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
