Originally posted by ScottR:
Well, I can empathize with you on this situation. I'm long past the days where I spent money on a car to make it look cool or run fast. At my age (37), that's just wasteful. What extra money I have goes into a diversified stock portfolio and home improvements. The main desire about a car is that it's safe, relatively fuel efficient, and reliable.

I bought my Contour about a year ago for 3,300 dollars. It's a 1996 and had 59,000 miles on it. Within six months, the engine overheated and I had to sink about 4,000 dollars into replacing the head, the timing chain, the water pump, the spark plugs, the thermostat, and other stuff. And then the check engine light came on and I replaced the MAF filter, both O2 filers, the fuel filter, and had the engine timed at a dealership.

I even bought brand new studded tires to get me through the winter. But the Contour was nothing but a money sucker, and the problems seem to be without end. Ironically, given the mountainous terrain where I live, it was getting 19 miles per gallon.

So I have put the whole mess on a car lot for 2,200 dollars, and I'll be lucky to get that. I expect 1,500 is probably what I'll get.

I bought a 1999 Ford Ranger Super cab (sport edition) last week to replace the Contour. It is in excellent condition, is four-wheel drive, has front/back towing installed, and a retractable cover for the back. It has 76,000 miles and I bought it for 6,500 dollars. I just calculated the mileage on a full tank of gas and it gets 18.1 miles per gallon, almost the same as what I got with my Contour.

This board is an excellent place to chat and exchange ideas, but the reality is that Ford Contours suck.

Sincerely,

Scott


No, the reality is that you can't turn a wrench and fix stuff yourself.

Most people who pay attention to a car, don't drive it till it overheats and craps itself. If all you do is fill it with gas and leave everything else up to a dealership or drive-through oil-change place, then sure, you're going to miss things, allow stupid errors to be made by ignorant mechanics AND get your wallet emptied in the process.

There are issues with this cars and every other car. Maintenance, pro-active precautions and opening the hood yourself can help take a car a long way.

2000 SVT Turbo 295hp/269ftlb@12psi #1 for Bendix Brakes Kits! Knuckles rebuilt w/new bearings $55 AUSSIE ENDLINKS $70 Gutted pre-cats $80/set A lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine!