Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications General Mods Increasing Performance in Mystique

Hello!

This is my first post to this forum so bare with me here. I just bought a 1998 Mercury Mystique LS back in April and now that I've had it for a while, I want to install some aftermarket add-ons to get better performance. Any thoughts? I was thinking of changing the factory air filter for a K&N filter. Will I see better performance from this? I'm working under a limited budget. Any ideas that will increase performance\stability are greatly appreciated!

Thanks very much!!!

Jeff

Photos of Mystique: http://www.geocities.com/jeffied1/car

Welcome! And search search search! This has been posted a million times. Also read the FAQ's and Mods section. You will get lots of ideas! You're on the right track with intake, just a little more reading.
-Andy

My suggestion before you do performance upgrades.... go to Napa auto and get a new water pump to replace yours when it breaks (it might break very soon, many 2.5L have a broken waterpump at 50-60k miles)... get a water pump with a metal impeller.
That should be your first mod... After that check the modifications section of this page for links to what you might want.... I'd do exhaust and then intake... one step at a time as you can afford it. After intake and exhaust, you might want to get a performance chip... those 3 things will transform your Mystique into a new beast.
Check the links section for pages for aftermarket parts... for example, www.ctamotorsports.com and www.spmotorsports.com might just have everything you could want.

Here's a cheap mod you can do first though... go to the FAQ section and read about the Throttle Hang fix (TH).... it is very easy to do and you'll like the throttle responsiveness when you do it... I live in a mild climate (no snow in winter, about 75-80F in summer) and used the TH fix as described with a 1/4" hole and my car loves it.

Welcome to CEG and have fun.

Jeff,

First of all, WELCOME to the site!

Second, you stole my car man! I just saw mine in the shop yesterday. Today they tell me that she needs a new torque convertor. Come to find out, they sold it to you. Oh wait! You only have 55k and I have 150k. You have the pin strip and I don't. Ok, we are still cool!

As Andy said, search search search. If you have an idea or question, just search the forums for it like you would on Google. You will be amazed at the amount of knowledge locked in this site! If you can't find it, then feel free to post it here. Be as specific as you can. One thing that you will learn here is this, "Do not be afriad to ask a question, but if you have looked into it some first."

Follow Prans advice and start with the exhuast. Maybe a muffler first. A lot of people around here like the Flowmaster 40 series! Do not worry so much about the resonator right now. Most of what you read in the FAQ and Mods section is for the SVT. They have a different pipe size and that is a whole other story. Remember that search thing? You will find a great deal on it there!. Then do the K&N drop in if you like, but I fill that it would be better to get a "Cone" Air Intake. Invest the money now, so that when you get the SVT exhaust or MSDS headers, it can really breath. Remember to search! There is a ton of this around in here too! Just type "exhaust" and you will have enough toliet reading material to last a life time.

Remember one thing first and foremost, "Function over Form!". Don't waste your money right now on things that make your car look different. Unless maybe the Roush Cougar springs (Search! ) or the BAT EuroKit. These funtion. Basically, stay with what makes your car perform better and not what makes it look better. If you go out and spend all your money on looky stuff, we call that RICE and don't really like that around here. But to each his own, as most would say.

Good luck and I really hope you enjoy your Mystique as I have mine.

P.S. Where are you from anyway.

A K&N, SVT exhaust, an underdrive pulley and a Superchip are pretty good ways to wake up your car.
Welcome to the CEG!

Can anybody comment on different struts & coils on a Mystique ??
I'm looking at the BAT European style at the moment. That's going to be my first mod once the cash starts rolling in again, followed by the braking system.
A wise man once taught me to make sure I can stop quicker if I go faster. I always remember it. I also like the idea of the increased response in cornering, as this is what gives me most enjoyment, rather than pure speed.

I have a set of ground controls in my contour i think they fit into a merc. The handling was like night and day. One of the best investments i ever made. "Power is great, but getting it to the ground is better!"

Hello!

Thank you for the warm welcome to the site and the suggestions! I'm from Boston myself, and we get way too much snow and cold up here. That having been said, its never the wrong time of year to put add-ons into the car!

Jeff

Originally posted by jadell46:

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Hello!

Thank you for the warm welcome to the site and the suggestions! I'm from Boston myself, and we get way too much snow and cold up here. That having been said, its never the wrong time of year to put add-ons into the car!

Jeff

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There are plenty of people that are more than willing to help here. Enjoy your stay.

Originally posted by Rabbit:

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Can anybody comment on different struts & coils on a Mystique ??
I'm looking at the BAT European style at the moment. That's going to be my first mod once the cash starts rolling in again, followed by the braking system.
A wise man once taught me to make sure I can stop quicker if I go faster. I always remember it. I also like the idea of the increased response in cornering, as this is what gives me most enjoyment, rather than pure speed.

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The BAT kit is very good.