eBay Find of the Day: The SHO that got away
Click above for image gallery of the SHO that got away
What'd you do this weekend? I spent Saturday and Sunday agonizing over an eBay Motors auction for this 1991 Ford Taurus SHO. You probably think I'm crazy, but the SHO remains one of my all time favorite cars, primarily because of its motor, a Yamaha 220-hp 3.0L V6 designed and built for Ford. Of all the SHOs built between 1989 and 1999, the '91 model is king. It was the last of the first generation, and therefore the lightest and fastest thanks to its lack of pesky safety features that added weight to later models.
I'm about ready to replace my infamous '99 Alero, and wasn't even thinking SHO until I found this auction on eBay Motors for a Burgundy '91 model – one owner with just 53,000 miles. Anyone who regularly monitors this country's stock of SHOs for sale knows that finding one with less than 100k miles is rare enough, let alone one with just 53k.
After going back and forth with the wife, I got permission to go after the SHO, which was owned by a gentleman in Oconomowoc, WI, a suburb of Milwaukee. I spent last week email with the seller, who turned out not to be the original owner, but had never retitled the car under his own name to preserve its single-owner status. The info I got out of him suggested it was a well running example, with a faded front bumper and paint bubble on the rear bumper being the only cosmetic trouble spots.
Unfortunately, Cleveland, OH is not also a suburb of Milwaukee, and I couldn't verify the condition of the SHO in person. The starting bid was $3,500 and there was a Buy It Now price of $5,500, but I wasn't about to pay full asking price sight-unseen for a 17-year-old domestic sedan that doesn't exactly have a sterling reputation for quality. After a week with just one low bid, I set up my auction snipe on Sunday with a maximum bid of $4,750. Too bad it was $225 too little, as that original low ball bidder came back in the last half hour to outbid the rest of us and beat the Reserve Price with a $4,975 bid.
So there it was, a whole week of planning an epic road trip to bring the car home, my plans for building the world's best concours quality SHO, and hours of bartering away personal freedoms for my wife's permission... out the window. eBay Motors, you are a cruel mistress.
But that won't stop me. I'm still searching for a suitable replacement for the Alero, and will be looking for more SHOs across the country. If you find a good one for sale or are selling one yourself, tip me at abresearch at gmail dot com. Maybe, just maybe, it will be the next car to score a permanent place in the Autoblog Garage.
[Source: eBay Motors]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Brn 11:04AM (12/08/2008)
Ah yes, back in the day when a 220hp engine was considered crazy powerful. Today, it'd be underpowered.
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Polly Prissy Pants 11:59AM (12/08/2008)
I was thinking the same thing. If someone tried to market a 220hp "performance" sedan like this today everyone would bag on it for being dangerously underpowered and call it a a boring poseur-mobile.
Will 12:18PM (12/08/2008)
You mean like the 211 hp Audi A4 2.0T?
sam Scherer 1:55PM (12/08/2008)
How about a contour SVT? Same power, less weight.
Colin 11:05AM (12/08/2008)
As a SHO owner at one time, I feel you on these cars. But, I actually think the 2004 was best model (5 speed). The interior is waaaaay better and the matching door handles/mirrors made it look a little cleaner.
I had a white 93 that I loved.
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RITmusic2k 11:13AM (12/08/2008)
The car you're referring to does not exist...
ExqueezeMe! 11:27AM (12/08/2008)
I had a 92 Green Machine SHO. My first ride in high school. Needless to say I ran that thing into the ground, picked up a 99 Alero. Worst idea ever! Crazy that you are going the other way John, I should have done the same!
500 11:08AM (12/08/2008)
Finding one without massive rust holes riddling the body is even more rare. Seriously, those first-generation Tauruses (Tauri?) rust through in places where I've never seen any other car rust.
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That One Person 5:34PM (12/08/2008)
Yeah the first gen. SHOs in this good of condition are hard to find. I still see a ton of second generation SHOs running around that are still in good shape (usually have a ding or two here or there).
I almost picked one up when I was car shopping three years ago until I learned the owner was a high school student, was asking way too much (the car had something like 170k miles on it) and that the car was on it's third clutch (two were replaced while the kid owned it...God knows how badly he treated the thing). I still see the occasional dark green SHO for sale (my favorite color) but I haven't been able to find one that has a nice body, under 100k miles or hasn't been treated like crap.
RITmusic2k 11:10AM (12/08/2008)
John,
So sorry to hear that you missed the opportunity... that sounds like it would've been a great catch!
I owned a 1994 MTX in the ultra-rare dark green variety, and until the day I killed her she was the most exciting car I'd ever driven. SHOs hold rare company for the fact that there are so few cars out there with so much personality. I know I'm not telling you anything new, just wanted to drop you a line and wish you luck on your search!
Also, I have an equal-length y-pipe that I never got to install on mine, plus a few more goodies... if you manage to get one, let me know if you want anything!!
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John Johnson 11:14AM (12/08/2008)
I'm sorry, I don't believe you are allowed to get rid of the Alero.
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Alex Nunez 11:29AM (12/08/2008)
Agreed. We'll have to see if we can get AOL to contractually obligate Neff to keep the Olds so that we can refer to it in perpetuity whenever we need to make a funny at his expense.
1337 1:14PM (12/08/2008)
Hey, it's not like we can't make fun of him for driving a '91 Taurus (yes, a Taurus SHO...but an SRT4 is still a Caliber).
Also, it looks like all the big bucks are definitely in blogging. Anyone who dumps a '99 FWD GM for a '91 FWD Ford is definitely pulling in the gold...
iamhoff 2:43PM (12/08/2008)
I wholeheartedly agree. It is like the Alero has become the official pet of Autoblog or something. Sure, buy a SHO, but you can't get rid of the Alero!
Berto 4:03PM (12/08/2008)
I must agree with this statement. The Alero must stay; The Plan?
1. Run the Alero to the ground
2. During the process of running it to the ground we continue to make comical references to the NeffMobile
3. Once it has been run down, it becomes Autoblog's new challenge: The Alero goes to LeMons
4. Kick some LeMons ass
5. If anyone is recreating the driver-in-engine-bay to finish the race it will be Neff in the Alero
6. We will cheer.
Rick 11:15AM (12/08/2008)
Yes, back in the late 80's/early 90's a figure of 220 hp made for bragging rights. And I always liked the disguised plain wrap look of the Taurus on the outside. Very unassuming, under the radar and I'm sure the cops didn't even give it a second look.
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Avinash machado 11:19AM (12/08/2008)
What about a Contour SVT?
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John Neff 11:24AM (12/08/2008)
Tempting, very. I always keep an eye out for Contour SVTs too, but they're a little smaller than I like and I'd prefer a Focus SVT over a Contour SVT.
RITmusic2k 11:38AM (12/08/2008)
If he's like every SHO owner I've ever known, it's not that he's looking for a fast Ford sedan, it's that a Ford sedan happens to be the only place where the Yamahammer can be found.
asdfadfasdf 11:34AM (12/08/2008)
wait - the autobloggers drives the likes of Aleros???
FWD N-body?
Geez, I think even the hamster had an old bimmer when he was starting out.
Now I'm going to take this place even less seriously
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