When are you ditching the 'tour?

Option 1 is not an option! This car is a rare collectors item to me, whether it runs or not, which BTW, mine runs very healthy

. No flaming comments about the TC race

! I said "healthy", not fast!

This is an extremely difficult question for me. (I sometimes hope someone will crash into me and total the car out, would make it so much easier ... bad huh?) I naturally want to keep this car forever, since I've seen so many people get rid of their first car and regret it for the rest of their lives, but at the same time I want an SVT and a BMW later on ... and it doesn't make sense to have three cars for one person.

I guess I'm going to keep it while I can afford to fix it - regardless whether the repairs are too costly for the value of the car. This means that if the transmission decides to die while I'm still in school, I'll probably end up getting rid of it, but if it needs a new engine and transmission fifteen years from now and I'm making 80K ( hope

), then I will have them repaired. Or something like that.

I am in none of those categories. I had my Tour until this past Tuesday when we had to get a bigger vehicle because of our growing family. We have a 2004 Ford Freestar now.

I won't ditch my tour till hell freezes over!

Originally posted by getlucky151:
I won't ditch my tour till hell freezes over!

Yep, been par for the course for me. Last Merc I had near 200k miles on it. I'll keep Ruby till she dies, then get something else and probably keep the 'Tour as a project car. V-8 RWD anybody??

never...it would be pointless for me too.

When your car croaks...buy another car...let this one sit...

If you uninsure it then it doesnt cost anything to keep it until you can over haul it. When mine finally gives up, Im getting a cheap low-mileage car...once its paid off I am rebuilding the tour from the ground up including new paint...

Guys dont let these cars just slip into the fog...someday they will be recognized.

I voted for group 2, but honestly I can't think of another 4-door car with it's driving character for the $$. Sure there are better options out there but they cost 2-3X as much. (Used SVT's in good condition are <$6K now!)

With 3.0L swaps for cheap and turbo kits becoming common, I'll probably keep mine for awhile.

I already ditched my CSVT a year ago... of course, I'm crawling back to another one...

I've been thinking recently that when I get done with grad school in 3 years and am making some cash, I'll probably either spring for another sport sedan like the Mazda 6, or maybe go all out and get a toy like the 350Z. I love the Contour, I just don't know if I'll be able to justify keeping it around when I have something new to drive. Maybe overhaul the supsension at that point and use it for Autocross... we'll see.
I am definitely attached to this car though, considering I've owned it since day 1. I'm just pissed at myself for driving it so hard for the first 30k miles or so. Oh well, live and learn.

Don't get me started on this right now. I'm hating my car lately.

Originally posted by CSVT1214:

Don't get me started on this right now. I'm hating my car lately.

That same thing happened to me, then I found out that there was a crack in one of the many plastic vacuum hoses. Now it is all better. If this thing goes and I can't afford/decide not to do a 3L swap, there will some SVTC around here that I wouldn't mind slipping into

Yeah i plan on keeping my baby for a long time. Come hell or high water!

I voted for #2. I plan on keeping this (paid off) car for quite some time; priority #1 is buying a house, thus easily superceding car payments. Once I get there, I'd like to pick up a C4 or C5 as a toy and keep the SVT my daily...

-Jason

Originally posted by Renee:
I am in none of those categories. I had my Tour until this past Tuesday when we had to get a bigger vehicle because of our growing family. We have a 2004 Ford Freestar now.

Freestar?! Hope you got a helluva deal.

If this poll were about my Windstar, I'd have answered more along 3 or 4. Can't wait to be rid of the damm thing, but I'm kind of stuck with it.

Yeah, we got one hellava deal. My uncle got us the Z plan, and with the rebates and trade ins, we got a $30,000 minivan for $23,000 something. We love the thing. It's great.

Originally posted by beyondloadedSE:
never...it would be pointless for me too.

Originally posted by getlucky151:
I won't ditch my tour till hell freezes over!

Well said.

As long as it's running, looks decent, and needed repairs aren't too significant. I'm under warranty until 90k so hopefully things will go wrong before then.

There's nothing around that I can afford and that I want more. *shrug* I'd rather make "payments" that refresh/improve my Contour than just paying for something new.

Originally posted by CSVT1214:

Don't get me started on this right now. I'm hating my car lately.

Probably middle, end of '07 a year or so after the ESP runs our, or before before I move to NY.

I do think this is going to be my last car in awhile, don't have much use for a car in the big apple. Maybe I'll just put all that car money into an R1

Whichever comes first I guess.

With the money I have put into it, and not having a chance in hell to get any of that back, unless it gets totalled, Ill be keeping it until I am through school. If it does get wrecked, Ill find another one and move my parts across.

I could let it be a track car when I retire it.

Never

Originally posted by Stazi:

Originally posted by beyondloadedSE:
never...it would be pointless for me too.

well put...
i just refinanced my car yesterday with USAA, i had it financed with GMAC and was paying $248.17 a month with 19.5% int. with a 48 month contract, now i have a 60 month contract paying $132.?? a month with 5.9% int. i will be making double payments to pay it off in around 26 months.

USAA financed 129% of what the car was worth leaving me to cover only $547.?? from the original contract that i had to pay GMAC.

so to get back to the topic, i will never get rid of it...

Never...put too much money into it.

Originally posted by Renee:
Yeah, we got one hellava deal. My uncle got us the Z plan, and with the rebates and trade ins, we got a $30,000 minivan for $23,000 something. We love the thing. It's great.

Sorry to hear u let the tour go..should been the explorer...
I bet it doesn't handle half as well as the tour in the corners!!

Congrats on the new van!

Originally posted by ContourKev:
Never

Exactly..mines almost paid off...had it for almost 3 years now and other than regular maintenence, the only prob I've had with it is the heater fan only blows on high.

Other than that...I love my tour...it's been the most fun to drive out of all the cars I've had!

I shall be keeping mine for a pretty frikkin long time.

At this point, I've dealt with most of its weaknesses (waterpumps and such). With those things out of the way, it has become quite reliable and is still really fun to drive. It's very well maintained and clean......people often ask me if its new. I will probably keep it for another five years at least.

Originally posted by MysticFreak:
...probably keep it for another five years at least.

i still have almost 5 years left 2 pay on it

Which one. I have 4 in the drive way. As a Ford guy right now Ford does not have a car the compares to the Contour right now. The Maza 6 does but does not have the blue oval. So my plan is to keep looking for cheap contours. They are usually at a discount compared to other cars the same age with the same number of miles. So keep the cars until does not make sense and find a cheap replacement. Although we have made some big repairs to keep them on the road like replacing roofs.

Rich S.

Originally posted by beyondloadedSE:
never...it would be pointless for me too.

Ditto...

I just looked at my payment today and the bank says I have around $4,600 left to pay on it. I wish I could say I'll just drive it into the ground after I pay it off, but, well, let's just say it hasn't gotten less expensive to own over the past few years. My guess is that as soon as it's paid off I'll sell it for two grand and get a beater that I won't stress over.

Originally posted by bigMoneyRacing:

never, i get compliments on it all the time. it handles well, is quick enough for now, is roomy enough to travel in and best of all you don't see one on every street corner. additionally the insurance is reasonable and being five years old the registration fees are reasonable. plus it is the only car i've own that made me go

the only other two that make me do that are currently well out of my price range.

"When are you ditching the 'tour?"