why can't you throw a good set of struts and springs on a 98-00 v6 se?
different sway bars etc. IRCC the pre 98 SE's had a larger sway bar than even the SVT.
EDIT: from the main page
No. As Ford has phrased it, the SE has the "sport tuned suspension", while V6 equipped Contour GL/LX and Mystique GS/LS have the "performance tuned suspension." What is the real difference? The SE has stiffer springs, sport struts, and thicker anti-sway bars. Here is a table showing the spring stiffness of each model:
It gets even more confusing with the new 1998.5 models, where essentially the GL is gone, the LX is what the GL used to be and the SE is basically the LX. The available "sport" package on the SE gets you up the the relatively same level as the 1998 SE. A 4-cylinder SE with steel wheels? Yes, it's now possible (how awful!)
Suspension specs pre-1998
F spring R spring F strut R strut F bar R bar
GL/LX 4-cyl 18 kn/m 16 kn/m base base 20mm(.79) 17mm(.67)
GL/LX 6-cyl 20 kn/m 16 kn/m base base 20mm(.79) 17mm(.67)
SE 24 kn/m 21 kn/m sport sport 20mm(.79) 19mm(.75)
Suspension specs 1998
GL/LX 4-cyl 18 kn/m 16 kn/m base base 20mm(.79) 17mm(.67)
GL/LX 6-cyl 20 kn/m 16 kn/m base base 20mm(.79) 17mm(.67)
SE 20 kn/m 16 kn/m sport sport 20mm(.79) 19mm(.75)
Suspension specs 1998.5
LX 4-cyl 18 kn/m 16 kn/m base base 20mm(.79) 16mm(.63)
LX 6-cyl 20 kn/m 16 kn/m base base 20mm(.79) 17mm(.67)
SE 4-cyl 18 kn/m 16 kn/m base base 20mm(.79) 18mm(.71)
SE 6-cyl 20 kn/m 16 kn/m sport sport 20mm(.79) 18mm(.71)