[Shotimes] Good or Bad Price ???
George Fourchy
George Fourchy" <krazgeo@jps.net
Sat, 05 Jul 2003 05:48:35 -0700
On Fri, 4 Jul 2003 23:30:31 -0500, Shaun & Meggen Livermore wrote:
>I recently bought a 91 SHO PLUS with 127000 miles on it. Snipped....
>minor rust spots ...snipped..... hood and front headlights. The
>interior has a rip in the driver's seat and otherwise normal wear and
>tear. Snipped...............new exhaust (has no mufflers) Snipped........
>rear brakes (one of the calipers doesn't work at all). It also needs a
>new battery .....Snipped......tune up big time. Snipped........pretty decent.
>I picked it up for $600.00 ......Snipped.......... Be honest!
Haven't seen you on the list before. Welcome!!
SHOs like this one can be a GREAT deal, or they can be a total disaster. The
biggest issue is whether you can work on it yourself....there is a lot of special
knowledge that is required to get past the classic problems these cars can develop.
They depend a lot on sensors (some very hard to reach and check) and the PCM
(powertrain control module), or computer, to run properly. If the wiring is not
bad, and the two or three systems that can be very hard to fix are OK, and the car
just requires cleaning up and wear and tear repairs, it can be an excellent choice.
But if the engine is using oil, the transmission grinds, or if the automatic temp
system or heater core are bad, as well as the cruise and other various electronic
components, it could be too much to do to save one car. For sure that is a good
price for a parts car....I have a parts Plus for which I paid $500, and it will come
in very handy down the road.
But if you are a good mechanic, or have access to one who is and knows SHOs, you
could have a diamond in the rough. Pluses are the rarest form of Gen 1 SHOs, and
when they are fixed up they are attractive, and could become the first of the
collector SHOs. We also, in addition to the large amount of good knowledge on this
list, have an excellent website www.shotimes.com that has been built up over
the years and has a LOT of information about how to deal with SHOs. Check it out.
In your case, the seats and rust are standard....the rust needs to be taken care of
quickly, before it spreads and starts eating the chassis. Exhaust is another
standard thing to replace....unfortunately some of the systems we used to be able to
get are not made anymore. You can have a good shop fabricate a decent system to
replace what we used to be able to bolt on. The brakes are a weak point in stock
SHOs, but for street use they are adequate, as long as you don't run too fast too
often, and calipers aren't too much to replace with rebuilts from a parts store.
The rears are a bit tricky.....check out the information about them on the website.
If you are a Costco member, you can get a DieHard equivilent battery (with an 8 year
warranty) for about 45 bucks....I have them in all my cars.
Basically, the answer depends on whether you can tackle the work yourself. The
periodic engine service is intimidating the first time, but after a couple of jobs
are under your belt (again, supposing you are competent with tools), and after you
check out the 60K video put out by one of our master mechanic list members, you
should have a pretty good car. Once you have the engine in good condition, with a
new waterpump, timing belt, and good sensors, it is pretty tough....just a couple of
weak spots....chronic low oil pressure at low speeds, rod bearings that might be a
tiny bit too small for the work they have to do, and a potentially weak cam timing
sprocket/crankshaft area that can wear and cause problems....these are all addressed
on the website. As the cars age, battery cables can become a problem as well,
especially if the connections to the battery are not original. There is another
problem beginning to surface....obsolescence of factory parts, some for the body and
SHO specifics, and some for the engine and tranny. That's why parts cars are a good
idea for the dedicated SHO owner.
I can answer at least some of your questions....I prefer Gen 1 cars (89-91), and do
most of my own work. I 'specialize' in stock engine service, suspension, brakes,
and wheel balance. There are several folks here who make their living working on
SHOs, and others who have taken their enjoyment of the hobby and knowledge of the
cars to several levels higher than most. Utilize our knowledge to your heart's
content....that's what this list is here for.
George and the Lowrider, and four (five at this instant) others including a Plus
with a mean streak!!