Whadda ya think of a 1992 Taurus SHO?

[Viper GTS]

I stopped & looked at one tonight on the way home from work. $4900. 3.0L V6, 5-speed manual, leather, & a sunroof. The passenger seat has a minor hole in the leather, otherwise the interior looks pretty decent. The body is good, no visible damage or obvious paint decay. 0-60 in 7.5, faster than a BMW 525i, & a heck of a lot cheaper. I know I like my mom's Taurus with the 3.8 V6, even though my mom's is a wagon. I happen to know that the speedo will FLY past it's 85 mph end point. I imagine it'd be a blast to drive with a 5-speed manual instead of the 3 or 4 speed auto that my mom's has. I was looking at SHO's for a while, but here's one I can actually go & test drive. I figure I'll do that Thursday or so.

It gets pretty decent ratings at http://www.edmunds.com:

http://www.edmunds.com/used/1992/ford/taurus/4drshosedan.html

I could probably put $800 or so down on it, & payments would only be around $200 a month for 36 months, so I could easily make double payments to get it paid off quickly.

Any thoughts? Anybody have one?

Viper GTS

 

[Windogg]

I'm usually not big on Ford cars but the Taurus SHO is a real sleeper. Excellent performance in a non-descript package. Get one in Battleship Gray in you basically have a licence to speed at will. The only indication that it has a hell of an engine are the tailpipes and round taillights. I dunno about the 92 though. Can you get a newer one say a 94?

As for upkeep, the insurance should be pretty low and upkeep costs should be minimal since parts are widely available.

Windogg

 

[BA]

Be really sneaky, put a regular bumper and grill on it, hehehe

 

[BCYL]

I don't personally drive a SHO, but I have heard good things about it. There's no question about it's power and acceleration, but many other aspects of the car has been greatly improved in the SHO version too. It is definitely a great car...

But one thing to keep in mind... Cars like these are usually raced and abused by their previous owner. If it's reliability is what you are after, it may not be a good choice for you.

Just get a mechanic and check it out in real detail. Also remember to check for any frame/chasis damage indicating it was in an accident. Good Luck!

 

[Napalm]

If I remember correctly, that sucker has a Yamaha-designed engine in it - quite cool. It is certainly a speedster, but it is American and the resale will be crap unless you plan on driving it till it dies (which likely will not be too long from now).

If you want peppy and quality I'd look at either a 92-93 Acura Integra or at a 92-93 Honda Civic SI. Less power, but it should give you less trouble...

Cheers,
Napalm

 

[geno]

I dunno if this'll help much but:
http://formen.ign.com/news/20830.html

 

[Viper GTS]

Windogg...

The 94's are pushing out of the price range I want to spend in. $4900 sounds very appealing, & I like this one. Forest green, black leather interior with a sunroof... Fun, fun, fun!

BCYL...

I myself have no clue what to check for, but I'd take my mom's dad with me. He knows a LOT more than I do, & has a mechanic that he's been using for years. Pre-purchase inspection will definitely be done, as will a nice little test drive out to my house (read twisty, narrow, country roads = scare the hell out of the poor salesman).

Napalm...

It does indeed have a Yamaha engine in it. 220 HP, 200 ft/lbs of torque, 16" wheels... Plenty of power to launch a 3,425 lb vehicle.

Genocide...

Thanks for the link, I knew they were fast but I didn't know they were that fast. 140 mph? Damn... I could get myself into trouble, considering I got pulled over for passing a cop at 80 in my 1983 Tercel... And the cop was going WITH the flow of traffic, in the right hand lane...hehe...

Viper GTS

 

[Farbio]

viper,
those are usually pretty good cars - like everyone has said, real sleepers....but like bcyl said, get it checked out thouroughly by a mechanic that u completely trust. if they give u an ok, it should be a good car for ya.

 

[Angrymarshmello]

Those are pretty nice - I know there is a small parts market for the SHOs but you shouldn't have trouble finding what you need. (Some of the big-time law enforcements drive em around where I live and needless to say havent been outrun yet)

 

[lowtech1]

Great car, good speed, comfortable, but handle like a taxi (your parent will feel safe when you are in a Taurus, because it gets **** out of four for safety/impact).

Take it for test drive and compare it with others...some cheap rice burner (Acura) will give you much more fun behind the wheel.

