New owner: 2019 Taurus SHO PP, black [Los Angeles].

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studio460

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It's here!

Vroom delivered the car today just before noon. Here's a few quick iPhone pics. Will take some low-angle, telephoto shots this weekend. I have a 200mm-500mm f/5.6 Nikkor on order but won't be here before the road-trip.

Will use a 400mm on a full-frame body instead. Lens, typically a few centimeters off the asphalt, wheels turned. Will try to cast a model. Too bad my wheels won't be here for another week. Got pulled over two blocks from my house, but got off with just a warning!

Spics00
Spics1
Spics3

Spics2A
 
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SM105K

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Thanks! So you think 13" was about right? I guess I'll just leave it stock for now. I was excited to introduce a rake, but apparently that's a no-no for AWD vehicles. Will take it on one or two road-trips before thinking again about upgrading the suspension. Now leaning toward the H&Rs only. Though, I wonder if the Megan springs/coil-overs adjusted all the way "soft" is a good enough to smooth things out.

Now that I see the car in person, I don't particularly mind the high ride-height. Actually kinda goes with the AWD-theme. Thanks for your help!
13 inches was what I ended up going with when I cut my stock PP springs. Really the only thing the AWD (technically front wheel drive bias, with the ability to send power to the rear under certain conditions) does not like miss matched (height) tire sizes.
 

Ta2dResqr

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Tire sizes:

Hey, thanks Ta2dResqr, on the tire advice! The AWD-issue didn't even occur to me—good call! I think it has the factory-supplied Continentals on the 20" flower-rims. Based on all your advice, I'm keeping the stock tire-sizes and only swapping the flower-rims for the Ford factory five-spoke rims (which are the same size: 20" x 8.5").

I think Crio's last post put the nail in the coffin on the springs/coil-overs decision. It's going be factory-suspension for now (at least I've got the slightly improved PP-suspension?). However, I may cut the front and rear coils later for a sportier-look and lower-CG. How much should I cut? A full or half-coil? I'll also probably adding front and rear anti-sway bars later.

My five-spoke rims with Ford-branded center-caps are still getting powder-coated in Detroit (which then still has to ground-ship to L.A.). They look similar to Mercedes rims and virtually identical to my BMW i3s' rims. This morning I called Pick Your Parts to haul away my 2003 Mercury Marauder—they're coming to tow it away tomorrow morning.

SHO arriving tomorrow!

My black 2019 SHO PP should be here tomorrow mid-day, right after the Marauder gets picked up. Its last-mile transport is coming on a flatbed from Vroom's hub in Riverside, CA (I'm in the South Bay in Los Angeles County, just south of LAX). So f'ing excited!

As soon as I get it, and especially once the wheels are swapped, I'll be posting a TON of SHO pictures!

California gas: 91 octane.

Unfortunately, I live in the state with the most expensive and lowest-octane gas. I am dying to get a GH-tune but wasn't sure which hardware-tuner to get. I suppose the more expensive one is better.

I had the SCT guys personally tune my Marauder (had to drive to Las Vegas), but the gas here is so bad, the tune was barely changed from stock due to constant pre-ignition. I fear the same is likely true of a SHO-tune, regardless of how good the tuner is.

However, the tune could still benefit any out-of-state driving, especially since the GH-tune is AO and adjusts based on octane.

A couple of engine-start/fuel questions:

1. Does the 2019 SHO have auto-engine cutoff on idle? My GF's 2018 Fusion's can be manually turned off, but it defaults to cutoff-mode when re-started. Can the default be permanently changed (i.e., to engine always-running) with the right tuner? Anyone aware of any hardware tuners capable of this granular-level of ECU-programming?

2. Any California owners here use octane-boosters? Is it simply too expensive?

3. Good to hear about the nominal performance-increase on CAIs—thanks for the head's-up, Crio. It was a pain to uninstall/reinstall on my Marauder every two years for inspection.
It does not shut off at idle if you are in gear or if you interact with the pedals. If you park the vehicle and leave it running, it will shut off after a preset amount of time. This can be disabled but enables every time the key is cycled.
 

studio460

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Thanks! I was eminently pleased to find this out first-hand on my first two test-drives yesterday. It's also nice that the SHO has (almost) one-pedal drive.

