SHO 2nd generation

Hello, I'm interested in purchasing an SHO taurus and have some questions. Are there any known problems with these cars and if so where and how do I look for them? Is the 3.2l version better than the 3.0l?

As for which is better, that depends on what you want. The 3.2L was only available from the factory with the automatic transmission (ATX). The 3.0L was only available with the 5-speed manual transmission (MTX).

The automatic transmission is the weak point of the automatic drivetrain. With the MTX, the weak point in the drivetrain is the differential.

The other weak points are the standard Taurus suspension components. Other than that, they are pretty fun cars with comfortable interiors, some neat features, and the engines are quite reliable. Also, the engines are not as bad to work on as they may look.

For a used car purchase, you should make sure the seller has proof that the timing belt was changed at the appropriate 60k mile interval (MTX) or 90k mile interval (ATX).

-Rod

I guess it doesn't matter which one I come across as long as it's in good shape. I found one with 60k miles but it was sold. I'd like a 5spd and would even swap one in if I bought an automatic. A 5spd for it should be easy to find and cheap at a junkyard right? What goes wrong with the suspension parts?

As for which is better, that depends on what you want. The 3.2L was only available from the factory with the automatic transmission (ATX). The 3.0L was only available with the 5-speed manual transmission (MTX).

The automatic transmission is the weak point of the automatic drivetrain. With the MTX, the weak point in the drivetrain is the differential.

The other weak points are the standard Taurus suspension components. Other than that, they are pretty fun cars with comfortable interiors, some neat features, and the engines are quite reliable. Also, the engines are not as bad to work on as they may look.

For a used car purchase, you should make sure the seller has proof that the timing belt was changed at the appropriate 60k mile interval (MTX) or 90k mile interval (ATX).

-Rod

The suspension parts just don't seem to have the longevity that one would hope for. The struts seem to last, but the ball joints and tie rod ends are "maintenance free" and tend to get dry and noisy shortly before they get loose. Also, the nylon anti-sway bar end links tend to get loose and cause noises that sound like the whole front of the car is about to fall off. But, these are not specific to the SHO, rather a Taurus (or other Ford) in general of that era.

I'm not sure how common the 5-speed is for the transversely mounted SHO engine. Maybe it's the same as was available with the 4-cylinder Taurus or the Tempo/Topaz, but I'm not sure on that. You'd likely also need to acquire the PCM for a 5-speed SHO.

-Rod

Are there any DIY's on the suspension parts? Do the atx's usually fail from driver abuse or crappy design? I have seen these's sho's go for around $1500 and I'm looking at an atx for $2k but it looks clean and says it's loaded. It has about 100k miles. Is it normal for these to be sold cheap? Does the usual auto tranny check, change gears and look for hard shifts and stuff, work on these?

With pretty much any vehicle, the way it was maintained is key. The prices you list are pretty typical I'd say. The V6 SHO engines are quite reliable, but do require expensive maintenance. At 100k, the ATX would be due for the timing belt and valve adjustment. While doing the timing belt, you should get a new water pump, idler pulley, drivebelt, and Crankshaft Position Sensor. You should also consider having the cooling system hoses replaced if they appear to have been on there awhile. If you have the service performed at an independent shop, expect something north of $600 for the bill. Take that into consideration when pricing these. Book value would assume that the vehicle is in good mechanical condition and appropriate maintenance has been performed. If the car is at 100k and they don't have evidence the timing belt was changed, the price should be adjusted accordingly.

There's nothing special about the auto trannies in these versus a normal Taurus, they don't shift more aggressively by design, etc. so the normal checks would apply.

-Rod

I see what you mean: http://members.cox.net/neshospecialists/60kservice.htm

I'm kind of afraid to buy one now because I don't have that much money to keep it going. I'd be doing the work myself.

Then you probably shouldn't even test drive one. You might decide it's too much fun to pass up for the price....

-Rod