My elderly neighbor has one of these that’s garage kept and absolutely perfect. I wish her the best but when the time comes that she can’t drive, I’ll be making an offer on that Ford.
@@shanet751100's bland?? '00 Pontiac Bonneville, '02 Mini Cooper, '02 Lexus SC430, '02 Cadillac Escalade, '03 Infiniti FX, '03 Cadillac CTS, '04 Acura TL, '05 Chrysler 300, '06 Ford Fusion, '07 Acura MDX, '09 Ford Flex. There were a lot of angles and curves too.
My guilty pleasure as a Ford tech and enthusiast. A 60⁰ 3.4 liter quad cam V8 based on a V6 is an awesome thing, especially considering that it was strapped to the goofiest little commuter car, and it makes it one of my bucket list rides
During this era but nowadays it's tiny compared to the Explorer-based last gen Taurus which is monstrously huge. Not just that but I've owned a Crown Vic before everything else feels tiny in comparison lmao
@JDns-we4fw no no not that Taurus the 2010s Taurus those are Explorer based that's why they have the same motors and why some come equipped with AWD, as well as the fact that they have an extremely long wheelbase and unnaturally tall body for a big sedan
My Dad owned a silver metallic 1996 Taurus GL he bought in 1998 when I was 12. Was a loaded car had the same dash as the SHO did and the 3.0 V6 was a nice car and would end up becoming the car I learned to drive in and my first car from him as a highschool graduation gift. I miss that car and the memories of my youth then.
I had a 95 manual SHO years ago and loved it. I still remember when these came out and how disappointed i was that they were slower than the V6s (according to magazines back in the day)and no manual. I'd love to find one of these today though. They sound amazing with exhaust
I always liked the look of these. A friend’s father was a Ford Canada exec and always had the latest cars. I love how round every single detail is on this car.
That's funny. Never liked this body style, but I had a buddy who bought an Escort in this body style and loved it! 😂😂😂 It was definitely one where you loved it or hated it. There was no middle ground.
A buddy of mine used to have a red automatic one with a cat back exhaust. It was quite the sleeper until you let that Yamaha V8 really sing, and it was QUICK for that time period!
I agree! In fact after I traded in my 97 SHO ( it was a Lease so I had to ) on a new 2001 Mustang GT - literally 2 days after getting the Mustang I took it back to the Ford dealer & was just all _there's something wrong with this thing_ They're all _Yeah what?_ I was like _The ride is way too harsh and the noise is deafening!_ So they looked at it for a couple hours saw nothing wrong & then asked me _What did you have before?_ I told them & they tilted their necks all they back & were all "dude" _You were used to an SHO_ _That's the problem_ _Mustang GTs are supposed to be loud!_ I was fuckin' stunned: _oh yeah_ _yeah I get it_ _sorry to bother you_ That was a serious idiot moment for me.
IF you can find one still in decent condition, make sure the camshafts are welded on to their respective pulleys (as opposed to the factory press fit) or have it done, ASAP!
Hollow camshafts with the cam sprocket gears being held on by expansion pressure only. Somewhere between 25k and 125k miles, the cams failed. And with this being an interference motor, the valves would crash into the pistons.@@issavibez394
NOPE! The '60s era with large displacements and high compression ushered in the "muscle car" era was the "golden age" for American cars. I loved the street racing and drive-ins open ALL NIGHT. I worked the 2nd shift, when I got off work, I would head to downtown St. Paul (MN) to get some "action". Wouldn't get back home (Mpls) until 5:00AM! Fun times. I miss them SO MUCH! Also, 100 octane gas (Clark 100) was available EVERYWHERE!
@TheOzthewiz that was pretty cool, but back then it was all about straight line performance. Weather 90s we went back to that plus some decency at the twisties...
@Policearegood-mt6kx meh just to put it in perspective. Formula E will never replace Formula 1. Even when fossil fuel will be all gone. Cars will be nothing but transportation appliances. Enjoy Teslas while you can drive them...
*The V8 Taurus was a very underrated car it was a good car but it had massive engine problems but it was a easy fix but it is very expensive and there's no point of doing it since the car is more than 20 years old but it's one of my dream cars as long as the engine doesn't have problems*
@@captainamericaamerica8090dosnt fit. That's why the Explorer Phoenix had the old 5 L pushrod motor all the way to 2001 custom modular motor didn't fit. Even the 2 valve is a very wide motor it looks like a big 460 sitting in there.
@@lotsoftorque3632The cam sprockets were metal, but the problem was that they were pressed on to the cams, then staked or swedged to prevent them from spinning. Unfortunately, this did not work and the sprockets would spin and the engine would no longer be timed.
@JDns-we4fw Correct, the transmissions and bees, and the following generation were absolute rubbish, And they also threw it in the Windstar minivan, and we all know how that turned out😂
My mom and I together have owned 4 Taurus', a '94 3.8, a '96 3.0 Vulcan, a '99 Sable 3.0 24v & a '00 3.0 24v. While we never had an SHO, my '99 Sable LS was such a nice car to take on long trips from NC to Maryland. 24v engine was always eager to Rev and while not an SHO engine, I had no complaints. And all 4 of these vehicles never had 1 issue during their entire life.
@@blackericdenice Its a YAMAHA engine and it redlines at 7500 rpm from the factory..FACTS. It's all aluminum 32 valve D.O.H.C. V8..Built and designed and tuned by YAMAHA..and yes it will rev to the moon..240 h.p.
@davidross-oo2vh It redlined at 7k, not 7500. It was rated at 235 horsepower, not 240. And finally, it doesn't make power past around 5800 in stock form, so anyone who removes the limiter and goes to 7500 is a buffoon. My parents owned one. They were dogs. Actually, it didn't make much power at all, even for 1996. That car was fugly, and it was slow. Anyone who owns one has an active imagination if they think it's a cool car.
