Hoping to be a SHO owner

[Movodo]

Well hello everyone,

This Friday I may purchase an 92 Taurus MTX SHO for $400

I was told rust around wheel wells and interior all removed. Needs a carpet, a drivers side inner headlight piece, and it has an oil leak he told me.

Think it's worth it?

I know it won't be cheap but is there anything else I should be looking for? Other than subframe, valve noise, cels, rust, and oil leaks?

Not sure how to diognas motor mounts.

 

[sperold]

There is a risk buying on the low end. There are lots of great cars in the $2000.00 range, just take a look in the section of this forum for Cars For Sale.

All the parts are expensive to install and some parts like valve cover gaskets are expensive to buy. It will not take long to run the repair cost up to the point where you could have bought one that you simply drive away.

But, on the other hand, I too bought a $400.00 SHO and drove it for 5 years as a winter car and made no major investments, but mine was all together and was being used daily.

Look for a shiny spot on the front intake plenum (where it has been rubbing the hood material), if it has one, it probably needs a mount.

Find out if there is a repair history, and why it is apart now.

Important thing is clutch condition, the steering rack is a bear to change (but is usually OK), and see if it passed the last emission test.

Good luck, the car is worth from $200 to $300.00 for scrap value, so that is another way of looking at it; look for a good battery and 4 good tires and rims, and that sweetens the deal.

It would help to drive another SHO first so you have something to compare it to.

 

[Movodo]

Yea, it has a magnaflow dual exhaust, recent clutch replacement... I think it comes with a spare engine...

I've been thinking if I should just buy a complete SHO that doesn't need much... I'll post the pictures he gave me.

It's gonna be used as my daily...

My car history has been

2 98/99 Oldsmobile Auroras [sold]
2004 Dodge Ram HEMI SLT Sport 4x4 (favorite) [Engine blew 2x had to sell]
1997 Lincoln Mark Viii LSC (Love it)[Fixing]
2003 Lincoln LS (Can't Stop Driving It..)[Daily]
1997 Dodge Ram 5.2 Sport (Bully)[Daily]

 

[Movodo]

I uploaded all the pictures to here.

https://drive.google.com/folder/d/0Bwrn1MoBz6pOc3g2QjM1MnBNdnM/edit

 

[SHOCH]

Saw pics, IMHO parts car.

 

[FREAK_SHO]

Saw pics, IMHO parts car.

This.

 

[rubydist]

its worth somewhere around $400 as a parts car, if it comes with an extra working engine.

I would not spend the time/money to fix that one - there are plenty of solid cars around for not that much more. for example, on the Denver cl just now there is one that has none of those rust issues and a decent interior for $650, with less issues than the one you posted.

I would plan on either a trip west to find a rust-free car, or recruit people you know in the west to scout and find you one. you can ship it to your location for less than a grand.

 

[sperold]

The price it above top dollar for the condition of the car. Why is it apart, and is the rest of the interior available?

The new clutch (if true) means the exhaust and sub frame bushings have been off and that is a good thing, as there is a lot of grief associated with those operations.

Your call, no one will call you crazy if you get it.
Not having plates and being drivable, is a bad sign. The current owner has given up on it, and the price does not match.
Does your state require an E-test to transfer the ownership in your name. If t does, have him do the E-test.

You will have to do some body work on anything you buy in Massachusetts.
If you don't know about the Sable solution, that headlight is $200.00 all by itself.

Get the info from the clutch change. It was probably a $1000.00 job if it was farmed out, and people tend to keep those receipts, if it really happened.

Good luck.