My new car is a 2003 Taurus SES. A little over 100K miles and its got the Vulcan. Well, put it this way, for what I could get for the price and wanting an '03 or newer, its really the best car for me. Bigger car, roomy, reliable, safe, all of those things which I needed. And I like Fords. 
I'll tell you why in a second.
But, this car is not making me happy on its driving performance or its handling. I don't have complaints, I just am not excited because I just came off what was probably my car of a lifetime, it was a 1994 Thunderbird, modular V8, had it since it was new, and it went 230,000 miles.
Okay, some positives about the Taurus:
Much, MUCH better in the snow. No worries in the snow.
Anti-lock brakes which I did not have before.
In-dash CD which I did not have before.
And on the down side:
The Thunderbird had much smoother steering. Can't describe it other than saying you could hold the wheel with a couple fingers and it just responded. I am not sure about the specs but I would say the power assist was pretty strong. It was fairly well controlled, too, it never felt like it was getting away from me. The rear wheel drive I'm sure contributed to the feel.
I also felt the Thunderbird was just more comfortable on long trips. It was a larger car, sat a little higher and had a (very) soft but responsive suspension. For me it was just tuned perfectly. I liked the soft but I liked the responsiveness too. It felt very confident as long as it was not on anything wet.
I think the Taurus responds very well, it just doesn't feel quite as confident or as quickly responsive as the T-bird in my perception...
So my question is, what mods might bring this Taurus more toward the way the '94 T-bird felt on the road? I am guessing there's nothing I can do with the steering but if I'm wrong tell me.
Suspension ---
Shocks .... Struts .... Springs
Sway Bar ....
Sway Bar End Links ....
Sub Frame Bushings ....
Strut Tower Bar ....
Sub Frame Connector ....
I am only just beginning to read what's here on the forums and learn what each of these components does for the car. But can anyone give me some general guidance here.... of all of these components which ones do I want to replace with aftermarket parts, tell me brands, costs, etc.... and what priority do I want to do these in... I have no idea yet what I should be looking for....
Till fall I have to do upgrades and repairs a little bit at a time... then I should be able to invest more in Fall and maybe get it all done.
I'll have this car for a while so I might as well get it right....
Thanks!! Looking forward to reading more and contributing here!!!
I'll tell you why in a second.But, this car is not making me happy on its driving performance or its handling. I don't have complaints, I just am not excited because I just came off what was probably my car of a lifetime, it was a 1994 Thunderbird, modular V8, had it since it was new, and it went 230,000 miles.
Okay, some positives about the Taurus:
Much, MUCH better in the snow. No worries in the snow.
Anti-lock brakes which I did not have before.
In-dash CD which I did not have before.
And on the down side:
The Thunderbird had much smoother steering. Can't describe it other than saying you could hold the wheel with a couple fingers and it just responded. I am not sure about the specs but I would say the power assist was pretty strong. It was fairly well controlled, too, it never felt like it was getting away from me. The rear wheel drive I'm sure contributed to the feel.
I also felt the Thunderbird was just more comfortable on long trips. It was a larger car, sat a little higher and had a (very) soft but responsive suspension. For me it was just tuned perfectly. I liked the soft but I liked the responsiveness too. It felt very confident as long as it was not on anything wet.
I think the Taurus responds very well, it just doesn't feel quite as confident or as quickly responsive as the T-bird in my perception...
So my question is, what mods might bring this Taurus more toward the way the '94 T-bird felt on the road? I am guessing there's nothing I can do with the steering but if I'm wrong tell me.
Suspension ---
Shocks .... Struts .... Springs
Sway Bar ....
Sway Bar End Links ....
Sub Frame Bushings ....
Strut Tower Bar ....
Sub Frame Connector ....
I am only just beginning to read what's here on the forums and learn what each of these components does for the car. But can anyone give me some general guidance here.... of all of these components which ones do I want to replace with aftermarket parts, tell me brands, costs, etc.... and what priority do I want to do these in... I have no idea yet what I should be looking for....
Till fall I have to do upgrades and repairs a little bit at a time... then I should be able to invest more in Fall and maybe get it all done.
I'll have this car for a while so I might as well get it right....
Thanks!! Looking forward to reading more and contributing here!!!