@@blackericdenice I forgot to mention the hypertech tune..cold air kit and exhaust..it did raise the redline and h.p. a lil bit..And then I welded the camshaft sprockets..This is a design flaw with the V8 sho..The sprockets are just pressed onto the cams with no keyway or splines..over time they will become loose and spin on the cams..
I had a '98. I loved the engine, handling and seats. But I hated the dash with cheap buttons and the fact that water leaked onto the driver side floor every time it rained. Fortunately the dealer resealed it under warrantee.
Have that exact car with 103,000 on it. Keep it garage stored.. no rust not a dent or door ding. I drive it once a month and get crazy looks when I take her out. V8 vroom
These came out around the time I was born, so I saw a ton of these things always. Never cared for the styling, but that engine was cool. Welded cams be damned lol
This car was actually slower than the original v6 sho. If you go back and watch when they reviewed the original 89 v6 sho it was quicker in both 0-60 time and the quarter mile. The 89 even stopped quicker from 60, and that was without ABS! That's why no one really bought these things. They were slower than the original and didn't handle very well either.
I know that many folks dislike this generation of Ford Taurus (I nicknamed it the jelly bean Taurus) but I like alongside the first gen too. The SHO looked really nice, I also really like the oval window in the back. These were also the replaced for the Thunderbird in Nascar.
Driven a 1997 SHO off the lot and just hitting 120,000 miles. Leather still smells new-new paint, new tires, and windshield, plus standard maintenance. It still turns heads and takes the Rocky Mountains at whatever speed you care to drive. Best of the best and still purrs like a kitten at 90 mph. You guys don't know what fun is. Absolute fun.
1:11 Rare Motor Week mistake -- the presenter and the graphic text says it's a 24v V8, while the engine clearly shows "V8 32 Valve" on the valve cover.
ford deciding not to tack weld the camshaft sprockets to the cams ensured the few of these made did not live long.. cool motor with one fatal flaw almost worse than the northstar... awesome review as usual; we get to see this thing working in its prime!
They could have fixed the issue if they wanted to just like they could have fixed the rods and head gaskets on the 3.8 if they wanted to....saving pennies. Ford pissed me off about that because the V8 SHO and the 3.8 are excellent engines when they're performing properly. One has aggressive torque the other has aggressive passing power.
@@allentoyokawa9068 it's definitely faster on top end the first gen second gen V6 five speed what's good off the line but that's about it this car would take it
Off the line of course as you should with 280 ft/lbs of torque but they will smoke you on a top speed run because they go over 150mph, your GS & the GTP can't with your cheap 120mph speedometers 😂😂😂😂😂😂
Isn’t this a 32 valve V8? They say it’s a 24 valve V8 with both the graphics and narration in the video, while the camera clearly shows 32 valve imprinted on the valve cover at the same time. Can’t possibly be the first to notice this, but I didn’t run through all the other comments to find someone else who did. Rare slip up for Jon Davis and Motorweek.
I had to skip back a couple times to make sure but it looks like John and the graphic both say it's a 24 valve engine but the engine itself says 32 valve right on it. Weird.
my first car was a 1999 , not with the v8 but the higher hp v6 it was a nice car with none of the modern junky gismos on it. those round headlights were 70$ to replace and took only a few min for DIY now my 2016 truck would cost 400$ and take hours to remove all the grill and change out. but that automatic climate control setup made it literally impossible to upgrade the stereo system when i wanted satellite radio , the core of the radio was even in the trunk for some reason so the dash unit was only a display and nobody made faceplates for the auto climate version , other than that i loved the car and miss it
I had a chance to buy one of these, it was about 10 years old and I really wish I would have😢 but at the time I had a reliable car so I guess I had to stick with what was best for me at the time.
I had a 97 SHO for a year in 2005. It was my very first car and saved up the money to buy it. It had right at 100k miles. It was an ok car, I never had much trouble with it over 15k miles. It was just underwhelming lol. Too heavy, not enough power, and the 4sp auto slush box completely ruins everything. The absolute jewel of an engine did sound great though. Just needed a manual and about 30 more HP to be a decently fun sedan. They get a bit of a bad rap because of the cams, but tbh just weld/pin them and problem solved. Oh, and the alternator was damn near impossible to replace. It's mounted low, so we had to pull it out through the wheel well. It was like wiggling a 10-inch chunk of metal through a 5 inch hole. My dad eventually got it out and the new one in, but I have no idea how he did it.
I bought one in 98 and kept it for 10 years. Expensive parts hard to get. Got rid of it when brakes failed due to corroded line. Wonder why they did not make brake line from stainless steel. Same with transmission cooler line, corroded and had to be replaced. Cool car for the time with lots of power and below par mileage.
Wish I didn’t grow up quiet so fast either :( I had 91 thunderbird 5.0,94 thunderbird 4.6 and a 94 probe gt as my 90s cars. I wanted a second gen sho so bad but this one was slick too with the V8 though it had problems.
This was the styling cycle where Ford completely “jumped the shark” with the Taurus. It went from being sleek and cutting edge, to jut plain WEIRD! The model never recovered……😕
It was like they wanted to be "futuristic" but instead looked dated, as though someone from the 80's wanted to design cars for the 2000's and missed. I never liked that body style.
I had a maroon 1997 SHO from 2000-2006. I loved that car!! So many memories! Had to sell it after I had close to 230k miles on it. I bet the next guy had to put a tranny in because I put that thing through its paces.
The decision to use a micro displacement V8 never really made sense to me. It gets no better fuel economy than any other V8 car of that era. That displacement could have hypothetically been accomplished with a bore and stroked version of the duratec or original SHO engine with similar or potentially more power depending on tuning. The reliability problems along with GM's more potent supercharged 3800 really undercut The sales of this version. I'd always wished that they would have fixed the problems and either bumped up the displacement to something more proper for a V8 such as a 4 l to counter it instead of bring up their hands and quitting. Still, they had a nice exhaust note, they were decent cars, and it was still one of the faster cars in its class.
