Hey everyone, my name is Jake and recently I've been looking into getting a car that's actually fun to drive. I'm interested in learning about the SHO engines and owning a SHO Taurus. Any advice or warnings going in are appreciated, and I am looking to do some modifying and possibly some track time. I have a garage in my town my roommate and I are friends with, but those guys have never owned a SHO themselves, so I'm doing a bit of homework but wanted to also surround myself with owners to get firsthand advice.
Beginner Enthusiast, new to the forum
- Thread starter Deadnight
- Start date
Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.
Welcome!
Get one that has a documented service history and is well maintained. You do not want to get one that has been sitting and neglected. The parts for these cars are getting harder to come by. I'm not saying don't get one because I love them and can't stop buying them but you want to make sure you get a good one.
I'm most interested in a gen 2, I'm looking for something manual.
I was going in to this with some of that in mind. I know it's kinda specific and a little underappreciated, but I just really like the Taurus platform. Thanks for the straight answers and the welcomes guys.
luigisho
SHO Member
To echo Irish Pride, I would not look at one for a reliable daily driver unless you have taken care of it and know what is what. That meaning- all the rubber and plastic are old and degrading at this age. The wiring is starting to show it's age and rest of it is no spring chicken. As was stated before, new Ford and aftermarket replacement parts are also starting to dry up. No new crankshaft sensors available is a big issue as they are a high failure item and can leave you stuck somewhere. The engine will not run without it operating correctly.
If you want to flog it it will break. The manual tranny is weak and has a history of spitting out diff pin/spider gears through the case. The auto tranny..meh not so great either.
I've owned one form or another of these cars since the 90's and they required more vigilance than most cars back then. I would not trust my ability to work or get places reliably and own one as a daily driver without a backup form of transportation. If it's a toy and you have a bunch of money to keep it running then enjoy it.
I like these cars but they have issues.
If you want to flog it it will break. The manual tranny is weak and has a history of spitting out diff pin/spider gears through the case. The auto tranny..meh not so great either.
I've owned one form or another of these cars since the 90's and they required more vigilance than most cars back then. I would not trust my ability to work or get places reliably and own one as a daily driver without a backup form of transportation. If it's a toy and you have a bunch of money to keep it running then enjoy it.
I like these cars but they have issues.
Plan to do a lot of your own work or it can get expensive paying someone else to do it. If you can track down a car that was maintained and kept inside by a long time owner (they are still out there), you may need to take a road trip to get it. My first Gen 2 was an airplane ride away and a three day drive back home. I daily drive one, but also have another Gen 2 as a backup.
Crank sensors are hard to come by, but Shosource is working on a replacement. Out of the five SHO's I have had or have, only one failed on me after 130K. NoSlo has 300K on his Gen 2 and if I recall, he has only replaced his crank sensor once. New and used sensors are out there, but at a price until a replacement comes around.
Last edited:
My current daily driver popped up on ebay in California early last year. I flew to pick up and it took two whole days of driving to get it back home. My car was not properly maintained. I won't get into all the details but this is how it currently sits. Crank sensor failed on me late last month so now I'm going thru all the required maintenance. I definitely do not recommend a SHO that has not been maintained but I couldn't pass up a non-moonroof white 89. I can do all my own work and I have a stash of parts so it's OK but I've been working on it for a week now and probably won't get it back on the ground till next week. Once it's done I'll have a car to beat on that shouldn't give me any problems for years though.
-Chad
-Chad
luigisho
SHO Member
All of us posting here do or used to do alot of our own wrenching. If you have to pay for labor you will need access to a good amount of funds. The purchase price is just the price of admission and usually the cheapest part of owning one of these at this age.
DJSHO91
SHO Member
Welcome to the SHOsanity!
