Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General General Love before or After...?

Freshly out of high school I went in seach of a new car. It was between a 98 chevy malibu 4cy and 99 contour 6cy. Fell in love with it the minute I test drove it. Didnt even bother looking elsewhere. 2 years later I bought my CSVT, which I trully enjoy.

I just had my Celica spin a bearing in the motor,and that was the end of that. I had no money to actually go out and buy something I wanted,like a MkIII Supra or a 240SX,when my aunt and uncle offered me their '98 Mystique Zetec ATX for $1000. I hummed and hawed about it for a few days. I had always liked the bodystyle of the Contiques,but I didn't really want an automatic. A few days later,I finally decided to buy it and just use it as temporary transportation.

Well,going from a 1987 Toyota to a 1998 Ford is a pretty big jump in style,technology and quality,and after a few weeks of thinking 'oh man,19 years old with a granny car,this sucks' I kept driving the car and a little while later I was bitten by the Contour bug and started to modify the car. I liked the comfort,the style,the practicality and economy. At the time,I'd never heard of CEG,never thought anyone would do these cars up. So I started doing some stuff to it,and then started searching the internet for info and I stumbled across CEG. From there,things took off. I started to do it up a bit, but then I started getting sick and tired of the zetec and atx,so I inquired about a 2.5 swap.

I was told a 2.5 swap from a 2.0 was going to be too costly and difficult and it would almost be cheaper to go buy a new car. So I traded in my love that grew on me for the love I'd had my eye on for a while,a pre98 V6 MTX.

I've never been happier. The Contour has been the best car I've had,I would,and will most definetly buy another one. The bang for the buck you get out of these cars is great.Add in dirt cheap resale value,cheap parts,lots of guys (CEG) with know how and a good base vehicle to modify,the Contour is the perfect practical package. Let the wife take it shopping,then you can take it to the track on the weekend.

I've owned modified Celicas and Mazda RX7s,and my Contour is more fun than them. Especially when people see a done up Contour they're like 'WTF is that?!' and when they see a done up RX7 or Celica they're like 'meh,just another one.'

I like my car because it looks great,both when stock,and now even more so modified,performs and handles well,is extremely comfortable,practical,reliable and economical. I honestly can't think of another car I would buy to replace my Contour with,except for another Contour or Mystique.

sort of forced into it bc you cant really put a car seat in a rx-7 convertible. so i was looking to get a four door that was still on the enthusiast side of things although i had a little room for compromise bc of still having the cuda. ran across the car about two days after i read an article on the csvt and bought it a week later. even though it is fwd i have grown to love it more as time has passed.

Bought it brand new; honestly not b/c I liked it - was an affordable choice back then...

Heh. I didn't have a choice in the matter. I was forced into getting this car or no car. However, I can't complain, it is a nice vehicle. I can complain, because my sister got a '91 cherry rd Miata 5speed for hers and I got some Mercury sedan with a 4-banger. Doesn't seem very fair to me.

i was originaly looking into a csvt, but being as it would have been my first car, i really didnt want a manuel so then i was looking all over for a contour se with a V6 but i couldnt faind ANY in the area...so i told a salesman friend of mine to keep his eyes peeled for a contour and one day he called me and said he had a 98 mystique 4 cyl on the lot....

i figured what do i have to lose and i went to look at it. i had never really looked intot he mystique before then and when i say it i fell inlove with it. i liked the look of it better, cause i thought it loked meaner haha. but i drove it and it was much nicer than the contours i drove. i bought it that night and have been soo happy ever since.

but i specifically wanted to buy a contique. i looked around for months and saved my money. i wanted something that had great handeling and looked good, with 4 doors and i found the best car that had all of my expectaions. any trim level, these cars are fun to drive, good cars and im glad i mad the desicion!

I got the '96 Stique (Zetec MTX) for free from my dad. After driving it for a little over a year, I decided if I could find just the right one, I'd buy a 2000 V6 MTX. I found one and bought it. Now I'm slowly working on the '96s fate...

Much like Kim (FrenchBlue) , it was love at first sight for us too .
I was helping my brother look for a Contour to replace his Escort GT , as he needed a car with more room inside . We went to a local Ford dealership one evening to check out a prospect . We stepped out of the car & walked towards the Contour & the lights from the dealership were blazing off the teal-blue paint like a spotlight . I knew I had to have it ... I drove it & I was reassured ! My brother would have to wait (he HAD to have a MTX car anyways) . I brought the wife back to the dealership the next night & we bought ourselves a '95 SE . While we were signing the papers , the salesman took us outside & took our picture with the car , so we actually have a picture of our first minute of Contour ownership ! A month later , my brother found himself a MTX Contour - a teal '95 SE ... 2 in the family !!

A few problem-free years later (honestly) , we saw our last chance to own a NEW SVT Contour . I found an '00 CSVT in late January of '01 , sitting in a dealership showroom just waiting to be scarfed up . We traded our '95 SE in on the CSVT & the rest is history . I don't know whether it was a good move or a bad one , but it's history none-the-less .

I've been hooked on CEG for about 7 years & counting !

My parents got a black '99 SE Contour a long time ago when one of the normal cars needed something fixed. I got to drive it a few times and instantly loved it. At the time I was looking into getting an SVT Focus (IIRC it was right before they were released), and would've ended up with one had we not gotten that Contour rental car.

Ever since I saw a SVT Contour on the road, I fell in love. About 4 years later, I was shopping for a car and found it by accident. Test drove it, and that was it for me. I had to have it.