First-impressions . . .

Pros:

• Looks prettier than I remembered/expected!
• The PP's shortened rear-end makes 0-35MPH quick and fun.
• Passing-acceleration at 60-90MPH is totally decent.
• No engine auto-off at idle!
• Virtually one-pedal drive.
• Sport-mode easily engaged (i.e., no "sport-mode" button).
• Rear LED-tailight pattern looks super-cool at night.
• Flawless iPhone Bluetooth pairing.
• I've seen maybe one Gen4 SHO on the road in the last two years.
• Don't mind the high seat-position as much as I did 10 years ago.

Cons:

• No dead-pedal.
• Dated transmission.
• Cannot use headlights as DRLs (i.e., no time-out if switch left to "on" with ignition off).
• Acceleration stutters with tentative pedal-press from dead-start (solution: floor it!).
• HIDs about half as bright as my BMW's and perhaps 1,000° Kelvin warmer.
• No built-in navigation (my 2014 Ford Focus Electric's navigation is excellent).
• No built-in WiFi (plan to buy Verizon's ODB-port hotspot).

I test-drove a SHO back when the 2013s came out. Didn't like the high seat-position, and at that time, I was seeking more low-end grunt. Also, my 2003 Marauder was still purring, so a second performance-sedan wasn't really in the cards then.

Unfortunately, it looks like I bought another cop-magnet. I got pulled over within two hours of ownership. I'm transferring my Marauder's press plates to this car, which is a double-edged sword: I used to get pulled over just because cops were curious what kind of plates they were. They're pretty cool-looking: The letters 'PP' ("press photographer") are inside a triangle-graphic, followed by a four-digit number.

Overall, I'm absolutely elated with the car. It's sort of a modern version of my Marauder, but with the notable distinction that it's AWD. I wanted at least one AWD in the livery so that we could drive to the snow at any time without the hassle of chains.

Gonna put the same kind of fake cop car/radio stuff in it as my Marauder:

• Uniden HomePatrol2 APCO25 scanner w/GPS antenna + windshield suction-cup mount.
• Midland MXT500 50-Watt GMRS MicroMobile two-way radio.
• Uniden 885 hybrid CB-radio/digital trunk-tracking scanner.
• Verizon ODB-port WiFi hotspot.
 
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SM105K

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Thanks! I was eminently pleased to find this out first-hand on my first two test-drives yesterday. It's also nice that the SHO has (almost) one-pedal drive.

First-impressions . . .

Pros:

• Looks prettier than I remembered/expected!
• The PP's shortened rear-end makes 0-35MPH quick and fun.
• Passing-acceleration at 60-90MPH is totally decent.
• No engine auto-off at idle!
• Virtually one-pedal drive.
• Sport-mode easily engaged (i.e., no "sport-mode" button).
• Rear LED-tailight pattern looks super-cool at night.
• Flawless iPhone Bluetooth pairing.
• I've seen maybe one Gen4 SHO on the road in the last two years.
• Don't mind the high seat-position as much as I did 10 years ago.

Cons:

• No dead-pedal.
• Dated transmission.
• Cannot use headlights as DRLs (i.e., no time-out if switch left to "on" with ignition off).
• Acceleration stutters with tentative pedal-press from dead-start (solution: floor it!).
• HIDs about half as bright as my BMW's and perhaps 1,000° Kelvin warmer.
• No built-in navigation (my 2014 Ford Focus Electric's navigation is excellent).
• No built-in WiFi (plan to buy Verizon's ODB-port hotspot).

I test-drove a SHO back when the 2013s came out. Didn't like the high seat-position, and at that time, I was seeking more low-end grunt. Also, my 2003 Marauder was still purring, so a second performance-sedan wasn't really in the cards then.

Unfortunately, it looks like I bought another cop-magnet. I got pulled over within two hours of ownership. I'm transferring my Marauder's press plates to this car, which is a double-edged sword: I used to get pulled over just because cops were curious what kind of plates they were. They're pretty cool-looking: The letters 'PP' ("press photographer") are inside a triangle-graphic, followed by a four-digit number.

