Hi Alex! Thanks for the info!
Regarding #6, I meant to write the front "exhaust manifold heat shield", but just wrote "shield". It appears that the top part of the heat shield is there, the part that covers the water pump belt. But the bottom part, the flat part that would hang about 8-12 includes deeper down, is gone.
It seems there's general consensus that it's time change both the power steering and the transmission fluid. I have three different maintenance schedules (Ford's original book, Chilton's, Haynes) and none of them mention this so I'm glad my husband suggested it. (The points and plugs are supposed to go to 100K, of course, but they were gone a few thousand back.)
Janos also says it's definitely time to flush the brake system, which hasn't ever been done, so I didn't ask about that. Thanks again! It's good to be back.
Lynn ('95 Contour SE MTX, electric red, "Ferret II")
