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Which one is the best?

A

Aussie Ford

Hard-core CEG'er
Joined
Sep 3, 2006
Messages
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Location
Portland, Orygun
Of all the SVT's, and let's throw in the SE's too, what is the best production year for Contour or Mystique and why? Actually any model can be in play here if you like.
I guess one might have to presume that not always do models improve each year with the latest being the best.
Some years the power train is more improved than another.
Sometimes the aesthetics are better, and once in a while they get it right and looks and performance collide creating a superb ride.
Perhaps the SVT's performance is better that the SE's, but the SE's creature comforts give it an edge.... maybe each needs to be thought of in their own right.....
So thinking about these aspects, and what others you may wish to add, which one, or ones are thought of as being "Da Best" where do the Mystiques place they are usually a bit fancier and did they do an SVT?

I just have this 95 GL now with quite a few of the stock options that I've added, but there are several that it is not practical to add, like a power moon roof, and traction control.

I know everyone has an opinion and I'd like to hear them. To have a proper compairson I think it is only fair to rate stock from the factory cars & options....

Thanks.......
 
Speaking for myself, I love everything about the 99SVT, EXCEPT the DASH!!!!:mad: . I'm not saying it was the best, I happen to like pre-98's front and back views alot. But I do like the extra 5 HP from the extrude honing process.
 
E0's all the way.
sure they lack the extra 5 ponies and the 'better' suspension,
but they dont have dashwarp and have very little decontenting.
they also have the bigger front rotors.
 
MIne is 96. No dash warp (yet), no fuel pump issues (return style) but I have to worry about wiring harness.
 
FYI there were no MSVT's (Mystiques).

I think the E0 SVT are probably the best, because they have the most features. However I also like the 99/00 cause they came with a tan interior for the Tred's.

For Se's I like the pre98's best and I think the post 97 Mystiques are right under the SVT in the line up. They seem to be a bit nicer on the inrerior and I like their hoods.

My least favorite have to be the pre98 'stiques though. sorry guys!
 
1996SE
- Stiffest Suspension
- Great Seats
- Traction Control
- Low-Profile Trunk Spoiler
- No Dash Warp
- OBDII (which eliminates the 95SE)
- Redesigned Seatbacks (which again eliminates the 95SE)
- Remote Release for Gas Filler Door
- Glove Box & Door Handle Lights
- Tough Rod Shift (which eliminates 98+ MTX models)
- Tough OEM Differential (which eliminates 98+ MTX models)
- Better build quality than 98+ models (when comparing the 95GS, 96SE and 98SE models I've owned)
 
There was a thread in the old UBB forums about this. It seems the general concensus was that for pre-98s the 1996 model year was the best. OBDII and Ford hadn't really started to de-content. For 98+ it seemed most preferred the '98.0 model year. Most equipment and didn't have the dash-warp problem of later models.
 
96_98_SE said:
1996SE
- Stiffest Suspension
- Great Seats
- Traction Control
- Low-Profile Trunk Spoiler
- No Dash Warp
- OBDII (which eliminates the 95SE)
- Redesigned Seatbacks (which again eliminates the 95SE)
- Remote Release for Gas Filler Door
- Glove Box & Door Handle Lights
- Tough Rod Shift (which eliminates 98+ MTX models)
- Tough OEM Differential (which eliminates 98+ MTX models)
- Better build quality than 98+ models (when comparing the 95GS, 96SE and 98SE models I've owned)
Click to expand...

I concur completely. I own both a '96 SE and a '98 SE Sport. In addition, I think the first generation is much nicer looking. The only thing I hated about the '96 is the stupid remote release for the gas filler door that not only never worked but was completely unnecessary. This was fortunately deleted for '98.
 
If you havn't caught the drift of it yet, you are fighting improvements each year with decontenting at the same time. The fun part is catching the balance between the two.

I have a 98 SVT E0. I bought it new. I have upgraded the front struts to the E1 style stiffer struts. The E1 lost the clock. The 99 gained 5 horsepower, but the interior was decontented with thinner sunvisors and other small things. Late 99 went to the problematic returnless fuel system.

I'm sure that I could easily learn to like any of them, but I also very much enjoy mine.
 
Well it sure sounds like you all have some really nice cars. And it sounds like you like the ones you have or had. Sometimes the one you had can seem much better than it did when you had it :)

Let me tell you about the 95GL 4 banger ATX I have. It is a very stripped down model, but it had the light package (Glove box, Door handle lights, and outside key hole lights), AC, cruise control, over drive, and power heated mirrors. I have added the following to this:
Under hood insulation
Insrument panel w/ tach
Tilt steering column
96 Leather seats, w/ power drivers side, & 40/60 fold down split rear.
97 rear door sails that have Contour on them.
Power windows
Power antenna
Fog lights
After market radio / cd player
I would like to add SE rocker covers, and a lighted spoiler to finish it off. I don't know of any other options that would be practical to add. Suggestions welcome. Maybe upgrade the suspension.......

It is getting to be ok in the creature comforts catagory. The guy I got it from had just put on some 80k Mitchlins filled w/ nitrogen.

