Today, I got to drive the company car, which happens to be a '96 SHO Taurus. This fricken car yanks! It really hauls ***! Anybody every driven one of these? I didn't get to fully open her up but I did punch the hell out of it? Any input?

 

I have heard similar comments in the past, but no first-hand experience. Drive it tomorrow and find a Max to race

 

Those old SHO's are pretty quick. I think they have Yamaha engines in them. Not sure though. The newer ones are pretty slow though.

 

IIRC, 96 was the first year of the "ovalkill" Taurus. It had a Yamaha V8 worth 235HP, auto only. Previous SHOs had a 220HP Yamaha V6, 5 speed only originally, later an auto.

 

I saw one at the track, brand new (ie 2k) he had his hood up in line and I checked it out b/c ppl say how bad they they are...well I though it was okay, although I love my Max sooo much more. I was a bit concerned about how it would run. A friend of mine (Honda driver) was w/ me and he's askin' if I can take it, being that it's a HO V8 and all..I semi confidently said yes but it may give an auto max a run. Well we watched him run 2 or 3 times all within the same range 16.2! My wifes Si does better than that and it's a 1.6 liter 4!! So much for Ford power. What a gimmick, SHO my a$$, my Max would tear that thing a new one! Maybe the old ones are quicker but it's hard to imagine when a brand new one packin' an 8 can be schooled by a Civic!

 

The 89-91 SHOs haul ***. Magazine stats show ~6.5 to 60 and 1/4 in under 15. They haul. 5spd only. 92-94?s were also good, but heavier hence a little slower. About the same as 5th gen Maximas. Autos became available with a 3.2 (up from 3.0) motor. Still quick, about like an auto Max if not faster. The newer V8 SHOs ditched the Yamaha engine for a Ford-engineered 3.4L V8 wiuth 235 HP. That engine is lame, and the newer SHOs are boats. Weigh well over 3500 lbs. Only available with an auto, they are slugs in comparison to a Maxima.

So, be forewarned...race an early-model 5spd SHO, and be prepared for a good race. Modified Yamaha SHOs with cammed 3.2L motors make 300HP+ at the crank NORMALLY ASPIRATED. They just keep puilling and pulling and pulling. Excellent torque curve, too, with pretty damn good low end punch. It's a better engine than the VQ, stock and modified. The car more or less bites but that Yamaha engine is badazz.

 

Recieved, thanks for the info Kev. I'll keep it in mind but won't hesitate to run one. I'm sure that much like the Max most are auto and even less are modded enough to take me. Chances of me coming across an early model decked out 5spd that's still in top shape are pro'ly pretty rare right? But all the better if I do come across one, nothing is more humbling than being beaten in a race you should win.

 

I've owned three. Two Gen 1's http://www.datsuns.com/images/davesho.jpg and a Gen 2 (1993 automatic)

They are fast, especially the 5-speed ones. The auto's have a 220hp 3.2L, but are noticeably slower than the 5-speeds. I ran high 14's at 96 in my lightly modd'd '89.

Without limited slip, traction is a problem - more so than out 2K Max 5-speed, by a bit.

WONDERFUL engine (yeah I know the VQ gets high marks these days), consider this 3.0L made as much power in 1989 as the 2K Max makes now is something else. Unfortunately the rest of the car is Ford. $700+ for a clutch replacement, and $1000+ for an auto trans every 100K mi.

Sadly, the V-8 ones are the slowest - well, maybe the V6 autos are. 1/4mi times are about 15.3@92 for stock 5-speeds, 15.9@87 for the autos. please note these are observed times, not magazine stats.

A stock SHO will beat all years stock Max's (assuming both have the same trans) until the 2K Max, which should (finally!) be even.


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Today, I got to drive the company car, which happens to be a '96 SHO Taurus. This fricken car yanks! It really hauls ***! Anybody every driven one of these? I didn't get to fully open her up but I did punch the hell out of it? Any input? [/QUOTE]

 

i think it's just you....i heard the new(now discontinued) SHOs were even slower than the older models and didn't really stand out from the regular moms-driving Tauruses....except for the crazy looking body kits...and tiny-*** spoiler.....did that even work?
oh, wellz......

