SVT dies to save pre98 SE**build thread**

[96contourSE]

SVT dies to save pre98 SE-build thread

Hi, I go by 96ContourSE on here. I have been here since 2003 officially. But was coming to CEG since 2000 when we first got the SE in this build thread. It has remained bone stock till just now.....

The SE has served me well over the last 10 years, I just checked and I have owned this Contour longer than any other car! That must mean something, right…I am still in the justifying fixing her up stage. I will soon have to get over that….and just be happy spending the money on a car that’s great!!

This Contour has been like a tank for my family. It’s been through a lot. Its even had the distinction of bringing home 2 of my daughters from the hospital after their birth, vacations and even a few accidents.

Although the SE has been fazed to a third car (back up) for us it still gets driven a lot. I guess I should just get to it…..

For starters, some history. We bought the Contour when it was 2 years old. Paid $10,000 and was happy doing so! I have always thought of it as my poor mans SVT!! We looked for months for a 96-97 black and tan SE with a MTX. Had to be black and tan and the MTX was a deal breaker! NO autos for me, and my wife wanted the 5 speed too. It was going to be her car!! Found the perfect SE in Columbus Ohio and bought it over the phone!! Then drove up to get it. Side note, it’s a Canadian spec car.

Here she was back in DEC 2000

SKIP FARWARD 4 years and the Contour is doing well, pulling family duty. And then one day, POW…..hit a deer. Well I guess the deer hit me. I was lucky that the deer jumped into the A pillar. That A pillar saved me from the deer coming in on me. The tour was not so lucky. The repair bill came to $3700. Of course the car was totaled. We just could not let it go and bought it back for $100. Get a new salvage title and an inspection and she was back on the road.


SKIP FARWARD to 1 week ago. I decided that I am sick of driving that Contour all banged up and find a parts car SVT. It’s in St. Louis, about 7 hours from my house.

And that’s were we pick up the pre98 SE build thread…..

YES, That's an SVT with a GL front bumper....This is how I found it!

Here is the 99 SVT parts car from her better side....

This is a sad day for sure for this SVT. All it really needed was a Clutch and shift coupler. And there was even a NEW LUK clutch in the trunk! But it was in far worse shape than even my poor 96SE. So I did think about saving it BUT came to the conclusion that it would be better to salvage the SVT and use the parts on my Pre98 SE. I need to call 1-800-FORD-SVT and get the SVT certificate or the # just to have it??

Now I know what you are thinking....."I would have kept the SVT...." But really the 96 was far better for a build. And I know the history as well. The picture of the SVT does look pretty good compared to my beat up old 96SE.

Planning list below. I will add to it as needed.
List updated 1/11/09

Pre98 exterior/interior
1. Install SVT body, rear bumper and side skirts
2. Repair/install Pre98 molded SVT front bumper
3. Install/paint SVT E1 rims and Goodyear tires possible painted black w/silver lip
4. Replace drivers side doors (2) with new hinges and Pre98 wiring
5. Replace drivers side fender
6. Replace rear inner fenders with SVT upgrade scooped out inners (no more rub)
7. Repair pre98 truck A. Running lights for license plate B. drill out bolts for plate
8. Repair trunk light and switch for light at trunk release (stuck ON!)
9. Replace 1996 antenna for SVT power antenna
10. Install Audi A6 side lights from SVT
11. Repair HVAC switch with new wires and switch
12. Install SVT gauge cluster
13. Mod the fog lights on with parking lights
14. Moon roof full replacement from SVT
15. Paint/die door panel 2 tone-black and prairie tan
16. Repair front drivers side electric seat track
17. Swap tilt wheel from SVT swap??
18. Clean up or wet side head lights
19. Tint all windows to match new glass from SVT
20. Replace left rear brake light
21. Find a dual cup holder for my 96 console
22. Replace broken truck lock
23. Clear front signal corner lights


