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Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 2,086
Hard-core CEG\'er
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Hard-core CEG\'er
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 2,086 |
Of course I'd buy a Contique again if I had the decision to, heck I wouldn't mind having a rough 95 Contour as a winter ride while the Mystique sits nice and warm in storage.  I love my car to death it's my pride and joy.....well next to my girlfriend that is. 
Jason G.
1997 Mercury Mystique GS ZETEC ATX
Born: 11/96
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Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 3,496
Hard-core CEG\'er
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Hard-core CEG\'er
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 3,496 |
*Probably
A long time owner here as I bought my car new and have had it for 73 months!
68,000 trouble free miles as a daily driver. No major issues with the CSVT aside from dash warp and broken shift tower and both were fixed under warranty.
I spent $20,015 on the car and look back on the offerings of when I purchased and I came up with probably. Not many sport-sedans in the price range of $20K when I bought mine.
One things for sure, I should have kept the stock exhaust!
Money doesn't always bring happiness. People with ten million dollars are no happier than people with nine million dollars ~ Hobart Brown
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Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 17,248
CEG road warrior
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CEG road warrior
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 17,248 |
I will elaborate: I would have purchased a ZETEC....this time with a MTX Turbo instead of a Supercharger 2 sets of rims instead of the 8 I had gone through. SVT body kit 1 custom exhaust instead of the 10 I had. All the money I spent changing stuff I could have built one hell of a car initally. But it was one hell of a ride...wouldn't trade the experience, people, places for the world!!! 
Hector
2003 Rally Red Mitsubishi Evolution VIII
257HP/259TQ
2005 Lapis Blue Mazda 6s
RET: 00 Cabernet Red Ford Contour Zetec ATX SUPERCHARGED
160HP/141TQ
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 300
CEG\'er
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CEG\'er
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 300 |
bang-for-the-buck, It was and it is still the best,
SVT 99 #526 of 2760
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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 |
Nope. After 3,I'm on my last one. I find the Zetec imo to be more friendly to live with on a long term basis rather than the Duratec. Duratec requires too much maintenance,has too many problems and is too hard to work on. I hate my Duratec car. I love how it drives,but it's always broken,something always needs to be fixed and it's a pain to do it all. Both my Zetec cars were/are trouble free for me. They're easy as hell to work on when they do break,and they're cheap to run. They get bad fuel milage with an automatic,but get good mileage with a manual,as does the Duratec.
I like the Contiques,and I would gladly have one as a project car/weekend toy or second car,but not a daily driver anymore. My car has spent so much time in the shop,I've spent all sorts ofmoney on it to keep it going,and the car is just getting junked in a couple months after I trade it in,so really,I am just throwing my money away on this car.
'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: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,047
Hard-core CEG\'er
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Hard-core CEG\'er
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,047 |
Originally posted by bohdi:
Not a chance.
From a durability standpoint, it's been pretty decent with the exception of the transmission.
This car is flat out NOT friendly to someone with even a small family. Cramped quarters front and back...ONE usable cupholder...LOUSY interior lighting....AWFUL rear seat entry and exit...
Don't get me wrong, it's fun to drive; but to do it all over again, I would trade off some fun for more every day practicality (why the hell can't I have both...?). That is afterall why I bought the car in the first place. I think my old Formula in stock form would have been more practical than this thing.
yeah,my backseat passengers always complain about the lack of legroom and how hard it is to get in and out. the lack of GOOD cupholders also turns me off. I needmy daily coffee before work,and I have to use one of the cardboard cup holder trays they give you at the drive thru as my cupholder. I've had the same one for over 4 months! I just throw it on my passenger seat and stick my coffee in it. The interior lighting is ok...in the front. Not having the rear dome light in my '95 sucks,because I had the rear dome in my '98 and that was really useful. I like the lighted door handles in the 95s though,that is just trick! The trunk is a good size,but having the 60/40 split is a must. I have a fullback in my 95 and I always have the need to fold it down like I did in my Mystique,but I can't.
