Welcome onboard.
Originally posted by grossgo:
.... I think the first mod/improvement/preventative medicine will be the metal water pump. ...

Actually Ford changed to a white plastic wp impeller for your year which does not seem to have anywhere near the failure rate as the original black plastic. Several posts about metal replacements having seal failures. Both mine replaced with metal last May due to impeller failure.
Here's a current wp thread:waterpump

and an old post on manuals:manual critique




98 Mystique LS v6 atx 163,000km 97 Contour LX v6 atx 163,000km