Found an Excellent Rose Mist SHO for Sale...

[Hero D'Aura]

You know, I've been hearing the (relatively) same words for my father, who had owned a '94 SHO (heavily modified it) but sold it due to high repair costs and lack of parts in general. I had taken his words into consideration, but I guess I needed to hear it from another person. Alright, I'll take your advice and pass on the SHO and continue to drive my '99 Duratec. Nothing's wrong with it, it just got a bit boring to drive and has 154k miles on it. Heh, it's unfortunate that I tend to gravitate towards 90s cars that are expensive to maintain (first three generations of SHOs, Mitsubishi VR4, Cadillac STS, and a couple more). Thanks for the advice.

[behlinla]

As a teen, a working, low-maintenance car is worth more to you than you know. A Duratec should be fast enough. I would spend my money doing a nice tune-up on the car you already have—new tires, change all the fluids, maybe do an intake cleaning, etc.

[sousa632]

Originally Posted by behlinla

As a teen, a working, low-maintenance car is worth more to you than you know. A Duratec should be fast enough. I would spend my money doing a nice tune-up on the car you already have—new tires, change all the fluids, maybe do an intake cleaning, etc.

VERY true. It also applies for adults with other responsibilities, and no need for a large car payment and higher insurance premiums.

[Hero D'Aura]

Yeah, I guess I really have taken my incredibly reliable Duratec Taurus for granted. I did spend over $1000 on a tune up recently, but I suppose that would be considered to be cheap compared to SHO tune-ups. I dislike the fact that my Taurus' power tends to vary from day to day, but it's still a great car.

[DN101]

Originally Posted by Hero D'Aura

I dislike the fact that my Taurus' power tends to vary from day to day...

Ditto. Until I got used to it I found myself double checking that I wasn't running on a flat tire, or towing an invisible trailer...

[Hero D'Aura]

Originally Posted by DN101

Ditto. Until I got used to it I found myself double checking that I wasn't running on a flat tire, or towing an invisible trailer...

Yeeah, I've had it since the day I got my permit (probably a little over two years ago) and some days it'll just buck like a horse, and other days...it resembles a slug a little bit.

[Bull Geek]

Keep the Duratec. That engine is CAKE to work on and deal with. PLus being in the PacNW, no rot to deal with. Cheap parts too.

The only seals you can still get from FoMoCo for a V8SHO:
Valve Cover gaskets, spark plug well gaskets. That's it. And supply is dwindling fast, as the gasket manf. date on the bags is 2010-2011.

Rear main seal, front crank seal, head gaskets, camshaft seals, timing cover gaskets, etc. All gone. Intake gaskets you can lightly coat in black paint, wait til tacky, then install.

Coil on plug assemblies are about same price as a 2000, 2004-5 DOHC coil on plug. Keep in mind general parts availability. IAC, TPS, DPFE, EGR is shared between SLO and SHO or other FoMoCo products. Otherwise, things like the Thermostat (V8SHO only), AC compressor (V8SHO only), alternator (V8SHO only), PS Pump (V8SHO only), Water pump (V8SHO only), etc. They barely made 30K of the V8SHO, so parts availability is small, and expensive.

[QuinnSHO]

Originally Posted by zenriddles

The car in the ad is definitely a Rosemist.
Both the Rosemist and Charcoal Gray were only offered on the SHO's in 1996.

That Rosemist in the pic you speak of is mine, I believe, in front of my crabapple tree in my front yard.

As for the count thing, my certificate from Ford says 58 total, but most V8 SHO folks (myself included) think that the 200 or so number is more accurate.

Post a picture? Lets see! I wonder if its the same one...?

[The White Falcon]

Originally Posted by zenriddles

As a teen, I would offer you the greatest Sage advice and say "Steer well clear of any V8 SHO." These cars are money pits to those who are not well equipped to deal with all of the "Un-Obtanium" parts on these cars.
I've got 4 transmissions, 6 engines, enough wiring to put together 3 more cars. So I'm not afraid. You should be.

My advice is please don't hurt yourself. Something very expensive will soon cross you plate if you buy this car and do not have a storage unit worth of parts sitting on the wayside.

That, unfortunately, is why I've had to steer away from getting a SHO. I want one, but with my limited mechanical expertise (I can handle fluid changes and basic maintenance, but that's about it) and modest budget, it was out of my range.

The sad thing is that by the time it will be more reasonable for me, the SHO's of that era will be essentially extinct.

[Bull Geek]

Easily 1000+ V8 SHO motors have been resurrected or welded by competent professionals. They'll be around for awhile. Assuming they haven't rotted away.