Don't worry Troy, I usually keep my posts very objective.
Originally posted by Troy@SVT:
I see a lot of talk about equal treatment like the Cobra, Lightning, Focus, Etc. Can someone elaborate on this?
Besides the obligatory mugs, jackets, caps, and key chains?
The SVT Contour was designed and marketed (albeit for a short time) as a road car, and "corner carver" as many magazines put it. So what happens when owners start getting seized engines from oil starvation? They get the runaround from Ford and (in some instances) get shafted on their warranty claims. Something as simple as a baffled oil pan and windage tray could have prevented most of those failures. Our cars are made to run at 6k+ all day long and pull .86+, yet no attention was ever paid to this. The 4.6 Cobras get a windage tray over the standard GT, why couldn't we? That problem's been going on since the SVT's introduction, yet it still existed when it ended production.
People have to baby the glass diff's in these cars due to fear of gernading them. Not a month goes by without someone else on this board runs across this problem. I'm not suggesting SVT should have upgraded the diff. to a Quaife, there's no reason I would expect a $1000 differential to be put into a production car. But there are cheaper l/s diff's out there, as shown in the SVT Contour "Puff", and that would have been an extremely practical solution to a problem that is still plaguing us.
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Damnit, I forgot about the 50k waterpump and bumper sag!
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When the 99 Cobra entered production it was down on power and had various driveline problems. Ford and SVT stepped up and worked hard, both privately and publicly, to address these issues. When the second generation Lightning came out there were reports of intercooler failures. The 2001MY Lightning now sports an improved intercooler (some would say that it's only there for more power, but somehow that would be a little too convenient). The two examples I have for the SVT Contour are only the two most significant complaints, and they were never acknowledged nor addressed by SVT or Ford.
As for the Focus. For $18k the SVT Focus comes with heated seats and mirrors, some pimpy cosmetic interior enhancements, a 6-speed (I'll let the slide since Ford didn't own Getrag at the time of the contour's run), 17" rims, huge brakes all around, oil pressure and temp gauges, and the list goes on. The Contour went for $23.5k and we got cars that were stripped down more and more every year they were made. Although de-contenting is more of a Ford issue, the lack of certain necessities such as oil pressure/temp gauges is a sin that should never have taken place.
As for the magazine. I realize that it's a small magazine, and is limited to a certain number of features a month. But a word here or there would be nice. Or at least a retrospect on the Contour when it ended production. It's just nice to be remembered once in awhile!
[This message has been edited by Steve Bassen (edited March 29, 2001).]
