Hi Peter
Your correct - SC's are awesome cars and I hope you are able to find one for you. I have been lucky enough to have had my SC for over 10 years now and it has been a very reliable and fun car. I thought I would share some of the things that I went through when I was looking for a Super Coupe so you don't have to learn the "hard" way. These cars are extremely sophistiated for their time and there are many things you should look at first before purchasing one. I had been searching for a 5 speed SC for nearly 5 months before I was able to find mine so hang in there and don't get down.
After reading your post, I thought I would try to answer some of your questions that you had concerning Super Coupes. I am FAR, FAR from being an expert on these cars, but I have gained some knowledge about these cars due to my experiences with my '89 SC. I hope this information will provide you help and a list of the things to look at before purchasing your SC so you don't have to go through any additional headaches that comes along with the "car buying experience."
Super Coupes are extremely fun cars, but they can also be extremely expensive to repair as well as doing the regular maintenance. I know when I was 16 (way too many years ago), I barely had enough money to keep gas in the car and pay the insurance (LOL). When looking for a Super Coupe you might want to set aside some money that you was going to spend to purchase the car and have the car thoroughly checked out by a mechanic that is familiar with these cars. Repair bills can be very expensive. I would hate to see you get a car and then be strapped with a large repair bill on top of the purchase price.
You asked about price ranges for these cars. From what I have observed Super Coupe pricing can jump around but I have seen quality SC's run in the $3500 to $6000 range and sometimes up over $10,000 for SC's in excellent condition with low mileage. You also asked about high mileage cars in your post. You might want to be careful of cars that have high mileage because they are more prone to expensive mechanical issues. I know this is a higher price range than you hoped for, but I would try to save up some more money, or by selling your SHO, and purchase a good quality car upfront instead of buying a car that you will have to throw alot of money at in the end. I have seen alot of quality cars on this site that I think would be a great car for you. You can also visit
www.autotrader.com and look for Super Coupes there, but I think you should be able to find one here on this site from a seller that is willing to sell the SC to an enthusiast like you. Keep in mind that quality 5 speed SC's are becoming a little harder to find than automatics and seem to bring a higher price due to being a stick shift. I would suggest that any SC you choose, you should take it to a mechanic that is familiar with Super Coupes and have them thoroughly check out all components of the car. There is a link on this web site that you can find a mechanic in your area that is familiar with SC's. Some of the components used on Super Coupes (e.g. ABS components, some driveline components, various "SC" only components...) are becoming harder to find and expensive when you find them.
Some of the major mechanical things to look at are:
1). Condition of head gaskets
2). Supercharger/Engine condition
3). Front end
4). ABS issues
5). DIS/cam sensor/crank sensor/MAF sensor
6). Automatic Ride Control
7). Clutch / Slave Cylinder (manual transmissions)
8). Electrical System
9). Cooling System
Also check the car thoroughly for any major body work or rust. Original Super Coupe fenders and quarters will have a sticker on each panel with the cars VIN printed on them. Also look at the SC ground effects package and make sure they are all there. Finding some of these items might become tough to find. Also look at the interior condition. Leather interior somtimes are pretty bad due to neglect. I have been told replacing a leather interior can range $500 to $1,000 at the Ford dealer.
You also asked which year was the best performance year. I am not sure which year was the best in performance, but I think any '89 to '95 SC would do you proud. In terms of maintenance and reliability, I would probably stick to the '92 to '95 cars due to being on average newer with less miles. But, I have been very lucky with my '89 SC 5-spd w/ 220,000 miles and still haven't turned a bolt on the motor yet which I can only attribute to performing the preventative maintenance.
On the insurance front, the premium might be higher than you expected. You might want to give your insurance representative a call and have him run some premium rates for you. Tell him that the SC's come with ABS, automatic seat belt restraints, and security system (if you can find one so equipped). These items helped me save about 15% of my premium.
I am also enclosing a link for you to check out from the Iowa Super Coupe Chapter that has some great advice on what to look for when purchasing a Super Coupe. It goes into more detail about what to check for when buying a Super Coupe.
The link is:
www.albeedigital.com/supercoupe/articles/buyingtips.html
Here is wishing you the best in finding your SC!!!!!
Let me know how it works out for you!!!!
Good Luck - Dave
P.S. I liked your Neon comment