New engine into the SVT Contour - questions

[SVT_Power]

[L. ed foote]

  Evidently, he installed the parts right in the parking lot at Advance (college kids...geez).

Happens all the time here, not just with college kids.

[Madman]

If JWC is right about contours just seeming to fall apart past 110k miles, I might be in for a few more surprises - which I really don't want to and can't deal with.

I'm calling B.S. on that one!

My mother has a 2000 Mercury Mystique GS with the 2.0 Zetec and automatic.  Her car has been VERY reliable.  It is, hands down, the best Ford product anyone in my family has ever had.  And my parents have had LOTS of Fords and Lincolns!  It is now at 150,000 miles and the only unexpected repairs this car has ever needed were a fuel pump and an oxygen sensor.  I think that's pretty damn good by anyone's standards, and I'm not even a Ford fan.  So, this rubbish that "all Contours (and Mystiques) fall apart after 110,000 miles" is pure bull.


Madman of the People

[Madman]

my mom said she just doesn't want to deal with anything that could go wrong after. Then i said if she gives me the explorer, anything could go wrong with that too but she said that's a different story

Typical woman.

Not to stereotype here, but you could write everything the average woman knows about cars on the back of a postage stamp.  They either buy or directly influence the buying decisions of at least three-quarters of all cars sold and yet they know almost nothing about them.  Want to know why there are so many mediocre crapboxes clogging up our roads?  Blame it on women.

Sure there are a few rare exceptions but, for the most part, women are dangerously ignorant when it comes choosing, operating and maintaining an automobile.

Both your parents seem to be extremely short-sighted about this whole situation.  A rebuilt engine will, in the long run, be more economical than dumping the Contour and buying another car.  All cars require repairs and maintenance.  None are immune to unexpected mechanical failures.  What on Earth makes them think an Explorer, Sonata or anything else they want to put you into will never break?

If you ask me, your parents seem to be extremely controlling.  The fact that you father wants to dictate what you should do, without even considering all options (or even taking your opinion into account) tells me this is a very dysfunctional relationship.  I'm not sure how old you are, but I think it's time for you to take a stand.  If you have to get the car fixed without their help, then so be it.  You an get an extra part-time job (at least temporarily) to raise the cash.  Store the car at a friend's house if you must.  Just don't let yourself be bullied into doing anything you don't want to do.


Madman of the People

[VTEC_Inside]

my mom said she just doesn't want to deal with anything that could go wrong after. Then i said if she gives me the explorer, anything could go wrong with that too but she said that's a different story

Explorer 

F that, from a gas mileage point of view alone.

Whats the financial situation here anyway?

If they aren't footing the bill for the majority of the car cost then I would simply tell them that you appreciate their help, etc... BUT, if you are going to be contributing a good chunk of coin to this vehicle then it makes sense that you should get what YOU want.

[SVT_Power]

Explorer 

F that, from a gas mileage point of view alone.

Whats the financial situation here anyway?

If they aren't footing the bill for the majority of the car cost then I would simply tell them that you appreciate their help, etc... BUT, if you are going to be contributing a good chunk of coin to this vehicle then it makes sense that you should get what YOU want.

Well...for the rebuild right now I have absolutely no money. (No money to the point I have to borrow money to buy a friend's birthday gift for this weekend) So my parents basically have full control in terms of finances behind the rebuild. For the car, I'm supposed to pay them back the full amount sooner or later

[VTEC_Inside]

IMO, since you are paying them back its a slight bit inconsiderate of them to make you sell the car.

Again, its great that they are now also loaning you the money for the rebuild, but had that not come up, you'd be paying them back as planned and there would be no question about keeping the car or not.

If they don't expect you to repay them the cost of the rebuild, thereby the amount you owe them stays equal then they have the right to make the suggestion that you sell, but...

It just makes absolutely no sense to sell after the rebuild. As has been covered here, any maintanence items to come up afterwards are going to be small in comparisson.

Re: your moms stance on used cars.  I bought my Accord as a 10yr old with 213,000kms and I'm comming up on 400,000kms now. Sure its had its moments, but nothing drastic.

[JWC]

The Contour towed in has jumped timing.  We won't know the exact cause until we tear it down.  I won't know until Monday since I'm gone on location for the next three days....(other job).

Yes, two people on this board have had good luck with Contours, one with a Honda, but to me that's apples and oranges.   

I've made it no secret that I don't care for Contours, even advising not to buy one, so take that into consideration with the following thought...

If you keep the Contour, anything that happens from here on, you're going to hear the infamous "Son, I told you to get rid of that car to begin with".

If you take a car she gives you, anything that happens to it, falls on her.  She can't say "I told you so".

[the Teuton]

Great points, JWC, but I can't help but think that my brother's car has been downright neglected.  He's not a car person and the only time he will be is when he buys something and watches as I fix it or change the oil or whatever.

The car is something like 1,500 miles over when it probably should have had the oil changed, and this is by no means the first time.  Yet, the car still keeps on running...

It has almost the same exact engine as Eddie's SVT except it doesn't breathe as well and it has a differently tuned ECU.  It's still a Duratec 2.5, though.  I find the car to be reliable, safe, and trusty, as it has never left us stranded.  It has more than 300,000 km on it, and it just won't die.

