Thinking about buying a SHO....

[supergfunk]

Hello all,
I'm new to the SHO scene and just test drove my first SHO today. It is a 1994, with a manual tranny. I didn't hear or feel any problems with it when driving. It has 84000 miles on it, and in good condition. Exterior is great with no fading or chipping. Owner said he already replaced the timing belt and clutch. He's the 2nd owner and aquired it when it had 40000 miles. I got him down to $4700 and that's the lowest he said he'll go.
What do you guys think? I'm looking for a car that'll last at least 50000 miles. I like the sound and power of the SHO. Give me your opinions and experiences with the car. Thanks.

 

[Milo]

I am pretty new to SHOs to but from what I am seeing you will get a good 40k to 50k and then you will need to spend some money. If you take care of it it will last a couple hundred thousand but you will be putting a generous amount of money into it. They are very finnicky cars but they are also very fun to own.

 

[Croaker]

Ask if he's had the 60K tune up done to it.

-Croaker

 

[supergfunk]

He said he didn't, I mentioned it to him, to bring down his price, he asked how much it would cost (??), and I'm going from there. How much should I talk him down to? How much would I have to invest to keep it in good condition over the years?

 

[supergfunk]

Another thing is that the engine is real dusty, he said there was construction work done near the house and the dirt got in up under the hood.

 

[BeatDaSHO]

well...check the plug wells and make sure there is no oil in there. if there is...then ur gonna be spending 3.99 X 6 for spark plugs, 82.99 for wires, 72.99 for valve cover gasket set, and if u don't do it urself then a shitload in labor. check to make sure the car opens up well. take it out for another test drive and get on it. make sure it sounds decent and everything. good luck with it. sounds like a pretty decent deal to me. Welcome to the SHO family.

Greg

 

[Two93SHOsguy]

I have 2 '93 SHOs. They have many electrical and mechanical standard options, and so I have found them to be very very fluky, and very expensive to maintain. Each year, at least one very expensive problem occurs(Alternator, PS, Roofwindow Assy, Brakes, Engine probs) and I am forced to live with many smaller ******** crap problems, eg: AC fan stuck on high (pulled fuse out, now NO Air controls), door UNlock switch failure (reach over to passenger sw.) AC control buttons busted out, radio control buttons work sometimes, ABS light on, wiper switch works sometimes (wiggle it till they stay on), radio intermittent (shoved a shim shingle into dash... works!). Parts too expensive: sparkplugs Ford $10ea, $4ea on line, plug wires list $300, on-line ~$100. Dealers and mechanics find these hard to work on: Ford Dealer (Iverson, MA) calls Detroit to understand power rack & pinion replacement ($$$). Dealer quote to diagnose (2 hrs @ $70/hr) then R & R plugs and wires: $1160. NO KIDDING. So, Proposal: get a standard Taurus with minimum crap, buy rims & tires at www.tirerack.com, and have an exhaust shop build big fake dualies, and 2-tone paint it like the white upper/silver lower Lexus LS400 w/clearcoat. Less initial money, less tire & maint costs, fewer tickets. Do I seem ****** at my SHOs? YES! Dealers, too!

 

[ACV1081]

Two93SHOsguy:
I have 2 '93 SHOs. They have many electrical and mechanical standard options, and so I have found them to be very very fluky, and very expensive to maintain. Each year, at least one very expensive problem occurs(Alternator, PS, Roofwindow Assy, Brakes, Engine probs) and I am forced to live with many smaller ******** crap problems, eg: AC fan stuck on high (pulled fuse out, now NO Air controls), door UNlock switch failure (reach over to passenger sw.) AC control buttons busted out, radio control buttons work sometimes, ABS light on, wiper switch works sometimes (wiggle it till they stay on), radio intermittent (shoved a shim shingle into dash... works!). Parts too expensive: sparkplugs Ford $10ea, $4ea on line, plug wires list $300, on-line ~$100. Dealers and mechanics find these hard to work on: Ford Dealer (Iverson, MA) calls Detroit to understand power rack & pinion replacement ($$$). Dealer quote to diagnose (2 hrs @ $70/hr) then R & R plugs and wires: $1160. NO KIDDING. So, Proposal: get a standard Taurus with minimum crap, buy rims & tires at www.tirerack.com, and have an exhaust shop build big fake dualies, and 2-tone paint it like the white upper/silver lower Lexus LS400 w/clearcoat. Less initial money, less tire & maint costs, fewer tickets. Do I seem ****** at my SHOs? YES! Dealers, too!

