Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications General Mods Diffrence between a regular 2.5L Contour and SVT?

I'm getting my parents 98 Contour for $2k it has the 2.5L V6 with the automatic trans and it only has 78k on it. The car has been very well maintained and I know this because I've changed the oil and done other regular maintance on it for them. When I didn't take care of this my dad had it done at the local Ford dealership.

Now to the real question. I can't settle for just moderate performance. I've purchased an SVT that has a blown engine. From what I understood the only thing damaged on the engine is the internals (piston, crank). As far as the rest of the car goes the seats are missing as well as the radio, but other then that everything is there.

What do I need to pull of this car to make the one I have as much of an SVT as possible. Obviously the body panels, but I guess I'm more concerned with the engine. What differs between the SVT 2.5L and the regular 2.5L engine? Is it just the intake and heads? Any info would be greatly appreciated.

The extrude honed ports, LIM and UIM, just to name 2. If I were you, Id drop a fairly new 3L in it, and maybe later on down the road, put a turbo on it!

If i were you i would rebuild the svt engine and get that running. Forget the regular contour all together. Except if the svt has no seats, you should take out the seats and put them in the svt. But thats just me

Yea I thought about that...

But heres what my plans are..

first make the contour look like a SVT as far as the body panels go.

second try and take off whatever worth while engine bolt on components there are on the SVT engine that will work on the regular contour engine if any.

third sell off any parts on the SVT Contour that people might want, manual trans, doors, door panels, trunk lid, sun roof, center console, etc.

four drive the modded contour for 2-3 years and buy an Audi TT Quattro or a Mustang with either the Roush, Steeda, or Saleen package.

DOn't think that will work..... But, we ALL have dreams, don't we.

Seriously, sell off the regualar tour, and rebuild the SVT engine. There are alot mor ethings on an SVT thatn just looks. Suspension, brakes, eninge, trans, exhaust... lots of things that are well worth the work to keep. WHat kind of shape is the SVT in? Post some pics of it, and we'll judge it's worth while-ness.

Too bad the ATX mated up to ANYTHING automatically makes it an TURD!

I say rebuild the SVT with a 3L Engine using the SVT cams and sell everythign else. Throw in some aftermarket bucket seats (GOOD ONES!) like Sparco, Corbeau, or Momo, and sell the turd with an ATX. If you want speed nothing short of greasing up the ATX contour and pushing it down a mineshaft, will ever make it fast.

I've done quite a bit of rebuilding let me tell you. I built my camaro from scratch to make it everything I wanted it to be. It costs money and a lot of it.

Yea if I had the money to buy a short block CSVT engine I might consider it. But on the flip side the CSVT is the same deal as my SHO if something breaks parts are hard to find and expensive. If you have just the regular guts the parts are relative cheap and available. I just ran into this actually and am still dealing with it. My SHO blew out the end of its oil cooler and the seal isnt sold seperately so you have to buy the entire oil cooler. So isnt that great the oil cooler lists for $379.99 not to mention Ford doesnt build it anymore so no one carries it. I was lucky and found someone off of an SHO forum that had a spare one from a parts car and I was able to buy it. Some might say go to a junk yard and find the parts you need. Well thats nice if you can find a junk yard that happens to have the car you need parts for. I'm sure you are all aware of problems locating CSVT in junk yards, there basically non exsitent, the same goes for the the newer gen SHO's.

I guess all I'm looking for is a way to make the regular tour into a good looking half way decent performing car and not have to pay the premium on replacement parts and gas. After all this car is replacing my SHO as a daily driver. As soon as I finish this little project I'm going to sell the SHO. Once thats all done I can save some money to buy a brand new car with a warranty and no previous drivers so I know exactly whats happen to it. At that point I'll start pouring the money in for performance, just not with this car.

Thing is, most SVT replacement parts are either:

1) regular Contour parts..MTX, body
2) readily available..like the 3L V6 from the Taurus, Escape, etc that will accept your SVT cams, intake, exhaust, t.body etc and give you MORE power than replacing the SVT motor with an SVT motor for less money.
3) SVT specific stuff that does wear out..eg. suspension, brakes, clutch,etc ..decent aftermarket at decent prices.

So no need to hunt through junkyarrs for SVT stuff for the most parts except the body kit and even that is commonly all over the CEG classifieds.

The ATX Contour just by virtue of having the awful CD4E ATX will be a slug without major bux, as will any attempt to transfer an MTX into that car. As everyone has said..just put a 3L in your SVT & some new setas and call it a day. Unless there is some other issue you are not mentioning makes no sense to go the other way..

PLEASE don't take the SVT parts off and cobble them onto a regular Contour. There are getting to be fewer and fewer SVTs every day. It would be a travesty to ruin one that just needs engine work and seats, no matter how good of a job you do in transferring parts. If you transfer anything, take the bottom end of the good engine and put it into the SVT, with the SVT parts on top. Better yet would be a 3L, as has already been mentioned.

Since you said you can't settle for moderate performance, modding a car with an ATX is going to give you moderate performance right there! You've got the regular Contour to drive while you fix the SVT, so you don't need to do it immediately. Plus, you can sell the regular Contour when you get the SVT up and running. Please, in the name of all that is good and holy - don't cannibalize the SVT!

Marty