Full 60K and reliabilty

[EL SHO]

After a year of ownership with my SHO I've been good through good, regular and bad experiences. My car needed a water pump, alternator (changed twice), drive belt, power steering pump, 4 new tires, all bushings in the front suspension changed, new spark plugs, valve cover gaskets, TPS, tranny rebuild and that other EGR sensor that can't remember its name, repair AC and reshim the AC compressor. Aside of that I had to fix the sunroof cover, installe a new stereo with new wiring for the rear speakers and some small torns in the leather.
Most of the work I have done it along with the help of a friend and finding parts for a SHO in Mexico is really hard, but I just like the car!
So I can say that 3k for all the parts and not doing the work yourself doesn't sound like a bad idea. You will get a fairly reliable car and you will know the work that has been done to it... that's a big plus!
Once you learn to work on these cars, all others are almost a piece of cake! Keep it

 

[wjayg]

Cost

Does not matter a new car or a used one both will have a payment

New has $500-$700 montly car payment
And used has maintence and upkeep

Good thing about a 20 year old SHO is they are cheap to insurance, cheap to register and if you get a door ding its not that big a deal.

I have a 1993 SHO ATX w/ 85K and a 1986 300ZX w/ 80K and I am into both including the purchase price less than 10K

They both have new brakes, radiators, struts, alternators, new timing belt, water pump, spark plugs, tires, ect and the both get 28+ mpg

 

[zblackbeast]

****.. I've owned my shit heaps for 5 years, and with all 5 shos I've owned combined AND the mods im less than 5 grand into them. HAHA

 

[msteiny]

You will become a statitstic if you get rid of your car. I cant tell you how many guys walk up to me and ask if I know where any decent looking SHO's are. They ask only because they have either owned one in the past or knew somebody that did and always wanted one. Now they are older and have some money put aside they are wishing they had kept there car or bought there buddies. Mark my words, one day you will walk through a car show and see an SHO. You will be standing in front looking at the beauty under the hood scratching your head saying to yourself "I should have kept mine". I have seen it with my own eyes as well as alot of others on this forum that can back up my story, including you. Nobody thinks these cars will be worth much in the future, I beg to differ. Nobody thought a 66 Mustang would be worth anything when I was growing up, I owned 2 of them when I was a kid. Now as I see them going over the auction block on tv, I scratch my head and wished I had kept mine. Think about it, hindsight is 20/20.

 

[OmMEGGA]

Thanks guys! I just made an appointment with North Texas Perfomance and they'll be doing 60K/120K on my SHO. You only live once

 

[RonPorter]

After a year of ownership with my SHO I've been good through good, regular and bad experiences. My car needed a water pump, alternator (changed twice), drive belt, power steering pump, 4 new tires, all bushings in the front suspension changed, new spark plugs, valve cover gaskets, TPS, tranny rebuild and that other EGR sensor that can't remember its name, repair AC and reshim the AC compressor. Aside of that I had to fix the sunroof cover, installe a new stereo with new wiring for the rear speakers and some small torns in the leather.
Most of the work I have done it along with the help of a friend and finding parts for a SHO in Mexico is really hard, but I just like the car!
So I can say that 3k for all the parts and not doing the work yourself doesn't sound like a bad idea. You will get a fairly reliable car and you will know the work that has been done to it... that's a big plus!
Once you learn to work on these cars, all others are almost a piece of cake! Keep it

A lot of that stuff you mention is "routine maintenance" for an older car. Sure, newer cars only need gas/oil/wiper blades/brakes/tires, but older ones need belts, PS, etc. Sure, it needs to be done, but still cheaper than a $500-$1,000/month car payment, plus the extra insurance.

 

[RonPorter]

I didn't get the extended warranty when I bought the new '89. Blew through 12K in less than a year. Next year, the weak clutch died. In '91, a whole ton a crap went wrong, and cost me a bundle!! Plus I got the upgraded clutch for free when the 2nd original clutch started dying. At that point, it was good, plus I "hated" the look of the (then new) '92s.

Over the next 6-7 years, maintenance-wise, it cost me very little!! During that time I had rust repair done, a new paint job, full Bolt-on Stage, rod shifter, and wheels/tires. All my choice. A/C didn't need to be touched again until '98.

 

[sperold]

You will not regret it.
I have had SHOs as my daily driving vehicle for 10 years and have never had a breakdown. Had repairs, mind you, but always on my schedule. Where I live, it is rust that finally finishes a SHO off, never had one fail mechanically.
Where you live, you could use it all your life, and be buried in it!

