as everyone else, but the big ticket for me was the price. It's really a good car, It seems like it will last as long as I want it to as well, a MAJOR plus.
 
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