[Double posted in New England forums]
After a tumultuous three years, the CSVT & I have decided to part ways.
I don't have any cool CSVT/new car pictures. Just picture my 'tour as a basically bone stock E0 with about 8 million dents and dings.
I'd say I've been having a lot of trouble with her lately, but looking back, I never really
didn't have trouble with her.
My new ride: a 2003 Honda Accord, silver/black cloth, with 15-inch steelies and only 30,000 miles. Before you scowl at me, know that it's a 5-speed, and that 2.4 Vtec motor is very nice. It basically feels like a brand new car.
I made the decision on Sunday. It was a rather pitiful sight. Wife was at work, I had to hustle the kids down to the car. Got them both buckled into their seats. Didn't start. Tried and tried. Didn't start. "Daddy, I think your car is broken."
Now I know, one day of not starting is not the end of the world. But I paid around $300 to have an ABS issue fixed last week, at which time the mechanic discovered I had a broken spring. My fuel filter is held on with duct tape, and my gas tank is leaking. The a/c compressor crapped out in the fall, and the sunroof motor is going. Add this to the approximately $4,000 I've spent over the past three years keeping this thing running, and I just gave up.
I did enjoy my time with the Contour. It was a blast to drive. I guess it was a great idea on Ford's part, just poorly executed. I just can't believe how much went wrong with my car. Water pump. Pre-cats. Control arms. Sway bar links and various bushings. Nasty clutch chatter. Weak A/C. Coolant temperature sensor. Rear struts & springs. Emergency brake cables. Weak coolant system. Vacuum leaks up the ying-yang. Trunk sticks, doesn't pop open. Doors freeze shut way too easily. I know it had 112,000 miles, but c'mon.
Still, I'll miss her. It was probably the best overall handling car I've driven.
But I look forward to my Accord. I had a 96 Civic hatch before I got the 'tour, and it's nice to return to the Honda-ness of the Accord. Like a good old fashioned dead pedal. Ultra smooth shifter. Temp. gauge doesn't go past 1/4 of the way. A/C doesn't cause the engine to stumble. Everything about the car just oozes quality. I got a great deal--not paying much more a month that I did for the CSVT. It's a bit of a stripped-down model. No power locks, no leather, no sunroof. But no big deal, either. And that engine. Wow. I loved the exhaust note of the CSVT. But the 2.4 Vtec four has around 160 hp--a bit of a hit compared to the SVT 2.5--but it also has around 160 lb/ft of torque, which is just a bit less that the 'tour had. So you don't feel like you're losing much in the power department on a practical, daily-driving basis. My plans: keep it stock for a while, with hopes for a tire/wheel upgrade, and maybe a sportier suspension setup.
And finally, I'd just like to say what a great site this is. I've learned more about working on cars in the three years I've owned the 'tour than I have in the entire 14 years or so I've been driving. Everyone here has been ultra-helpful with the little ins and outs of the contique, and it's a nice sounding board where owners have the same experiences, good and bad. I may troll around a bit, and hopefully I can chime in and tell someone to get the metal impellar, or to just get the Autolite double plats, or help someone out while they do the intake rebuild. I visited a lot of other forums shopping for a new car, and they can't hold a candle to contour.org.
But it's been real, fellow contique owners. Now I'm off to find the biggest basket-handle wing I can find, and maybe a huge fake hood scoop.