Fun car to drive,crappy car to own and live with. Like I said in my last post,project car only.
'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: Sep 2003
Posts: 2,426
Hard-core CEG\'er
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Hard-core CEG\'er
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 2,426 |
Originally posted by BrApple:
based solely on the car itself I would still buy one now.
I do know I wouldn't have done as much as I have done to the car if it wasn't for the forums
CEG and these GB's, I have spent way too much but I'm still doin it. And from the first drive of the 97 Zetec stick where I scared the salesman to the triple digit return drive from Sam's Club today, yes, yes, yes! I love my SVT and right now I can't imagine not having it.
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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 |
When I bought my Mystique from my aunt and uncle,I had always liked the car,but it wasn't exactly the coolest car to have when you're 18. The ATX on the Zetec drove me nuts,because I could just feel that motor wanted to let go and live a little. If that thing had an MTX it would have been a joy. I modified the car a bit,full stereo system,leather swap,custom head and tail lights,oem spoiler,underglow,tint,and such,and then got bored with it and hated the terrible gas milage and traded up to the Duratec.
I bought that car with the intent from day 1 for it to be a project and I was going to finish it. Repair after repair after repair hampered my modding fund,but I still scraped together some cash to get the mods rolling. Now,I've given up on the car,it's not worth it anymore. I was going to store the car for the winter and begin a teardown and rebuild,and after pricing everything out,it came to the cost of a new car,so I decided to go the new car route.
I bought a Zetec in November which was supposed to be my winter beater while the Duratec went in storage,but after driving the Zetec for a week,the thing was more fun than my Duratec and I realized it had lots of potential and I could use all the Focus parts on it,so I put the car away ready to tear into it in the spring. I started saving money for the build,and now that money is going towards a down payment on my new car and I'm going to fix up the Zetec and sell it. It's a shame,I'd like to keep it as a project,but I just don't have the time,money or space unfortunately. It was going to be a supercharged little beast with a full SVT kit and all sorts of custom stuff. I was going to have no costs spared on it. I was easily going to spend over $20k on it.
Then reality hit me. I'm wasting money,going to lose money,and I can really only afford one car.
'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: Jul 2001
Posts: 3,037
Hard-core CEG\'er
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Hard-core CEG\'er
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 3,037 |
I'd buy the one I have now, yes. A 98+, even a SVT, no, and probably no for a '95, having had one and noticing the little first-year quirks (OBD-1, for starters). A '96 or '97 MTX SE, though...that's the one to have.
"Think of it, if you like, as a librarian with a G-string under the tweed." Clarkson on the Mondeo.
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 3,395
Hard-core CEG\'er
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Hard-core CEG\'er
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 3,395 |
Well I never really modded my 95 Zetec... It was kinda pointless since the car was high milaged and wasn't well maintained in the past... What I would wanna do in the future when I have money, is take a CSVT, or maybe even a 95 LX/Sport (I kinda like pre98's over post 98s since Pre's seemed to be a bit comfortable compared to Post 98s ive sat in at Junkyards...), good engine or not, go get a 3.0L Duratec, rebuild it top to bottom, make it sporty. The chances of it happening are slim to none. Most likily I will stick with my Taurus, then buy a Fusion or Fivehundred, considering the Fusion was VERY nice and powerful, and the Five hundred is very luxurious. I think if some CEGers tried a Fusion with the Duratec, they'd agree with me. Feels very similar to the Contour to some extent. Sadly the Contour is kinda dying... Although I loved mine, and maybe if I do get rich I'd try and find a nice pre98, and rebuild it  I kinda wish I bought a Fusion instead of the Taurus, but I already signed the paperwork, and the Taurus was much cheaper Sadly Taurus is done, and I have one of the last models and I shall care for it
Former owner of a 1995 Ford Contour GL w/ 2.0L ATX
Proud owner of a 2005 Ford Taurus SE 3.0L V6 Vulcan
--Looking for Commodore stuff (Drives, Units, Amiga, games, etc)If anyone has any of this laying around and wants it gone, lemme know --
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