Mechanical
1. SVT intake filter, Throttle body, Upper/lower intake manifolds
2. Look into using the SVT injectors and PCM??
3. SVT radiator
4. Repair power steering line leak at radiator
5. Replace low speed cooling fan
6. Repair Battery hold down
7. SVT exhaust w/resonator delete
8. Optimize y pipe and/or new y pipe
9. Replace O2 sensors
10. Replace broken SE springs with Eibach springs
11. Swap out SE struts for SVT
12. Install SVT front brakes
13. Swap out SE rear calipers for SVT calipers with upgraded emergence hand brake cables
14. Replace dash bezel (broken vent) with early 98
15. Relocate battery to rear
16. Rear sway bar mounting bolt rusted off…Fix
17. Replace all sway bar end links
18. Ford racing wires RED

Louie

 

[96contourSE]

Just called Ford and got the #. Its 1322 of 2760. Ford wanted $45 for the document and a week or more to get it.


So I made my own in 10 min. Perfect font match was in Photoshop CS...here it is.

 

[striker2]

About time you got around to making this post Louie. :laugh::laugh:

the pre98 will be looking good in no time.

 

[96contourSE]

One last picture before it was unloaded and the strip down began.

And here are a few from this morning....

And the tear down starts with the 96.....

Here I have removed most of the bad parts. Also removed the SE side skirts. I'm ready to test fit the pre98 SVT front bumper.....

Like mentioned in the first post. The door will have all the pre98 options added to a 99 door. In this picture I am swapping the door wiring harness to pre98.

Ford racing wires went on the SE 2.5 for now. Red looks good.

 

[96contourSE]

Lots of little things on my list of repairs....

This is the HVAC fan switch plug.....FIRE HAZARD!!!!

Its all fixed now and the heat/air works on hi AND low! THANKS striker2

Looks like the springs are going to have to come off sooooon! Luckly the SVT has lowering spring that look to be in good shape.

And a sneak peak before I pulled the all new "looking" Contour out of the garage(with the pre98 SVT bumper fitted)...

Louie

 

[royalblue]

it shure is sad to see another CSVT die, however I do like me a hot pre 98 Contour good luck

 

[96contourSE]

And here it is with the first HARD day behind me.

Drivers door and glass replaced also w/Pre98 wiring installed.
Front fender replaced
HVAC switch fixed
Pre98 SVT bumper test fit on 96SE
SVT rear bumper installed
SVT side skirts installed
Rear sway bar clunk fixed

Being that I am a photographer I had to clean up the background because of trash cans and trees....got carried away and ended up outlining it! But you get the idea.......

 

[96contourSE]

And yes the Contour is now Black, Green, Silver and T-red!!

So just to keep me motivated I Photoshop painted it real quick.....

not bad for about 18 hours so far. Still UGLY!! But 100% better than 2 days ago...

Louie

 

[royalblue]

I'am jealous allready:drool:

 

[Frosty]

Looks good! Sorry to see an SVT go, but your pre-98 will look great once you get it painted. Please replace those rims too...they don't go with the SVT look Did you add your SVT to the "All SVT's go to heaven" thread in General Discussions? If you didn't please do or otherwise I can do it also. Thanks!

 

[96contourSE]

Yes, I hate to see it go as well. I will hold off on adding this SVT to "All SVT's go to heaven" thread. It's not to far gone to be repaired, so there is still some hope, not much, but some.

I am planning on adding the SVT E1 wheels to the SE. But I need to swap the SE wheels to the SVT and the SVT brakes are to big to fit the 15" SE wheels. I guess I will just remove the SVT front brakes and then the will fit.

I have the SVT gauge cluster pulled. I would like to install this into the SE this weekend. Looks like its 50/50 if the SVT gauge cluster will working a pre98. I am reading about it here....http://ca.geocities.com/m_disco/SVT_gauges.htm

Stayed up late tonight and removed the SVT left rear door and hinges. Should go onto the SE this weekend.