Did any have positraction? or was that what the traction control was all about?
Did the Mystiques have different options than the Contours?
 
I have only driven my 99 SVT for only a week, but I believe that it's amazingly well tuned in a stock configuration. The overall balance of the drive is fantastic. It's exactly the ride experience I want in a sports sedan. I love 95% of the interior and the seats are the most comfortable I've ever driven in by a longshot.

I like the subtle aggressiveness of the exterior. Everyone whom sees the car in person is immediately impressed. I believe SVT inspired syling on all Contours would have doubled sales. And a better name. 'Contour' doesn't convey a 130/170/200HP small sedan with tight steering, stiff suspension and european handling to me. I think they almost (ceg) entirely missed the platforms true market. To this day most of the people I see driving Contours are housewives and grandmothers. But I digress. :)

With that said, it has a warped dash and crappy sun visors compared to my 95 -- my girlfriend hates that the passenger sun visor mirror isn't centered. ;)
 
96 SE is the best of the earlies. OBDII, improvements over 95, deleted brightwork, but little else (if anything) except maybe a lighted exterior keyhole.

I've never owned an SVT, but I like the E0's the best, aesthetically. SVT held the line on keeping the decorative "spoiler" off the trunklid, and the "Cossie" wheels are more "European" and just better looking, IMHO. OTOH, I'd prefer a tan interior to the somewhat funky "midnight blue." Seems too Toyota-ish.

As for the locking gas-caps on the earlies: Most cars in Europe have these because with the higher gas prices comes higher fuel theft. When gas broke $3 here last Summer, people got more interested in retrofitting locks to their existing gas caps.
 
I can only speak for the one that I own which is a 99 SVT and I love it. When I bought it I felt that I was making a huge concession to go from a dedicated two door rwd sports car to a four door front driver. However I have become very attached to it and this community so I will probably stick with it for quite some time. Also, a bit off topic, I would love to see some of that Polara.
 
"I would love to see some of that Polara"
Well My friend, so would I.... I got that car back in 69 from a guy that didn't like the engine, said it was too powerful... I was just back from Nam and bought it for $900. It was metallic blue, kind of a medium blue.... had matching blue leather interior. (bucket seats) The 426 was backed up with a torque flight tranny and positraction rear. Once I punched it on a hill and smoked the tires so much that I was actually sliding backwards down the hill... That thing had more power than you could believe. Didn't really corner well was a bit nose heavy, but on the flat it would fly. Broke the spedo a couple of times and it was still going accelerating.. I recall taking the fluid out of the shocks and filling them with 30 weight motor oil.... That'll stiffen the suspension.... eventually I put on 2 - 4bbl Carter AFB carbs..... Ran the heck out of it for several years, OHhhhh then $$$$$ I spent on tickets when they caught me. Lost my lisence so many times that the traffic court judge knew my name.... not a good thing.. After 10 years or so I calmed down a bit, tore it apart and rebuilt everything even the interior. In the late eighties I did an electronic ignition.. went back to a single 4bbl and only drove it once in a while. Spent more time waxing it than driving it. Thought I'd start minimizing the milage it was about 300k at that point and getting close to another rebuild I allways changed the oil at 3k or less. Back in the early years I used 76's Super Royal Triton the purple stuff. Mostly kept it tuned well. There was a while I had trouble with the carbs then finally I just rejetted both and rebuilt them. That solved it for a while... In 95 it was a sunny Labor day and I took it out for a bit of a drive. Lit up the tires for a block or so by my house :) The neighbors most of whom had had a turn at it would just wave. So I was crusing along at a blistering 25 mph about 8 blocks from the house when a drunk runs a stop sign and T-bones me in the middle of the intersection. Gets out pours out the rest of his beer tosses the can in a bush. About two minutes later the police arrive lock him up and of course he has a suspended lisence and no insurance.... He was driving an old buick doing about 35 and totals my prize..... At least the engine is alive and well in a street rod.. IF I only had every car I have owned..... The 48 Hudson, 59 Chev Impala, 66 Dodge Dart GT 273 Hi Pro 4sp positrac, 70 Coup DeVill, 69 Eldorado, 62 Lincoln Continental to name a few....
 
Jeb Hoge said:
Deleted for '97. Which means '97SE MTX FTW!
Click to expand...

From the research I've done, 95 and 96 SE's were the ones that had HUGE seat bolstering, which was reduced in 97 (maybe there are some exceptions to this, but I've seen plenty of 97's on autotrader.com with small side bolsters) *cue Debbie Downer music "wuh wahhhh"

Give me a quirky gas door anyday over decontented seats. I might add that the remote release works flawlessly on my 150K mile 96 GL

'96 SE MTX FTW! :)
 
sk8token said:
Give me a quirky gas door anyday over decontented seats. I might add that the remote release works flawlessly on my 150K mile 96 GL
Click to expand...

That was about the time mine started giving up on my 96GL...

At first, I could jab the release a few times and look in the passenger mirror when it opened, but after a while, I would have to open the trunk and pull the release.
 
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