Piston Slap: SHO Me My Next Car?
Bob writes:
Sajeev,
Thanks for all the wasted ti…,er reading enjoyment you and TTAC provide. My Q has to do with “plan on keeping, or start looking for a replacement?”
Bought my ’93 SHO in 1996, a 5-sp w/28k miles. It just rolled over 140,000 (I’m an over-the-road truck driver). Has been a great, fun car. Only major problem was a radiator leak & attendant CPS failure.
Downers: Headliner and driver’s seat uph need replacing. Clearcoat peeling. Worried about parts avail, transmission (no problems so far, but “maintenance-free ATF?”). Still has original clutch. Car is 22 yrs old. Etc…
Upside: Just had front susp renewed, doesn’t burn oil, still drives great. Etc…
So: used Crown Vic, or used Miata, when the time comes?
Sorry this is so wordy/rambling, but hate to think of you & that cymbal.
Sajeev answers:
Oh yes! The Edelbrock cymbal is still on my drum rack, but I’ve had no time to “work” on it. And that’s thanks to folks like you!
You have a two-part question, and the first answer is you need a newer car. While an SHO has a tricky motor (timing belt and valve lash work every 60,000 miles IIRC), any old Taurus won’t be relaxing and reliable: it will always need work, even if it may never leave you stranded without days/weeks/months of advance notice. You’ll shell out big bucks on the paint and clutch alone.
About your next ride: some will consider the Miata vs. Crown Vic suggestion as insane, but I get it. The SHO is almost halfway between in size, number of cylinders, etc. And when you’ve already done the middle ground, it’s now time to go to the extreme!
Question is, which extreme?
I’d go for the Miata if you can keep the SHO around to carry people/cargo. Depending on where you live, a FWD sedan with a solid roof helps in bad rain/snow. If you go Crown Vic, the SHO is pointless. Which is a problem.
Think about it: the SHO is essentially worthless and the next owner is likely to kill it. I reckon it will be Chinese scrap metal less than a year after the sale. Not cool: cars with intrinsically fantastic yet obscure design like the Taurus SHO deserve to live. Having owned this car for almost 20 years now, are you dumb enough to see it my way? To restore this future classic?
If so, you will also be dumb enough to buy a Crown Vic to make a collection of cool yet understated American sedans! And for those that find this notion silly, I suggest watching this video about 10 times.
What was that about not wanting a collection of Ford sedans?
[Image: Shutterstock user Gengwit Wattakawigran]
Send your queries to sajeev@thetruthaboutcars.com. Spare no details and ask for a speedy resolution if you’re in a hurry…but be realistic, and use your make/model specific forums instead of TTAC for more timely advice.
More by Sajeev Mehta
Comments
Join the conversation
Well i'll add to the crazy talk by saying find a mint Tempo V6 and drop the SHO engine in. Now, back to the real world. I love driving the SHO, but I despise any time I've spent under the hood of one. It's hard to pin down a modern spiritual successor to this car (certainly nothing that has worn the SHO badge since). I can attest that the Miata is downright simple to work on. It also hits the sweet spot of being usable as a day to day car, provided you don't need a back seat of course. The trunk is usable, even the early cars. But there are compromises. Were I going to daily drive an NA or NB again I'd shell out the grand for a hardtop. The Crown Vic is another animal. My buddy has the Panther Love. I don't get it. If I were looking at something like that I think I'd go with a Fox Body T-Bird. Old, yes, but simple to work on. My flavor would be the 87-88 Turbo with a 5 Speed. The 2.3 Turbo has some power potential. They are comfy as well. An E30 BMW would work too but good luck finding a decent one. If you were to go newish, perhaps a Mazdaspeed 3 or a Focus or Fiesta ST?
Nathan Wind would have never driven a Miata, just not enough room for his sideburns and 'stache. Before he passed away, I'm sure he was driving a Crown Vic or a Marauder. #pantherlove