@JDns-we4fw I am familiar with the origins of the 3.4 SHO being a 2.5 Duratec with an extra bank of cylinders. My point is what is the point of going with such a small displacement on a V8? It's no better on fuel economy than a proper sized V8. If the goal is performance, go big or go home. Make either a 4.0 liter out of the 3.0 duratec or give it the Lincoln Continentals engine bay and stick the 4.6 intech in it.
@JDns-we4fw The other point of bringing up the fuel economy angle is that car manufacturers naturally have to meet a certain cafe standard every year and Ford might have been using a micro V8 with the idea of trying to get slightly better fuel economy but the evidence points that that didn't work so what's the point of going small. Go big or go home.
@JDns-we4fw you are entitled to like what you like, there's nothing wrong with liking what you like. What are my problem with the V8 SHO? 1. Reliability issues with the timing sprockets. The SHO V6 didn't have these issues. A Taurus needs to be reliable. 2. It wasn't an earth shattering improvement. The SHO V6 was a full 80 hp boost over either the Vulcan 3.0 or Essex 3.8. No competitors engines came remotely close (other than the rwd grand national but that's a different discussion). The most powerful mustang was within 5hp of the SHO. GM was caught off guard for a few years and never could top it regardless of a turbo 3.1 or a larger 3.4. Chrysler didn't even have an in-house V6 yet and the 1st gen 3.5 was no match (even if they put it in a similar size car). In 96, it was 70 hp down from the Cobra, and was less powerful than the Continental and MarkVIII so it really didn't stand out anymore within Ford. The output was slightly more but look at the fact that it went from non-interference to interference it needed higher compression and it had it at a higher rpm than the 3.2 sho to accomplish it. The SHO V8 has one year to shine before the Grand Prix GTP outshined it in performance and it didn't have only 5 more hp but an additional 50 ft-lbs of torque. GM may not have been able to outdo the SHO using the same tech so they used a different type of tech to win and the supercharged 3800 was sold much longer and in more volume than the SHO V8. The even more frustrating part was the standard 3800 with out the supercharger was not that much slower than the V8 SHO despite being around 35 lower on HP thanks to the low end torque being almost equal to the SHO and the NA 3800 used regular gas and got around 4-5 mpg better mileage on the highway. Even in the ohc world, Chrysler second generation 3.5 was a far more impressive improvement over it first generation going from 214hp and 221 ft-lbs of torque to 253hp and 255 ft-lbs of torque with another change over being that they switched from cast iron block to aluminum. If Chrysler could keep the same engine family going, have a nice 39 HP and 34 ft-lbs of torque, while transferring to aluminum and a slightly lower compression ratio 10.4 to 10.0, all done 7 model years later after its original introduction, why should I be impressed with a replacement engine that is larger, has higher compression, having only 15 more hp and 30 more (15 ft-lbs of torque for the 3.2), 8 model years after the original was introduced? 3. Wasted potential for the SHO engine which could have been updated and used for amazing things (the motor alone was capable of being run up to 8500 rpms!). Just transition it to aluminum and give it a good go around with updates, try new tech updates, etc and it would have been great. I'll have to go through responses on other things when I have the time to explain. The quick effort I will put into this on why a 4 l V8 SHO would not work or the 4.6, I would say that Ford was the one that set the limit on the engine to what it was. The Continental being on the same platform shows that Ford had the capability if they wanted to to put in a bigger engine. As for the point on the intech being Lincoln exclusive, The Crown Vic and the town car used the same platform and used the same output version of the same V8. If it works there, I think if you position them differently enough you can make it work. The challenge would be for Ford to think of Ford as being a performance division instead of a luxury type division for an appliance price. They seem to have a delusion that they are somehow a luxury type division for an appliance price look no further than the ads they have used for the Taurus for decades like the executive being driven around in the back of a Taurus being impressed with it and asking if they got a new car to chauffeur him in and the driver says the car was in the shop this is the chauffeur's personal car. That tells you how delusional Ford is about themself and it's not helping them. This is why Mercury died and this is why Lincoln may die. I've been pretty blunt in these comments, it's not out of disliking Ford, it's actually because I like Ford and there are aspects about the Taurus I really like. We've had about six of them in different generations and I may buy another one soon. It's Ford getting wrapped up in ideas that don't make any sense and Ford refusing to compete and refusing to pay attention to their competitors and learn from them. Saying a lot of this was actually pretty hard for me because I back in the day didn't like GM. I wanted them to do a better job so they could beat them. That's my angle.
I had one of these. A 1997 SHO, red on silver. It had - like most SHO V8's - has a severe idle issue. Severe because it would range between 650 and 1500 rpms, randomly. Often times while in bumper to bumper traffic. The real problem is that I had to stand on the front brakes to keep the car from lurching forward. I was in traffic that would move & stop frequently so putting it in Park was not an option. This was a legit safety concern for me because the car was literally trying to lurch forward. A lady who worked in my building had a 1998 SHO (this was 1999) and she had the exact same problem. When I bought it at the end of 1997 it took only 5 months for this to start happening. The dealer I bought it from was 60 miles away so I used two different dealers closer to me. One of them had it a documented total of 17 times and they could not figure it out. I even had it there while it was failing and still they couldn't figure it out. Finally they suggested I use the Lemon Law. Ironically I liked the car enough to keep it - I just wanted it fixed but no one could fix it.
Yep, pretty common issue. I've had several of these v8 SHOs over the past 16 years. In my experience, it was always the IAC (idle air control valve) or the (TPS) throttle position sensor that caused the issue you were having. If maintained well from new, they are usually pretty reliable cars. When they've been abused and had tons of previous owners, it's anyone's guess what will break next.
I remember thinking how this was incomprehensible even to my ten-year-old mind. I saw it at a car show and I was like why in the hell did they not put 4.6L 2 valve in there and give it the high flow heads?
The Yamaha SHO V8 was a 60 degree design(based on the Ford Duratec 60 degree V6). The Ford Modular V8 is a 90 degree design, which is significantly wider. It would never fit under the hood of a Taurus in a transverse layout.
