Several people have used the Dexcool with no problems. It's factory fill on the Cougars. Just be real sure to get the old green stuff out when you do the flush.
There's some debate over whether the engine is an interference design or not. The mechanic that did my struts told me they had a Contour next door that blew up the engine, others will argue that it's non-interference. Replacing it is much cheaper than replacing an engine.. think of it as an insurance policy.
Plugs and wires are a good idea since you say you've noticed a little stumble. Motorcraft double platinum or Autolite will do ya just fine. I run Magnecor's, no problems there, but Ford's are probably alright as well. Your call ($$) there. I noticed a smoother idle after replacing the coil, not too much difference on the wires.
Doing the struts in pairs is fine. I'm running around with 2 SE struts up front and 2 GL struts in the back. No problems there. If you're happy with the ride, then just replace the struts with Ford parts. If you wanna stiffen it up a wee bit, looking into maybe the KYB GR-2 non-adjustable struts. While not too performance oriented, I have a feeling that they would be better than the stock four banger struts. Or even the SVT struts, which you can get from Bill Jenkins for pretty cheap.
I question whether that CD is actually what mechanic's use. It may be what Ford provides the dealers, but I can't see them actually using that CD. I know there are better CD's out there, I've watched as the mechanic looked up how to set the timing when I was getting my timing belt changed (independent shop..) -- the program he was using made the Ford CD look like a Dr. Seuss book. For some basic information, the Ford CD is fine, but for doing the timing belt, it leaves a whole lot to be desired.
How about the PCV valve? According to my owner's manual, Ford should do that for free at 60,000 miles. Whether you trust them to do it or not is a different story.
While you're throwing money at the car, the
Motorvac treatment may be something you want to look into. Something I've wanted to do for a while, but just keep putting it off. Many on the mailing list have reported excellent results. Should cost around $100, you'll have to call/email to find a shop in your area that does the work.
