Prospective SHO...

[Gvillejakesc]

Hey guys, SHO noob here... I've never owned a SHO, but have always loved the idea of them! I'm a big fan of sleepers. I've got an opportunity to buy a 97 SHO with 156k miles on it for 2 grand. It seems to run well, shifts through the gears smoothly and handles as it should. I actually know the mechanic who used to work on it and he says it's mechanically sound. Are there any specific things to look for on this particular model? Also I'm big into car audio and one of the first things I'd like to do is put my aftermarket cd player in, but I've yet to find a dash kit with electronic controls on it... can anyone give me advice as to where I could find this? Thank you for any advice!!

 

[stephen newberg]

First thing to find out is if the cam sprockets have as yet been welded. If not, you need to reserve the funds to do that immediately on purchase of the car. You will need to pull the covers off both front and back banks to make sure the welding has been done.

pax, smn

 

[kevinspann]

Some people have made custom footballs to put in an aftermarket CD player. Good Luck there. Most important thing is having the cams welded, the second is the condition of the trans and whether it has ever been replaced.

 

[zach44102]

Some people have made custom footballs to put in an aftermarket CD player. Good Luck there.

IIRC you can buy them on ebay.

 

[kevinspann]

For an EATC? I don't think so.

 

[zach44102]

http://www.amazon.com/Stereo-Install-Taurus-wiring-installation/dp/B000KL2LWO

 

[Gvillejakesc]

http://www.amazon.com/Stereo-Install-Taurus-wiring-installation/dp/B000KL2LWO

that one won't work because this car has the electronic temp controls

 

[Gvillejakesc]

how much does it usually cost to weld the cam sprockets?

 

[kevinspann]

For an EATC? I don't think so.

http://www.amazon.com/Stereo-Install-Taurus-wiring-installation/dp/B000KL2LWO

For an EATC? I don't think so.


Budget a grand for cam welding - you never know what other misc. things might need/be easier to replace during the procedure - if the car needs it.

 

[My_Silver_SHO]

I added an interface to use my ipod... 2000+ songs.

 

[Liquid_force]

Paying someone to do the cam weld procedure is not cheap. Most of the cost is the labor expense in disassembling the motor, prepping for welds, and reassembling. The actual welding portion isn't that difficult or time consuming.

This was a big issue for me when I stumbled upon my '99 and got serious about buying it. I wasn't willing to get what a thought was a great deal on a good car only to spend 50% more on engine maintenance.

What I ended up with was doing the engine disassembly myself and towing the car to a local engine shop. They did the welds in about an hour for $60 and I towed it home and put it back together. If you can turn a wrench that may be an option for you.

I'm a car audio enthusiast as well. This is easily the least friendly car in terms of head unit upgrades I've ever dealt with.
Aftermarket HU in the dash is a virtual impossibility.
It's common to install them in place of the ashtray or in the arm rest/console.
What I ended up doing is sticking with the stock HU. I added the aux input following the procedure found on v8sho.com. That is used for my xm radio receiver and mp3's from my phone.
I used a 4 ch line out converter to give me signal for both amps.

I have a really nice Eclipse sitting in my basement I'd much rather be using, but it just wasn't an option in this car.
It sounds good the way it is - you just don't have the tweaking options you have with a good aftermarket HU.