Overall, I'm absolutely elated with the car. It's sort of a modern version of my Marauder, but with the notable distinction that it's AWD. I wanted at least one AWD in the livery so that we could drive to the snow at any time without the hassle of chains.

Gonna put the same kind of fake cop car/radio stuff in it as my Marauder:

• Uniden HomePatrol2 APCO25 scanner w/GPS antenna + windshield suction-cup mount.
• Midland MXT500 50-Watt GMRS MicroMobile two-way radio.
• Uniden 885 hybrid CB-radio/digital trunk-tracking scanner.
• Verizon ODB-port WiFi hotspot.

If you are good with Forscan you can unlock the Navi. I did with mine. Bunch of tutorials on YT on how.
 

studio460

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Wow! That would be a dream come true. This is possibly my single most-hated "feature" of newer Fords. That's incredibly exciting!
 

SeanDev

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Thanks, SeanDev! That's exactly the kind of guidance I need on the exhaust. I'm not expecting any performance increase—just looking for the "right" sound. If your set-up is producing a deep rumble, that's exactly what I'm looking for. If you don't mind, I would love to copy your exact set-up so that I'm guaranteed the deep, throaty rumble I'm after—really appreciate you sharing the information. Will probe you for the particulars (e.g., MRT?) in a more specific exhaust thread at a later date.

Immediate/revised mod order [i.e., the day Vroom delivers the car in about 10 days]:

1. Swap wheels [keeping 20" PP tires for now since they have a lot of tread left].
2. Change all fluids/filters w/full-synthetic [odometer @ 14,000].
3. Suspension-upgrades now on hold based on advice given here.
4. Install Police Interceptor grille [in transit].
5. Install Ford molded splashguards.
6. Debadge.
7. Apply vinyl lens-tint for all lighting.

//////////ROAD TRIP!//////////

8. Magnaflow mufflers + Helmholtz resonators.
9. PPE downpipes.
10. GH intercooler.
11. GH tune-package [specific tuner, add-ons, etc. TBD].
12. 3M window-tint [10% more transmissive than limo-tint].
13. Matte-black vinyl vehicle-wrap + chrome-delete.

• Considering: GH turbo upgrades, etc.
• Considering: carbonfiber "GT500" hood for Ford Taurus SHO + lifters/pins.
• Considering: chin-splitter + struts.
Thanks, I really need to stop being lazy and record my exhaust, it catches people by surprise when I start it, and friend who are clueless to the SHO, when riding in it they swear I have a V8. Those MRT without the resonators were so bad I only drove a block and turned around and drove back to exhaust shop and showed them the pictures of the guy i got the idea from. His only difference was he wasn't running PPE DPs. I'm actually not really creative, 99% of what I've done to my car is from what other members on here have done to theirs. This is a video of the guys exhaust I copied, he has since sold off exhaust and car. I really like my Magnaflow resonator/muffler, and still have third cat, shop moved up size on it to 2.5 to match rest of exhaust.


 

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dxlnt1

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Been forever since I posted here.
My 2011 has 275/40/20 firehawks. I dont like noise so my catted downpipes with X-pipe are fine with me. And no drone.

I too am in L.A., fuel additives, I was using the ACES IV for the longest, now I go back and forth with the boostane and ACES IV to use up the last of my stash. Between the 2, I run AJP 93 octane tune. I get a little ping when engine cold and hard throttle but go away once at operating temps.

Personally, I wouldnt touch the suspension. The ride height allows me as I do sometimes to forget to slow down for road imperfections. And I get a great ride out of it. Unless you tracking car a lot, doesnt seem worth the expense to me.
 

