New Block?! After 130k, the old duratec is still super smoothe, and pulls like a locomotive.
The only major replacements on the car so far have been a catalytic converter at 49k. (free under warranty)I think it was the result a bad plug wire I drove around with for a few weeks. An alternator (70k or so, I'd get a battery light at 5k+ rpms. turned out to be a bad alt). A water pump, changed at the 100k TUNE UP (the tune up was $1000 at Varsity Ford in Palo Alto). And finally, at the moment, I'm in need of an oxygen sensor, and also some new sturts (which I'm buying from Stinger, hopefully).
So far no blown hoses, or clutch, or belts, or mufflers, or electronics. This has been an excellent car for me, by any measure. The fact that I'm a 100% gear head, and I have a car that is totally rare (I can drive around for an entire month in the bay area and not see another one), and the fact that I can smoke 90% of the Honda's on the road, and the exhaust note! makes this car an absolute living legend. I'd recommend one to any 'car' person on the planet.