So I figure next year I'm going to buy a vehicle for daily driving,and winter duties as my Contour becomes a summer/show car,and I was thinking about getting a pickup or SUV so I can haul junk and get through the winter a lot easier. But I'm not a truck guy.....
Then I light went off in my head. Why not get another Contour?! What a great idea. Just get a decent one,or kinda shoddy,doesn't really matter,as long as it's not a heap,leave it relatively stock,just upgrade the lights,stereo,tint the windows and some SE rims or something. Make it look half decent,but not sink all money money into like I am with my current 'Tour. $8000 and counting at the moment....since May!
I've seen some pretty good deals in AutoTrader for some Contours and Mystiques,so I can probably pick up a decent one. May as well get one too,then I have a parts car if it craps out or something.
I just love these cars too much. If I get another one,it'll be my 3rd one in 3 years. I had my '98 Mystique from July '04-April '05 and have had my Contour from April '05-present. The Mystique has since been sold on to a new owner,so I know it's out and about somewhere. I just hope they're taking good care of it.
Another reason I chose to go with a Contour again is that my Mystique was the best car I've ever driven in the snow. I never got stuck once with it last winter,it handled great,had lots of traction and it was a real beast. The Zetec had trouble starting when it got down to -20c or colder,but then,pretty much any car did. It would atleast attempt to turn over,when my mom's Kia would just click and nothing would happen. Yay winter....crap...that's right around the corner! I'm picking up my snow tires on Tuesday for my 'tour. I really don't want to drive it this winter with all the work into it,but it's all getting redone in the spring,so I'm ok with it. I just hope I don't wreck it in the meantime.
Enough rambling.....it's 2am. Goodnight.
You'd be happier w/ a truck, but either way good luck!
I got 2 contours. I had the GL for 2 years now then saw the SVT for sale needed a second Vehicle couldn't pass it up. When i was registering and geting insurance people would be like you already insured your contour and Im like I got 2 now. Got some wierd looks.
sounds like a sound idea to me, but then again my family has 4 of em
yes with snow tires a contique is pretty unstopable and fun to boot
that is what many people here do, they had an original contour and then got a SVT and kept their first contour for a winter or bad weather vehicle.
I just got a second Contour for the winter, my dad gave it to me, its a 98 SE with 30k, now I can put away the SVT, but I will selling the both of them, before sping to get a Mustang SVT
Originally posted by OB1:
You'd be happier w/ a truck, but either way good luck!
a truck is so much more useful than a contour as a beater.
a truck may be somewhat more useful as a hauler, but two tone is from ontario!
lets see- pick up....light in the back end, not so great in snow, or....
contique, front wheel drive, great in snow....
i know the choice i'd make!
writing an essay for 8th grade english??? lol
go with a truck so you have something to haul and for snow and all that
by truck i mean something with 4WD.
You can pick up an explorer in decent shape for under a thousand bucks (92ish).
4WD pwns FWD in the snow, and you can still haul a bunch of crap in it as well.
Originally posted by lakeside:
a truck may be somewhat more useful as a hauler, but two tone is from ontario!
lets see- pick up....light in the back end, not so great in snow, or....
contique, front wheel drive, great in snow....
i know the choice i'd make!
Im going to agree... People always think you should get a truck for snow.. NOPE, its absolutely best to get either an All wheel drive car or a front wheel drive car... Probably even better to get just a front wheel drive car. With all wheel drive if you loose traction.... its pretty much over... With a front wheel drive car you at least have a better chance of getting traction back. My contour was awesome when I had the steelies on it in the winter... The BFG Comp T/A's suck in the winter, but meh. I can live with it, ill just drive slower. My suggestion to you, get a Contour with Steel 14's on it.. DO NOT go bigger, its much better to have thin tires when driving in the winter. Wider tread means easter to loose traction (if that makes any sense). If I were you, I would find a cheap low mileage pre98. you should be set.
I picked up some 15" 6 spoke pre98 SE rims from NVS SVT yesterday,and I'm putting 205/60/15 Dayton Weatherforce snow tires on them. Then,as my E1's come off,I'm going to sandblast them and polish them. Bling bling.