@@05gtdriver I don't know why they weren't already thinking in terms of all wheel drive. Maybe the components were too big or expensive to justify putting into a Taurus at that time, but all-wheel drive came in later platforms and they nixed the transverse layout.
Why oh why would Ford send one in THAT color to an on-TV tester? Growing up, we always joked the rare Fords and GMs in this color were painted with all the leftover paint at the factory that day mixed together….
Actually the color on that is great. Interesting to see how many new cars are coming out with a similar shade these days (2023). Besides the pod style HVAC / Stereo setup on those, the biggest, and only real let down on that car was the midiocre (at best) automatic transmission. 5-speed auto (available from ZF at the time), or (even better) a manual, would have set this apart from the likes of the Pontiac GTP and other faster sedans of the time. Still admire these when I see them from time to time.
I read through some of the comments, and NO ONE has figured out that they misstated the number of valves in this engine? He said and the text read 24 valves. When anyone with eyesight can plainly see the large "32 VALVE" text right on the plastic engine cover. Major editing error there. Plus this 97 doesn't have the "V8" badging on the front fenders.
My elderly neighbor has one of these that’s garage kept and absolutely perfect. I wish her the best but when the time comes that she can’t drive, I’ll be making an offer on that Ford.
weld them cams
I bet she only drove it to church and back, and to the hair dresser on occasion.
The 80s were so square, the 90s responded by making everything bubbly and round.
2000s were bland, 2020s are overstyled/aggressive
@@shanet751100's bland?? '00 Pontiac Bonneville, '02 Mini Cooper, '02 Lexus SC430, '02 Cadillac Escalade, '03 Infiniti FX, '03 Cadillac CTS, '04 Acura TL, '05 Chrysler 300, '06 Ford Fusion, '07 Acura MDX, '09 Ford Flex. There were a lot of angles and curves too.
Cars 80s square shape
Cars 90s square bubbly and round
@@fernandorocha-dx1wv wow good observation being nearly word for word what the original comment said 😅
My parents bought a 96 SHO when I was a senior in high school in the late 90s. Maaaaaaan, I used to love that car. I drove the hell out of it.
The SHO was ALWAYS to me the better of the Taurus.
Man that’s mystical. I wish I was you.
@ShadowTheSC Goddamn. That's the third time I've heard that TODAY, son!
@@elektrosmokes1911 I wish I was in the 90’s man. I got myself a thunderbird super coupe for my first car, most fun I’ve ever had 😁
@@ShadowTheSCIt was a different time for sure, dude. You didn't need 500 horsepower just to leave your driveway.
My guilty pleasure as a Ford tech and enthusiast. A 60⁰ 3.4 liter quad cam V8 based on a V6 is an awesome thing, especially considering that it was strapped to the goofiest little commuter car, and it makes it one of my bucket list rides
The Taurus was borderline full size during this era.
During this era but nowadays it's tiny compared to the Explorer-based last gen Taurus which is monstrously huge. Not just that but I've owned a Crown Vic before everything else feels tiny in comparison lmao
@JDns-we4fw no no not that Taurus the 2010s Taurus those are Explorer based that's why they have the same motors and why some come equipped with AWD, as well as the fact that they have an extremely long wheelbase and unnaturally tall body for a big sedan
That's why I love my Viggen too! Just an old black man in a red family sedan nothing to see here officer....
Only shame is that 4 speed auto. I wish they kept a manual option for the SHO.
I absolutely hated these when new. Now I want one
Agreed, I thought the Pontiac GTP was far superior. Now, I’d happily take either for a fun weekend cruiser
I’ve heard they have engine problems
I used to love them and now I realize they are just terrible cars. But whatever, they're certainly unique
Like a supermodel......high maintenance
Nostalgia is a thing.
My Dad owned a silver metallic 1996 Taurus GL he bought in 1998 when I was 12. Was a loaded car had the same dash as the SHO did and the 3.0 V6 was a nice car and would end up becoming the car I learned to drive in and my first car from him as a highschool graduation gift. I miss that car and the memories of my youth then.
The best version of the bubble Taurus. Also rare Rose Mist metallic! Awesome color
Garish!
@@bghoody5665 great car
Yea.. guy across the street left a '96 Rose mist SHO to rot in their back yard!!!
Our neighbor had a Cougar V8 in this same color. Great looking car.
They are jellybeans.
I had a 95 manual SHO years ago and loved it. I still remember when these came out and how disappointed i was that they were slower than the V6s (according to magazines back in the day)and no manual. I'd love to find one of these today though. They sound amazing with exhaust
It's quicker than the V6 not by much but it is
@JDns-we4fw Yeah just quoting what magazines at the time were saying.
@JDns-we4fw That's true, i hadn't thought of comparing auto to auto. Good point.
The V6 was also much more likely to make it to 100k miles. Reliability of this 3.4l V8 was dismal.
@@RatBürgerSk8 Was that due to the hollow cam thing they had? I remember something about them needing to be welded or something along those lines.
90s .... Best cars best music best everything
I always liked the look of these. A friend’s father was a Ford Canada exec and always had the latest cars. I love how round every single detail is on this car.
That's funny. Never liked this body style, but I had a buddy who bought an Escort in this body style and loved it! 😂😂😂 It was definitely one where you loved it or hated it. There was no middle ground.
@@kevinmcd112 I agree. And I hated it.
A buddy of mine used to have a red automatic one with a cat back exhaust. It was quite the sleeper until you let that Yamaha V8 really sing, and it was QUICK for that time period!
I had that exact same color too, loved the catback system I put on mine. That engine just sang.
@@sherylellingson3538 Yamaha sure made a nice sounding engine!
Those Yamaha intake runners are so handsome
I had one, awesome driving car for the time! Best sounding V8 with exhaust and intake!
Agreed! I miss my 99 SHO quite often!
