Hello I recently bought a 97 Contour. V6 24 valve 5 speed. Looking to tune it up a bit and get some more ponies out of her. I was looking into aftermarket parts, clutch kits, exhaust, tuning chips ext. Just wondering what was the best route to go when it came to these areas. Thanks for the help to anyone who responds!

 

I have a 97 se 2.5 5 speed and owned it 10 yrs. A fun car to drive. Because of the advanced engine design, you won't squeeze much more out of it without turbo or supercharging. Even the svt is only a tad faster, I have heard about a 3.0 swap but I don't know what's involved. I recently cleaned the injectors and noticed a short linkage was missing on the lower intake manifold. when finally I replace it I could feel the power difference and better milage!

 

Exhaust: SVT stock setup with a Magnaflow 5x8x18 in place of the resonator. Subtle at idle, but a WONDERFUL compliment to the glorious intake noise this engine makes. MSDS headers for this engine are a good upgrade.
General: Make sure your IMRC unit is functioning properly. You should feel a nice kick in power at around 4000 RPM. That would be your secondaries opening up. The IMRC is a common failure point. The 'Bang Shift' is also common. Caused when the IAC valve doesn't close down quick enough and the revs are still high when you lift the throttle. The resulting upshift happens quite violently. A 1/2" copper cap from Home Depot with a small hole drilled in the end to allow smooth idle, but still small enough to restrict WOT air bypass solves that issue for less than 50 cents. Gets installed in the tube right in front of the IAC valve.
British-American Transfer (BAT) here in Florida has some nice bit to add to your car. My favorite was the BAT European suspension kit. Compliant yet firm ride, almost eliminates nose dive under braking, superb handling. Best money I've ever spent on a car.