A long long time ago the bank loaned me money to buy my first car and it was an 89 SHO manual. I drove it until the Iowa salt took it from me. I am now looking at a 93 automatic with 200k that sometimes won’t shift out of first otherwise good shape. I understand that it could be an easy fix or it could be a dead trans. I have been driving and working on old Land Rover for a few years so I figure with the help of many I could keep this one from the scrap yard which is where it’s going if I do not buy it. It’s very cheap owner need Christmas money, like cheap cheap. I don’t have any issue doing all the services it needs to get it to where I know what’s in it. **** even if it never shifts gears just sitting in it and hearing the motor is worth what they want for it. Thanks for the info you have already given me. And wish me luck I’m on the easy trans fix.
93 with 200k
- Thread starter Maybe93?
- Start date
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Welcome!
Thank y’all. I am going to look Sunday with my buddy who’s a mechanic and has that super expensive snap on scanner deal. He says he can tell me what’s wrong with the not shifting. So for the cost of dinner for me the wife two teenage boys I can have another Taurus SHO. I will buy it and begin the process you all know so well. Thanks again.
luigisho
SHO Member
93 auto trans the most notoriously weak auto for the car. I hope it's something easier, but if the price is cheap enough then why not?
At this age and mileage it will need a good going over. Also FYI-- new crank position sensors are no longer available anywhere. You can get a used one somewhere but you will have to hunt to find one. There are attempts to get a run from aftermarket supplier but nothing has materialized yet. Welcome! and tell your buddy that it is OBDI not OBDII so hopefully his scanner can still pull the data he needs.
At this age and mileage it will need a good going over. Also FYI-- new crank position sensors are no longer available anywhere. You can get a used one somewhere but you will have to hunt to find one. There are attempts to get a run from aftermarket supplier but nothing has materialized yet. Welcome! and tell your buddy that it is OBDI not OBDII so hopefully his scanner can still pull the data he needs.
sperold
Last to Know
The 93 was the first year for an automatic transmission. They are generally considered the most problematic, but that is not written in stone.
People have gotten better shift performance by updating to the 94 / 95 ECM, but you are at another stage here, and it may not help to start with this modification.
An auto trans person will know what ales the unit by describing the no shift symptom, and you will get feedback on this forum on this issue.
It takes a fair amount of money to take the transmission out to have a peek (my guess is a minimum of $600.00), and then a soft rebuild would be prudent since the hard part is over.
You can roll the dice and hope for an easy, in the car fix, for the time being. But it is going to come out at some stage of your ownership.
And don't worry about the mileage, that is not a lot of miles for these cars.
Find out what scrap cars (they have to pick up) are valued at, and that helps you set a base price. And worse case, you can unload it for what you have in it, if it all goes south.
Could this be a black exterior, black interior car, as they are rare and desirable?
Good luck, and I hope it works out.
People have gotten better shift performance by updating to the 94 / 95 ECM, but you are at another stage here, and it may not help to start with this modification.
An auto trans person will know what ales the unit by describing the no shift symptom, and you will get feedback on this forum on this issue.
It takes a fair amount of money to take the transmission out to have a peek (my guess is a minimum of $600.00), and then a soft rebuild would be prudent since the hard part is over.
You can roll the dice and hope for an easy, in the car fix, for the time being. But it is going to come out at some stage of your ownership.
And don't worry about the mileage, that is not a lot of miles for these cars.
Find out what scrap cars (they have to pick up) are valued at, and that helps you set a base price. And worse case, you can unload it for what you have in it, if it all goes south.
Could this be a black exterior, black interior car, as they are rare and desirable?
Good luck, and I hope it works out.
Thank you for that info, with the transmission not shifting out of first are there any pets I should buy before the 2 hour drive over there that I might be able to swap in to see if they help? Also of course it will need a trans drain and fill with me filter a few times. Is there anything weird about the trans fluid pan or draining and lastly what Fluid do you guys recommend for an older trans like this one or any friction modifiers or additives? You guys are so great the Land Rover forums should take a lesson from y’all.
Thank you. It’s red with gray interior, I have removed and replaced transmissions in Land Rovers before but these are two very different beasts. My 89 was manual and if I remove the auto relatively speaking how hard is going in with a manual? The people selling it said they were scrapping it if I didn’t buy it and I scrapped a 6000lb Rover for 150$ last year the 3500 lb Taurus would be $100 ish so I will be paying somewhere between 200-400 for it. Like I told my wife it’s worth that be back in the first car i ever bought if just to listen to the engine in the garage, but I plan to dig in an keep digging and fixing until it’s dependable and fast as the day it came off the line. 10 mpg in a rover for a 60 mile commute makes no sense.
sperold
Last to Know
Swapping in a manual is always a possibility, but it requires a total donor car of the same year as you need the sub frame, and a lot of wiring and electrical components.
You will be happier with the automatic transmission. Your memory may be clouded, but the manual transmission is not an engineering wonder, and the clutch and throw out bearing need attention in about a 3 year cycle generally.