I agree! In fact after I traded in my 97 SHO ( it was a Lease so I had to ) on a new 2001 Mustang GT - literally 2 days after getting the Mustang I took it back to the Ford dealer & was just all _there's something wrong with this thing_ They're all _Yeah what?_
I was like _The ride is way too harsh and the noise is deafening!_
So they looked at it for a couple hours saw nothing wrong & then asked me
_What did you have before?_ I told them & they tilted their necks all they back & were all "dude"
_You were used to an SHO_ _That's the problem_ _Mustang GTs are supposed to be loud!_
I was fuckin' stunned: _oh yeah_ _yeah I get it_ _sorry to bother you_
That was a serious idiot moment for me.
Omg, I forgot about these SHO versions completely! It's been a couple of decades at least since I saw one.
IF you can find one still in decent condition, make sure the camshafts are welded on to their respective pulleys (as opposed to the factory press fit) or have it done, ASAP!
Why
Hollow camshafts with the cam sprocket gears being held on by expansion pressure only. Somewhere between 25k and 125k miles, the cams failed. And with this being an interference motor, the valves would crash into the pistons.@@issavibez394
@@issavibez394 because they have a high failure rate and it's an interference motor.
Utterly bizarre looking when you look back at it. But I like it more than a lot of newer things out there.
RIP 90's best era on automotive history period.
NOPE! The '60s era with large displacements and high compression ushered in the "muscle car" era was the "golden age" for American cars. I loved the street racing and drive-ins open ALL NIGHT. I worked the 2nd shift, when I got off work, I would head to downtown St. Paul (MN) to get some "action". Wouldn't get back home (Mpls) until 5:00AM! Fun times. I miss them SO MUCH! Also, 100 octane gas (Clark 100) was available EVERYWHERE!
What about now with all the battery powered cars?
@TheOzthewiz that was pretty cool, but back then it was all about straight line performance. Weather 90s we went back to that plus some decency at the twisties...
@Policearegood-mt6kx meh just to put it in perspective. Formula E will never replace Formula 1. Even when fossil fuel will be all gone. Cars will be nothing but transportation appliances. Enjoy Teslas while you can drive them...
@@2F4R4W4Y eventually AI will displace the need for humans and we won’t need to go anywhere anyway.
*The V8 Taurus was a very underrated car it was a good car but it had massive engine problems but it was a easy fix but it is very expensive and there's no point of doing it since the car is more than 20 years old but it's one of my dream cars as long as the engine doesn't have problems*
I like the 3.0 v6 with the front bench seating. Don’t see V6 and bench seats in cars anymore. Also looks nice.
FORD SHOULD HAVE USED THEIR EXCELLENT 4.6. LITER. V+8, IN THEIR CROWN VICS! LINCOLN TOWN CARS. A 5 STAR ENGINE
@@captainamericaamerica8090dosnt fit. That's why the Explorer Phoenix had the old 5 L pushrod motor all the way to 2001 custom modular motor didn't fit. Even the 2 valve is a very wide motor it looks like a big 460 sitting in there.
@@robertstone9988 Ford could have made it fit! In the latter years. A complete built up ! New design.
@@captainamericaamerica8090t wouldn’t fit - too wide. And the 4.6 was not designed for FWD applications.
I remember being a teenager, and when these came out thinking it was the coolest car ever. It...has not aged well lol
I would have gotten one but the failed cam gears and weak transmission scared me away. Good move on my part.
Were the cam gears atleast metal? I have seen newer japenese and korean cars where they are actually plastic.
@@lotsoftorque3632The cam sprockets were metal, but the problem was that they were pressed on to the cams, then staked or swedged to prevent them from spinning. Unfortunately, this did not work and the sprockets would spin and the engine would no longer be timed.
Never had an issue with mine
These didn't have weak transmissions. You're thinking of the base Taurus models.
@JDns-we4fw
Correct, the transmissions and bees, and the following generation were absolute rubbish, And they also threw it in the Windstar minivan, and we all know how that turned out😂
My mom and I together have owned 4 Taurus', a '94 3.8, a '96 3.0 Vulcan, a '99 Sable 3.0 24v & a '00 3.0 24v. While we never had an SHO, my '99 Sable LS was such a nice car to take on long trips from NC to Maryland. 24v engine was always eager to Rev and while not an SHO engine, I had no complaints. And all 4 of these vehicles never had 1 issue during their entire life.
How many miles did you get out of the 24v models?
My 97 sho shifts at 7500 rpm..it runs aight..it's a 32 valve not 24
There you go with the lying. Why would an engine peaking @ 6100 rpm, shift @ 7500 rpm?
@@blackericdenice Its a YAMAHA engine and it redlines at 7500 rpm from the factory..FACTS.
It's all aluminum 32 valve D.O.H.C. V8..Built and designed and tuned by YAMAHA..and yes it will rev to the moon..240 h.p.
@davidross-oo2vh It redlined at 7k, not 7500. It was rated at 235 horsepower, not 240. And finally, it doesn't make power past around 5800 in stock form, so anyone who removes the limiter and goes to 7500 is a buffoon. My parents owned one. They were dogs.
Actually, it didn't make much power at all, even for 1996. That car was fugly, and it was slow. Anyone who owns one has an active imagination if they think it's a cool car.
@@davidross-oo2vh If you say so
@@blackericdenice I forgot to mention the hypertech tune..cold air kit and exhaust..it did raise the redline and h.p. a lil bit..And then I welded the camshaft sprockets..This is a design flaw with the V8 sho..The sprockets are just pressed onto the cams with no keyway or splines..over time they will become loose and spin on the cams..
I had a '98. I loved the engine, handling and seats. But I hated the dash with cheap buttons and the fact that water leaked onto the driver side floor every time it rained. Fortunately the dealer resealed it under warrantee.
Nice to see this generation getting some love. I thought I was the only one who liked these.
