The seller of today’s Nice Price or Crack Pipe SHO describes it as being in ‘unbelievable condition’ and the pictures prove that out. Let’s see if this amazingly clean hot Taurus’s price is also outside the realms of believability.
Yesterday’s 1998 Volvo V70 R was, to use basketball parlance, a slam dunk. Its poor paint couldn’t overwhelm its inherent Volvo-ness and that meant its $1,700 asking price earned a solid 90 percent Nice Price win.
Think about that for a minute. How many things could get 90 % of a couple thousand people all on the same page? I think that Volvo must have been like a superhero or something.
Speaking of super, which we just were, how are you fixed for super high output? The obvious retort to that query is to say you can never have too much super high output and that’s why cars like this 1989 Ford Taurus SHO (Super High Output) exist.
Now, in this case, the SHO refers to the double overhead cam 3-litre V6 under the mid-sized saloon’s hood. That’s an engine that has an interesting origin story. The lower half shares its past with that of the standard Vulcan V6, including the use of a cast-iron block. Upstairs is where the SHO hits the road. There the engine gained a pair of four-valve alloy heads and a nest of snakes that serve as a variable-length intake intended to impact both lower and higher-rev power delivery. That top end was engineered by Yamaha, and the engines were constructed by the venerable motorcycle, powerboat, and piano company.
Along with the hot Taurus, Ford had intended for the SHO to power a mid-engine sports car, something that would slot somewhere between GM’s Fiero and Corvette. To facilitate that, the V6 is designed for either transverse or longitudinal placement, a point became moot once the bean counters killed off the GN34 sports car program, giving the Taurus full reign of the SHO motor.
Even though the SHO was a special, and very desirable edition it was still a Taurus and that was a car built in the hundreds of thousands back in its day. As such, the SHO has never really seemed to catch on amongst collectors and it seems that most of the models that are still around are somewhat ratty.
That’s definitely not the case with this 132,000-mile car. It appears to be damn-near perfect both inside and out. It sports refreshed paint in what appears to be the factory hue and extensive mechanical maintenance that should ensure it keeps ticking over for some time to come.
There are new Cooper tires underneath and those are wrapped around factory alloy wheels. The basketweave style wheels are 15-inches in diameter, and while admittedly small by today’s standards, they look just right under the Taurus. All the unique SHO bodywork appears intact as well. That includes the model-specific front and rear bumper caps as well as lower body cladding and be-spatted rocker extensions. Headlamps are big and bold and clear as can be.
Inside, things are just as tidy. The highly bolstered leather seats do show some use, but all the upholstery appears intact as does the complex door trim and dash. There are some fun period-correct accessories here too, including a dash-mounted mobile phone that could easily make you feel like Wall Street era Charlie Sheen. The seller even takes the time to fill the cassette tape cubby and coin holders for the photoshoot, which is a nice touch.
The car comes with automatic climate controls, an AM/FM Cassette stereo and cruise control as convenience features. The five-speed stick in the center console adds to the fun factor.
One of the joys of owning a first-gen SHO is the engine, and not just the ability to exercise its high-revving 220 horsepower. The Yamaha-designed mill is just as enjoyable as art as it is in action, and this one is no exception, presenting a clean and seemingly complete engine bay.
The seller is asking $6,900 for the car and in what’s perhaps not the most effective sales strategy claims that the price has been set, not by the calculated value of the car, but by the need to recoup the investment—paint, mechanicals, etc.—that have been put into it.
Honestly, I don’t think any of us gives a rat’s ass about what has been dumped into a car, we only care about what it might be worth in the moment. That being said, the seller also notes that you are unlikely to find a SHO as nice as this one, and with that, I tend to agree.
It’s nice enough in fact, to have been featured in a recent issue of Collectible Automobile a copy of which will come with the car (a $9.95 value!). The car also comes with a clear title and appears to be sporting current registration tags.
With all that in mind, what’s your take on this SHO and that $6,900 asking? Does that seem a fair price despite the attempted recoup? Or, does that price just make it unbelievably expensive?
You decide!
San Francisco Bay Area, CA Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to Cheap-Bastard for the hookup!
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