Well, thanks for all the input so far.
Yeah, apparently the converters on all '95 contours/mystiques are integral with the exhaust manifold, so it's one big expensive part.
I had two shops scouring the country for used engines, used manifolds, ANYTHING. They found nothing. The story from one of the shops was that this is a common problem in these Fords, and as soon as an engine becomes available it's scooped up, mainly to solve the kind of problem I had.
The local engine rebuild shop that found the particular engine that we're talking about said we'd better get it soon, since they don't last long once they're listed. Skeptical of his "used-car-salesman" , "buy it before the other guy does" approach, I asked around and posted on this board. From the other shop I got the same thing = the 2.5L V6 Duratec engines go quickly and if they're non-functional the first part salvaged off of them is the exhaust manifold/cat. Their price INCLUDES installation, salvage of usable parts from my current engine, blah blah blah.
More on the problem: Since the car had been running rich (O2 sensors shot, fuel sensors shot, and also apparently check engine warning light shot otherwise we'd have KNOWN about the problem) for a long time, essentially the car had been dumping unburnt fuel in the catalytic converter and it was burning up in there. Both shops that I took it to said that they would cheerfully fix the problem, but also said that an engine subjected to that kind of abuse will more than likely have more serious problems than just a catalytic converter. Greeeaaat.
My gut still tells me to put the new engine in. Yes, I'd love a 3.0L V6 (like in the SVT's, right?) but the ones available are all higher-mileage (50,000+) and pricing for those are around $3,500 (w/install) and I don't have that.
