Would you?

[shogansta]

Gen3's are the cars you goto when your sick and tired of having a broken down gen1/2........

I own a gen-3 and ive own a gen-1 at the same time and ill tell you what it is not cheap to maintain a gen-1/2... You basically trade up performance for reliability...

Think about what your doing you said it your self that in a year you could comfortably purchase one... I'd say wait it out... You dont need a needy child as a car in your hand...

 

[St Louis SHO]

Everything is new on this car.

 

[kikkinasphalt]

Gen3's are the cars you goto when your sick and tired of having a broken down gen1/2........

I own a gen-3 and ive own a gen-1 at the same time and ill tell you what it is not cheap to maintain a gen-1/2... You basically trade up performance for reliability...

Think about what your doing you said it your self that in a year you could comfortably purchase one... I'd say wait it out... You dont need a needy child as a car in your hand...

well

the said second gen has had just about everything repalced. to go with that, if something were to break, i have these friends (st louis sho community) who help out with needed work/items. we are adefinatly a "you scratch my back i scratch yours" group.

i think im covered

 

[shogansta]

Well go for it then.... if your covered then dont hesitate but if you arent you will be looking back at this thread....


Don't get me wrong i love gen-1's and gen'2's i started the SHO world with those cars but when reliability and DD comes into play they aren't really the most reliable cars....

But St Louis SHO's SHO is a nice one and my advice is if you want it go for it!

 

[Funmart6]

I just have a question about the reliability issue. I used to drive a 1989 Taurus GL and put around 300,000 miles on that car, no joke. I had to put a new radiator in it one time and it never had any issues with the engine or transmission. It had a 3.0 V6 and I consider it a reliable car. When I sold it, it had a power steering leak and that was from a hole in a line, not a major problem, I just didn't feel like fixing it. Other than that, the clearcoat on the roof and trunk lid had peeled off so it looked kinda rough but not too bad, anyway I know it is not a SHO, but why would the ealier models of SHO be considered not reliable, what was this common problem that would make them not as reliable as a SLO? Didn't the very first of the Gen 1's use the same engine as a SLO?
As far as the radiator issue, I also had a 1990 Mercury Sable GS wagon that had the same problem with the radiator, (plastic tanks would split open at a seam where the top hose clamped on.) Anyway, just askin'.

 

[kikkinasphalt]

the gen 1/2 can be just as reliable, the problem lies in the drivers of the car..
people beat the snot out of the gen1/2 cars esp if they are mtx. whereas most gen 3 owners are well past that stage and dont nearly beat on their cars as much.

or at leat thats my observation

 

[St Louis SHO]

I think you hit the nail on the head Curt. Doesn't get summed up better than that. Sure, the G3 is a better built car, but thats obvious. Depends on whatcha want really. Ball's in your court. Think about it. I'm still in no hurry, plus Dave's car will be mine someday

- James

 

[luigisho]

It's mostly driving style and some engine design. The motors are strong but the way the seals and mating surfaces are designed, make failure and replacement more common. Lack of production volume make it more expensive for replacement parts.

 

[Storm-Chaser]

Before James stumbled onto his Quaifes, I was beginning to wonder at what point I'd show-up at his place and be met at the door with one of his other "toys" . . . .

"So, I think we need to take a trip to MS to see that other quaife you have . . . . "
​

Thank god he finally found one, err. two.

Nope. Sorry.

 

[Storm-Chaser]

Sure. The pseudo-competitive drag racing weanies did because they couldn't consistently grab a gear . . . .

Then there's the Quaife versus guaranteed semi-annual rebuilds for the AX4S/4N . . . .


Hmmm.......

$1300 once, versus $1400+ every few years . . . . Let's see . . . .

Of course, racing went pretty much over to automatics ages ago. And they are so out of control. Perhaps you need a transfusion?

pax, smn

 

[E1 v2]

Well, here's what I've discovered about this thread - It has changed from a generic "Would YOU" to a specific "Should I" thread. And that is not really fair to anybody.

Would "I" swap any generic gen 3 for any generic gen 1 or 2 of like quality, compared to Should "You" make a deal with St Louis SHO over a specific car he has is NOT a fair comparison anymore.

Time to change the question.

 

[kikkinasphalt]

Well, here's what I've discovered about this thread - It has changed from a generic "Would YOU" to a specific "Should I" thread. And that is not really fair to anybody.

