Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General General So... Why did you join?

Ive been seeing a couple of posts on occasion with people talking about why they joined CEG, so I thought it might be a good idea to start a thread with people posting their stories, you know like what inspired you to buy a contour? What made you become part of CEG?

Heres mine...

I needed a nice car that was a 4 door, got good gas mileage, was comfertable to ride in but had a fun drive to it at the same time. I wanted one with a stick shift, really badly. I was looking into a 91 Acura Integra 4 door. They wanted 2100 for it with 130K miles. It was quite nice, but I missed out on it. My brother being a ford fan said to me "What about a contour? They seem to be what you are looking for" I didnt know at the time they actually came with stick shifts, but I started looking into it. He pointed out a couple of adds, one was for a 96 mystique LS loaded for 3200, owned by a mechanic, but when we went to look at it it wasnt there. Then there was a 96 contour GL for sale for 1800, cheaper and the same amount of miles. exactly 100669. We pulled up and the second I saw it, I fell in love with it. the styling, the paint was beautiful. I loved the glare the pacific green gave off, and I thought to myself "please to god let it run really good" I walked up to the car, every time I look at a car the first thing I look at is the shifter (for obvious reasons) and my heart filled with joy, it was a stick, had a little more miles then I wanted, but once we started it up I changed my mind, it ran excellent. Went for a quick drive, came back the next day and sealed the deal after another longer test drive. bought it with 100696 on the odo. Never would have changed that decision, that car was the absolute perfect first car. Taught me a lot about budgeting and planning for car repairs. Plus I learned a hell of alot about auto mechanics and how cars worked. Shortly after I got the car, I got bit by the mod bug. I started modding it as money permitted, every extra dollar I had went into parts. I joined CEG the same day I bought the car. I knew my brother was a part of VWvortex when he had his jetta, and I wanted the same kind of information avliable. So I joined CEG to find out stuff about my car... I never knew I would make all of these friends, and go to so many meets and have such a good time because of a website. I love this place, and I will be here till the last day the site runs, which wont be for like... ever.

I joined because I bought a contour and found this forum.

Wouldn't you like to know?

I already had a Contour and was looking around on Google for more info about it.

I saw an SVT and thought it was just a body kit and it flowed amazingly with the lines of the car, so I went online and saw that the SVT Contour was actually a car, not a bodykit that someone threw on. I finally realized then, that the car i had fallen in love with when i first saw one in 98 was actually real. Too bad i bought an SE. LOL. I joined because i love my SE anyways and wanted to learn more about it and the SVT. I have met a great group of friends on here and i was so hooked on the SVT that once i paid off my SE, I went right out and got an SVT. My dreams had finally come true...I always wanted an SVT vehicle and i got the car adored the last few years. This site is the best. Not many other vehicles can boast an enthusiast group for their car. This site was and continues to be an amazing resource

My brother hmouta got a 95GL when they came out. Then he got the SVT a few years ago. After seeing that, I started trolling the boards and getting really into it. Finally last summer I bought my SE. I kind of wish I got an SVT but for the $2k or so I saved, it helped my parents pay for my last year of school. I figured once I got a job, I could mod the hell out of my car or buy an SVT myself. I've got my eye out for that T-Red...

I get a little flack for being into driving/modding "just a contour" but I drive all my buddy's cars and none of them come close to driving like mine. All their cars leave me feeling disconnected from the vehicle so I'm glad on my choice. Plus an svt/svt clone(my goal) is a real headturner since no one knows what it is.

i have been on this site since january 11, 1999 and all i can say is that it has been one rewarding discovery. way back in january of 1999 i bought my 95 se mtx off of a car lot that was owned by a friend of the family. there were other great cars that i could have had my pick of.

the lot included a mustang gt, a 3000gt, a camero z28, and a host of other go fast testosterone filled autos. a light layer of newly fallen snow covering the lot. the cars were lined up 20 across. the contour was the last in line. i slowly walked by each car with the voice of the dealer ringing off how cool each car was in my ear. i said nothing. i just slowly meandered with the flakes of snow crackling under my feet. when something caught my eye i paused.

i turned to the dealer and said, "i want to test drive this car." my finger purposely pointing in the direction of a little red four door. "that is not a car for you," said the dealer, which by now had a nose as red as the car. i recoiled yet kept my feet in place, " i want to test drive this one." my eyes now fixed on the side badge which read, 24V DOHC. he agreed and went and got the keys. he returned with the keys to the mustang, and dropped them in my anxious hand. when i saw what he had done i shook my head in disapproval. "oh ok, here are the keys, but it is just a contour.",the dealer said hurridly. my eyes lit up as i saw the gleem from the overhead lights flash off of the shiny silver key as it fell into my awaiting palm. i unlocked the car and jumped in.

the car received me with a warm hug from the tremendous side bolsters. they were like two powerful arms assuring me that the car would care for me as much as i would care for it. i started the engine. all six cyliders firing on time in a powerful symphony pounded on my chest. it ran with a confidence that was refined, yet forcefull, unlike the mouth breathing muscle cars it shared a home with. i drove it off the lot.

