- 2006 - Replaced sucky original wiper control with variable speed selector mechanism from a salvageyard 96-97 Contour. Same exact part :P Go Ford. Replaced 25 Amp fuse for "backup lights", turn signals, and the heater/AC blower motor, with a 30 Amp. The 25 Amp kept blowing out. STUPID FORD, why did you put all these on the same circut.

- Sept 2008 - WHOOT, accomplished my own brake job, and even rebuilt the calipers! The darn rotors were rusted on, tho, and in really bad shape. They didn't fare too well vs. the Sledgehammer...
 

- Oct, 2008 - Just pre-empted the big 100k maintenance, and had an old hometown shop (Bengston's Tire in Salina, KS!) do spark plugs, rear drums, tran flush, rad flush, battery cables, the works, ya know. I should have done it myself, I know, just really bad time of year (pharmacy school tests). I can't believe it - I get +25mpg consistently now, even in CITY!

- Nov 2008 - found out the rear passenger strut mount is broken/rusted out, so it just rattles around loose and is the mystery "clunk" everytime I run over a bump. It's been going on probably 2+ years :( No idea what to do about this one...

I want to mod it someday, into the awesome sports sedan that the Mystique can & should have been. The style just screams speed and smoothness to me, especially with the hood lines. The Contour SVT sucked, really sucked. The SVT team should have done something with the Mystique LS instead, like an XS model.

This guy - http://www.deanjoyce.com/mystique/ - has done a FREEKING AWESOME job on his Mystique, except for the Asian Mafia spoiler on the boot/trunk. The older/stock spoiler shown here is better. Otherwise an awesome job mod'ing the body, the bumpers, lights, door handles, etc.

I want my Mysti to stay black, similar to the "Black Betty", and evoke similar style and body to the Contour SVT, but beyond. Not a cheesy SVT clone, but the sleek, angular, lined, fast black quasi-Euro sports sedan that makes you cream your pants as you trace your fingers along the lines and wish that YOU were the lucky guy driving his hot wife around in it, on the warm tan leather seats, with a booming sound system, and roaring horses under the hood. ;)

My Dream Mysti will have:

- SVT air intake manifold, polymer bead ground out for greater airflow, like the SVT
- SVT air intake and high-flow filter
- raised center section following the natural lines on the hood, for a little hood scoop
- turbocharger
- sportier suspension, the stock Mercury is just a little soft, though very comfortable, and tends to roll too much on the tightest corners at high speeds.
- Replace rear Drum with rear disc brakes, new pads, shoes, etc of higher performance.
- Dual exhaust
- SVT or custom body kit
- Current Axle ratio seems pretty good, but I don't know what it is exactly. The accelleration off the line is great in the stock LS, but I'd trade 1mpg fuel economy for better accelleration yet. My Mystique always 23-25mpg. Pretty darn good, even with costly gas.
- replace & add more sound insulation around the firewall, and anywhere else I can find. I want to hear that distinctive purr of the Mystique Duratech, and NOT the road.
* replace stock premium system with MP3/WMA/CDRW in-dash stereo ((DONE))
- install small amp in the trunk with custom subwoofers, aka "Black Betty" again. Dude did a nice job with his trunk & stero system.
- heated/AC inside the leather seats

...If I had tons of money to spend on her, I'd go really nuts and cram a V8 under the hood, like out of a GT or Cobra... just assuming that another Ford engine would be most compatible (since several of their cars have used the same chassis and Duratech V6 2.5L engine for years, plus I've seen others plunk in a V8 on them), better manual transmission with a higher OD ratio, speakers and heaters in the seats, larger sunroof... heck, screw it, retractable hardtop baby.