Would "I" swap any generic gen 3 for any generic gen 1 or 2 of like quality, compared to Should "You" make a deal with St Louis SHO over a specific car he has is NOT a fair comparison anymore.

Time to change the question.

no, the first question stands.

and was answered.

would you swap for a gen 1/2 of like quality.

that was the question, and i think ive had plenty of feedback.

i never said anything about what car it was, simply because i wanted unbiased opinions.

and i never said my gen 3 was generic i said it was of like quality to the gen1/2 i was looking at.

 

[Storm-Chaser]

No - it's time for everyone that's been trying to justify their reasoning, to quit manipulating the question asked solely to justify their answer.

Well, here's what I've discovered about this thread - It has changed from a generic "Would YOU" to a specific "Should I" thread. And that is not really fair to anybody.

Would "I" swap any generic gen 3 for any generic gen 1 or 2 of like quality, compared to Should "You" make a deal with St Louis SHO over a specific car he has is NOT a fair comparison anymore.

Time to change the question.

 

[stephen newberg]

versus guaranteed semi-annual rebuilds for the AX4S/4N

1998, 180,000+, driven hard but not stupidly, original trans, no problems yet...

Someone above mentioned how well and long things last is all about who is driving and maintaining. I think they had a pretty solid point.

pax, smn

 

[Troywakeling]

1998, 180,000+, driven hard but not stupidly, original trans, no problems yet...

Someone above mentioned how well and long things last is all about who is driving and maintaining. I think they had a pretty solid point.

pax, smn

X2

The Atxs hold up pretty well if you keep the fluid changed every 15k-30k and don't do burnouts. You can drive them hard and bounce them off 7k all day long but as soon as you start doing burnouts they tend to blow up quickly.

 

[luigisho]

Original GenIII tranny at 166k and still running. I stopped flogging the **** out of my SHO's after I got tired of spending all my free time and money fixing them. Funny how it holds up better now.

 

[Funmart6]

For the original question of this post "Would you swap a gen3 for a gen 1 or 2", seeing how cars are like an evolutionary thing, ya know, each new model is a bit better than the one before it, it is my opinion that it would be like going backwards by going from the gen 3 to an earlier model. Despite available mods for any model SHO, or the lack thereof, if you have enough money you could probably be able to do anything to the V8 that you wanted too, I personally would like to twin turbo one out just for kicks, and if you really want a manual trans, then save the jack and build one. I was driving around today shifting my gen3 manually and keeping it in first for some quick blasts between stop lights, it was fun and with my 3rd cat now hollow, the V8 has a really deep sound as the revs were falling off, don't think a V6 would be the same.

 

[JSIL1]

thats the crazy thing about mine.

ive had zero "problems"

nothing major. all simple things and nothing that makes me dislike the car.

the ONLY reason i was concidering this is the car that is aval and the fact i cant do anything to the gen 3 to make it any more fun than it already is

A racing/fab shop quoted me ~10K to take my 99 and make it RWD with a Ford 9" rear, and Tremec t-56. It was for 5k in labor and 5k in parts/supplies.

Had I had the money, I would have done it. If I still had the car today, I'd already have it done.

The nice bonus was that for an additional 300-400 they would have helped me with the fabbing of tubes for a TT setup. I wish I had the car and I wish I could remember the name of the place.

Beautiful shop and their work look very top notch.

just a thought....

 

[Ict_Lx]

A racing/fab shop quoted me ~10K to take my 99 and make it RWD with a Ford 9" rear, and Tremec t-56. It was for 5k in labor and 5k in parts/supplies.

Had I had the money, I would have done it. If I still had the car today, I'd already have it done.

The nice bonus was that for an additional 300-400 they would have helped me with the fabbing of tubes for a TT setup. I wish I had the car and I wish I could remember the name of the place.

Beautiful shop and their work look very top notch.

just a thought....

10K for rear wheel drive and fabbed pipes for twin turbos? I'll start saving my pennies now if you tell me where to go...

 

[JSIL1]

I'll start searching my email logs.

I was very impressed with the shop. I remember asking them how they plan on fitting the tranny & drive shaft in the stock 'tunnel', if you can even call it that. They guy told me that they would do what they needed to do to make everything fit well. AND that if you did not know it was done, you would not be able to tell that they modified it. If I had the money at the time, that would have been all I needed to sign on the dotted line.

I'll always love me a stock looking sleeper.