Which way to go Gen II or Gen III

[doclees]

I am thinking of looking for a Gen III. I have a Gen II and I. Which ones hold up better? Cams have been welded on the Gen III I am looking at. Also do all Gen III have fold down rear seat to trunk?

 

[BodylessSHO]

Gen III's are the best of the 3 generations. Hands down. Everyone on this forum will agree.

And yes, the rear seats fold down.

 

[FoeSho]

I think the Gen 2's are the best, the Gen 3's look heavy and don;t look sporty really.

 

[nothingtoseehere]

Yes, the rear seats fold down.

The gen III is a nice car. Not as much out there as the Gen I/II as far as "stuff". If you want a cruiser thats ncie and comfortable, by all means.

I would not say any generation is more or less reliable. It is all depending on the maintenance habits of the previous owner. YOu are more likely to find a nice condition Gen III as they are newer. The problem you run into is the common Gen III issues. Transmission, if it is the stock one, WILL need to be replaced at some point. Even if it is not the stock one, as soon as you buy a gen III start putting aside for a new tranny. Struts, also if stock, likely need to be replaced at this point. There are a couple of options. You can go the cheaper route and put SLO KYB GR2s in (about 250 bucks) or you can put new SARC struts in (about 650 cheapest - just for the parts.) Coils will need to be replaced at some point to if they are stock. Coils run around 70 bucks, give or take, each. It is common practice to replace at least 4 at a time unless you want to do all 8 at once.

The cam weld is the big one. Since it has already been done, you would be in pretty good shape. Like any older car though, things will need replacing eventually.

 

[nik97]

Gen 3
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?f...en=96CD56DE-F3E4-8C5F-DD83129E573DA9F82779290

Gotta love that second gear.

 

[2 4shofast]

Gen III's are much nicer, newer, sound awesome with exhaust and with 1,500 they perform as well as a Gen II with much more money invested. My .02

 

[Mr. SHO]

I like them both, for different reasons. If I could only have one, it would definitely be the Gen 3. Actually, that's pretty much the case right now.

 

[doclees]

thanks folks, what about maintenance in general? Do we set valve lash? Leaky seals? Heater core issues? Some of the off site reports are that these are electrical nightmares. Do we agree?
As for the tranny - if we have say 130k and odd shifting is happening does this mean a total rebuild all the time or something less?

also in these time what about mileage? I can do 28mpg plus in my 89 at 70 on the highway, about 22 when I play with it. The 93 only about 25 highway and 20 mixed.

 

[1993MTXSHO]

Im all abotu the v8's always have been but sor some reason I LOVE the ngen 2's *** just love the yamahammer. I personally thing the v8 body style is to bubbly and i want a mtx. If you liek auto the gen 3 is a nic car i saw one the other day and wouldnt mind owning one they sound sweet with no exhaust too Go with a gen 3 if you have the previous 2 gens mine as well have all 3.

 

[luigisho]

I like both. The chassis is a little stiffer and better on the GenIII but I really miss the MTX and the Yamaha v6 performance. If you want ATX go GenIII, if not, get the best condition GenII you can find. The v6 has more room under the hood to work. The v8 is cramped as ****. It's hard to get your hands on anything without removing tons of stuff.

 

[roland]

Gen III's are beasts, great highway cars and fun to race in with the right mods - around the city they are same as any other taurus, a giant boat, but lots of room and plenty of power to go around.

 

[Mr. SHO]

Valve lash is a 100K maintenance task. Getting the cams welded is really the only fundamental maintenance difference between the V8 and the V6. Both engines are rock solid. Both cars have lots of wiring, sensors, etc. that can occasionally give you grief, particularly as the miles and years add up (but what car since the 80s doesn't?) All SHO ATXes are "wear items", regardless of whether they are behind a V6 or a V8.

-Cam issue (advantage V6)
-Bolt-on mods (advantage V6)
-Popularity (advantage V6 when it comes to scoring cheap junkyard parts)
-Fit & finish (advantage V8)
-Comfort (advantage V8)
-Body/chassis stiffness and handling (advantage V8)
-V8 exhaust note (advantage V8)

The kicker is the availability of a MTX. So far, none exists for the V8 (although Scott K is getting closer to making this a reality). If ATXes are your thing, get the V8.

I get 27-30mpg highway with the A/C running, cruising between 75-85. I have never heard of a 96+ needing heater core work. Electrical nightmare? Depends on the specimen. Some cars (v6 or v8) will have you chasing your tail trying to figure out what's broken. Most of the cleaner cars with decent miles on the odo and good maintenance histories won't give you much grief, though. Shop around, no matter which model you decide on. There are way too many of these cars around for you to have to jump on the first one you see.