SVT Contour

[gtcobra302]

I know that a few of you guys have SVT contours but I cant seem to find you. I am looking at one and am curious what to look out for. Besides the odvious leaks rust damage panel gaps and over all condition. Are they notorious for anything?
Thanks

 

[LiquidGT]

I dont have one but I reasearched it awhile ago, its a nice car but its getting hard to find parts for especially the SVT stuff. They dont make the SVT radiator anymore so you have to go with the standard (its supposed to work fine though) and there were a few other things that I cant remember right now.

I know first hand that the alternator is a major PITA to change, I helped my mechanic buddy do one. You have to take the wheel off and drop the A-arm and some other suspension parts just to get to it.

 

[1990Coupe]

I'm interested in this as well

EDIT: wow they are hard to find.. I did a search and there are only 2 within a 200 mile radius of my house!

I like the SVT focus as well

 

[Sicarius428]

They are neat but a PITA. Normal maintance is a pain because they use several different brake models which just aren't made anymore... thus very expensive. The waterpump is notorious for going at about 60k and in order to change it, you have to drop the kmember. It has 2 O2 sensors which are impossible to get to. If you take an extremely hard left turn(believe it was left) at high RPM, the head/cams get starved of oil and it will lock up on you. That head is extrude honed so replacing it is expensive. The car does handle extremely well though. Oh ya... the diff is made of glass. Well not technically but if you shift it hard, it will break on you... fortunately you can use the diff from the svt focus which is a limited slip.
Kevin

 

[skunk21]

They are neat but a PITA. Normal maintance is a pain because they use several different brake models which just aren't made anymore... thus very expensive. The waterpump is notorious for going at about 60k and in order to change it, you have to drop the kmember. It has 2 O2 sensors which are impossible to get to. If you take an extremely hard left turn(believe it was left) at high RPM, the head/cams get starved of oil and it will lock up on you. That head is extrude honed so replacing it is expensive. The car does handle extremely well though. Oh ya... the diff is made of glass. Well not technically but if you shift it hard, it will break on you... fortunately you can use the diff from the svt focus which is a limited slip.
Kevin

some wrong info here. Firt the only svt contour that used a different front brake pad was the E0 which was the 1998 the 1998.5-2000 use the same front brakes the rear brakes are standard contour. The water pumps on the early contours had plastic impellers late 99 and all 2000's have metal. The water pump is mounted at the rear of the motor and has a small belt driving it that runs off the rear of the cam shaft, you don't have to take of the k-member to change it..it takes about 15-20 min. to change the water pump.

common problems like stated if it was beat on 3rd gear will grind this will be the first sign of tranny trouble. Most svt guys know to run 6qts of oil for the oil starving problem which presents has a low end knock, but this was from mostly sustand high G right han turn for long periods of times showed up from guys autocrossing mostly and it scared everyone into the 6qt rule.svt bumpers and side skirts can longer be purchased from ford and are scarse since non svt guys buy the used ones up. If the car doesn't pull hard after 3,000rpms the secondaries aren't opening up which are cable operated via the imrc box located atop the front rocker cover(can sometimes be common)easy fix though.lower ball joints are part of the lower control arms and the drivers side is a huge pia to get out due the tranny bieng in the way of the bolt comming out you have to drop that side of frame. The alt is another pia you have to pull the pass, side axle out. stay away from 1998 and 1998.5 if you can they had a problem with the main wire harness covering dry rottng and shorting out the only fix is a whole new harness. This has happened to a few guys in my club. They also have a bad sunroof motor gear that will strip out if force the sunroof all the way in. some of the late 99's and 2000 have a dash warp problem also. They have been known to have a heater resistor issue also that is an easy fix, again this isn't on every one but known problems.

