Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General General Should I buy this SVT Contour?

Have a chance to buy a 98 Contour SVT with 75300 miles. The body and interior are in excellent condition. Here's the kicker. The transmission makes a slight grinding noise when shifting into third gear. The engine seems reluctant to slow back to idle speeds between gears. The car will need new tires soon. I also expect to replace the shocks, probably do the brakes, and give the car a tune up. I've read many posts about the transmission problems with 5spd Contour's. I can buy the car somewhere between $5800 and $6200 from a local used car dealer. The car came through an auction. I expect to spend $2000 to $2500 to get the car in top shape. Is this a deal or a fright pig in repair bill hell?

At that price, I'd probably jump on the deal. First things first, get the VIN and post it here in a new thread. Title it, Carfax, please!

Somebody will help you out and see what's up with the car's history.

If you can get in an SVT for 8 grand, hell, I see no problem with that!

the grind into 3rd is pretty standard, no biggie really
just the synchros

throttle hang fix will help your rpm problem

tranny will cost ATLEAST a grand. Unless its under warranty. Plan ahead for the worst and see if it's worth it. I say even if you had to replace the entire tranny it's still a pretty good deal.

Yeah,

You could buy the car and a raffle ticket for the MTX-75 with Quaife and it would only cost $310 to get the tranny replaced, plus a trip to Michigan

Ooops, the raffle is already over.

TB

i work for a ford dealership. e mail me your VIN # and i can check what has been done with the car. any work with ford will show up. recalls, service, oil changes, etc.

the 3rd gear grind seems to be a typical thing. i was talking with some other individuals and synchros are a viable culprit.