I have for sale a 1989 Ford Taurus SHO. It has the 3.0L, 24valve Yamaha designed twin cam engine producing 220hp. I bought this back in March for my wife to drive while her car was being repaired. She loved driving this because she's always enjoyed driving MY 1994 SHO, 5-speed (rare for the year) and wanted something similar. She preferred driving/riding in her red SHO over mine primarily because of the dashboard design. In 1992, Ford went with more of a stylish, wraparound dashboard, and she'd always bang her knee on MY dash as she got in, so this red SHO was very much to her liking in that regard.
But right now, we have a few too many cars in the driveway, and no certainty as to when I'll have a job (been unemployed for some time), this would pay some bills. Also, my wife's original car has since been repaired and is driving that, as the SHO would certainly be more desireable and worth more than what she's currently driving. I've driven this car myself (in fact, I'm the one that tested and brought it home for her) and am very impressed with the car's condition. In many ways, it's in better condition all around than my '94 SHO. I will be selling that soon, but it's going in for a NEW clutch very soon, and the proceeds from selling this red SHO will fund that repair.
Here's the vitals...
It's got 154,000 and we only put ~6000 on it since we bought it back in March. This car originally came from Missouri, and probably didn't come up to Wisconsin until mid/late 90's. It hasn't seen a Wisconsin winter for the past 2+ years. What you see is the original, factory, fire engine red. This car has never seen an accident, but there is one spot of exterior damage (boo boo) just under the left rear turn signal lens. Under the hood is a very clean engine compartment. I put Mobil-1 synthetic in it as soon as I got it. I want to say it's had synthetic in it for some time now. It burns no oil and doesn't leak it like some SHO's do. It's quiet with no odd engine noises or sounds. It starts right up, each and every time, and the exhaust always smells good and clean, either stone cold or operational temp. It doesn't smoke, even under hard acceleration. The clutch seems to have plenty of life left--not sure when it was changed. We always took care of it, never slipping it or hard accelerations that require working the clutch hard. We consistently got GREAT mileage with this car. It's got the 18gal tank, and you can easily get WELL over 400 on a tank with enough left over to make it to the next station. The best tank we got was ~480 and didn't run empty. I think that equates to ~27~28mpg---more on the highway, less in town. The tires look to be barely a few thousand miles old and are rated 440 for treadwear (that's a LOT, maybe 60,000 mile treadlife?) I don't know how many miles ago the timing belt was changed, but they typically have a lifespan of 100,000, so you could guess it's on it's 2nd belt at half-life. The waterpump is usually changed at that same time, just because of the work involved getting at the belt, it's right there and easy to change then, so it's either original or changed ~50K ago. The struts were changed all around not too long ago. The exhaust is in great condition and should last a long time. The front brakes were just changed hundreds of miles ago and the rears aren't too old either. The CV boots are in great shape with no cracks present--should last a LONG time. The front sway bar links were just changed the other week. The tie rod ends and lower ball joint up front were changed at some point not too long ago, probably with new tires and an alignment, as this car tracks beautifully and the tires have no evidence of featheringcupping on them. It still has the factory JBL sound system in it with factory 10CD changer, but the changer doesn't seem to work well (just old I suppose). All gauges work on the dash, as the fog lamps do too. The cruise and A/C are the only two options that don't work. (I've yet to find a pre-'94 A/C system with R-12 that still holds it's charge). This can be easily converted to R-134a and will probably provide cold air for the rest of it's life. The cruise can't have anything major wrong with it, but is a common failure amongst Ford vehicles (doesn't work on MY SHO and my '95 Aerostar van either). The car rides smooth (but firm) and quiet with no odd suspension noises. The transmission shifts smoothly and the cable linkage for the shifter doesn't have too much play in it either. The inside of the car is SUPER clean with little evidence it was ever smoked in. The only flaw on the inside is the leather seats do have some wear/tears in them on the rump cusion and bolster cushions (very typical). I have to give Ford a little bit of credit with using a perforated leather for the seats. This probably cut down on the "sticking" effect in the summer (sweaty skin to leather bond) allowing the seat to breathe. But, the price was durability. Ford switched to solid leather seats for 1992 on up, because the perforated leather would tear after some useage. It looks good, but the rump cushion has a few tears in the leather. This could be repaired so it doesn't look so bad, but you don't notice it once you sit in the seat. The driver's side has the 8-way power adjustable seat, but the passenger seat only has lumbar, bolster, forward/rear and recline adjustability. The SHO seats are amongst the MOST COMFY seats I've ever sat in. Once you get the driver's seat how you like it, I can go HOURS on a trip and get out of the car without the normal "stiffness" and "aching" that follows.
This car runs as good or better than it looks, and the car does look great for a 1989 model. I'm confident this will provide you with years and miles of use while enjoying low insurance rates, good economy and the performance SHO's are known for. Keep in mind, it may not have the refinement that the new Nissan Maxima has, but it took Nissan 13 years to EQUAL the performance of Ford's 80's mainstay automobile. **not bad, huh?
Essentially, the car needs nothing but a good home. After the pictures are the legal details for the deal. Here are the pictures you're itching to see.
**The car is located at N5472 870th St. in Elk Mound, WI. You can drive by to view it in person or call 715-879-5336 or 715-379-2639 to arrange a personal showing with optional test drive. I will only do test drives for SERIOUS inquiry. It is uninsured, so all test drives will be accompanied and performed by myself. We won't go blasting on any roads, but I can show the car's driving aspects you can expect should you purchase the car.You can email me at ascotvt@yahoo.com for additional pictures or information about the car. You can also call me at 715-879-5336 (home) or 715-379-2639 (cell). If one is busy, call the other, and you'll be able to leave a message either way if no-one answers. PLEASE, NO calls after 8:00pm CST. Calls are cordially accepted between 8am and 8pm CST ONLY!