Just mention the SVT Contour alternator to anyone and watch their reaction. Once you get to know your way around these cars though, they really aren’t all that bad to work on. They get a bad wrap for being a pain to fix as well, since there isn’t much room around the engine to work. They have other issues, too, that are pretty common, like sunroof gears stripping out, syncros tend to go, shifter cable bushings disintegrate, 2.5s spin rod bearings like they’re going out of style, etc. 98.5-2000 were “blessed” with a glass differential. In factory form, they were pretty quick, and handled amazing! They were, however, plagued with some issues.ĩ8 model years had issues with the wiring harness crumbling apart and causing electrical issues. These cars were a real gem in their day. As an SVT Contour owner, could you share a little unvarnished truth with the rest of us? What do you love about them? What do you not love about them? The most important automotive opinions are those of real, actual owners. It started off as a fun daily driver with some go fast mods and suspension mods, but after attending my first autocross event, I got hooked. Hi, my name is Mark, and yes, that is correct. Is that correct? Anything else you’d like to mention? It’s an amazing machine! img: Introductions: My understanding is you’ve got the venerable Ford SVT Contour (and track it somewhat regularly). When I came across a guy with the handle forgottensvt, I knew I had to reach out. In any case, a few weeks back, I found myself in a drive thru behind a Mercury Mystique, remembered the Contour SVT, and jotted down a note to self-find a Contour SVT owner to interview. We remember reading about them in the buff books the surprisingly competent Euro model meant to replace the Taurus or something. Road & Track called it “ one of the best sports sedans you forgot about.” Ain’t that the truth?Īny gearhead with a license back in the late 90s remembers the Contour SVT-but likely only when we come upon one in the wild these days. If you find one, you might want to act quickly.Motor Trend said it “ feels every bit as special as Ford would have you believe”, wrapping their March 1997 review with the statement, “All told, the Contour SVT is an attractively priced sport sedan for those whose cravings say ‘Mustang’ but whose realities dictate four doors-at an as-tested sticker several thousand less than a Taurus SHO.” The biggest issue is that there just weren't that many built, so they never really come up for sale. The owner of the one featured in this Smoking Tire video paid $1000 for his, and a super-clean example sold for $3600 on Bring a Trailer last year. So, the SVT Contour didn't make much of a dent, but it makes an interesting used car buy today. That made it cheaper than most BMWs-save for the lowly 318ti-but pricy among sport compacts. Plus, it was fairly expensive, too, with a $23,000 MSRP. The front strut and multilink rear suspension received significant upgrades, too, which helped make the SVT Contour one of the nicer-handling front-wheel drive cars of its day.īut from the factory, the SVT Contour was too softly sprung since Ford didn't want to compromise what was ultimately a family sedan. The Contour SE's 2.5-liter V6 was tuned by Ford's Special Vehicle Team to produce 200 horsepower for the SVT and it was paired with a five-speed manual-no autos were available. The SVT Contour wasn't a success, but it's a car worth remembering.Īs this video from The Smoking Tire reminds us, the SVT Contour was a credible sports sedan in its day, and it's still fun now. Pitched as an affordable American-made alternative to German sports sedans, the SVT Contour was only in production from 1998 to 2000, with less than 11,500 units sold. Remember the SVT Contour? You'd be forgiven if you didn't.
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