I dunno how my V6 MTX is going to be in the snow. It seems pretty powerful and torquey compared to the Zetec atx,so i think I'll have to drive with a lighter foot. I don't have ABS on this car either,like I had on my Mystique,and ABS saved me a couple times last winter.
Oh well...
By truck,I was thinking 4wd pickup,like an old Toyota SR5,or Mazda B2600 4x4. SUV wise,I bought an '87 Isuzu Trooper back in March,but it needed too much work to make roadworthy this year so I sold it last month. I'd get another one,or a 4runner or Pathfinder or something.
I'd prefer to stick with a Contour again though,but a truck would be a lot of fun,but also harder on fuel too.
185/70R14 on a contique in snow is awesome...
It saved my life few time to have this mix.
I ran 205/60/15s on the Mystique last year on the stock alloys and it worked great. I had Cooper Weathermaster snows on the front and some Sears brand balding all seasons on the back. Car has tail happy when provoked,but gripped well for turning,braking and accelerating. This year I'm going to run 4 snow tires,because my Contour has got to be uber safe,I'm not taking any chances smashing it up this winter.
Not only can i not get off my block in my car when it snows (steep hill), I can't throw the lawn mower sized snow blower in the back and go dig out my grandparents either.
Definitley get what suits your needs...but for me $400 for snow tires wasn't worth it when I could get an SUV with 4WD, infinitely more cargo room, no worries about smacking it up - AND I drive it all year round as a beater - all for a grand.
Not to mention i don't have to dig myself out of spots anymore...nor do i have to worry about people getting my carpets wet and muddy, cause I just don't care.
Plus the push button 4WD makes for RWD fun in empty parking lots.
My Contour has been absolutely wonderful in snow .. never a problem. Could be the ATX playing a part though, much easier to stay light on the gas or even at idle-in-drive speeds with it.
hmm,well a co-worker offered me his 1992 Grand Marquis for free today. He just took it off the road last week because he bought another one in better shape. He says all this one needs is brake & fuel lines to certify.
Hmmmm,very,very tempting....
For the price...a contour cannot be beat...I am looking at doing the same.
Originally posted by TwoToneTour:
hmm,well a co-worker offered me his 1992 Grand Marquis for free today.
5000lb Car+V8+RWD+ice=sliding iceberg deathtrap. But for free, I'd take it in a heartbeat. Me love the roundie Grand Marquis.
I have 4 Countours in the family and I am always on the look out for a one at a good price. They are cheaper than Escorts, faster and nicer inside.
Rich S
def get a truck man!
i got a 4x4 87 bronco 2, and it cant be stopped, mud snow ice water anything i go through it, plus its a blast in the woods and i can fold the rear seats down and throw [censored] in the back
but for big hauling i got the 92 F150 8ft bed 4x4 351W
yeah really, i still don't see how a contour could beat a thousand dollar SUV.
look at the SUV you can get for 1k...more miles, older, most of them are rusted, and don't get good mileage.
For 1k you can get a contour 96-97 100k miles and in good shape.
true,in March I bought a 1987 Isuzu Trooper for $800. Upon further inspection,the floors were pretty much non existant. I gave it to my friend who uses it for mud bogging now.
Today,I found a '96 Contour GL V6 ATX for $1000 and the guy will let me have it for $750. Only problem is the ring gear,which is occasional,but he said otherwise,the car will certify and pass emissions no problem. I'll probably pick it up next week. Works out good for me,cuz I have myself a parts car and a new motor in the spring. W00t!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If i buy another one it has to be manual...the ATX's suck. Even in my mother0in-law's 98 it died at 95k...and she didn't drive it hard.
the atx I had in my Mystique was flawless,never had a problem with it,but I nly had that car for about 60 000km.
Anyways,I scored a better deal than the V6 atx....
an identical '95 GL to what I have now,but it's a Zetec,and it's an MTX. Same colour body & interior,in really good shape,dealer wants $805 after taxes. This car will go a long way for me,because I can swap all the body panels over to eliminate my 2 tone job on my Duratec car.
My ATX has held up well, considering the punishment it takes on a daily bases. You know bucking, wheel-hopping around turns up steep hills, that kinda thing... oh and MANY burnouts.
I treated my ATX pretty easy. I like to take care of my trannys because they're expensive to repair and just as difficult!