-peace

 

Damm I didn't think anyone would post a reply cuz I am a newbie! I made a mistake on the year then? Thanks for pointing that out philpoe, it took me a while to understand what ovalkill was??!! Then I figured it out, dumb me! This is the one before the ovalkiller! I am telling you it rocks my boss said its a 3.2L V6. Thanks for all the input guys!

 

I just sold a 1990 SHO 5-speed and sold it only for one reason, it broke down all the time. The motor is a gem but everything else is still Ford and that is the part that always broke, everything Ford.

I now own a 2001 GLE and would say that the SHO has ALOT more top end. Between my GLE and the SHO the SHO will beat it anything above 30 mph. I noticed the SHO would pull HARD past 135 mph like there was no end, the GLE seems to start to loose steam above 115 mph.

I am also comparing a 5-speed to an auto which is not fare either, but I will say I was impressed with the SHO, and so were alot of Mustangs,Hondas,BMWs,and a 140mph race with a S500 (He topped out around what I indicated was 135mph, I wonder what his limiter was set for?).

Mark

 

Actually the 96 models are slow, there high 15 sec cars....Your maxima will kill it. And the older shows 89-92 I believe are the fast ones...high 14s.

 

1995 was the last year before the spheroids. The automatic SHO had a 3.2L because it needed more torque. I think it had the same HP, but a bit more low-end torque. You couldn't drop the 3.2 into a manula transmission car though.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by philpoe
[I]1995 was the last year before the spheroids. The automatic SHO had a 3.2L because it needed more torque. I think it had the same HP, but a bit more low-end torque. You couldn't drop the 3.2 into a manula transmission car though.

Philpoe, you seem to know your SHOs. Did you ever own one?

Mark

 

I had a 90 SHO,

I tell you that was a FAST car. Hang on to your wheel as the needle passes the 4000RPM mark, it will pin you to your seat all the way to the redline!!! The "engine" was great!!
Period. Everything else begun to go
Would recommmend one to anyone looking for cheap thrills, but not for ppl whos not able to change a starter, clutch master cylinder, fuel pump , blah, blah blah.... on their own

 

I drove one, it was like under 5 seconds to 60, but doesnt feel like it has anything up top. a maxima would pass it up in third

 

Hey Player1,

If you drive the SHo after driving your blown I30, it could be a little weak so to say... But in stock form, the sho would eat up a max, no doubt.

 

I drove a (then) brand spanking new '93 SHO and was amazed at the gumption this thing had. In fact these cars were so quick that the only current production domestic to roll with it would be the Pontiac Grand Prix GTP. The V8s were slower in comparison to the GTP. Before I bought my Maxima, I was looking at a '93-94 SHO but decided on the Maxima because of the Maxima's reliability, fuel economy, and winter driveability.

 

The fastest SHO's 0-60 was no faster than 6.5 in stock form. My 510 doesn't run 0-60 in under 5 seconds, and it'll beat a SHO by over a second in the 1/4mi. Rags have the 5-speed SHO's at 6.6 - 6.9 secs i the 1/4mi.

Also- you can't compare an auto SHO to 5-speed Max and vice versa.

Having said that, the '89-95 SHO and 2000 Max 5-speeds are very comparable. 0-60, 1/4mi, and 0-100 they are effectively the same. As I've said before, I've owned 3 SHO's (2 5-speeds, one auto), and now have a 2K Max 5-speed.

My 5-speed SHO's would annhilate the automatic SHO. Thus, they'd smoke an auto Max, just as a 5-speed Max will beat (soundly) an automatic Max.

I'm not the only one to feel there'a a big difference between autos and manuals, check out this article on a GXE auto vs SE 5-speed. http://www.edmunds.com/edweb/editori...ima/index.html

I think their 1/4mi MPH is wrong (98mph on a stocker! I DONT THINK SO), but the 1/4mi time is. You say .6 seconds isn't much? Translated to distance, that's 80 feet or about
six car lengths.

Player - A supercharged I30? Should be a good race for my 510! Let's go :-P