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J persons

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Iv'e heard some talk about the CA smog Nazis revising their smog check to include a 'check sum" of the cars computer. If the check sum is different than what Ford sent them out the door with, the smog Nazis will send the car to a referee. You do not want to go to the smog referee, it's the automotive equivalent of a anorectal manometry
 

CCXVI

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Borla gave me a very deep sound, and side exit behind the front wheels was the best sounding with least drone and no rasp (short pipes make a huge difference) but if you're lowering that can be a problem.
 

jdarq0h

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I feel lucky to have just found a 2019 Ford Taurus SHO in black with the performance package (but not the 12-speaker Sony system or sunroof). It's the lowest-mileage SHO I've seen at only 14,2XX miles. Coming from a 2003 Mercury Marauder, a 2014 Ford Focus Electric, a 2006 Ford Freestar, I have a lot of Fords. GF bought a 2018 1.5L turbo Fusion (unfortunately, not the sport). Last summer, I bought a 2019 BMW i3s electric as a commuter since the Focus' range was degrading.

The SHO is replacing my 2003 Marauder (4.6L DOHC V8), my prior daily driver before I went electric. Love my Marauder, but too many things to fix on a 100,000+ vehicle.

My 2019 SHO is on its way from a dealer in Texas, bought through Vroom. I wanted a fast four-door sedan with AWD, and as you all know all other options are either $100K+ (e.g., BMW M5), or under-powered (i.e., AWD Dodge Charger is only available with a V6 that's much slower than the SHO's).

The SHO is a road-trip car. In brief, I plan to add:

• Megan Racing SHO coil-overs/springs or BC Racing suspension kit for Ford Flex.
• Police interceptor grille (fitment okay?).
• Aftermarket chin-splitter + shaker-hood (source?).
• Downpipes (brand?).
• Exhaust (loudest = Magnaflo?)
• SCTX4 tuner + 170° thermostat.

Unsure what exhaust is best. I mainly want to improve sound since I'm guessing there's little to no performance increase for a cat-back system. Also unsure if third CAT removal would be noticed at smog-check. Definitely want to lower the car with H&Rs or the Megan coil-over/spring kit.

Unfortunately, I live in California so even CAIs have to be removed every two years for smog-check. Would love to add an intercooler, but that would likely be spotted at smog-check. I assume there are no after-market performance upgrades for the SHO with California CARB numbers?

So this is my "fun" car. Money is no object for performance mods or exterior mods. I will probably wrap it in matte-black vinyl. Will immediately replace "daisy-pattern" wheels with 20x8.5 five-spoke Ford factory wheels, powder-coated gloss black by Wheel Exchange in Detroit (already ordered).

Would've preferred a 20x9 or 20x10 wheel but bolt-pattern and offset seemed to be difficult to match. Will likely mount some beefy summer Nittos or Hankooks. Anyone know the largest tire you can fit on a 20x8.5 rim? Will need to buy tires as soon as I receive the car since I plan the dump the factory wheels which I think are only 19s (or did they come with 20s from the factory?).

Anywho, I'm itching to get the car fully customed before its maiden road-trip (except for the vinyl-wrap), so any personalized guidance would be hugely appreciated. The first mechanical mod I want to do is to lower the suspension, then exhaust (for sound).

Immediate planned mods:

1. Swap wheels/sensors/tires.
2. Install lowered-suspension (e.g. H&R springs or Megan Racing coil-over kit).
3. Install aftermarket front/rear anti-sway bars (brand?).
4. Install high-flow downpipes (install cost?).
5. Install new muffler/resonator/tips.
6. Program SCT-tune.
7. Install PI grille.
8. Install Ford splashguards.
9. Install aftermarket chin-splitter + shaker-hood.
10. Window/headlight/back-up/tail-lights tint.
11. Chrome-trim delete.
12. Debadge all nameplates except for "SHO" badges.
nice.. how is the work coming along?
 

studio460

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nice.. how is the work coming along?

Thanks! Not much "work" so far; only some cosmetic mods. My first actual mod will come when my MRT axle-back exhaust arrives next week! After much thought, I may leave the car mostly stock, mechanically. Since I'm stuck with 91-octane gas here in Cali, I don't expect much from performance-adders; though, I will likely opt for a custom SCT-tune. Again, I'm probably buying a 2024 Mustang GT, so that's where I'll have the more sophisticated suspension and seat-of-the-pants power-adders, mostly already built-in.
 

studio460

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Thanks, I really need to stop being lazy and record my exhaust, it catches people by surprise when I start it, and friend who are clueless to the SHO, when riding in it they swear I have a V8. Those MRT without the resonators were so bad I only drove a block and turned around and drove back to exhaust shop and showed them the pictures of the guy i got the idea from. His only difference was he wasn't running PPE DPs. I'm actually not really creative, 99% of what I've done to my car is from what other members on here have done to theirs. This is a video of the guys exhaust I copied, he has since sold off exhaust and car. I really like my Magnaflow resonator/muffler, and still have third cat, shop moved up size on it to 2.5 to match rest of exhaust.



