Found one with 130K. Mint condition inside and out not a spec of rust. The issue is 3rd gear syncro. Car is easily drivable if you are carful going in to 3rd. It seams to be a typical issue with these cars and can be fixed by replacing the syncro and while you are in there replacing all of them and the forks with the 2000+ ones.
The seller originally was told that it needed a clutch to fix the 3rd gear issue. When I told him that it may need a clutch but that will not solve the 3rd gear issue he was a little crest fallen. I told him that I did not want to insult him with an offer but he insisted I make one and I blurted out $500 would be where I would start considering the car needed the trans rebuilt and or replaced. He did not say no to me just that he needed to think about. I told him that he has my number if he wants to sell.
I have always liked these cars. I drove one several years back and it was a really nice car that was engaging to drive. I would use it as a DD commuter to Boston and back if it were to fall in my hands.
If he calls back and sais $800 is that a deal. Is $500 to much?
What do you all think?
All I can say is, 10 years ago it cost me $1200 for new clutch in my Contour. It was not well engineered for servicing the clutch/transmission as I was told. If you do it yourself then it won't be anything near that price. But is that transmission an SVT only or Contour only piece?
Is this a trick question? Here in ATL, the scrap yards are paying $400+ for a scrap chassis. I think $800 for ANY running, driving car is a reasonable deal, let alone something that's potentially fun and in near-mint condition.
That said, I don't have any first hand experience with these cars, except that my dad had a Contour Sport as a company car for a few years and it was reasonably cool - I imagine the SVT is easily worth $800 in the condition you describe.
If you just double clutch like you're supposed to it should be drivable like that for a while 
They didn't make a '97 CSVT so it must be an early '98 (E0 to those that remember).
It may not be the 3rd gear sycro either. These had a tendancy to wear out the shift bushing on the shift tower on top of the trans. It used to be $15 at the Ford dealer. If you turn the wheel all the way to the right, you can look into the drivers side wheel well and see the tower.
They used to pop off completely and people that knew would buy them for next to nothing since the PO thought the trans was messed up.
I used to buy and sell them years ago and I always thought it was a really decent looking and handling car.
These also left the factory with ATF in them and Ford eventually switched to their Honey ($20/qt) fluid some years later. The ATF didn't play nice with the shift rods and it usually took me a few fluid changes to get the ATF crap out. Maybe someone used some POS fluid or it might still have ATF in it. Either way, its super easy to change.
My brother used to have an SVT Contour, I loved that car. I remember that they also had issues with the slave cylinder,which unfortutely is in bell housing I recall. I've "fixed" a lot of transmissions with "bad syncros" with a fluid change. Not always better fluid either, some trannies just don't agree with some fluids.
Yea. Looks like the slave rides the shaft. If you pull that down, may as well replace the clutch and slave just in case. IIRC, those engines and transmissions are really squeezed in there.
Vigo
PowerDork
5/6/14 7:17 a.m.
If you just double clutch like you're supposed to it should be drivable like that for a while
Ah yes, the classic double-clutched UPSHIFT.
Vigo wrote:
If you just double clutch like you're supposed to it should be drivable like that for a while
Ah yes, the classic double-clutched UPSHIFT.
It soothes the savage syncro
I say it's a hell of a deal. They are not anywhere as difficult to work on as internet lore make out. They are really great cars. There are also a ton of them out there with LSD's retrofitted. I bet some searching on Contour.org would find a car being parted out with a good trans, and possibly even find one with an LSD in it. The boxes aren't that hard to rebuild either.
Run, don't walk TOWARDS it in this case.
I bought a used '00 SVT in '04 with 30K on it. I put on 100K miles before I sold it with 130K last year. I changed the trans fluid to Mobil Syn. ATF and never had a problem with the trans or clutch. Most of that would be due to how I drove the car. These cars as their prices came down fell into the hands of "young" drivers who most likely taught themselves to drive a "stick" since so few people today really know how. Resulting in clutch and trans issues.
Ok he texted me and has offered it to me for $900. I am going to make him wait a bit and then offer $600 as the firm and final offer. Me think he is not getting any other offers. It is to some degree a white elefant but on the other hand they are great fun cars to drive that you can also use as a DD.
I am also going to have to do something nice for my wife for mothers day if another car is to take up residence in my "lot".
I'd buy it at $900 if it's as nice as it sounds.
I am cheap and I really have no need for this car. I do want it through. I have three running and driving on the road at the moment. It would just be a project and possibly allow me to take the Porsche off the road so I can do a major service to the motor and rebuild the torque tube and trans.