I just can't help but think that you're a little biased against the Contour or the Duratec 2.5 that it clouds your thoughts as to why the engine is not worth saving or rebuilding.  It, along with all of the other modular V6 engines, is a great engine.  No one has really complained about the 3.0, 3.5, etc.  When you read consumer review mags, everyone says don't buy the Vulcan V6 -- go for the Duratec instead in the Taurus.  The Zetec is in no way related to the Duratec other than a few shared parts.  The car you're working with is an I4 model.

In saying this, if you maintain the engine properly, it should run extremely well.  The previous owner knew what he was doing when he sold Eddie a defective car and Eddie really should have gotten it checked out my a good mechanic, but hindsight is always 20/20.  If the car had been maintained to a proper standard, this probably would have never happened.  It's giving up on the problem because he inherited it -- not created it.

Eddie, you're mom doesn't know or realize the fiscal mistakes she's making.  If you're going to have to pay someone back at some point anyway, what will happen if your mom buys the Sonata?  Are you going to have to pay her back $17,000?  Are you going to have to buy the Explorer from her?

Read a used car mag and it will tell you that the Explorer is no more reliable than a Contour.  It will die at some point, too, but what are you going to do when that happens?

[SVT_Power]

well right now we're trying to just sell the car (hopefully at 3 grand but i think my parents will go under that just to get rid of it). And whatever we lost, my parents will probably make me pay back to them.

As for the explorer, if she buys the sonata, she'll just let me take the explorer without having to pay her. But the thing is I think my dad wants to replace the explorer with a Veracruz when the financing on the explorer ends (feb/08) - which i dont agree with anyhow. And i highly doubt my parents want to take on double car payments so i have no idea what's going on.

[the Teuton]

Ask and have them explain in full, coherent sentences what they want to see happen.

[SVT_Power]

right now, they want the car sold. No question about that.

[the Teuton]

That's unfortunately short-sighted, but understandable.

[SVT_Power]

there's a guy who wants to see the car on friday so hopefully we can work something out

[ChrisV]

The only issue I have with mechanics telling you they don't like a car because they see broken ones is this: then never see non-broken ones due to the nature of their business. For every broken one they see, there are thousands of perfectly fine ones that don't have to GO to a mechanic. When you only see broken ones it's easy to become jaded. Does that make sense?

[JWC]

The only issue I have with mechanics telling you they don't like a car because they see broken ones is this: then never see non-broken ones due to the nature of their business. For every broken one they see, there are thousands of perfectly fine ones that don't have to GO to a mechanic. When you only see broken ones it's easy to become jaded. Does that make sense?

I'm just one dealership and a small one.  I believe in my PM to Mpower when he asked about Contours, I said they have issues and are expensive to repair.

If I was jaded by broken down vehicles, I tell people never buy a Ford.  I never see a Chevy, Toyota, Mazda, etc.  Of course, we are an odd dealership, in that we only sell Fords...rarely does the owner keep a "foreign" make like Chevy or Dodge. 

More specifically, I'd tell people to stay away from 2001-2004 Explorers.  I see a lot of problems with them, mostly noisy rear diffs.  Yet, despite the noise, the never break...just whine.

I'm getting my daughter a Focus.  Despite their reputation (online rep, there used to be a website devoted just to Focus brake problems), I regularly see them with over 120,000 miles and no engine or transmission repairs, no window motor repairs, no electrical shorts, no common MIL faults, etc.   I will not buy a 2000 or 2001 Focus.  Those were plagued with recalls and quality issues, yet I've seen some with 160,000 miles on them.

When I look at a used car, I start with a list of desired vehicles and condition.  I look at potential repair costs, insurance cost,  and fuel economy...in that order.   I ruled against the Contour when Mpower PMed me because, based on experience, it failed on repair cost and known issues. 

At the risk of sounding like I'm saying "I told you so"....I feel that I've been proven correct in my assessment of Contours. You can dismiss my comments to Mpower about bailing on the car, but I don't want to see him get into a situation at home where every time the car breaks, Mom and Dad give him hell for keeping it.  At his age, he needs to roll with the punches and do as they say. 

One option, if he really wants to keep the car, is to pay them back, keep the car and accept the Explorer, for now, to get to work, school and back....if they allow that.  He can take the insurance off of the Contour, park it, and fix it little by little as money allows.  By the time he is ready to move out of the house, go to college, He'll have the Contour, he'll be on his own, and he won't have to listen to them.

[ChrisV]

It's just that if I listened to all the mechanics I know, there wouldn't be a make or model of car left to choose from. Especially not the fun, desireable models.

[the Teuton]

When you get involved with a brand, you hear horror stories about it -- even Toyota.  You wouldn't believe how many sidelined 1993-2001 Subarus I've heard about with problems.  Every make has problems, and some are far more severe than others.

If I listened to a mechanic, I would never want to EVER buy a WRX because the transmissions are shit and break too easily.  OTOH, Roy's car has been problem free, but it's only a year old.

Used cars have problems.  Period.  It's what you do to maintain them and keep them up to spec when they're in your hands that makes the difference.

[BartsSVO]

You will lose more money on the sale than what it will cost to get it fixed. Regardless of what the book price on a non-running car will be, most people that will actually buy such a vehicle are looking for a bargain or a car they can fix and resell at a profit. Basically this means paying as little as possible for it. For a vehicle like that, I figure you're probably looking at offers of less than $1200. It may be an SVT, but its certainly no Cobra or Lightning.

Most of my experiences with used cars had to deal with ones with automatic transmissions. I solve that by buying used vehicles with manual transmissions. Unless the motor blows up, worst thing I'm usually faced with is a clutch replacement.