Don't feel bad, Luigi. I'm no mechanic and the only good sense I have in taking care of my car is strictly due to input from the guys on this site. You made a mistake; you'll never make the same one again. And now I know that if my temp gauge spikes, to pull over and turn the car off.
From what I've seen in my area, there are plenty of Contours available. If I had a burned up engine, I'd probably try to get whatever I could from insurance and then start over again with another used Tour.
