Moving up the automotive food chain.

[compu_85]

I've wanted this particular car since I helped a friend get it going last year. Last week a friend told me he was looking for something to replace his SHO Taurus, so my 92 ECOdiesel got converted into the $$$ I'll need to buy this particular car.

I liked Tyler's guess the car thread so I thought I would do one as well. It is a model from the pages of history, and has a handy locking control in the center console. I've never owned a car of this make before, but it has some mechanicals related to ones I owned in the past.

I hope to pick it up tomorrow, I'm quite excited

-Jason

[Skid Row Joe]

#1) FOREIGN OR DOMESTIC MANUFACTURER?

#2) CAR BUILT IN THE '00s, '90s, OR '80s?

#3) CAR I4, I5, I6, V6, V8?

#4) CAR TURBO OR SUPERCHARGED?

#5) 2-DOOR, 4-DOOR, STATION WAGON, SUV, TRUCK?

#6) DIESEL, OR GAS?



THIS SHOULD KEEP YOU BUSY FOR A WHILE................

[Ara T.]

It wasn't clear to me, you are buying the SHO Taurus? What year? The 3.4 liter Yamaha V8s are amazing engines. Amazing sound, great character, good power. Just superb...

[Skid Row Joe]

Originally Posted by Ara T.

It wasn't clear to me, you are buying the SHO Taurus? What year? The 3.4 liter Yamaha V8s are amazing engines. Amazing sound, great character, good power. Just superb...

As it reads - there's no inference that the mystery car is an SHO.

As written, the SHO has zilch to do with the mystery car. Why he mentions it is unclear - totally.

[Joseph_Conrad]

Locking control in the center console, eh? Is that for a locking differential? Something 4 wheel drive...hmm...some type of g-wagen or land rover maybe? "...a model from the pages of history..." we're gonna need more help than that....

[Skid Row Joe]

Originally Posted by Joseph_Conrad

Locking control in the center console, eh? Is that for a locking differential? Something 4 wheel drive...hmm...some type of g-wagen or land rover maybe? "...a model from the pages of history..." we're gonna need more help than that....

Were he on-line, he'd realize that....

My Qs should do some narrowing of the field........

Good point on the possibility of a British vehicle (Land Rover) OR even a Jaguar?????

[Ara T.]

Originally Posted by Skid Row Joe

As it reads - there's no inference that the mystery car is an SHO.

As written, the SHO has zilch to do with the mystery car. Why he mentions it is unclear - totally.

I read it as his friend is getting rid of his Taurus SHO, and he wants to buy it

[Skid Row Joe]

Originally Posted by Ara T.

I read it as his friend is getting rid of his Taurus SHO, and he wants to buy it

I don't think an SHO has anything to do with the new potential purchase - as my first rejoinder to you stated.....

[TheDon]

I'd have a SHO in my future stable

[Ara T.]

Me too. Though perhaps just the engine transplanted into something more fun

[compu_85]

I didn't want to be too specific... Where's the fun in that?

It's a sedan. While it was available in the US with both NA and turbo diesel engines this particular one has a gas motor with CIS-E fuel injection. Saying the number of cylinders would give away a lot of information. When it debuted in the early 80s it was noted for it's good aerodynamics, besting even the W126. Like the Mercedes safety was a key point in its design, the designers introduced seatbelt pretensioners as standard equipment; but they are purely mechanical devices and are actually connected to the engine!

The SHO was a 95 manual trans. Really nice car. We had done some go fast mods to it... amazing a V6 could have so much power. It was coming up on needing a lot of expensive PM though, so this was the time for my friend to sell it. Him selling his SHO enabled him to buy my Jetta. The particular car I'm getting is from a different friend. Sorry about the confusion on that point.

-J

[Joseph_Conrad]

It's an audi.

[TylerH860]

Its not really fair since its not a Mercedes; this is too broad of a range.

My guess is going to be an Audi 100 quattro, though.

[jt20]

peugot 604 ?

[compu_85]

Originally Posted by TylerH860

Its not really fair since its not a Mercedes; this is too broad of a range.

My guess is going to be an Audi 100 quattro, though.

Good, and correct guess! It's an 88 5000S Quattro. It will be an excellent winter car. With reasonable snow tires and locking center and rear differentials I don't plan on getting stuck.

The car has an... interesting... paint scheme courtesy of the previous owner.



It has completed the BABE Rally twice. The BABE rally involves buying a car for less then $500, then driving it from New York to New Orleans, taking pictures and doing goofy tasks along the way.

Not many 5000s remain on the roads in the midwest. Those that didn't blow up their trans or turn into dust from wintertime salt bankrupted their owners with constant electrical problems. Amazingly after spending a couple days fixing things everything on this one works, even the GM sourced automatic climate control. VW/Audi products from this time have problems with the wires going to the doors breaking, and this car is no exception. There were probably 10 broken wires going to the driver's door, with another 10 ready to break at any moment. It makes me happy Mercedes puts all the power window controls in the center console... fewer wires going into the door.

I may "repaint" the whole thing with bedliner. The digital camo has grown on me a bit... But I think it will generate too many stares. Putting bedliner on every panel will make it rusproof, quiet, and fairly good looking. Well an improvement on the squares anyway.

The joy of cheap cars

-J