Seller Description

This is a one-off custom-built fully-loaded SHO station wagon equipped with a 5-speed manual transmission, full black leather interior, power sunroof, power windows, power seats, etc. Ford never built a station wagon, so the rear valance/bumper cover has been customized with the SHO logo. There are a few other "SHO station wagons," but as far as we know they are modified station wagons. This one started out life as an SHO that had the station wagon body welded at all of the factory joints in 1993. It was done for Audiophile Systems as an attention-getting demonstration vehicle. The cost of the stereo system alone cost more than $12,000 and includes: Eclipse 510 CD, AM FM Tuner, DSP/CD Changer Controler, Eclipse ESD 530 Twelve Disc Changer, Eclipse EQS-2000 DDL Sound Processor, Eclipse EQR-2140 DDL Tuner/DSP/CDC Controller (controller removed, and not included) Info on this equipment can be found at: (www.turboegt.com/Cars/Maxima/Audio/Version%201.0/DDL%20Details/DDL%20Details-f.htm) Two Adcom GFA-4404 300 Watt RMS Amps, Two Adcom GFI 4600 Balanced Line Drivers, Audiophile 3.6 Speaker System (Two 1" Tweeters, Two 4" Mid-range, Two 6.5" Woofers), Audiophile 2.5 Speaker System (Two 1" Tweeters, Two 5.25" Mid-Woofers), Four Audiophile 10.1 Subs (Four 10" Subwoofers)..... The vehicle is a very solid, rust-free example, but is no longer a "show vehicle." It is an excellent driving car with more than $4,000 of maintenance recently performed after sitting for 5 years. Including: Axle shaft assembly, inner tie rod ends, a/c O-rings, water pump, timing belt, custom-built cat back exhaust with turbo-tuned high-performance muffler, oil pressure sending unit, platinum spark plugs, and a set of Bridgestone Turanza LS-T 215/60R16 T-rated tires. I was told the clutch has also been replaced (there is no detectable clutch problem, but I do not have proof it was replaced)...... There is some hail damage and parking lot dings, mainly on the driver's side. Car needs to be repainted, but is usable as is. This is a very fast, very strong running vehicle, and very fun to drive. It has been very well cared for. It turns a lot of heads, as many people are aware that Ford never built an SHO wagon. I have an extremely low reserve, as I do not have the time or room to turn this car back into its "show-car" condition. What doesn't work:Interior tailgate release switch (have to use key). One fog light. EATC head (I am currently pursuing fixing this, but cannot guarantee).... Car is located in Dayton, Ohio. I can e-mail photos. Tell me what you'd like to see.

[eBay Motors via Motive]

Some of you may have caught wind of something going on in the Chicago area recently.

Well, it has happened, and here is a quick review:

Some weeks ago I was contacted by a representative at Ford about an upcoming Focus group in Chicagoland about the next generation Taurus.

They wanted specific input and information from SHO enthusiasts.

I was asked to give them about a dozen names of people from the LOCAL area (there are good reasons for this I will go into later) for this focus group.

I was asked to keep it quiet till after the event and asked those that I contacted to do the same, and for the most part, that was accomplished. The one thread that was on SHOforum about this, was not anything specific, and didn't really cause any problems, but it was deleted just to be sure. So if you saw that and wondered what it was about, that is what happened.

Last night (Monday, 5th of May) a dozen SHO enthusiasts met at a hotel in Schaumburg for a 2+ hour focus group session. Here is what we did NOT see: We saw NO prototypes. we saw NO drawings, we saw NO parts of any new car, the entire session was video taped.

Here is what we DID see: A Chrysler 300, A dodge Charger and an Chevy Impala, all in the same shade of silver with all identifying marks taped over.

Here is what we did:

We sat at a table across from a very friendly and skilled interviewer that led a fairly free flowing exchange of information. We were asked about our own history with the SHO, we were asked about what we liked about the SHO, and didn't like, what made a SHO, a SHO, and also what we might like to see in any future SHO or Ford sedan. After a while, several representatives of the new Taurus program came into the room and we gathered around the cars assembled. When asked which one appealed to us, almost all said the Charger. This seemed to surprise the interviewer since we claimed "stealth" as one of the main factors attracting us to the SHO. But I think we answered that by several of us stating that although we can appreciate the Charger in that group of three, it is maybe too up front for what we would like to see in the SHO. Also, great styling need not be so "in your face" as the Charger.

The Ford staff assembled were given a chance to ask us specific questions about their individual area of expertise, as in wheels, seats, paint colors etc.

Then we were let loose on the assembled Ford people to just talk and mingle. In talking with one rep, he was floored that virtually every one of us put ROAD/ TRACK performance over straight line/drag performance. He had somehow gotten the opinion that the original SHO was all about the drags. Glad we caught that one. Drags are fun, but track days and overall handling is much more important.

Of course engines and drivelines were discussed, and here the group was less of a single mind, with likes running from 400+ hp twin turbo revvers, to 5.4L torque monsters with and without blowers! I commented that with $4 a gallon gas soon to be reality, maybe something in the 280-300 hp range with GREAT handling, style and quality and decent MPG would be relevant. I think most of us agreed that gimmicks were less desired over things like great brakes, suspension, gauges, seats (gen 1 and II style seats with bolsters were a big request) and a unique engine to the SHO at least in the Taurus/Sable line were high points and things like "I-Drive" GPS and other tech things were down on the list. Trying to keep weight down was also a big point with most people. Oddly, we left out a big desire of the previous early focus groups, a hand emergency brake. Maybe it isn't important anymore?