Louie

 

[MARTINI]

Replace also UIM, trotle body and related parts!

 

[95pgt-t]

heres a little motivation for ya::laugh:

heres a list of parts you could swap out,as i did to the above:
svt front brakes
svt front sway bar
svt upper and lower intake manifolds
svt throttle body,cable,bracket,intlet tube and intake housing
the gauges will indeed work,you just need to scrape a connection on the green plastic backing.
svt catback
upper dash shroud
svt radiator
mounts
or just install the whole engine...after all the work of swapping intake parts that what i eventually did.

btw,your parts car was wayyyyyyyyyyyy better than mine:

 

[jolly8286]

looks really good on the rebuild. If that svt is still streetable and you don't want to fool with it, i'm pretty sure someone could make a project out of it.

 

[todras]

the SVT brakes are to big to fit the 15" SE wheels.

Since when? :troutslap:

 

[Pudmunkie]

Since when? :troutslap:

Truf.

Scooba steve ran 15" focus wheels on his SVT in the winter.

 

[96contourSE]

Well I guess that’s good news on the SE to SVT rim swap. Really just need to be able to roll the SVT around on smaller SE wheels. I was waiting till I did the lowering springs and struts to change out the rims and tires. Mainly because I need an alignment and don’t want to wear out the tires from the SVT....they are almost new Goodyear’s. Or pay for 2 alignments months apart.

I am somewhat disappointed with the SVT brakes. I never really looked into the difference but now that I have it looks like it’s only a slightly bigger rotor made to fit with a bracket. All of this on with stock calipers(99 up). That does not seem like that big of deal?? I saw somewhere that the SVT will stop from 70mph 20 something feet faster….I guess that could be a big deal.

I may be being a little harsh about the SVT brakes…maybe because I am pissed that the PO of the SVT parts car installed NEW rotors. Good thing right, NO! They are the standard rotors with SVT brackets and new pads. I checked the old rotors and pads in the truck, they are the smaller Contour rotors too…. And yes the old pads he left me in the truck are wore down EXCEPT to outer edge were the mismatch is from not having the larger rotors. The things people do to save a few $!

Progress
1) I removed the SVT exhaust last night from the CAT to the tips. Looking into what to do to the exhaust while it’s off laying on the garage floor. Remove the resonator and add?? What?
2) Left rear door and hinges is stripped down and read for the pre98 wires.
3) SVT intake from the TB to the filter ready to go on too.
4) Bagged up all the little parts in labeled zip lock bags!

No progress…..
Having trouble removing the SVT center bolt on the Y pipe, the one on the center bracket. Looks to be spinning a square nut on top that I can’t get to. Also busted off one of the manifold bolts (rusted) on the back manifold!! CAT bolts both rusted and snapped to. The ones with the springs.

Louie

 

[striker2]

Didn't you tell me the PO had said there was some wierd braking problem? Well the small rotors with large brackets explains that. What a dumbass. :nonono:

 

[96contourSE]

And I have the old pads to prove that they drove it that way for a FULL brake pad time period!! 20-30K?? YES...dumb! And I am stuck with NO SVT front rotors!!!! To bad because the rotors I have are new. zero miles!

And that 95 rear truck key assambly a got from you did not work on the plastic insert from the 96. BUT it does fit the SVT 99. So I had to swap a 95 to 96 to a 99 and it looks like it will work. I will install it later today. Thanks for your help!!

 

[96contourSE]

heres a little motivation for ya::laugh:

WOW!!!!! Thats what a am doing to the T. Even the black E1 rims. But I will paint a silver lip on mine. OR are those Focus SVT rims...close enough! Is that tan interior or SVT MNB?

the gauges will indeed work,you just need to scrape a connection on the green plastic backing.

Details please!! I would like to do this tonight. Did the SVT gauge link above make sense?

btw,your parts car was wayyyyyyyyyyyy better than mine:

Yes that parts car was toast! Mine was really an SVT in need of repairs turned parts car.