The automatics get bad press, but are a better match for the sleeper role when built properly. It is hard to look inconspicuous at a light, when you are revving the engine in preparation to dumping the clutch.
You are probably capable to get the exhaust off, the sub frame lowered, and getting the automatic out. But you have to have a rebuilder with experience on these units that is a local in your area. And that will not be easy as everyone is a professional on pay day, but often cannot do the work when assigned to it. And work with the one in the car, as the swap method can result in a unit with worse problems than yours.
I am partial to the red on grey myself. Black interiors were optioned in 92 and 93 only, and that is why they are rare.
You will be happier with the automatic transmission. Your memory may be clouded, but the manual transmission is not an engineering wonder, and the clutch and throw out bearing need attention in about a 3 year cycle generally.
The automatics get bad press, but are a better match for the sleeper role when built properly. It is hard to look inconspicuous at a light, when you are revving the engine in preparation to dumping the clutch.
You are probably capable to get the exhaust off, the sub frame lowered, and getting the automatic out. But you have to have a rebuilder with experience on these units that is a local in your area. And that will not be easy as everyone is a professional on pay day, but often cannot do the work when assigned to it. And work with the one in the car, as the swap method can result in a unit with worse problems than yours.
I am partial to the red on grey myself. Black interiors were optioned in 92 and 93 only, and that is why they are rare.
luigisho
SHO Member
I always owned a manual v6 so I don't have that stuff memorized in the brain. This car is local correct? I would be prepared to tow it if necessary. Then you can monkey with it at home at your leisure.
http://wikisho.com/wiki/Changing_transmission_fluid_in_the_93-95_ATX
http://wikisho.com/wiki/Changing_transmission_fluid_in_the_93-95_ATX
My memory is definitely cloudy, been a hard 25years since then and it being my first car it was perfect you know. I do remember my dad being furious about replacing the clutch and something about replacing the spark plug wires
Yes sir Towing it does seem to be the smarter idea and thank you for the link.
Guys I just ran the VIN of the one I’m looking at tomorrow and if it says it’s a 5 speed manual but the owner is telling me it’s an automatic? So weird, from what I have learned here that swap is no joke.
The VIN is 1FALP54P9PA223323 Maybe one of you would get a different result.
The VIN is 1FALP54P9PA223323 Maybe one of you would get a different result.
sperold
Last to Know
The standard transmission SHOs are Y-code and the automatic transmission cars are P-code.
That is an automatic VIN.
That is an automatic VIN.
luigisho
SHO Member
Agreed. VIN Y = MTX. Your original post stated you were looking at an automatic.
You can look at the Ford engine VIN codes on this page.
https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Vehicle_Identification_Numbers_(VIN_codes)/Ford/VIN_Codes
You can look at the Ford engine VIN codes on this page.
https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Vehicle_Identification_Numbers_(VIN_codes)/Ford/VIN_Codes
Ok I used the first VIN lookup that popped up, I looked at it and after the long drive and dragging a trailer and the grief me wife gave me I just could not buy it. The pictures must have been from 10 years ago. I’m a redneck but a different red neck reran some of the wiring under the dash and hood which scares me and once I drove it around the small block it shifted hard into first and second and then nothing except for it overheating. Interior was trashed, no radio, back windows didn’t go down oh yeah and it wouldn’t blow hot air. 4 different crappy tires on and on so I’m still shopping.
there are much better cars out there, just have to be patient for the right one to come up
sperold
Last to Know
It is expensive to bring a car back from the dead. And it sounds like this one is dead.
Once the insurance is pulled and the plates run out, the cars sit and deteriorate faster than if they were daily drivers (unless they are in heated storage).
Glad you could see past the enthusiasm of the situation.
Good luck on your search.
Once the insurance is pulled and the plates run out, the cars sit and deteriorate faster than if they were daily drivers (unless they are in heated storage).
Glad you could see past the enthusiasm of the situation.
Good luck on your search.
ssenter
New Member
There ARE better $400 SHOs out there! I bought TWO this summer. Both ATXs. Both needing crank sensors. The 1st one had been off the road for about a year, a Green'94 w/200K. (I originally bought it for a parts car for an identical '94 ATX, but that trans did its slippity do thing so I parked it.) Did the trans service on the "new '94"; used crank sensor and a bunch of little repairs. Runs like a scalded ape when I punched it on an on ramp last week. At 30mph it dropped into 1st and I was gone! Needs struts now.
The second is white '95 w/grey cloth/leather. No sunroof. Both cars have new brakes, AND cold A/C ! Both bodies are clean w/ no dents. And no rust (Calif/OR cars...). Both were $400
The second is white '95 w/grey cloth/leather. No sunroof. Both cars have new brakes, AND cold A/C ! Both bodies are clean w/ no dents. And no rust (Calif/OR cars...). Both were $400
luigisho
SHO Member
Sell me one for $250?