I own a 1990LX that have over 220 000km, it gave me no trouble. It still run great, and was more than reliable for me to take a road trip last x-mass from BC, Canada to La/San Diego/Vegas and back. Also earn me a $275.00USD speeding fine for doing 82m/h in a 70m/h zone. (It still have loads of power left, but thank God I din't push it)

 

[KaBudokan]

My brother has a newer one which was decent. Not great fun though, being an automatic and having the Ford engine. Those earlier ones with the Yamaha engines are pretty sweet. Have it checked out, but it sounds like a cool car.

 

[Sluggo]

Not trying to start a big I hate Ford thing or deal like that. A few years back...'90-'95 my wife worked at Enterprise rent-a-car who supplied replacement vehicles for the local dealerships service depts. She said people who owned Tauruses hated the damn things since they were in the shop constantly. The dealership supplied the replacement car, so she would see the same people over and over and over. According to her the people ranted and raved so much about Tauruses and the Ford service Dept, that she felt sorry for most of them because it was clear Ford or the service dept.was jerking them off, or the car was a total piece of crap. This wasnt limited to one dealership, there were several she dealt with. She also said that most of the Tauruses that enterprise had in it's fleet had numerous problems, with build quality and re-currance of the same problems. We only talked about this so much because I, like you Viper was pretty hip on getting her a SHO a few years back, and she flatly refused to own one. But that being said, most of what the people complained about would not pertain to the car you are speaking of. Most of the complaints if I remember correctly concerned the standard V-6 and the auto trans. Most of the rest of it was minor crap that just bugs you. Like I said I'm not trying to crap on Ford or Tauruses, just relating what my wife told me. Its very possible she could be mistaken about them, and I know Ford's build quality has steadily gone-up since the early nineties. And always remember the formula: high-performance + high miles + front wheel drive + standard transmission = trouble. For lots of info concerning recalls, consumer complaints, and other things go here http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/index.html click on the links then search the database on any particular model of car. Good Luck.

 

[eflat]

Just don't buy a ford that has over 100,000 miles on it...

 

[Soybomb]

Its a fun car, but I think more fun is a Dodge Spirit R/T, man those things really do haul and the handling is better I think. If you want some links about the car, or want me to point you toward somewhere to price them email me and I'll dig some stuff up. I really want one in a bad way!
Here is a brief clip to encourage you:
"With a rare and beautiful Dodge 2.2L motor with a Lotus 16 valve head, this DOHC 16v Turbocharged and Intercooled powerhouse produced 224hp and 217lb-ft of torque. According to Car and Driver, 0-60mph was achieved in 5.8s! Top speed: 141 mph."
Curb weight is 2801 lbs too so its gonna walk that tortoise heh.

 

[Pod]

Bringing a mechanic/knowledgeable person is a great idea. I just got a 92 Taurus GL. Sure, it was just a used car, but it was my hard-earned cash going into it. One of my mother's friends is a hardcore mechanic. I had him test drive it, and pick it over...the dealer looked at us like we were crazy. The car was in great shape overall, just needed brakes and an A/C recharge.

Basically, test drive the hell out of it, check all the fluids for proper color and leaks, lean your head out the window to listen for strange noises, and don't be afraid to 'open it up' during the test-drive (i.e. rev the engine, peel out)...scare the dealer a bit.

 

[highme]

I have wanted a SHO wagon for years. Talk about a sleepy mountain rocket, Mt Hood here we come.

 

[bigjon]

I had a 92 Taurus (non-SHO) with the 3.0 V6 but Automatic and the tranny died at 95k miles (I had only had it for 10k miles, so it was probably abused). That's supposed to be a regular problem for the early 90's automatic trannys, dunno about the manuals, but they are probably pretty decent. Do check it out tho...

 

[reitz]

Various members of my family have owned 6 Tauruses (or Mercury Sables, same car), and every single one of those cars had its transmission replaced. Five had the automatic transmission, one had a manual. The manual was replaced after less than 10K miles. Stay away from that car.

 

[Viper GTS]

SHO's are notoriously hard on the factory clutch, since the 220 HP/200 lb/ft is a little more than that clutch is designed to handle. Owners who buy the SHO for it's performance replace the clutch with a high-performance clutch, & bingo. Problem solved.

If it hasn't already had the clutch upgrade, I'll do it. I intend to drive it hard, so I'll want it anyway.

Viper GTS