Taurus SHO from Ukraine (CNG motor configuration)

[GEN 3 SHO FAN]

Hi guys,

Just searching infos on the net about SHO and I found this which is very intriguing. I know that some Gen 3 SHO are/were sold in Russia but don't know more on them. The photo is coming from a left side driver Silver 1997 Taurus SHO. It's not a Ghia version like right driver side, body is identical to ours but the guy take a photo of his motor and there are some differences...

There is 8 additionnals things (blue) similar to some kind of injectors and seem to be linked to another different part where we have our cruise control... Each of these 8 seems to sending something on each runner (hot air, gas ?).

Seems to be made from factory to me because the main harness is longer to pass on the other side of the IMRC and at each end of the runners there is an opening for each hose coming into them.

Here is the link if someone can speak russian...
https://www.drive2.ru/r/ford/1342809/

If someone can explain this, I'm very curious about that.

 

[stephen newberg]

My Russian is pretty decent. He is saying that he has had the car a long time and uses it as a daily driver. He is thinking about doing some modes to it rather than to an RX8 he was previously driving. He says they are very rare in his country and he is considering repainting it, but since he drives it every day, that might be a problem. Then he repeats that it is unique and he wants to keep it and closes by saying he will post more later.

pax, smn

 

[GEN 3 SHO FAN]

Wow, your russian is very good ! (Differents country, same ideas, mods...)

Do you have an idea about what is these parts ? Maybe gasoline in this country is too different from here that it needs motor modifications to run...?

 

[stephen newberg]

No, I do not think it is gas. There is no real clue in the post as to what those things are.

Once upon a time I was fluent in 4 languages, but its very much a use it or lose it thing, so these days I am really only fluent in one and reasonably good in a second, which happens to be Russian as it was my best non-native language to start with. Age rusts everything, I guess...

pax, smn

 

[GEN 3 SHO FAN]

I must give you some excuse because I first tought you made a Google traduction or something else.

Maybe with your russian knowledge we can invite this guy here...? If he understand english, he will find this site very usefull as I saw only 3 Gen 3 SHO in Russia... (more rare than Rose mist ones).

But you're right, these hoses are not for gas because they are made from rubber, it's probably air (hot?). These 8 electrical things seems to be doors opening at a precise moment but for what ?

 

[E1]

Those blue things look like a home made nitrous injection setup.

 

[stephen newberg]

Could easily be. I did a search of the site looking for other posts by him, and found a few and read them. None that I ran across were more about the SHO, but instead were his replies to questions about other cars. He seems to be someone that gets asked about exhaust systems a lot.

pax, smn

 

[gamefanatic]

I agree that it's not gas, and not stock. There is no room for the SHO vanity cover with those mods without modding the cover.

 

[ShelbyRacer78]

I'd say that's another form of a secondary air system

 

[tardboy21]

Well, while we're reviving topics..... Looks to me like a possible CNG conversion. Looks very much like a regulator/reducer on the drivers side strut tower feeding the individual injectors which are tapped directly into each intake runner.
The fuel lines still appear to be running in on the passenger side of the intake, so could be a dual fuel.

What I don't see (whether Nitrous or CNG) is the high pressure line and gauge before it gets to the reducer. Perhaps it is coming up from underneath.

 

[stephen newberg]

That is interesting. Bet that is it.

pax, smn

 

[GEN 3 SHO FAN]

I found another SHO 1996 in Russia. The owner seems to know well Taurus because we can see antoher older one on photos.

Mr Newberg if you want to practice your russian...

https://www.drive2.ru/r/ford/1729382256910332415/

 

[stephen newberg]

Most interesting. Спасибо.

smn

 

[98SF19]

Steven, можете ли вы обобщить его для нас?
Yes, Google is my friend. LOL

 

[stephen newberg]

Lets see, give me a few minutes.

Hmm. There is not really a lot there. Its an exposition of how the SHO is different from a more normal Taurus along with some specifications dealing with those differences. He bought it used, by the way, in 2006.

