"1998 Ford Contour SVT...... The car started running bad on the previous owner and he was going to junk it. I bought it from him, hoping to fix it up. I took it to a shop and they installed upper and lower intake caskets, new plug wires, and new plugs. Unfortunately it still did not idle right."
Could be major or minor.
Major could be headgasket leak to spun bearings to anything.
Minor could be vacuum leak to IAC valve to TPS to anything.
Not knowing the specifics of what happened with the previous owner makes it a crapshoot for this purchase.
Good luck to the bidders.