Have that exact car with 103,000 on it. Keep it garage stored.. no rust not a dent or door ding. I drive it once a month and get crazy looks when I take her out. V8 vroom
I've always loved the tiny spoiler
These came out around the time I was born, so I saw a ton of these things always. Never cared for the styling, but that engine was cool. Welded cams be damned lol
This car was actually slower than the original v6 sho. If you go back and watch when they reviewed the original 89 v6 sho it was quicker in both 0-60 time and the quarter mile. The 89 even stopped quicker from 60, and that was without ABS! That's why no one really bought these things. They were slower than the original and didn't handle very well either.
I know that many folks dislike this generation of Ford Taurus (I nicknamed it the jelly bean Taurus) but I like alongside the first gen too. The SHO looked really nice, I also really like the oval window in the back. These were also the replaced for the Thunderbird in Nascar.
Grew up in the 80s. Girlfriend Dad had a 89 SHO he let me drive. Was a cool experience in my teens. I never knew they made a V-8 ??
1989 sho is v6 and is faster than this
I had a 1997 Taurus LX years ago. It's the only car I've ever owned that I don't have vivid memories of.
Driven a 1997 SHO off the lot and just hitting 120,000 miles. Leather still smells new-new paint, new tires, and windshield, plus standard maintenance.
It still turns heads and takes the Rocky Mountains at whatever speed you care to drive.
Best of the best and still purrs like a kitten at 90 mph.
You guys don't know what fun is. Absolute fun.
It must look amazing parked outside your trailer.
Calling it a "boat" was hilarious!
1:11 Rare Motor Week mistake -- the presenter and the graphic text says it's a 24v V8, while the engine clearly shows "V8 32 Valve" on the valve cover.
ford deciding not to tack weld the camshaft sprockets to the cams ensured the few of these made did not live long.. cool motor with one fatal flaw almost worse than the northstar...
awesome review as usual; we get to see this thing working in its prime!
I agree with that. I think the Northstars of this vintage were quite a bit faster than the SHO too
@@MikeB85 true indeed! that 4.6 northstar really came out of the gate swinging, just wish it kept the coolant out of the bores
They could have fixed the issue if they wanted to just like they could have fixed the rods and head gaskets on the 3.8 if they wanted to....saving pennies. Ford pissed me off about that because the V8 SHO and the 3.8 are excellent engines when they're performing properly. One has aggressive torque the other has aggressive passing power.
I had one of these and loved it. ❤
My 1989 5 speed sho went 15.1 at exactly 100mph. Was definitely faster than the v8 sho.
No, this one if FAR faster
@allentoyokawa9068 I live at the dragstrip. And work for a world renown speed shop. Spare me your opinion. 5 speed sho was lighter and made same hp.
The manual makes it faster off the line.
@@allentoyokawa9068 3077 pounds 223 hp. Which was way underatted.
@@allentoyokawa9068 it's definitely faster on top end the first gen second gen V6 five speed what's good off the line but that's about it this car would take it
My Boss had one of these back in 2001. It was really fast for a family car.
That 0-60 time is actually 0.1sec SLOWER than a '13 Focus 2.0L N/A with the 6-speed automatic. And how about 40MPG/ HWY? How times have changed!
My dad had a '96. He replaced it with a Contour SVT, which was a LOT more fun to drive.
I just saw one of these on my local pick a part last week! I even took a photo of it for posterity
Nice!! I would want one! Love FWD V8
1:27 John: NO MANUAL IS AVAILABLE! LOL
I had one, no regrets.
Love these retro reviews especially on a fresh weekend! Thank you sir !
Ironic the video pops up since Ford just announced they plan to bring the name plate. Best version of this generation's styling.
My favorite model of the sho!
Love any 3rd and 4th gen Taurus 👁👁
I like the way the back of it looks, however, this car still looks like a speed bump but it’s nice to see these in traffic every now and then,
I used to smoke these sho's with my Buick regal gs
Off the line of course as you should with 280 ft/lbs of torque but they will smoke you on a top speed run because they go over 150mph, your GS & the GTP can't with your cheap 120mph speedometers 😂😂😂😂😂😂
No I smoke the POS sho all the way to to 130mph speed limit that sho was over hyped trash
@@sdjrinc.6921 The SHO can go over 150mph...atleast it doesn't sound like a Chevy Astro van with a bad muffler lol
Still my all time favorite car no matter what!
Greetings from southern Ontario Canada I really enjoyed the video i learnt stick shift as my dad wanted something different
Isn’t this a 32 valve V8? They say it’s a 24 valve V8 with both the graphics and narration in the video, while the camera clearly shows 32 valve imprinted on the valve cover at the same time. Can’t possibly be the first to notice this, but I didn’t run through all the other comments to find someone else who did. Rare slip up for Jon Davis and Motorweek.
I had one of these for a couple months it was kind of ruff. I also had a 2010 SHO.
I had to skip back a couple times to make sure but it looks like John and the graphic both say it's a 24 valve engine but the engine itself says 32 valve right on it. Weird.
Someone had a V6 on the brain.
That submarine inspired rear end design... 🤣🤣🤣
my first car was a 1999 , not with the v8 but the higher hp v6 it was a nice car with none of the modern junky gismos on it. those round headlights were 70$ to replace and took only a few min for DIY now my 2016 truck would cost 400$ and take hours to remove all the grill and change out. but that automatic climate control setup made it literally impossible to upgrade the stereo system when i wanted satellite radio , the core of the radio was even in the trunk for some reason so the dash unit was only a display and nobody made faceplates for the auto climate version , other than that i loved the car and miss it
0:34 & 2:38....................REALLY digging that Sophisti-Pop/Yacht Rock soundtrack!!!!!!!!
I had a chance to buy one of these, it was about 10 years old and I really wish I would have😢 but at the time I had a reliable car so I guess I had to stick with what was best for me at the time.
Rule one when buying one of these. Make sure the cams are welded. If not, walk away.
The Taurus has always been very plain looking but I always liked that understated look.
