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Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 5,345
Addicted CEG\'er
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Addicted CEG\'er
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 5,345 |
Originally posted by TourDeForce:
Originally posted by Tony2005:
Originally posted by Rishodi:
Buy it from someone who kept ALL the service receipts. Then you know how well it's been maintained. That's what I did.
Excellent suggestion. Except that there are not many one-owner Contours for sale unless they are experiencing major problems and are just looking to unload them. Most second or third owners would not be given previous owners' receipts and it then becomes hearsay as to whether the Contour was reliably maintained.
How 'bout two '99 Contours with leather & V-6 and about 30k miles on them. Seasonal drivers here in Florida. One dealer has a pair of them down here in Pompano, one t-red and one gold/tan.
I guess Happywithit needs to decide if he is really happy with it! 
"Always do the cheap and easy ones first."
1996 V6 ATX 96K miles
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,047
Hard-core CEG\'er
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Hard-core CEG\'er
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,047 |
I bought my "one owner Contour" from a dealer and it had absolutely no service records. I was informed AFTER I paid the dealer that it was in a minor accident in 1999,where it hit a deer and there was $1600 worth of damages. The car looked straight,and still has the original windshield with the "Built at the Kansas City Assembly Plant" sticker in the bottom right corner. The car had 260 800km on the clock and was completely original,except for an aftermarket cd player which was worse than the stock stereo,horrible purple window tint,and an Audiovox alarm.
I bought it as is with no warranty. The car was $1600,and I traded in my Mystique for $1000,so I only owed $600 on the car. But since,I've replaced everything that usually goes on them.
I have had the car for 3 months and a week as I write this,and to date I have replaced the following:
(not in order)
water pump,water pump belt,both cv shafts,front wheel bearings,both lower ball joints,brakes all around,tires,transmission,rear struts and springs,e-brake cable,3rd brake light,all headlight bulbs,spark plug wires,spark plugs aaaaaaand then even with all that money thrown into it,I've still had some cash to mod with. In 3 months though,I have put a whopping 17 000km on the car. I do a lot of driving. It's pretty much a new car by now. I think the next things to fail will be the starter,alternator or the motor itself,but it runs strong and doesn't burn or leak any oil even at 277 000km.
I've spent just over $5000 to date on a 10 year old car,which next year is getting painted,lowered and modified some more. I figure by the time I'm done,I will easily have $15k into this car. But then,I didn't buy it just as a daily driver,I bought it as a project,so it's supposed to have money spent on it.
But all the things I've replaced were all surprise things,except for the brakes and struts. Everything basically just failed while out driving on the roads. I've needed it towed to a shop 3 times.
'95 CGL ZMTX - DOB: 8/94 - Daily Driver - 271k & counting - Ractive muffler,MSD ignition coil,KEM 8mm wires,Pre98 SE 7 spoke rims,KVR CF brake pads,Post98 sail panels,Sony Xplod HU,Pioneer 3-way 6x9's
'89 Mazda B2200 - Under Construction
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Joined: May 2005
Posts: 584
Veteran CEG\'er
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Veteran CEG\'er
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 584 |
Dang. The guy I bought my car from had lots of service records, showing thousands of dollars worth of regular maintenence over the several years he had owned the car. He just took it to the dealer regularly and every time anything went wrong, and I was really comfortable buying a used car knowing that I had proof that a lot of TLC had gone into it.
E0 Silver Frost CSVT #3095/6535
Alpine CDA-9851
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 3,028
Hard-core CEG\'er
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Hard-core CEG\'er
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 3,028 |
Man, if it's possible, go with the newer car....I bought a 92 Suburban that I thought had 111,000 miles on it. Turns out after 3000 dollars in repairs that it actually had 211000+ miles on it...We traded it promptly in for a 99 Suburban (still with 100000 miles on it, but it was in immaculate shape). I'm still putting money into the Suburban, but it of course is NOT A NEW CAR! If would could have afforded a new one, we probably would have...
I would suggest going with the new car if you can swing it...
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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 18
New CEG\'er
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OP
New CEG\'er
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 18 |
Maybe I just need to locate the right buyer for my car. I'm in Raleigh, NC. If I could get $1200 for my car (V6 MTX, Leather, great shape mechanically, all records, one owner, Alpine/Infinity Kappa stereo), I would spring for the new Focus right now. The dealer just isn't offering a trade-in allowance that takes into account how great a car it really is.
Chris
1995 LX V6 5-spd
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