My father is looking at a 97 SHO. He needs a new DD. He found one that looks good for $3900. Looking online I've read about Camshaft Faliures and some tranny problems but can't really tell how common they are. Does anyone here have any experience with them first hand? He is easy on cars but likes the idea of something sportier if it is as reliable. He is also wondering about getting replacement parts. Since there aren't many around are there any parts that are hard to come by? Thanks.
cam shaft failures are pretty common there's only a few places that weld the cams right 9ford wont admit there's a problem
) As far as the tranny issue Dunno :shrugs: shoforum.com has a bunch of info 
Having just finished the 24 Hours of Lemons in a 1996 SHO, I can honestly say that they are good cars. Our car had its cams welded before they could go so that isn't a problem. Apparently they like to pop at around 100k miles. I don't know too much about the tranny issues, but ours was regularly at 270 F and it's still running.
These motors are amazing. I looked down at the tach going into turn 2 at Thunderhill and saw 7500. Did that lap after lap too. I am seriously amazed by the V8 under the hood of the SHO.
Oh, and that's its second successfully completed Lemons event too.
Shosource.com has some good parts and they are nice people to boot.
So the SHO is a V8?
Only the third generation had the V8, 3.4L.
$1000 if you have someone else do all the work. If you own a welder and can take an engine apart then it doesn't cost anything but time.
I've also seen epoxy tried.
If I was dead set on a Taurus/Sable I would get one with the 3.0 Duratech. Its not as sexy as an SHO but its still a great engine. I had one in my Sable and it was the best part of the car.
93gsxturbo wrote: If I was dead set on a Taurus/Sable I would get one with the 3.0 Duratech. Its not as sexy as an SHO but its still a great engine. I had one in my Sable and it was the best part of the car.
that's the same thing with the SHOs it's all about the engine lol.
maxima maxima maxima. the ONLY thing it gives up to the 3rd gen sho is sound, and not by much. you should be able to find one easily for that kind of $ in a '97, and even a 5sp if you're patient. I repeat, for that much dough, the maxima is better in every possible way.
belteshazzar wrote: maxima maxima maxima. the ONLY thing it gives up to the 3rd gen sho is sound, and not by much. you should be able to find one easily for that kind of $ in a '97, and even a 5sp if you're patient. I repeat, for that much dough, the maxima is better in every possible way.
+11ty billion (and I own a sho)
Three years ago I very nearly bought a nice 97 SHO for $2500, I really did like it. But then I found a Maxima and there's no comparison. More reliable, faster, better mpg.
I never checked, but that fancy suspension on the sho was expensive to replace, could you down-grade to normal taurus parts just to keep the costs reasonable?
belteshazzar wrote: Three years ago I very nearly bought a nice 97 SHO for $2500, I really did like it. But then I found a Maxima and there's no comparison. More reliable, faster, better mpg. I never checked, but that fancy suspension on the sho was expensive to replace, could you down-grade to normal taurus parts just to keep the costs reasonable?
Yup, I can put the subframe from the G3 taurus on my G1 sho, there's a lot of similar parts there. The front and back seats from a G3 will fit into a G1, and various other things can be retrofitted.
racinginc215 wrote: The SARC suspension can be replaced with a variety of aftermarket and regular taurus stuff after 97 it's a non issue. I understand the maxima thing hell I've got the same problem with my 300M it's more of a SHO then the Gen3 SHO. The real problem is it's a dying platform not much aftermarket support for the G3 that stupid lawsuit V8sho.com is running. And support for the G1 G2 is pretty much nonexistant. I've had a SHO in the driveway for a good 14 years now. I'll keep my Green 91 plus my 95 Moonlight and both of my Rose Mist 96's.........But I would never buy another one.
Fixed that for you
Thanks. He's gonna pass on the SHO. He's just looking for something to putter back and forth to work. The cam problem wasn't something he wanted to gamble on.
You should be able to pop the valve covers and see if the cams are welded. All they really do is spot weld the cam sprocket to the shaft.
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