 

[JRA2000TL]

After $3k spent on my beat-to-shit 89, it sure drives great (and a grand of that was paint/cosmetics); sucks that the a/c died. My main "scares" of expense with these cars is 1. tranny (if ATX) 2. clutch (MTX) 3. rod bearings (cheap fix but catastrophic if they fail) 4. A/C work--I have difficulty with it so I have to pay a shop and it's not cheap.

Front/top 60k and bearings and you should be good. You can drive on worn tires, worn struts/springs, etc. If the drivetrain is solid and the engine is taken care of, it will last you. If you're picky like me and want every single item on the car to work, yeah it can get expensive. I get told all the time "you don't need a working passenger power window or a/c, etc." I just complain that I can't DD mine because all of my stuff is not in 100% working order and some little nit pick thing breaks. As for the running/driving part, mine have done fantastic.

 

[shoreracer92]

I've been searching on and off for 2+ years. I knew what I was getting into, because I have/had a few friends with shos. So, 6 months or so ago I payed 2k for my 92" mtx with 158 on the clock. A folder a inch think with repairs from day one, but also the knowledge of it needing a top/front 60k. I plan on doing it myself by Sept, as I'm amassing all the needed parts currently. And, in all honestly, just thinking of selling it because of repairs and maintenance breaks my heart. I think you should repair it (which I think i saw that you are), and run it. Theres not a whole lot of aftermarket help/parts, but this forum alone gives you what you need. Keep it (Fix it), Drive it (Fix it), Love it (Fix it)...Then Fix it some more!

 

[OmMEGGA]

Almost 2 months has passed, about $900 in parts and the SHO STILL needs a LOT of work.

I've replaced everything behind timing cover. All the seals, pulleys (brand new from SHO source) brand new tensioner, belt, sensors, water pump... then everything for top 60K.

I still need new steering pump, radiator, 2 idler pulleys, new springs, tires and most important rod bearings.

At this point I'm lost. I've put about a month of work in to this car in 100F weather. easily 100 + hours as it was something completely new for me.

Not sure if I should sell this thing as it is for few hundred dollars or continue dipping money in to it.

 

[vortex2450]

Almost 2 months has passed, about $900 in parts and the SHO STILL needs a LOT of work.

I've replaced everything behind timing cover. All the seals, pulleys (brand new from SHO source) brand new tensioner, belt, sensors, water pump... then everything for top 60K.

I still need new steering pump, radiator, 2 idler pulleys, new springs, tires and most important rod bearings.

At this point I'm lost. I've put about a month of work in to this car in 100F weather. easily 100 + hours as it was something completely new for me.

Not sure if I should sell this thing as it is for few hundred dollars or continue dipping money in to it.

Sounds like you got a turd by nature. Try sourcing used parts, spending top dollar on these cars isn't worth it unless it is in pristine condition.

You are past the big **** now. You can probably find a low mileage PS pump for a low price. Or try rockauto! They haven't let me down yet.

-Josh

 

[Bob Gervais]

Not really sure what you STILL don't understand about this. You bought an old car. It needs work. Most old cars do, and they items you're mentioning aren't all that uncommon for ANY 18 year old car.

My recommendation, if you're going to keep getting discouraged like you did the last time you asked if you should just sell it, because you need to repair things on it: sell it.

 

[JRA2000TL]

I can sympathize with the OP but also agree with Bob. Yes, they're old cars, yes they all pretty much need to be rebuilt from the ground-up at this point; but it is frustrating. Why?

You say: "let me take care of the heart and guts of the car first--60k, bearings, clutch, etc. etc. etc." Now I should have a great, reliable DD (Jeremy's thinking here on the 89).

Then stuff like this happens: a/c ***** the bed (not required for driving but miserable without it depending on climate), power steering hose starts leaking, p/s pump starts whining, alternator craps (easy to replace) but then the replacement is a bad reman, so you have to do it again, etc.

Conclusion: It never ends unless you go through and replace every item on the car; even then, most stuff is obsolete with these cars, so you're swapping used parts with more used parts and taking a gamble. That's why cars over 10-15 years old are not on the road anymore. They're more complex these days, require more parts with many going obsolete as it's not financially feasible to produce them. End result is less "modern" cars on the road after 10-15 years.

