Joe,
As far as the cam thing goes switching to a Focus cam is as simple as putting out the cash for 16 focus lifters...its what I did. The bottom end is absolutely the same. You can bolt up a focus oil pan on a contour Zetec, and The focus TB's and intake manifold will work too, you just have to buy the Focus linkage and do a little plumbing work..nothing a weekend, a case of the good stuff, and a mechanically inclined buddy can't handle. Basically if it's for a focus it can pretty easily be made to fit on a contour. The only things that might be really difficult is the messing with a contour valvetrain that has VCT, and trying to mod a full length focus header, neither venture is worth it in my opinion.