2:39 Gotta love those hideous but probably comfortable marshmallow seats
Love my 65 tarus! Can't depart from it!
I appreciate this car for being the unicorn that it is. 🦄
My friend has a 98 model SHO runs like s damnnn champ and very reliable
My dad got one of these when my uncle worked at ford…and he did it up nascar style with the yellow Goodyear eagles and all
That paint color is nice
My dad had the mercury version v6 and that still had balls.
Hmmm. I might be in the minority. But the wagon style of these cars I really like
That color is so awesome
Ford tends to do that a lot. Look at the Thunderbird. They get something hardcore and then try to soften the edges to appeal to the bell curve.
I had a 97 SHO for a year in 2005. It was my very first car and saved up the money to buy it. It had right at 100k miles. It was an ok car, I never had much trouble with it over 15k miles.
It was just underwhelming lol. Too heavy, not enough power, and the 4sp auto slush box completely ruins everything. The absolute jewel of an engine did sound great though. Just needed a manual and about 30 more HP to be a decently fun sedan.
They get a bit of a bad rap because of the cams, but tbh just weld/pin them and problem solved.
Oh, and the alternator was damn near impossible to replace. It's mounted low, so we had to pull it out through the wheel well. It was like wiggling a 10-inch chunk of metal through a 5 inch hole. My dad eventually got it out and the new one in, but I have no idea how he did it.
I bought one in 98 and kept it for 10 years. Expensive parts hard to get. Got rid of it when brakes failed due to corroded line. Wonder why they did not make brake line from stainless steel. Same with transmission cooler line, corroded and had to be replaced. Cool car for the time with lots of power and below par mileage.
The designer loved ovals, they are everywhere inside and out!
Wish I didn’t grow up quiet so fast either :(
I had 91 thunderbird 5.0,94 thunderbird 4.6 and a 94 probe gt as my 90s cars. I wanted a second gen sho so bad but this one was slick too with the V8 though it had problems.
3.4 liters v8…my maxima was 3.5 liters and was a V6, wow
Ferrari built 2.0 liter V12s
This was the styling cycle where Ford completely “jumped the shark” with the Taurus. It went from being sleek and cutting edge, to jut plain WEIRD! The model never recovered……😕
It was like they wanted to be "futuristic" but instead looked dated, as though someone from the 80's wanted to design cars for the 2000's and missed. I never liked that body style.
Yet they sold like hotcakes
Yeah, it was the ultimate oval fest
@@allentoyokawa9068 Not a good argument, the PT cruiser and ford pinto sold like hotcakes too😂😂
@@allentoyokawa9068 ... to Hertz rental fleets.
I don’t know why but this car screams cigarette smoking grandma
I had a maroon 1997 SHO from 2000-2006. I loved that car!! So many memories! Had to sell it after I had close to 230k miles on it. I bet the next guy had to put a tranny in because I put that thing through its paces.
The decision to use a micro displacement V8 never really made sense to me. It gets no better fuel economy than any other V8 car of that era. That displacement could have hypothetically been accomplished with a bore and stroked version of the duratec or original SHO engine with similar or potentially more power depending on tuning. The reliability problems along with GM's more potent supercharged 3800 really undercut The sales of this version. I'd always wished that they would have fixed the problems and either bumped up the displacement to something more proper for a V8 such as a 4 l to counter it instead of bring up their hands and quitting.
Still, they had a nice exhaust note, they were decent cars, and it was still one of the faster cars in its class.
@JDns-we4fw I am familiar with the origins of the 3.4 SHO being a 2.5 Duratec with an extra bank of cylinders. My point is what is the point of going with such a small displacement on a V8? It's no better on fuel economy than a proper sized V8. If the goal is performance, go big or go home. Make either a 4.0 liter out of the 3.0 duratec or give it the Lincoln Continentals engine bay and stick the 4.6 intech in it.
@JDns-we4fw The other point of bringing up the fuel economy angle is that car manufacturers naturally have to meet a certain cafe standard every year and Ford might have been using a micro V8 with the idea of trying to get slightly better fuel economy but the evidence points that that didn't work so what's the point of going small. Go big or go home.
@JDns-we4fw you are entitled to like what you like, there's nothing wrong with liking what you like.
What are my problem with the V8 SHO?
1. Reliability issues with the timing sprockets. The SHO V6 didn't have these issues. A Taurus needs to be reliable.
2. It wasn't an earth shattering improvement. The SHO V6 was a full 80 hp boost over either the Vulcan 3.0 or Essex 3.8. No competitors engines came remotely close (other than the rwd grand national but that's a different discussion). The most powerful mustang was within 5hp of the SHO. GM was caught off guard for a few years and never could top it regardless of a turbo 3.1 or a larger 3.4. Chrysler didn't even have an in-house V6 yet and the 1st gen 3.5 was no match (even if they put it in a similar size car). In 96, it was 70 hp down from the Cobra, and was less powerful than the Continental and MarkVIII so it really didn't stand out anymore within Ford. The output was slightly more but look at the fact that it went from non-interference to interference it needed higher compression and it had it at a higher rpm than the 3.2 sho to accomplish it. The SHO V8 has one year to shine before the Grand Prix GTP outshined it in performance and it didn't have only 5 more hp but an additional 50 ft-lbs of torque. GM may not have been able to outdo the SHO using the same tech so they used a different type of tech to win and the supercharged 3800 was sold much longer and in more volume than the SHO V8. The even more frustrating part was the standard 3800 with out the supercharger was not that much slower than the V8 SHO despite being around 35 lower on HP thanks to the low end torque being almost equal to the SHO and the NA 3800 used regular gas and got around 4-5 mpg better mileage on the highway. Even in the ohc world, Chrysler second generation 3.5 was a far more impressive improvement over it first generation going from 214hp and 221 ft-lbs of torque to 253hp and 255 ft-lbs of torque with another change over being that they switched from cast iron block to aluminum. If Chrysler could keep the same engine family going, have a nice 39 HP and 34 ft-lbs of torque, while transferring to aluminum and a slightly lower compression ratio 10.4 to 10.0, all done 7 model years later after its original introduction, why should I be impressed with a replacement engine that is larger, has higher compression, having only 15 more hp and 30 more (15 ft-lbs of torque for the 3.2), 8 model years after the original was introduced?