Those old classics are simple, have fewer parts, and are easier to work on.

 

[zblackbeast]

Its an 18 year old car.. do you honestly expect it to be 100% reliable? If so your a fool.

Your doing what a lot of people are to afraid to do... keep going. Finish it and be proud of your finished product.

For partsast a WTB in the classifieds, contact us at NESHO. We have shelves of good-used parts insure a deal could be made. You have options, now exploit them andget your shit going!

 

[Bob Gervais]

I can sympathize with the OP but also agree with Bob. Yes, they're old cars, yes they all pretty much need to be rebuilt from the ground-up at this point; but it is frustrating. Why?

You say: "let me take care of the heart and guts of the car first--60k, bearings, clutch, etc. etc. etc." Now I should have a great, reliable DD (Jeremy's thinking here on the 89).

Then stuff like this happens: a/c ***** the bed (not required for driving but miserable without it depending on climate), power steering hose starts leaking, p/s pump starts whining, alternator craps (easy to replace) but then the replacement is a bad reman, so you have to do it again, etc.

Conclusion: It never ends unless you go through and replace every item on the car; even then, most stuff is obsolete with these cars, so you're swapping used parts with more used parts and taking a gamble. That's why cars over 10-15 years old are not on the road anymore. They're more complex these days, require more parts with many going obsolete as it's not financially feasible to produce them. End result is less "modern" cars on the road after 10-15 years.

Those old classics are simple, have fewer parts, and are easier to work on.

Your 89 was cheap, and clapped out. You've done a great job with it so far, but that car proves a point. If someone wants an older car that's reliable, and that everything works on, there's two ways to do it: buy a beater and enjoy fixing it up, or buy one that's already done. Either way, you're gonna spend some coin on it.

 

[kevinspann]

Man I had to put gas in my car the other day, maybe I should sell it instead.



OmMEGGA, keep working at it.

What's wrong with the power steering pump?

Is the radiator leaking? Common - you can try to recrimp the end tanks to see if you can get by with that.

Idlers? Do they need new bearings? You can try to pick the seal out of the back on the current ones and oil the current bearings.

New springs? Rear sagging? You can replace them with Moog cargo coils from Rockauto, not too expensive.

Tires - see if you can find a nice, matched used set if you dont want to spend 400+ on tires.

Rod Bearings? How many miles are on it?

 

[JRA2000TL]

X2 on the used tires. I don't track my SHO and only drive it around town and on an occasional trip. Putting 3-6k a year on a car, brand new tires would dry rot on my cars before they wore out. If you're DDing yours, you can get some cheap Falkens for street tires.

 

[OmMEGGA]

Man I had to put gas in my car the other day, maybe I should sell it instead.



OmMEGGA, keep working at it.

What's wrong with the power steering pump?

Is the radiator leaking? Common - you can try to recrimp the end tanks to see if you can get by with that.

Idlers? Do they need new bearings? You can try to pick the seal out of the back on the current ones and oil the current bearings.

New springs? Rear sagging? You can replace them with Moog cargo coils from Rockauto, not too expensive.

Tires - see if you can find a nice, matched used set if you dont want to spend 400+ on tires.

Rod Bearings? How many miles are on it?

Radiator - Leaking out of two places, better to just buy new one as its pretty cheap.

Idlers - One seized on me after 60K the other is making grinding noise. Need 2 .
PS Pump - Leaking and the whole power steering stops working at above 4000 rpm or after WOT.

Springs - Previous owner replaced the whole suspension but with some mix and matching he made a pogo stick out of the SHO.

Rod bearings - 178K miles. Doesn't burn any oil but I'm sure it needs bearings at this point.

Tires - Actually not really issue as I have Gen 3 SHO rims with brand new set of tires on my SLO that I could just swap.


I agree with you guys but just as vortex2450 said, I bought a turd.

I'm still thinking. My 01 SE is on its last legs with almost 200K miles, I'm not looking for a car with reliability of a brand new Civic but I'd like to enjoy driving it for few months without spending $$$. The car is close to being finished but that freaking insecurity. It's just how I am.

 

[Bob Gervais]

Your concerns are perfectly understandable. We all drive turds, some are reliable, some aren't. My 92 has been the most reliable SHO I've had, because the work was put into it.

I think you've come this far, why stop now? Also, a SLO with 200k still has life left in it, if you're willing to do the work. They're also dirt cheap for parts.