Google, eh? I have not really used it for translating Russian, but it does do a pretty good job for Latin and Greek, which I have only a passing ability with, so I use it for them to check on things sometimes. I will have to run some of it through Goggle and check it out.

pax, smn

 

[Novo]

Hello there!
Let me introduce myself. My name is Stas. I live in Dnipro city which is in Ukraine. It is exact the city where the SHO from the first threads post lived up to 2018. Yes, it was a daily driver to his owner. But it looks like that this car was sold almost one and half a year ago and relocated by its new owner to the nearest big city - Zaporizhzhia (60 miles from the Dnipro city). Now it sits in the garage and has its transmission broken. It's owner tries to sell it for about $2200.

Just searching infos on the net about SHO and I found this which is very intriguing. I know that some Gen 3 SHO are/were sold in Russia but don't know more on them. The photo is coming from a left side driver Silver 1997 Taurus SHO. It's not a Ghia version like right driver side, body is identical to ours but the guy take a photo of his motor and there are some differences...

I can say that Ukraine's Ford dealerships didn't sell any of US built models officially. Most of the Fords/Mercurys/Lincolns were imported used directly from the USA. Thus this 1997 SHO started its new ukrainian life somewhere between 1998 and 2004. Also as you may know Ukraine and Russia are independent countries and there are several problems and difficulties with importing any cars to Ukraine from the Russia and vice versa.

There is 8 additionnals things (blue) similar to some kind of injectors and seem to be linked to another different part where we have our cruise control... Each of these 8 seems to sending something on each runner (hot air, gas ?).

Let me clarify this. Those blue things are LPG (or CNG) injectors used to supply the engine with the compressed natural gas for which 8 holes are drilled in the intake. The system utilizes soft rubber hoses to supply CNG because of its gas state of matter after the gas pressure reduce unit which recieves the gas in the liquid state from the special gas pressurized tank usually located in the trunk of the car.

Seems to be made from factory to me because the main harness is longer to pass on the other side of the IMRC and at each end of the runners there is an opening for each hose coming into them.

The CNG system is not a factory one. They are used in Ukraine widely (as in Russia too) because of the price twice or more lower relatively to the price of the regular gas.

Here is the link if someone can speak russian...
https://www.drive2.ru/r/ford/1342809/

This link is no longer available cause the previous owner of the car deleted it when sold the SHO.

Maybe gasoline in this country is too different from here that it needs motor modifications to run...?

Actually no, the gasoline in Ukraine is almost the same as in the USA, but we use different system for designate it. While in the USA (Research+Motor)/2 method is used to designate gasoline post USSR countries use the Research method instead. Thus our 95 octane gas is almost the same as US 90 octane gas and it is used in my country for almost 80% cars, but some older cars use our 92 octane gas (US 87 octane). But as you might noticed it is popular for our car owner to get their vehicle become bi-fuel like that SHO guy did. So the car fires up as common by using a gas and after about 10 to 30 seconds it switches to the CNG automatically to save gas and money. But it is not necessary procedure to run cars in Ukraine it is just an each owners desicion. For exapmle I prefer to run my '95 Z28 with the gas only as it gives more power than a CNG and will delete my CNG unit that was installed by previous owner.

Those blue things look like a home made nitrous injection setup.

Nitrous is a very rare setup for our country because of the lack of the required equipment and the main reason is the lack of the mechanics or tuners who can actually to install and tune up the car with a such setup.

Well, while we're reviving topics..... Looks to me like a possible CNG conversion. Looks very much like a regulator/reducer on the drivers side strut tower feeding the individual injectors which are tapped directly into each intake runner.
The fuel lines still appear to be running in on the passenger side of the intake, so could be a dual fuel.

What I don't see (whether Nitrous or CNG) is the high pressure line and gauge before it gets to the reducer. Perhaps it is coming up from underneath.

Yepp, you're right! There is a reducer underneath installed to get a CNG into the gas state to supply the engine.

Here's the VIN of the SHO from the first topic 1FALP54N9TA240389 FYI.
And the link to car sale website which has a relevant photos of the car: https://auto.ria.com/auto_ford_taurus_25004966.html
Actually I'm thinking about to buy this car and try to get it running to keep it for future successors cause of its rarity. It seems to me that it is the only 3d gen SHO in Ukraine.

Any questions are welcomed. And sorry for my English cause it is not my native language (Russian and Ukraininan are).

Have a nice day!

 

[GEN 3 SHO FAN]

Wow, thanks for that update Stas ! I'm always curious on how SHOs survived until today.