Most svt's you will find have alot of mileage on them and they run fine, just like any other car they have issues but other than that they are alot of fun. These cars are for the enthusiasts I feel, they need patience and they are getting old they stopped making them in 2000. just look it over real good, listen to the engine, look at the wiring harness for peeling/cracking, check the tranny for grinding and go from there, good luck.

 

[HISSIN50]

Additionally, IIRC Giddyup306 is or was quite into the SVT Contours (he once sent me a link to his site, where he had swapped motors and done a lot of work. There was a lot of technical info IIRC).

Might be worth a PM to him if you want.

 

[SVT32VDOHC]

Turn around and run....FAST!!!

SVT Contours are the biggest POS's. When I bought two of them for parts only, I sold EVERYTHING right away. I was shipping those parts out of state like a mad man. The motors were the first thing to sell. One of mine came in with a light rattle with only 80K and the guy still wanted it because his bad a hole in the block. The transmissions sold fast, all mechanical items really were the first to go. Cosmetically, I sold all that stuff fast too, not because anything went wrong, but a lot of kids want to add SVT parts to their SE's, GL's etc....

Overall, good selling parts car, made a lot off of them because everything is rare and EXPENSIVE!! I'd stay away.

 

[skunk21]

Turn around and run....FAST!!!

SVT Contours are the biggest POS's. When I bought two of them for parts only, I sold EVERYTHING right away. I was shipping those parts out of state like a mad man. The motors were the first thing to sell. One of mine came in with a light rattle with only 80K and the guy still wanted it because his bad a hole in the block. The transmissions sold fast, all mechanical items really were the first to go. Cosmetically, I sold all that stuff fast too, not because anything went wrong, but a lot of kids want to add SVT parts to their SE's, GL's etc....

Overall, good selling parts car, made a lot off of them because everything is rare and EXPENSIVE!! I'd stay away.

what makes them pos and expensive is the people that know nothing about them(not saying you), save for the motor the tranny is the same darn 5spd that is found in a standard contour or cougar, same thing with the radiator. The seats where different and the bumpers and side skirts, wheels and a few other things like the exhaust not much else. granted they have issues just like any other car and they can be a bitch to work on, trying to find one that isn't beat or low miles won't be easy. I like my contour but I haven't had but a few minor issues in 8 yrs.

 

[SVT32VDOHC]

what makes them pos and expensive is the people that know nothing about them(not saying you), save for the motor the tranny is the same darn 5spd that is found in a standard contour or cougar, same thing with the radiator. The seats where different and the bumpers and side skirts, wheels and a few other things like the exhaust not much else. granted they have issues just like any other car and they can be a bitch to work on, trying to find one that isn't beat or low miles won't be easy. I like my contour but I haven't had but a few minor issues in 8 yrs.

Yeah, I have heard that people have put non SVT trannies in SVT's and they worked. The computer has different part numbers for him but...oh well. I agree....finding one not beat will be hard. The have their problems becaue most owners were young kids who thought they were race cars. I'm sure if one bought one new and maintained it, it would hold up fine, just like any car.

 

[sav0320]

Found this topic through Google...

Just bought an SVT Contour for a daily driver. My dad was the program manager on the SVT-C.

Sweet car.

 

[85_SS_302_Coupe]

One of the best and worst cars Ford ever put out. Transmission/clutch work is a F'in nightmare and very expensive. I'd just assume have an SVT Focus.

 

[Kman]

I have had pretty good luck with the basic Contour. I have a 1995 base Countour 4 cyl with A/T purchased 1996. 198k miles and counting doing nothing but religious maintanance, synthetic fluids and normal wear and tear replacements. No complaints from this end.

 

[ID89GT]

I have only seen one on craigslist up here in Idaho and he still wanted a lot for it.. Other than that I think it is a worthless car that was made into SVT.. And its ugly imo.

 

[MAC'n89Blckstng]

These things sound like SHO's. They are fun but a bitch to work on and have their own little quirks that take some getting use to. I drive a SHO and love it but parts are expensive and scarce at that.