Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General General Should i buy a contour?

i am looking at buying this 98 contour SVT with 48K miles. i dont know much about these cars, so i was wondering if you guys could give me a little info, like known problems, if i bought the car repairs i would have to make in the near future, and also what to look for when i go look at it. thanx.

This should tell you all you need to know... FAQ

No.

Known 98 SVT Contour issues:

1. Water pump failures around 60K. Check to see if the car has the original water pump. If so, it will need one soon.

2. Wheel bearing failures around 90K. Your car shouldn't have this problem yet, but listen for a roaring sound coming from the front end.

3. CD player quits loading CDs. Load a CD and see if it works. If not, you need to replace the head unit.

4. AC blower motor switch quits working. There is a recall on this -- see if your car has had it done.

5. Alternator fails around 90K. Under hard acceleration, see if the alternator light blinks on over 4500 RPM. If so, your car will need a new alternator.

6. Catalytic Convertor fails around 80K. Have the car tested for any Check Engine Light codes that it might have stored up. If the one for the cat shows up, Ford will replace it under the 8 year/80,000 mile emissions warranty.

7. Power antenna fails to retract. Check it out by turning on the audio system. Not much can be done to fix it other than get a new antenna unit.

8. SVT bumper sag. Not much to done about this either, but check the gap between the rear bumper and body of the car. In some cases, it can look pretty bad.

9. Headlight cover hazing. All Contours do this. You will need to wet-sand the UV protectant film off and it will become a regular maintenance item.

I'm assuming you are doing the usual used car things, like checking for alignment, brake pad depth, and overall driveability. The advantage of a 98 SVT Contour is that you should be able to buy it fairly inexpensively: no more than $7500 with that kind of mileage. You will get a car that is fun to drive, rather rare, and not half-bad looking. On the down side, you will get a car that needs a bit more maintenance than a typical import sedan. Little things tend to break on this car with regularity. None of them show-stoppers, but be prepared for a nagging level of repairs.

Good luck!

Nice reply Lee, save it cause next week someone will be asking the same qustion over and over again.

I wouldn't spend more than $7k and it would have to be in PERFECT condition. If it needs anything, I'd start going lower on that price. I've seen SVTs sell in the $4k range (some cheaper but then they're really POSs).

I bought my SVT on Ebay for $5500. When I bought it, it blue booked for $7200. I just checked blue book value on it again a few weeks ago and its value went up a grand!!

Now try to get someone to buy it for that much...

Originally posted by Red92784:

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I bought my SVT on Ebay for $5500. When I bought it, it blue booked for $7200. I just checked blue book value on it again a few weeks ago and its value went up a grand!!

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