[Shotimes] MT5

[Kevin M. Bisch]

Joseph is correct. Page 121 of "Taurus" by Eric Taub... "To cut the sticker 
price, a smaller, four-cylinder, 2.5 liter engine became the standard power 
plant for the base model and for a sporty, MT5 maual transmission version 
that would be sold in limited numbers."

"In terms of power and accelleration, the four-cylinder was terrible. 'It's 
primarily for fleet operators,' Howard said, designed for rental car 
companies and corporations desiring to minimize their transportation costs. 
It's cheaper, it was developed for plain economic reasons. The engine is 
very marginal. It's not powerful enough for the car. Ford assumed that 20 
percent of Tauruses would be sold with the 2.5 liter engine, but by 1989 
the figure was actually only 5 percent."

Man, my 3.0L 1987 GL was a dog.... this thing must have been awful to 
drive. Nonetheless, I think it is great that Joe wants to restore one... it 
might very well be the only one of it's kind!!!


--Kevin

At 08:28 AM 6/21/2003 -0500, van Oss wrote:
>I think the MT5 had a 2.5L, while the others you mention had a 2.3L.
>
>Check out:  http://members.tripod.com/~TaurusSHO/specs.html
>
>Scroll down a bit to read about the engines.  The 2.5L had only 90 HP, but
>130 pound feet!
>
>Joseph van Oss