I will correct this geographical error. We based our deduction on the language used in the original post (sorry for that, I know that Ukraine and Russia aren't in good terms by the these times...).

If the link is now dead, I conserved only one engine photo for the posterity. Just in case, if someone need it.

Some people in Quebec province also modified their car to natural gas when fuel price gone high some years ago. The tank was placed in trunk also but I never personally saw this modif on any engine. It's good to know, it's very interesting.

Don't worry, your english is good, english isn't my first language too (french) and it's very easy for me to read you.

If you buy the car, we will be glad to help you preserve this somewhat special SHO.

The price asked is too high with a broken transmission. This repair here will cost between 1700 and 2300$ and there is some used parts to repair them, but in your country...

How did you know that there is also 2 others SHO in Ukraine ?? You saw them ? (I corrected the title by the way.)

Good day to you,

 

[GEN 3 SHO FAN]

I'm watching the photos and checking the VIN and I have some information for you.

This SHO is 1996 according to the VIN you gave (first year of this gen as you may know). It had a little more equipment, 10 more hp (according to some that made dynos with this year; other years had 225 hp). (I will put this number on my 1996 list and return maybe with some more infos.) I you are able to see the sticker under the door (with the VIN) and take a photo, we could be know in which area it sold new (the code is "RC XX").

The key hole (near driver wheel) seems different from factory. It has a chromed part all around the hole, from factory, it's only black plastic there...

The front bumper is the one from a normal Taurus... Maybe a front impact damaged the original one. (?) I cannot say if its recent because I only have engine photo of the previous post... The rear pumper seems to had some paint repairs too on the passenger side.

Antenna doesn't work correctly but many had this trouble.

Windshield seems in real bad shape... Here, it will not be legal to ride with (too damaged and weak). However, it's the same part as others Taurus.

Otherwise, the overall shape isn't that bad. No rust. Full equiped SHO (some was produced without sunroof, automatic climate control, etc.)

Hope it can help you to negotiate the price for the car in the case you buy it.

Maybe you will be curious to know that the design of all the interior of this SHO gen was created by a czech woman designer...

Edit VIN info :
- Not on my list (not a big deal) could significate that it not circulated here that much (America).
- By the same time, no cam failure reported (could have one not reported too)
- Built in the 2nd half of march 1996
- Part of a 7 sequential SHOs batch (batch of sequential VIN), which were probably sold new in the same area
- the VIN wasn't correct (not recognized by Ford database), the good one is 1FALP54N2TA240389 (check number wasn't good) or 1FALP54N9TA240387, which is reported Silver.
- According to the VIN, the car was originally painted in Toreador red but the photos seems to confirm the original color was Silver... (?!) A photo of the door sticker or the VIN in the windshield could help there.

 

[bpd1151]

What a cool story and to see that it is located in an entirely different country and still being shown love is fantastic.

The level of interest (of all the various GEN's) of this niche platform, as the years continue to pass by, astounds me.

Just very cool.

Part of which is what drew me to the platform and compelled me to invest in my GEN4 to the extent that I have.

Thanks for posting and the replies thus far have been great too.

An impressive community of owners for sure!

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

[Novo]

Wow, thanks for that update Stas ! I'm always curious on how SHOs survived until today.

Yepp, that is really interesting espacially in countries like mine, where US built cars are so rare at all and espexially for such cars like eny generation of SHO and other muscles.

I will correct this geographical error. We based our deduction on the language used in the original post (sorry for that, I know that Ukraine and Russia aren't in good terms by the these times...).

It's ok. You were completely right because all the people in Russia and most of the people in Ukraine use Russian language to communicate in common life, thus all of the social networks's messages are written in Russian o it is not your fault. I've just mentioned that in order to draw your attention to the fact that it is really difficult to import used US built car from Russia to Ukraine by your own.

If the link is now dead, I conserved the engine photos for the posterity. Just in case, if someone need it.

Yepp, the link to that social network is now dead and can't be reached even through the web archive service that I usually use to retrieve such dead pages. But I found a several pages where that guy tried to sell this car and saved photos from them cause these pages will be dead soon too because they will become non-relevant.

If you buy the car, we will be glad to help you preserve this somewhat special SHO.
The price asked is too high with a broken transmission. This repair here will cost between 1700 and 2300$ and there is some used parts to repair them, but in your country...