Hey, Sean! As you may know I just ordered the MRT exhaust. Though, I'm a bit confused on the resonators: Which brand of Helmholtz did you buy and where did you source? Also, where the heck do they go? Are the additional pipes in your photos a homemade Helmholtz? Thanks!
 
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studio460

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. . . Personally, I wouldnt touch the suspension. The ride height allows me as I do sometimes to forget to slow down for road imperfections. And I get a great ride out of it. Unless you tracking car a lot, doesnt seem worth the expense to me.

Yeah, after giving it some thought, I may keep my suspension 100%-stock. The increased ride-height makes the car a bit more off-load friendly, and since this is a road-trip car, we sometimes encounter roadways that are roads only in name. Thanks for your post!
 

studio460

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Photo update:

I know I've already created a dedicated photo-thread, but I thought I'd update this introductory-thread with my favorite picture of my 2019 SHO I've taken so far (photographed during light-rain) to reflect a more current build: Police Interceptor-grille + gloss-black 2012 SHO 20" wheels (pre-Ford badge-tint):

showheels1a-jpg.86490
 
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BHump1

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Tire sizes:

Hey, thanks Ta2dResqr, on the tire advice! The AWD-issue didn't even occur to me—good call! I think it has the factory-supplied Continentals on the 20" flower-rims. Based on all your advice, I'm keeping the stock tire-sizes and only swapping the flower-rims for the Ford factory five-spoke rims (which are the same size: 20" x 8.5").

I think Crio's last post put the nail in the coffin on the springs/coil-overs decision. It's going be factory-suspension for now (at least I've got the slightly improved PP-suspension?). However, I may cut the front and rear coils later for a sportier-look and lower-CG. How much should I cut? A full or half-coil? I'll also probably adding front and rear anti-sway bars later.

My five-spoke rims with Ford-branded center-caps are still getting powder-coated in Detroit (which then still has to ground-ship to L.A.). They look similar to Mercedes rims and virtually identical to my BMW i3s' rims. This morning I called Pick Your Parts to haul away my 2003 Mercury Marauder—they're coming to tow it away tomorrow morning.

SHO arriving tomorrow!

My black 2019 SHO PP should be here tomorrow mid-day, right after the Marauder gets picked up. Its last-mile transport is coming on a flatbed from Vroom's hub in Riverside, CA (I'm in the South Bay in Los Angeles County, just south of LAX). So f'ing excited!

As soon as I get it, and especially once the wheels are swapped, I'll be posting a TON of SHO pictures!

California gas: 91 octane.

Unfortunately, I live in the state with the most expensive and lowest-octane gas. I am dying to get a GH-tune but wasn't sure which hardware-tuner to get. I suppose the more expensive one is better.

I had the SCT guys personally tune my Marauder (had to drive to Las Vegas), but the gas here is so bad, the tune was barely changed from stock due to constant pre-ignition. I fear the same is likely true of a SHO-tune, regardless of how good the tuner is.

However, the tune could still benefit any out-of-state driving, especially since the GH-tune is AO and adjusts based on octane.

A couple of engine-start/fuel questions:

1. Does the 2019 SHO have auto-engine cutoff on idle? My GF's 2018 Fusion's can be manually turned off, but it defaults to cutoff-mode when re-started. Can the default be permanently changed (i.e., to engine always-running) with the right tuner? Anyone aware of any hardware tuners capable of this granular-level of ECU-programming?

2. Any California owners here use octane-boosters? Is it simply too expensive?

3. Good to hear about the nominal performance-increase on CAIs—thanks for the head's-up, Crio. It was a pain to uninstall/reinstall on my Marauder every two years for inspection.
What was the deal on the Marauder?
 

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