Parts interchange with regular Taurus?

[mikeb23ft]

So I just got this car yesterday and I'm trying to figure out what I can use from a regular Taurus on the exterior and suspension. The local JY has 9 Gen2 non-SHO cars, so there's no shortage of stuff. Basically I need to know if I can fit non-sho headlights, tails, steering wheel, headliner, brakes, suspension parts...what all goes both ways? This car needs the suspension and the brake systems gone through completely so anything I could get cheap at a JY would be helpful.

Thanks.

 

[K-Dawg]

For the Gen 2, headlights, corner lights and fenders are different. Tails are the same. With the exception of colors, steering wheels and headliners are the same. Brakes and suspension are interchangeable, but suspension parts are slightly different. For the suspension stuff, you might be better off going with new Moog and Monroe stuff.

 

[Joe_SHO]

I personally would not go with used for brakes or suspension parts.

 

[sperold]

A lot of the front stuff is Mercury Sable rather than Taurus, and the suspension is the same as the Police package cars, so things are different enough. I know the lower control arm with the built in ball joint is sturdier than the regular Taurus and the ball joint is bigger.

 

[SuperHO]

don't use used suspension parts unless it's a last resort. otherwise, almost all the interior pieces are interchangeable, though some may look a little different. the bodies from the fenders back are identical except for he bumper covers. the headlights and side markers, as well as the hood and fenders are sable parts.

 

[mikeb23ft]

Okay, great stuff so far. What about seats? Will manual Taurus seats just bolt in? What about Mustang, Probe, GenIII or Contour buckets? Would a steering wheel from any of those cars fit?

I'm going to look for some GenIII cars to get brake parts from while I'm there. Any other GenIII parts I should try to swipe?

For the suspension, I will be going with Moog/Monroe. Probably not going to get any used suspension unless something looks really new, though.

 

[jonheese]

What about seats? Will manual Taurus seats just bolt in?

Yup.

What about Mustang, Probe, GenIII or Contour buckets?

Mustang, Probe and Contour seats will not be a direct fit. GenIII seats should bolt up, but you may have to change a connector or two.

Would a steering wheel from any of those cars fit?

AFAIK, the steering wheel is Taurus only, and I think the GenIII steering wheel is different enough to where they won't swap, but not 100% sure on that.

Edit: I was wrong about this, the Gen3 steering wheel should swap with a small electrical connector change.

I'm going to look for some GenIII cars to get brake parts from while I'm there. Any other GenIII parts I should try to swipe?

GenIII SHO front brakes are upgrades for Gen1/2 cars. Snag the calipers and caliper brackets, and they bolt up with the bigger rotors and pads as long as you have '94 or '95 front knuckles. The GenIII knuckles won't fit your Gen1/2 ball joint. The GenIII SLO (non-SHO) brakes are not upgrades for a '94 or '95 car. I believe 2001+ SLOs had the bigger GenIII SHO-size brakes though.

Good luck.

 

[mikeb23ft]

Okay then I'm skipping the brake upgrade. Trying to get it roadworthy, saving money for the transmission it will need soon. I think the ABS is screwed, it acts up sometimes, can be frightening. Focusing on getting it safe before upgrading.

 

[jonheese]

What year is your car?

 

[mikeb23ft]

1994. Sorry I should have specified that. Doh.

 

[frosho]

AFAIK, the steering wheel is Taurus only, and I think the GenIII steering wheel is different enough to where they won't swap, but not 100% sure on that.

You can use a Gen3 steering wheel. The cruise control connector will plug right in with no modification, but the airbag connector is slightly different. You have to swap a Gen2 connector onto the Gen3 airbag, but that's very easy to do. I just installed a Gen3 steering wheel in my '94 last week.

 

[jonheese]

No problem.

In that case, if you find a GenIII SHO or a 2001-2006 (I think) SLO, the front brakes should be the bigger 11.6" version, which will bolt right up to your front knuckles. Just confirm that the caliper brackets have "FN-74" stamped on them, as this tells you it's the upgrade part. All you need is the brackets. Your calipers will bolt to them and allow you to use the bigger 11.6" rotors and bigger 598 pads for a cheap brake upgrade. The brackets are not wear items, so there's no safety concerns with using "used" ones.

If you want to fix the ABS issue before doing anything with the brakes, that sounds like a smart idea, but I'd suggest you buy the brackets if you can find them. They should be pretty cheap from a junkyard-- ahem, excuse me, auto salvage yard , and even if they sit on a shelf for a while, they are the best cheap way to get a little more braking power.

Good luck with it.

 

[jonheese]

You can use a Gen3 steering wheel. The cruise control connector will plug right in with no modification, but the airbag connector is slightly different. You have to swap a Gen2 connector onto the Gen3 airbag, but that's very easy to do. I just installed a Gen3 steering wheel in my '94 last week.

Aha. Good to know. I thought I remembered that the steering shaft shape changed between Gen2 and Gen3, but I'm sure you're right. Maybe I'm thinking about the '89-to-'90 change. Thanks for the correction.

 

[93rev2sev]

The GenIII SLO (non-SHO) brakes are not upgrades for a 94 or 95 SHO

Fixt.

 

[mikeb23ft]

Dig it. Good news, thanks everybody. Would really like some nice buckets...will 2001-2006 seats fit? They have one of those at the yard too. I'm trying to make it light though...hoping for manual and cloth.

 

[93rev2sev]

I'm trying to make it light though...hoping for manual and cloth.

Milk crate and zip ties FTW!

 

[jonheese]

Fixt.

Yes, you're right on that, sorry. My '90 only had its original brakes for about a day since I've had it, so I forgot that the stock rotors were 10.1" on the earlier cars (compared to the 10.9" stock '94+ rotors).

Luckily my mistake there was irrelevant in this thread, since the OP has a '94.

Thanks for the correction.

 

[jonheese]

Dig it. Good news, thanks everybody. Would really like some nice buckets...will 2001-2006 seats fit? They have one of those at the yard too. I'm trying to make it light though...hoping for manual and cloth.

Yes, all years of Taurus (up to 2007) will bolt right in. Electrical connectors may need to be adapted though, depending on the donor year and what options the seat has.

Here's a thread that shows Gen4 ('00-'07) seats in a Gen2 car:
http://www.shoforum.com/showthread.php?t=47006

 

[mikeb23ft]

Thread also says that T-bird seats will bolt in, I'll probably look for those first. Might be harder to find manuals though. Or I might just get whatever is lightest and in a sorta matching color.

 

[jonheese]

Yeah, I meant to mention that in my first post above, but I forgot.