by now the sun had started to set over the western horizon. the sky on fire with orange, yellow and red as if someone had used a brush to paint it, and the newly fallen snow reflecting the colors trying to imitate the heavens beauty. it was a perfect backdrop. i drove the contour se with a spirit of a young boxer. it weeved and ducked, jabbed and hooked. the cars footwork was amazing. i drove the car to a open lot and stopped. i got out and walked around it. the sky refecting off of the electric red was truely a site to behold. i drove the car back to its place amongst the now humbled two door beasts and parked it. i didnt shut it off.

i walked into the dealer and bought it. not pausing one instance for any thought other than bringing this car home. i drove it home that night. the rest is not history rather it is the future. i got on computer and found www.contour.org that night and have not missed a day yet. even when out of the states in various third world countries, i always find my home here. i am amongst the most friendly, inviting, warm people i have ever met, and not met. sure there are disagreements here, but that is healthy for any relasionship. i welcome different ideas and different feelings. i welcome critisism and complements. we are a small group of a vast community of auto owners. what seperates us from the masses? we are our cars. we are enthusiasts. we are contour enthusiasts. ford put our cars to rest 6 years ago, but they will not, and cannot make us rest. we are the future of contouring. we will not let the contour die. thank you for your time. thank you for your story because we all have one. thank you for your ideas. thank you for your thoughts.

wow. Way cool mikey, that story had me on the edge of my seat and leaning over the computer desk while I read it. Very cool, although I wish my tour would have had that side badge that read "24v DOHC" but oh well, I loved my little zetec.

wow...if i didnt already own one, i would be heading out right now to buy one, great story mike!


my story isnt as pretty.
my buddy, a guy that always had older fords, 66 stang, 67 country squire, a 460ci powered 79 bronco, etc.
told me one day he bought a new car, and SVT contour. i couldnt stop laughing.
then about 6 months later i drove it.
right then i knew i had to have it, and about a month later i owned it.
then i found this site while looking for more info on the car.


fin.

I remember the first time i saw/heard Mikey's story. Almost brought a tear to my eye It's still a great story

lets see, there is some lead up to this ...

its 96 and my father is looking to replace his tempo, so we look around and learn that the Contour replaced the Tempo. Father was fine with something like a tempo because no matter what happened to the ones we had we could always get it home. Anyway they found a mercury dealer with some 96's, mostly base models but they had this one 95 SE. It was almost a no brainer, get a 95 with 9k on it that is near fully loaded or get a 96 with less options and about the same cost. Anyway the test drive was what did it, I wasn't there but I was told my father scared the sales man when he took off in the car. I really believe that it was perfect from the start. I think it was the car was a good compromise between the Mustang that he had/still has and the Capri RS that he had since new.

Well since then it had now become time for me to start driving around 98, I of course ended up with a Tempo. In 2k my brother was about to start driving and he needed a car and I was becoming very unhappy with the Tempo I had. So it was off to look for a car. I surprised my parents and was actually calling dealers about some cars, normally I don't do things like that, so they knew I was serious about getting another car. Of course I had learned to drive on my fathers 95 SE and of course wanted a car just like his, I drive alot like him also. So I ended up finding a Mystique in an Auto Trader and showed it to my parents. I have just recently come to learn that for my parents that was one of the best car buying experiences that they had. They went one evening to look at the car and then later when back to test drive it, had great customer service and then they purchased that car for me without my knowledge. One Friday night as I come home from Boy Scouts my parents are not there, I had a stray thought, where they out getting me a new car, and the next morning, nothing, oh well. Well later that day I am sitting in the basement and we hear this car horn, and we just sit there, my mother tells us to go outside and there is my father with the Mystique, it had been in the neighbors garage to hide it. It was perfect, a car like my fathers but the 4 cyd. engine like he felt a new driver should have.

This then started the down hill run. I believe that it was in 02 when my parents where looking again for another car, and the Contour was on the top of the list. They looked at some SVTs to replace my fathers car but with no luck finding anything, still cost more then what they where looking to spend. The search goes on and at the same dealer they got the 95 at they found a 99 that they picked up and it became my mothers car, and later my brothers car.

As for my 99 it was in the bargain news. Parents wanted me to get a new car because of the miles on mine. The car sat for a month and we ended up looking at it and decided to purchase it. The mods began with a DMD and a Steeda Tri-ax shifter and the rest is history.

Ah the point, why am I on CEG? I like others was searching for Contour information, iirc there was a problem we where looking to solve so I hopped on the internet to see if I could find anything. I found the Cold Air message board and finally found the link to the forum.

I had also seen a SVT in 98 or so at Lime Rock but never really realized what it was until later, the sound of the car was great.

To this day my father and I still have our 95's. Yes there have been some issues here and there, a radiator and a water pump, etc but they have been great cars, and my Mystique has been the best deal ever, I have more then gotten the moneys worth out of that car, but I still love to drive it, sometime even more then my Contour