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Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 1,957
Hard-core CEG'er
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Hard-core CEG'er
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 1,957 |
NEED AN SVT REAR BUMPER!!! pm me
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 227
CEG\'er
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CEG\'er
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 227 |
Ever notice people start these troll-ish threads and never come back?
98 Contour V6 MTX, T-Red, 150k mi. Pic
SVT Dual Exhaust, KKM Intake, Donnely Mirror, Dension DMP3 Player w/80GB of MP3s, Wheelskin
95 F-150
91 Mustang GT
06 Honda Shadow Aero
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,593
Hard-core CEG\'er
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OP
Hard-core CEG\'er
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,593 |
MUST SELL - ECM computer new for a 98 V6 mtx + pats
Now trolling in a Red Nissan 4 x 4
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,593
Hard-core CEG\'er
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OP
Hard-core CEG\'er
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,593 |
Originally posted by dbateman:
Meancontour, how hard to you drive it? Do you spin the tires often? Rev it to the redline often?
Redline? No, I shift in the 3-4K range. Spin the tires, no. I'm not really a racer, just trying to get to work and back home.
My wife the schoolteacher drove the car for it's first 4 years or so.
MUST SELL - ECM computer new for a 98 V6 mtx + pats
Now trolling in a Red Nissan 4 x 4
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,593
Hard-core CEG\'er
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OP
Hard-core CEG\'er
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,593 |
Originally posted by 975Altima:
Welcome to the real world. Cars don't last forever, unless you want to spend big money replacing every part.
Do you wear the same shoes or underwear forever???
Maybe I have/ had unrealistic hopes/ expectations. We've only had the damn thing paid for for a year or so, and now we are beginning the process of replacing every part.
I guess the fact of the matter is that having a car costs money. You are either paying for a newer car (and maybe repairs) or fixing an older, paid for car. We had just hoped that we had made an investment, and could one day trade it in, but it isn't really worth anything.
MUST SELL - ECM computer new for a 98 V6 mtx + pats
Now trolling in a Red Nissan 4 x 4
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 227
CEG\'er
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CEG\'er
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 227 |
Originally posted by meancontour:
Maybe I have/ had unrealistic hopes/ expectations. We've only had the damn thing paid for for a year or so, and now we are beginning the process of replacing every part.
I guess the fact of the matter is that having a car costs money. You are either paying for a newer car (and maybe repairs) or fixing an older, paid for car. We had just hoped that we had made an investment, and could one day trade it in, but it isn't really worth anything.
Assuming you've taken care of the car, it's not unrealistic to expect it to run well. I guess you've just had more than your share of bad luck with it. There could be some factor that makes your car more unreliable than normal Contours, if you can figure it out you'll be better off for it.
However it is unrealistic to think of a Contour as an investment. Certain cars are investments, maybe SVT Contours 20 years from now, maybe Camaros & Mustangs, but probably not a Contour. 
98 Contour V6 MTX, T-Red, 150k mi. Pic
SVT Dual Exhaust, KKM Intake, Donnely Mirror, Dension DMP3 Player w/80GB of MP3s, Wheelskin
95 F-150
91 Mustang GT
06 Honda Shadow Aero
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 217
CEG\'er
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CEG\'er
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 217 |
This is true; soup up an SVT and keep it in pristine condition, one day it may be a collector's item.
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,190
Hard-core CEG\'er
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Hard-core CEG\'er
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,190 |
PLEASE HELP ME GET MY CAR TOGETHER! ITS IN DAYTON OHIO! I need the motor together and in the car so i can DRIVE it! Pleeeeeese!
diamond pistons for 3.0/forsale
#702 of 2150
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 7,431
Hard-core CEG'er
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Hard-core CEG'er
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 7,431 |
Originally posted by Savior:
This is true; soup up an SVT and keep it in pristine condition, one day it may be a collector's item.
haha .. the way a first generation Taurus SHO (comparable car from an earlier decade) is now?
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 3,867
Hard-core CEG'er
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Hard-core CEG'er
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 3,867 |
Originally posted by meancontour:
So are Contours disposable? Mine 1998 just hit 100K miles and it seems to be dieing. I have replaced a hub and bearing (and need a 2nd), O2 sensors, speed sensors, clutch and not I am about to go pay for new Timing chain guides and tensioners.
We have owned it since we bought it new with 12 miles. We change the oil regularly, and try to do routine upkeep. To be fair it did give us many years with little trouble.
It just seems that the past 20K miles or so, everything has been going wrong with it. I feel like I am slowly replacing everything but the body.
Is that the reason that most of the enthusiasts (like people on this site) are so knowledgable and experienced with their cars? They have had to be to keep them running?
 
Point #1: Machines wear out. Regular oil changes are good, but they won't prevent a wheel bearing from going bad. Wheel bearings are "R&R" items that wear. In fact, everything you cite is pretty much a normal wear item, and you're lucky to get 100k before having to do them.
Point #2: Americans tend to have somewhat unrealistic expectations of their cars. It is very common to feel the way you are feeling. I've felt it.
Point #3: Complex systems require "maintenance" and sometimes, "repair," which equals "money." My house and my car are about the same age. Should I replace my house when the furnace stops working? My car is in better shape than the house because it's paid off. Most cars are available with warranties that will cover you for at least the term of the loan. After that, you are on your own, but not "free." Plan for the expense of ownership.
Point #4: This car is no worse than most others. Some cars are more "reliable," but might have more expensive "repairs" when things do go wrong. Most "reliability" rating systems, such as JD Power, or Consumer Reports, are statistically tainted in some way. Not that they aren't useful, but you just about need a degree in statistics (and maybe psychology) to truly understand what the data really mean, (apart from what they want you to think.)
Point #5: Enthusiasts are knowledgeable about these cars for several reasons. It's a car worth knowing, for one, and doing the simple stuff yourself can save you a ton of money, for another. Besides, true enthusiasts are going to learn about whatever car they own.
Function before fashion.
'96 Contour SE
"Toss the Contour into a corner, and it's as easy to catch as a softball thrown by a preschooler." -Edmunds, 1998
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