ValCor
CEG'er
OK, it is 2011 and I bought my CSVT brand new, in September of 1998.
I've put three sunroof motors in her and the current one is broken, nine fog lamps, repaired the remote trunk latch, repaired the antenna twice; O2 sensors, crankshaft position sensor, camshaft sensor, MTX cable thingy, clutch fluid something or other, waterpump/thermostat, and the big finale............drumroll...............my engine blew up! I've omitted the various interior repairs I've had to do. Then there were all the recalls and service bulletin crappola to deal with. I dealth with it. I replaced the engine and clutch with the help of an ace mechanic; we decided to just swap it for an identical engine due to cost and time constraints. It worked liked a charm and I was back on the road in a little over one month. The ODBII computer sensed and set everthing like normal due to the identical swap. I didn't have to replace a single sensor.
Today my steering wheel center airbag cover is loose and the headlamp control knob's faceplate thingy is broken and loose. I've lost a line or two in my rear window defroster, but it still works. I have rear bumper sag. Sigh! My sunroof sticks, but I can push it and it works, sometimes. It all boils down to this, I bought an American car when it was not popular to do so. Heck! I wanted a Honda! (They did not offer a V6 5-speed manual at the time). My budget was $25K. I looked at everything available in a V6 5-speed manual, and the choices were slim and boring. Mazda? Really? Nah! Too small. I am six-feet one inch tall. I needed leg and head room with a sunroof!
I then spied an article in MotorTrend about the CSVT. I had seen the SE and liked it, but this was special! Long story shortened, it was love at first sight and I bought it! Would I do it again? Hell yes!!! When I bought it, all I wanted was 10 years and or 100K miles. Ha! From a Ford? All my peeps laughed at me! I exceeded both! (My engine blew at 128K miles). I've had so much fun in this car and, I don't see three of them at every stoplight!
Yeah, I feel the overall build quality could have been better, especially in the fit and trim arena. On the plus side, my clearcoat is just fine after all this time and my car has never been garaged. The AC and heater still work and all four power windows work. Knock on wood! The leather/vinyl interior and headliner are in great condition. The leather seats are comfy and there are no cracks, rips, tears, or weak seams. I feel I got the best model year, the 98.5 E1; had none of the dashwarp problems.
My first car was a '62 Ford Falcon. I failed the driving test in it the first time! LOL! I've named my CSVT Meridian Falcon.
Happy New Year to all!
I've put three sunroof motors in her and the current one is broken, nine fog lamps, repaired the remote trunk latch, repaired the antenna twice; O2 sensors, crankshaft position sensor, camshaft sensor, MTX cable thingy, clutch fluid something or other, waterpump/thermostat, and the big finale............drumroll...............my engine blew up! I've omitted the various interior repairs I've had to do. Then there were all the recalls and service bulletin crappola to deal with. I dealth with it. I replaced the engine and clutch with the help of an ace mechanic; we decided to just swap it for an identical engine due to cost and time constraints. It worked liked a charm and I was back on the road in a little over one month. The ODBII computer sensed and set everthing like normal due to the identical swap. I didn't have to replace a single sensor.
Today my steering wheel center airbag cover is loose and the headlamp control knob's faceplate thingy is broken and loose. I've lost a line or two in my rear window defroster, but it still works. I have rear bumper sag. Sigh! My sunroof sticks, but I can push it and it works, sometimes. It all boils down to this, I bought an American car when it was not popular to do so. Heck! I wanted a Honda! (They did not offer a V6 5-speed manual at the time). My budget was $25K. I looked at everything available in a V6 5-speed manual, and the choices were slim and boring. Mazda? Really? Nah! Too small. I am six-feet one inch tall. I needed leg and head room with a sunroof!
I then spied an article in MotorTrend about the CSVT. I had seen the SE and liked it, but this was special! Long story shortened, it was love at first sight and I bought it! Would I do it again? Hell yes!!! When I bought it, all I wanted was 10 years and or 100K miles. Ha! From a Ford? All my peeps laughed at me! I exceeded both! (My engine blew at 128K miles). I've had so much fun in this car and, I don't see three of them at every stoplight!
Yeah, I feel the overall build quality could have been better, especially in the fit and trim arena. On the plus side, my clearcoat is just fine after all this time and my car has never been garaged. The AC and heater still work and all four power windows work. Knock on wood! The leather/vinyl interior and headliner are in great condition. The leather seats are comfy and there are no cracks, rips, tears, or weak seams. I feel I got the best model year, the 98.5 E1; had none of the dashwarp problems.
My first car was a '62 Ford Falcon. I failed the driving test in it the first time! LOL! I've named my CSVT Meridian Falcon.
Happy New Year to all!