3. Wasted potential for the SHO engine which could have been updated and used for amazing things (the motor alone was capable of being run up to 8500 rpms!). Just transition it to aluminum and give it a good go around with updates, try new tech updates, etc and it would have been great.
I'll have to go through responses on other things when I have the time to explain. The quick effort I will put into this on why a 4 l V8 SHO would not work or the 4.6, I would say that Ford was the one that set the limit on the engine to what it was. The Continental being on the same platform shows that Ford had the capability if they wanted to to put in a bigger engine. As for the point on the intech being Lincoln exclusive, The Crown Vic and the town car used the same platform and used the same output version of the same V8. If it works there, I think if you position them differently enough you can make it work. The challenge would be for Ford to think of Ford as being a performance division instead of a luxury type division for an appliance price. They seem to have a delusion that they are somehow a luxury type division for an appliance price look no further than the ads they have used for the Taurus for decades like the executive being driven around in the back of a Taurus being impressed with it and asking if they got a new car to chauffeur him in and the driver says the car was in the shop this is the chauffeur's personal car. That tells you how delusional Ford is about themself and it's not helping them. This is why Mercury died and this is why Lincoln may die.
I've been pretty blunt in these comments, it's not out of disliking Ford, it's actually because I like Ford and there are aspects about the Taurus I really like. We've had about six of them in different generations and I may buy another one soon. It's Ford getting wrapped up in ideas that don't make any sense and Ford refusing to compete and refusing to pay attention to their competitors and learn from them. Saying a lot of this was actually pretty hard for me because I back in the day didn't like GM. I wanted them to do a better job so they could beat them. That's my angle.
You gotta love how MotorWeek calls the motor a 24 valve while the valve covers say 32 valve right on them lol
Sad Ford didn't recall these
He said 24v, but it's actually a 32v as it has 4v per cylinder.
I had one of these. A 1997 SHO, red on silver. It had - like most SHO V8's - has a severe idle issue.
Severe because it would range between 650 and 1500 rpms, randomly. Often times while in bumper to bumper traffic. The real problem is
that I had to stand on the front brakes to keep the car from lurching forward. I was in traffic that would move & stop frequently so putting it in Park was not an option. This was a legit safety concern for me because the car was literally trying to lurch forward. A lady who worked in my building had a 1998 SHO (this was 1999) and she had the exact same problem. When I bought it at the end of 1997 it took only 5 months for this to start happening. The dealer I bought it from was 60 miles away so I used two different dealers closer to me. One of them had it a documented total of 17 times and they could not figure it out. I even had it there while it was failing and still they couldn't figure it out. Finally they suggested I use the Lemon Law. Ironically I liked the car enough to keep it - I just wanted it fixed but no one could fix it.
Yep, pretty common issue. I've had several of these v8 SHOs over the past 16 years. In my experience, it was always the IAC (idle air control valve) or the (TPS) throttle position sensor that caused the issue you were having. If maintained well from new, they are usually pretty reliable cars. When they've been abused and had tons of previous owners, it's anyone's guess what will break next.
I remember thinking how this was incomprehensible even to my ten-year-old mind. I saw it at a car show and I was like why in the hell did they not put 4.6L 2 valve in there and give it the high flow heads?
This was a losing investment using that 3.4l V8
The Yamaha SHO V8 was a 60 degree design(based on the Ford Duratec 60 degree V6). The Ford Modular V8 is a 90 degree design, which is significantly wider. It would never fit under the hood of a Taurus in a transverse layout.
Ford had a 4.6. V.8! In their indestructible crown vics! Lincoln Town cars!! Too.
@@captainamericaamerica8090
Yup
Great motor
Quite a few 500k mile Crown Vics
@@05gtdriver I don't know why they weren't already thinking in terms of all wheel drive. Maybe the components were too big or expensive to justify putting into a Taurus at that time, but all-wheel drive came in later platforms and they nixed the transverse layout.
That Yamaha engine was beautiful. My neighbor had one.
Why oh why would Ford send one in THAT color to an on-TV tester? Growing up, we always joked the rare Fords and GMs in this color were painted with all the leftover paint at the factory that day mixed together….
They were showcasing their new color palet. That was the same year they came out with the MystiChrome paint for the Mustang Cobra.
I had one for a few years, but it was yet another victim of the cam failures that plagued these engines...
Lovely I own one and enjoyed this so much
Actually the color on that is great. Interesting to see how many new cars are coming out with a similar shade these days (2023). Besides the pod style HVAC / Stereo setup on those, the biggest, and only real let down on that car was the midiocre (at best) automatic transmission. 5-speed auto (available from ZF at the time), or (even better) a manual, would have set this apart from the likes of the Pontiac GTP and other faster sedans of the time. Still admire these when I see them from time to time.
YES, Love TARUS!
Put curb feelers on it, it looks like a catfish.
That car brings me to the gran turismo 2 days
Quick car fo sho
A v8 that small blows my mind.
According to the text on the show, that new "SHO" is 8 valves short!
I read through some of the comments, and NO ONE has figured out that they misstated the number of valves in this engine? He said and the text read 24 valves. When anyone with eyesight can plainly see the large "32 VALVE" text right on the plastic engine cover. Major editing error there. Plus this 97 doesn't have the "V8" badging on the front fenders.
Miss cars like this. Too bad Americans don't like sedans anymore. I happen to still love a good performance one... They're rare now.
Huh. I never knew Ford made an SHO version of the "bugmobile" Taurus. I've never seen one!
It looks so tame to me now, I remember thinking how radical and ugly this was when new.
I Love This Video Makes Me Really Want One