Quote:
Where are the best parts sources? (Ford dealer?)
Don't know about the best, but some online sources for Ford parts are as follows:
http://www.contour.org/mods/mods.cgi?s=parts_source
http://www.fordpartsonline.com/
http://www.shamrockparts.com/

There are plenty of other sites that sell standard parts (oil filters, air filters, etc.).

Quote:
What is a good repair manual (other than Haynes)
Chiltons makes a decent manual. You can also obtain the service manual on CD or DVD. The CD contains a specific year for all Ford models, and the DVD contains multiple years (I believe about 5 or so) for all models. For the CD, go to http://www.contour.org/classifieds/classifieds.cgi?t=1&c=1 and search for the phrase "manual" within the page.

1996 Contour SE Sedan 4D (Royal Blue)
Duratec V6 2.5L 24-valve DOHC
Automatic
75,000 miles
No Mods (unless you call the DMD a mod)
Replaced EGR valve (gunked up), EVR (EGR VR), PCV valve, and evaporative emissions hose (cracked).