The decision about buying this SHO isn't made yet. But I see it positive in the nearest future. Some factors contribute to this. One of them - transmission is broken. it will help me to win some time.
Actually Tauruses aren't popular in our country for nowadays. The main reason - transmission issues through all the generations of them. Our mechanics are really scared for all 30 years of these AXODs and it takes a time to find that one guy who has an experience in these transmissions. But fortunately there were really many Tauruses imported in early 90s and they still could be met on the streets. Most of them are rusty and/or neglected by their owners but they are alive and still carry out their service. Usually the average Taurus that can move by itself costs about $1200-$2500. The SHO in the eyes of most of the people here it's a AXOD plus Yamaha that equals double trouble. That is funny for me in 2019 when most of the parts can be easily oredered through the Internet directly from the USA.

How did you know that there is also 2 others SHO in Ukraine ?? You saw them ? (I corrected the title by the way.)

The first one which engine photo and link to the social network were posted in the first message lived in my city and I saw it on that page earlier about 3 years ago but never saw it by my eyes. The second one which link was posted later int this thread lives in Russia. So I think there are no any 3d gen SHOs in Ukraine other that in the first message. So saying it is very rare is to say nothing.

I'm watching the photos and checking the VIN and I have some information for you.
This SHO is 1996 according to the VIN you gave (first year of this gen as you may know). It had a little more equipment, 10 more hp (according to some that made dynos with this year; other years had 225 hp). (I will put this number on my 1996 list and return maybe with some more infos.) I you are able to see the sticker under the door (with the VIN) and take a photo, we could be know in which area it sold new (the code is "RC XX").

Thank you for your interest in this car's fate. I will try to communicate with actual owner of rhis car and to ask him to take a photo of the door stickers to clarify the information.

The key hole (near driver wheel) seems different from factory. It has a chromed part all around the hole, from factory, it's only black plastic there...

This could be just a appearence mod or the real problem if it was an any issue with the keylock there. Will try to ask a previous owner about this.

The front bumper is the one from a normal Taurus... Maybe a front impact damaged the original one. (?) I cannot say if its recent because I only have engine photo of the previous post... The rear pumper seems to had some paint repairs too on the passenger side.

If previous owner will be good to conversate maybe he will be able to send me those photos and tell the story of the front bumper.

Antenna doesn't work correctly but many had this trouble.

Is it ok to replace it with the original new one from ebay or something?

Windshield seems in real bad shape... Here, it will not be legal to ride with (too damaged and weak). However, it's the same part as others Taurus.

Here too. But police doesn't charge for it often. Also we have an option to order new one from the Poland where they can produce them with good quality.

Otherwise, the overall shape isn't that bad. No rust. Full equiped SHO (some was produced without sunroof, automatic climate control, etc.)
Hope it can help you to negotiate the price for the car in the case you buy it.

Of course it will help. But the main reason to low the price is its transmission and price to repair it. Thus I think that the price of this car cannot be higher than $1000-$1200.

Maybe you will be curious to know that the design of all the interior of this SHO gen was created by a czech woman designer...

Of course it is very interesting to me. These cars are legends now! Do you know her name? Or where can I read about this and other facts?

Edit VIN info :
- Not on my list (not a big deal) could significate that it not circulated here that much (America).
- By the same time, no cam failure reported (could have one not reported too)
- Built in the 2nd half of march 1996
- Part of a 7 sequential SHOs batch (batch of sequential VIN), which were probably sold new in the same area
- the VIN wasn't correct (not recognized by Ford database), the good one is 1FALP54N2TA240389 (check number wasn't good) or 1FALP54N9TA240387, which is reported Silver.
- According to the VIN, the car was originally painted in Toreador red but the photos seems to confirm the original color was Silver... (?!) A photo of the door sticker or the VIN in the windshield could help there.

I went deeper with this VIN and got a more sharp information and yes you were right, the actual VIN of this car is 1FALP54N9TA240387 and not with the digit "9" at the end. Thus it is really Silver now by its color.

What a cool story and to see that it is located in an entirely different country and still being shown love is fantastic.
Thanks for posting and the replies thus far have been great too.

Thank you too. Could you imagine? - The only 3d Gen SHO in the country with population more than 42 millions people!