Man I can sympathize with anyone trying to create a new car these days...."Hey, give us luxury ride, Lotus handling, Ford GT performance, and OH, 40+ mpg, room for five and luggage, make it stand out, and be something police won't see....and under $30 grand would be great!" LOL

Some suggested maybe a two tier car with the "nice" version for more average buyers, and a lighter, lower content "performance" version for the gung ho, like most of us!

Most everyone wanted a car with "three pedals" but if an auto was part of it, steering wheel buttons or paddles are less important than a good shifter and proper programming for quick up and downshifts when called for, and maybe even blipping the throttle on manual downshifts.

The FWD, AWD, RWD question came up, and I think most wanted RWD, with AWD as the second option, but a few would be just as happy with FWD as in the past for safety and also cost.

Defeatable Stability/traction control was another big request, as was a factory accessory, modification parts program with actual performance parts, suspension parts etc available at dealers or through Ford, and included in the factory warranty.

Even if you hate the cute lil' Neon (and its overcompensatingly uncute Caliber successor), it's tough to loathe the crazy-ass original SRT-4. But those things sell for well north of $12 grand, and where does that leave us cheapskates? Exactly, you get an early Neon, turbocharge the living piss out of it, and pretend that the stock first-gen suspension and running gear are up to the task! Sure, that's cutting some major corners, but you'll wipe that sour look off your face once you see how cheap this '95 Neon with Garrett turbocharger (go here if the ad disappears) is going for. That's right, 800 bucks, or- looked at another way- pretty much like getting an SRT-4 at almost 95% off! Now, don't go thinking this car is ready to knock off 13-second quarter-mile passes and/or turn heads on the street in its current condition- we readily admit the presence of one or two warts. Like, for example, the fact that the fuel-delivery system hasn't been upgraded to keep up with the air being jammed into the cylinders, and (since the car has probably been driven in its current state for quite a while) that means there might be some, er, issues resulting from the horrendous lean condition (but you can't test the engine to find out, because the oil pan is gone). But hey, new pistons and valves are cheap, right? The body needs some TLC, particularly around the homemade scoop planted somewhat off-kilter on the hood. And that's likely just the beginning of your nightmare project fun!

Ever since I spotted a Taurus SHO in the junkyard, I've been thinking what a perfect Project Car Hell entry a SHO would be. It's fast, with a wild Yamaha V6, yet there's Super Sleeper Potential to be had by simply dressing one up as a refrigerator-white government-issue Taurus. The Hell part comes in when you figure the Taurus was never really designed for the long haul, with cascading component failures, switches that break off under your fingers, the works... and all of the SHOs are getting a bit long in the tooth by now. But so what if they leave behind a trail of broken parts and the cheap plastic trim has faded to a mottled beige? They're cheap, over 200 horsepower, and provide plenty of crazed torque-steering, front-tire-roasting fun! That's why it's mighty hard to resist the appeal of this 1995 Taurus SHO (go here if the ad disappears), with an asking price of just $750. The ad's description is a bit confusing ("BELIEVE IT NEEDS A FUEL FILTER OR PUMP NOT SURE TURNS BUT DOESNT STAY"), but it would appear that the car does not run. Like so many PCH cars, there's a problem with the "TITTLE" (no mention of the JOT), but the friendly folks down at your local DMV are eager to find a way to help you get your new car registered.

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And the engine was more or less complete, too. You don't see a whole lot of these in the junkyard, and I admit that thoughts of a sleeper government-issue, refrigerator-white Taurus (or, better yet, Sable) had me tempted to grab that little 220-horse DOHC Yamaha beauty. Imagine the fun of torque-steering your way into trouble, back out of it, and then lurching back into trouble... and that's just getting out of your driveway! I ended up passing on this engine, since of course I need to save my pennies for my Econoline Dekotora project. But still, good to know it's possible to do a junkyard-swap sleeper Taurus.

"mills with both TwinForce and Yamaha are being tested...the only thing I'm worried about is that it may not reach production...more of a feasibility test, but we shall see."

"Not sure if this is Mulally news but Taurus will get the Twin Force engine. Not sure if it will be called SHO though."

Related:
SHO Me The Bold Moves! Enthusiasts Create Web Site Asking Ford To "Bring Back The SHO" Taurus; SHO on the Block: Conan Gets His Taurus Appraised [internal]

In 1989, Ford took their sales leading Taurus and took it from sedan for the mere mortal to a sports sedan for the gods. Turning a management mis-fire into a minor miracle, Ford execs took engines from a dead deal with Yamaha and inserted the 3.0-liter V6's into their pedestrian four-door and watched as the performance boosted up to 220 hp and 200 lb-ft of torque when coupled with the 5-speed MTX-IV manual tranny. They called this special sports sedan the Super-High Output, or SHO. Other than the SHO one-off wagon for Car und Driver the only real change to the SHO came in 1996, when we saw the death of the SHO's manual tranny but it also received an upgraded 3.4-liter V8 and saw its power output pop to 235 hp and 230 lb-ft of torque. Yes, yes, I know what you're thinking — this is all well and good, but why should I care right now? You should care because a small group of FoMoCo enthusiasts is all hard-up over the recent re-naming of the five hundred to the vaunted Taurus nameplate. They're so gung-ho over the decision, they've gone and created a web site urging FoMoCo to bring back the SHO — they've even put together some concept sketches of what a new SHO Taurus could look like in the gallery below. So if you're interested in seeing a high-po fo'-door in Ford's future, head on over and have your voice heard. – Ray Wert

[BringbacktheSHO]

Related:
SHO on the Block: Conan Gets His Taurus Appraised [internal]