Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General General Contours/ Fords disposable?

Originally posted by RogerB:

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Originally posted by meancontour:

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So are Contours disposable? Mine 1998 just hit 100K miles and it seems to be dieing. I have replaced a hub and bearing (and need a 2nd), O2 sensors, speed sensors, clutch and not I am about to go pay for new Timing chain guides and tensioners.

We have owned it since we bought it new with 12 miles. We change the oil regularly, and try to do routine upkeep. To be fair it did give us many years with little trouble.

It just seems that the past 20K miles or so, everything has been going wrong with it. I feel like I am slowly replacing everything but the body.

Is that the reason that most of the enthusiasts (like people on this site) are so knowledgable and experienced with their cars? They have had to be to keep them running?

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Point #1: Machines wear out. Regular oil changes are good, but they won't prevent a wheel bearing from going bad. Wheel bearings are "R&R" items that wear. In fact, everything you cite is pretty much a normal wear item, and you're lucky to get 100k before having to do them.

Point #2: Americans tend to have somewhat unrealistic expectations of their cars. It is very common to feel the way you are feeling. I've felt it.

Point #3: Complex systems require "maintenance" and sometimes, "repair," which equals "money." My house and my car are about the same age. Should I replace my house when the furnace stops working? My car is in better shape than the house because it's paid off. Most cars are available with warranties that will cover you for at least the term of the loan. After that, you are on your own, but not "free." Plan for the expense of ownership.

Point #4: This car is no worse than most others. Some cars are more "reliable," but might have more expensive "repairs" when things do go wrong. Most "reliability" rating systems, such as JD Power, or Consumer Reports, are statistically tainted in some way. Not that they aren't useful, but you just about need a degree in statistics (and maybe psychology) to truly understand what the data really mean, (apart from what they want you to think.)

Point #5: Enthusiasts are knowledgeable about these cars for several reasons. It's a car worth knowing, for one, and doing the simple stuff yourself can save you a ton of money, for another. Besides, true enthusiasts are going to learn about whatever car they own.

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Thanks. You make a lot of good points. I guess there is no easy answer, cars cost money.

Originally posted by dbateman:

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Originally posted by meancontour:

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Maybe I have/ had unrealistic hopes/ expectations. We've only had the damn thing paid for for a year or so, and now we are beginning the process of replacing every part.

I guess the fact of the matter is that having a car costs money. You are either paying for a newer car (and maybe repairs) or fixing an older, paid for car. We had just hoped that we had made an investment, and could one day trade it in, but it isn't really worth anything.

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Assuming you've taken care of the car, it's not unrealistic to expect it to run well. I guess you've just had more than your share of bad luck with it. There could be some factor that makes your car more unreliable than normal Contours, if you can figure it out you'll be better off for it.

However it is unrealistic to think of a Contour as an investment. Certain cars are investments, maybe SVT Contours 20 years from now, maybe Camaros & Mustangs, but probably not a Contour.

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We've tried to care for and take care of the car, regular oil changes, etc. But I'm not a mechanic, and not made of money.

We had just hoped that the car would last for a while, and be worth something when it was time to trade it in, or to trade up. But I just put more money into it than the blue book says it is worth as a trade in...

My hopes were unrealistic, and I realize that now. It just sucks!

I has some plans of a few small mods/ upgrades but don't think I will bother now. Can't afford to play, and to pay all the time just to keep it running. Oh well. boo hoo

Originally posted by svtProdigy:

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"SAVIOR" CAR!!

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?

Originally posted by meancontour:

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Originally posted by svtProdigy:

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"SAVIOR" CAR!!

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?

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I wish that my Contour didn't need a Savior, but that I could savor it !

Originally posted by 95Sleeper:

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I would say all cars are disposable, with a few exceptions. Anything that hits the junkyard someday is disposable. Classic cars are not, cars like Porsches are not. What percentage of non-wrecked Porsches go to the yard? It's a very low number. You fix it, because it's such an anazing piece of machinery. The contour is a relatively normal car. There comes a point when it is not worth fixing. I would say it's 200k or so, like most cars. Certain cars, when treated nicely (Subaru?) have better potential than others (Ford) to go well beyond 200k with not a huge amount of maintenence. However, it is not a certain thing, and depends on a lot of factors. You seem to have gotten a little on the unlucky side, but not too bad. I replaced the engine twice. I did the math once: I put on about 10k/yr. If I bought a brand new $20k car, and drove it for 10 years, 100k miles, before any serious repairs (powertrain), that would be about average. Most $20k cars are worth less than $5k at 100k miles and 10 years. I took the cost of maintenence from 100k to 200k and it is way less than $15k. Sure, you don't get the pleasure of a nice new car, but the costs are way, way less- $5k or less if you're lucky. That's a used engine, tranny, clutch, bearings, struts, and the labor. If you can do some work yourself, you save even more. I was a little peeved at getting a $1.2k engine replacement that lasted 1 year, 10k miles. well, per mile, the cost wasn't terrible. And that included a clutch that will last me until the car dies, and some other little parts. Really, not a bad deal. Now, my car doesn't drive like new. It is a little softer, a lot noisier, a whole lot dirtier, and more work to keep up on regular maintanence. But that's alright, because I've put $3k into this car over the last 3 years, discounting brakes, gas, oil changes, and all the other stuff that would still cost on a new car, as well as my wheels and audio. $1000 a year is less than my insurance! I have no reason to complain, that I can see, even though I'm getting my control arm bushing (thank you NAPA!) and tranny mount replaced this weekend. Wow, that was long. I'm going home.

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Good points. Obviously my expectations were unrealistic.

One thing though, from a money perspective I find it easier on the (somewhat strained- 2 kids...) checkbook to make a scheduled monthly payment (still repair possibilities I realize) than Hey surprise, here's $1100 (like I had to do yesterday- can you say credit card?)

Thanks for your input.

Originally posted by svtProdigy:

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It depends where you want to take your car...
save you car....
Someone recommended me to buy an svt when i had a 1998 black murcury mystique because he said it would be cheaper to but an svt than to mod the mercury the way i wanted it. Boy was he wrong! so far i have done my tranny engine and just about every thing. Keep the body and just modify what you have. Just my .02 cents. I have been through it. everyone modifies their svt to something even more special. Make something special of your own. if i had my mystique i would have saved 9,000 that i could have put in too my car and then what was left over from what i am currently doing. I can tell you i would have the fastest platform out there already if i kept that thing. just a thought.

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Thanks for your input as well. I am not really wanting to take my car anywhere, I just need it to be safe and reliable. I need to get to work every morning, and home every night to my wife and kids.

I guess that makes me old and boring... ???

Originally posted by Renee:

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Shoot no. I have a 98.5 with over 140k on the clock and yeah, we've had to replace a FEW things, but very few. It really depends on how well you take care of it. At 100K though, things are going to start going bad for once, it's not a reason to get rid of the car though. Fix things and move on, they'll last as long as you let them.

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Ignorance speaking (maybe/ probably), but please define "take care of it". The only thing I know to do is to change the oil every 3000 miles or so, and fix broken things. What other things should be done around 100K miles? Coolant flush? Replace MTX fluid? Serpentine belt? What else?