*NEW OWNER* 97 SHO ...few questions...

[turbot4]

i didn't really sell the vr-4 to get the sho....i just wanted something a bit more reliable as it's getting tuff to get parts for the vr-4....i have owned 6 of the twin turbo cars, and i think it was time for a break.....i have a family, yet i wanted to keep some performance...so the sho was the best of both worlds, that and the price....could'nt beat it...

i do miss my vr-4, but oh well..i figured i would have way less headache with the sho, being it is american ...and i have owned 2 taurus before and still own one that have never given me any problems...

they were 3.0 gl's though

hopwefully i'll have the sho back in a few weeks, he's going to pull and rebuild the trans for me, i can't wait....i need some hp

 

[luigisho]

You determined it was the trans and not the cable?

Well maintained, it will be reliable. More so than the earlier SHO's. I really miss the manual tranny though.

 

[turbot4]

yes, it's definately something in the trans........it will get worked out i drove in a base today and was surprised how nice it rode....can't wait to get the sho back...will be a huge step up from my normal work beater the gl....grape ape mobile...(it's purple) i have owned this 1 for nearly 5 years so it's time for a change..hopefuuly i will besatisfied with the sho for ahile, as i greatly miss my vr-4..

 

[jthod]

Nice VR-4!! I though an SHO engine compartment was cramped, but damn!! Where do they fit TWO turbos on that thing!?!

 

[turbot4]

the turbo's on the vr-4 are located right in the middle on the front behind the rad. and 1 in the rear right back against the firewall...

as you can see i had a few upgrades, made close too 400hp 0-60 times were under 4sec...never had a chance to track it, but i'm sure mid too low 12's

 

[pascofan92]

X5 on the cams. Get qualified help. Oh yes, welcome to the Slow Heavy and Old forum. lol. Really. Welcome and enjoy the SHO.---Alaric

 

[turbot4]

thanks....hopefully the sho will be a much better dd..as parts for the vr-4 ain't cheap...

 

[Izzmo]

Yeah.. think again

- Coil-per-plug (coil packs) will run u about $120 a pop (8 of them)
- Gaskets are expensive
- Don't even think about taking your head off.. impossible to find gaskets and bolts

Interior crap is pretty cheap though.

 

[96blackSHO]

i kno for a fact NESHO will take care of all your problems there the best in the country krik handled my cam welds and my tranny issues and i am satisfied with how it was all handled and hes a good guy to deal with X932 on the cam weld and he mite have a good working tranny sittings around

 

[turbot4]

well the thing is it's a bit far for me to go there.....as i really hate to travel...

i'm definately getting the trans fixed, but the car had no ther issues i know of, i will check the cams whn i get it back, who know's...maybe i won't even hang on to it....i questioned myself a few times as to why i thought i needed it, even though i'm driving my 93 gl work car since i got rid of the vr-4..

 

[ES96SHO]

well the thing is it's a bit far for me to go there.....as i really hate to travel...

i'm definately getting the trans fixed, but the car had no ther issues i know of, i will check the cams whn i get it back, who know's...maybe i won't even hang on to it....i questioned myself a few times as to why i thought i needed it, even though i'm driving my 93 gl work car since i got rid of the vr-4..

Don't get too paranoid as the GenIII SHO is a very reliable car, it's just that it has a few inherent problems, as most cars do. As with most cars, the majority of owners are ignorant of the problems until too late. This is an enthusiast's forum so we are more likely to point out the problem areas that need attention. As mentioned, V8SHO.com has all of the details you need.

What part of PA are you in?

 

[Izzmo]

Diy

well the thing is it's a bit far for me to go there.....as i really hate to travel...

i'm definately getting the trans fixed, but the car had no ther issues i know of, i will check the cams whn i get it back, who know's...maybe i won't even hang on to it....i questioned myself a few times as to why i thought i needed it, even though i'm driving my 93 gl work car since i got rid of the vr-4..

I'm not trying to lose NESHO any business, but it was too far for me to drive to NESHO and FPS.. so I had to do it all myself.

I think you are in the same boat as me. What I did was remove everything down to the cams, find someone who will weld them in place (really hard as people don't want the extra liability), and then once that's done, clean your intake out (scrub scrub), replace gaskets if needed and you are good to go.

Cost me: $40 for weld, $80 for gaskets (gaskets weren't needed.. so $40 essentially)

I also cleaned out the UIM in the process. I got a couple spare gaskets if you need'em as well.

 

[Silvapain]

Yeah.. think again

- Coil-per-plug (coil packs) will run u about $120 a pop (8 of them)
- Gaskets are expensive
- Don't even think about taking your head off.. impossible to find gaskets and bolts

Interior crap is pretty cheap though.

-COP's are $72 at Autozone.
-Almost all gaskets are reusable (I've never had to buy new ones, and I've torn most of my engine down at one point or another
-Headgaskets are reusable, and you can use Duratec head bolts. Both have been discussed on here, on the V8 list, and on the TCCA.

 

[luigisho]

You can still get head gaskets and coils are just over $70 at AutoZone.

I would make the trip to NESHO to get the cam weld done.
I bought my GenIII from up that way and drove it back no problem. There have been problems with welds from other places failing and I would only trust one or two places to do it correctly.

 

[Izzmo]

Well... damnit.

I've been buying them from RockAuto for like $120 a pop... wtf.

 

[turbot4]

well, i'm from lebanon pa.....zip 17046
first things first hopefully my buddy can rebuild or fix the trans...from there i may have him weld the cams, he's a mechanic and has been for the last 25 years....

anyway about the coils, why is everbody saying about that?...the car purrs and revs excellent with no apparent problems, so why would i need coils?...

 

[SHOZ123]

The OEM coils are infamous for the housing cracking and causing a miss. Usually after being handled. If it isn't missing then there probably isn't a current problem. But beware that it probably will happen and is not easy to diagnose which one it is. It also is not cheap to replace.

I recommend when the problem arises to buy four new ones and replace all in the back at one time. You can start saving up now or just buy them now as they will only be getting more expensive.

 

[Izzmo]

That's what I did... now I got a damn miss in the front bank.. ********.

 

[turbot4]

well, i'm crossing my fingers, over the last 7 years i have owned 2 taurus gl's 1 a wagon and 1 a sedan, and neither gave me any problems and were very reliable....that's the reson i bought the sho....these however were work cars and i drove the **** out of them , my vr-4's were my toys and rarely driven....

i just hopw my guy does'nt take too long as i am dying to drive the new sho over my old gl...

 

[Izzmo]

How does that make sense lol. Your vr-4's gave you problems and you rarely drove them while the taurii never gave you problems and you "drove the **** out of them" -- I don't get it lol

As long as you take of it, your SHO will last forever. Regular oil changes and keep up with your transmission, and you'll be good. What helps: get a ATX cooler. Cheap and will be helpful in the long run.