First of all, I would like to say thank you for dropping by the CEG.
Also, I would like to say that I'm absolutely thrilled with my car. I have put on 33K absolutely trouble-free miles over the past two years. This car has far exceeded my expectations and any other new car within 5K of my purchase price.
As for the goodies, I can't say that I'm too concerned. I do have a nice SVT windbreaker, but I'm more interested in driving than picking what to wear.
My gripe lies in the fact that Ford/SVT has done nothing to cure the 3 achilles (sp?)heals of this vehicle. They would be the 50K water pump, the non-baffled oil pan, and the weak diff.
I'm not saying that Ford should recall all of these vehicles and replace them. I think that a genuine compromise could be reached here.
Our only choices in correcting these potential problems are with very expensive, difficult to acquire aftermarket parts (well, the lsd and baffled oil pan anyways). Couldn't Ford offer these parts through the SVT dealerships at a discounted price? I'd gladly pony up some extra cash to make my car into the rock solid performer that it could/should have been.
Finally, and I would like to stress this the most... BRING THE MONDEO TO THE US!!!!!!!!
I don't care if you call it a Ford, Lincoln, or Mercury. Make this car into what the Contour should have been, a rightful competitor to the Bimmer's and Audi's.
Grab the AWD drive-train you developed for the X-Type, solve the aforementioned problems with the SVT's weak points, build a QUALITY car not a volume car, and start the pricing in the mid to upper twenties.
If you build it, I think you'd have people lined up to buy it. My name would be on the list.
Thanks, -Colin
------------------ '99 SVT Silver Frost/Midnight Blue
About as stock as they come these days.
"Drop a gear and disappear..."
1999 SVT #900/2760 Born on 1-20-99 Silver Frost/Midnight Blue A few aesthetic and audio mods
