Buying a SHO...

[ElJamoquio]

I'm buying my first SHO (a first generation MTX); and was looking for a 'common problem' or 'things to look for when buying' thread. Alas, my use of the search tool yielded nothing good - can anyone point me to where this has been discussed before - or have any pointers for me?

Thanks!

 

[tominos]

off the top of my head..( i didn't know these when buying my atx), ask if 60ks have been done. these are very important. smoke from tailpipe? pull some of the plug wires to see if they have any oil in them(if they do, lets you know if a 60k has likely been done or not. front brake rotors warp really easily so check to see if it shakes when you stop at high speeds.. what else?

 

[tominos]

broken climate control buttons.. windows operational? check engine light on? drive the car for at least twenty minutes to see if everything is fine. rust anywhere? rear wheel wells are common on alot of cars to rust. hard starting.. loud fuel pump.. lots of things. best bet is to see if anyone off this board would come check it out with you, people on here are usually very helpful and wouldn't mind. and know what to look for of course.

 

[shantz]

Thats great info.

I'm looking at a 94 ATX and some of these points will definately be helpful.

I wish I'd known when I bought by 89 MTX - It had never had a 60K service done, and it took a lot of TLC (Truck Loads of Cash) to get it to the point where it was reliable

 

[Frank]

Thats great info.

I'm looking at a 94 ATX and some of these points will definately be helpful.

I wish I'd known when I bought by 89 MTX - It had never had a 60K service done, and it took a lot of TLC (Truck Loads of Cash) to get it to the point where it was reliable

ATX? That's a different story! Check the transmission carefully! They tend to wear out around 100,000 miles (I limped mine to 117,000 before replacing the tranny). If the cruise control doesn't work, that's probably the switch on the underside of the master cylinder (easy, but messy). That's not an issue with the MTX.

Frank Whittle
'95 ATX

 

[shantz]

Its a 94 ATX with 164,000 KMS on it (Im in Canada). The car is immaculate, dealer serviced, one owner, well taken care of.

Any other tips & tricks?

 

[Techpriest]

If AC is important to you, make sure it works. I am finding now that some of the AC lines in the Gen 1s can be real hard to find if they are bad. I did not worry about the AC when I bought my 89 in the winter, and now I am not having any luck getting it fixed.

If there is a shiny spot on the intake as if it has been rubbing the hood insulation, you probably have a bad front motor mount. Not hard to replace and you can do it yourself for under $200, but you could use that to maybe get the price down.

Just some things I should have noticed when buying my car.

 

[EMB2580]

HEY, I have bad motor mount(s):cry:

 

[e_clouser]

I got my first MTX from my mom. The car was "dealer serviced". That in itself does not prove that 60k's have been done or done right. There are few dealer ships in my area that will even touch my car, that is when I learned to do it myself. WHich saves a ton of cash in labor, seems mechanics are scared of the SHO... just my 2 cents

 

[F-22 Raptor SHO]

I got my first MTX from my mom. The car was "dealer serviced". That in itself does not prove that 60k's have been done or done right. There are few dealer ships in my area that will even touch my car, that is when I learned to do it myself. WHich saves a ton of cash in labor, seems mechanics are scared of the SHO... just my 2 cents

In fact, when I hear "dealer serviced" I can almost guarantee that 60k's have NOT been done. Watch someones eyes get as big as saucer plates when you pull that front plug wire out and find a cup of oil.

 

[DigDeez]

#1--Tranny
#2--Tranny
#3--Tranny
#4--Look/Listen/Feel


Make sure you WOT and at least passed the secondaries (3800rpm)!

I was the 3rd owner of my SHO! The previous two put lots of money it in cuz they weren't diy'ers and didn't know any better! Had allot of highway miles which was good. My blower was the 1st thing to go. You're in Michigan so you will need that! No way of knowing if it's bad though. Just have to wait and be prepared. Good luck finding a mechanic that will do that repair for you!

I have all the receipts for my SHO(175,000miles) since 55,000miles! Bought it at 76,000miles!