Ok well I see where you're coming from, I have to say that a regular taurus will be a severe degredation compared to the SHO. I think that one of your main problems is 1) badluck, 2)you own 2 93's. I have a 93 & have had minimial problems except for a tranny nightmare & the expensive 60K service but between my 2 SHO's I am learning where & how to maintain them cost effectively. If you have found this forum & visit sites like SHOTIMES you'll be prepared for SHO ownership & @ the same time enjoy SHO ownership. Personally on this car you're looking into buying it seems like a good deal but what options does it have & what color is it? The engine being dirty doesn't mean horrible things but if you can pick this car up for ~$4000 & you get receipts for the timing belt & clutch I'd think you'll be doing OK. Also check to see if he did the waterpump & CPS when he was doing the timing belt. If you only had to do plugs, wires, & gaskets on the top end of the engine that'd prolong your engine life for many miles to come. One last thing... I don't know where you live but if it's anywhere close to a SHO guru you'll be set. Let me know if you have any further questions & rest assured most of my SHO knowledge is from the school of hard knocks so don't follow in my footsteps. thumbs_u Unless you're looking for major gas mileage & insane reliability I think the SHO is a great car for the $ just as long as you get your ducks in a row before you purchase one.

Adam
P.S with that 94 model year you can do the 96 brake upgrade realitively cheap compared to the pre-94 owners... wink

<small>[ April 01, 2002, 11:27 AM: Message edited by: ACV1081 ]</small>

 

[Two93SHOsguy]

Check: http://www.shotimes.com/
for further advice and info!

 

[KYSHO]

I love and enjoy my SHO when she is having a good day. Then there are the other days when I ask myself if it worth all the trouble. I would not recommend the SHO for someone on a very limited budget or say for sending your kid off to college in. It also helps to have a second car or use it as a second car. I have '94 Cougar that I drive when the SHO is waiting for parts or service. This group is a priceless resource for all SHO owners. If you have the time and desire to learn about your car and do some of the work yourself then go for it. If you want a park it and forget about it car you might want to look at something else.

Just my opinion!

 

[stevetatro]

If you want a problem-free car, buy something else.

If you can't set aside about $100/month for maintenance, or do most of the work yourself, buy something else.

I've owned SHOs for 7 years now, and I've seen bunches of people who drove one, loved it, bought it, sold it within a year. All because they couldn't believe how much it cost them to have "simple" maintenance items done at a shop.

Your engine will need a 100k service (including valve lash adjustment, belts, possibly water pump, blah blah blah) obviously at around 100k miles. The 60k mile service, according to Ford, is overkill for '93-'95. They recommend it at 100k miles. They apparently saw too many valve lashes well within spec at 60k miles and determined 100k was okay.

Anyway, there's a good chance that between 100k and 120k miles you'll have quite a few sensors crap out (unless they already have and have been replaced). CID Sensor $$, CKP Sensor $$$, TPS $.

One of the main maintenance jobs that seems to be forgotten is cooling system service. The SHO engine does not like being hot. Bad, bad things happen. It's hella-important to keep fresh coolant running through it. I'd check with the owner to at least make sure this was done!

Anyway, good luck!

 

[supergfunk]

The color of it is a nice blue, it has the cd player, that's about it.

 

[V6&V8SHO]

Hard driving takes a toll on the SHO's fastm just ask my friend that had a 93 mtx and drove it like an a-hole. Engine died and killed the tranny, motor mounts destroyed, rotors shot, andps rack shot. I figure if you dont beat on it constantly the car may last longer before you have a prob. Best advice is go with a 95 not a 93. Some of the kinks have been ironed out but you still cant evade other probs.

 

[pjtoledo]

Originally posted by supergfunk:
[QB]Hello all,
I'm new to the SHO scene and just test drove my first SHO today. It is a 1994, with a manual tranny. I didn't hear or feel any problems with it when driving. It has 84000 miles on it, and in good condition. Exterior is great with no fading or chipping. Owner said he already replaced the timing belt and clutch. He's the 2nd owner and aquired it when it had 40000 miles. I got him down to $4700 and that's the lowest he said he'll go.

This should sum it up:

92 MTX 239,000 miles-mine
95 MTX 80,000 miles-wifes
original owner of both
very happy with greasy wrenches in hand
would I give them up?
**** NO!!!

Perry Toledo,Ohio