What to expect??

mtstormcars

Registered User
I am looking to purchase my first Super Coupe. I have loved these cars since they hit the showroom. Now to my question what should I expect? The head gasket problems kind of worry me. What kind of money is involved with this fix and is there any other normal problems I should know about. I am looking at cars with 75000 miles and less if that helps. Is there also a difference I should look for between differnt years. Thanks for listening. Mark
 
mtstormcars said:
I am looking to purchase my first Super Coupe. I have loved these cars since they hit the showroom. Now to my question what should I expect? The head gasket problems kind of worry me. What kind of money is involved with this fix and is there any other normal problems I should know about. I am looking at cars with 75000 miles and less if that helps. Is there also a difference I should look for between differnt years. Thanks for listening. Mark

Expect to replace the headgaskets.

There are many subtle differences. Ford started cheapening the cars almost immediately so the 89's are the nicest if you can find one in good enough condition.

If you want to modify the car the 93's are the easiest as they have some updates that are nice (like revised spindles that allow upgrading to 13" cobra brakes and better exhaust routing under the car.

The 94/94's have the newer style interior and are slightly lighter due to Ford cheapening several parts of the car. They also have a better supercharger and if you are looking at a 5spd they have better transmission gearing. However, the traction assist cars do not have a limited slip rear end.

Cloth interiors hold up better than leather, the 89-90's have the best leather, 91-93 leather seats were tough and hardened quickly making the seats uncomfortable on long trips. 94 leather was better but the seats had less padding so they aren't as comfortable as the early seats.

That's what I can think of at the moment.
 
Thanks that is some good info. I knew I had come to the correct place when I found it. I look forward to others opinions and info.
 
Thanks Mark for posting what I wanted to ask.
I am also in the market for an earlier SC (89-93). I'm aware of the HG problem. I've also heard of sensor problems and little things like that that can be a pain to fix.
Are the superchargers interchangable from year to year?
I'm no stranger to tbirds as I own a 97 4.6L with AED supercharger, but I'm looking for an early SC for a daily driver.
I also look forward to hearing input.
Thanks
Allen
 
Forgot to mention that the harmonic balancer is also going to break at some point which normally takes out the crank sensor as well. Everything else on the motor sensor and computer wise is as reliable as any other car.

Cooling system is marginal so if you ever need to replace the radiator, do yourself a favor and get one of the high efficiency aluminum replacements.

:)
 
Ok when the balancer does break what kind of money are you gettin gin there? Is it something the average mechanic can take care of like on a regular V8 or is it a much bigger job?
 
I did headgaskets myself with another SC guy (darkside). It costed me around $500 to do everything (Shops want over $1000). Motor mounts are important to look at. The stock jelly filled ones are prone to break. When they do the engine can pinch steering lines or rub through the oil pan on the crossmember. I'm just a shadetree mechanic and I've managed to keep up with my SC for about 2 years now. Another prob. is that many dealer and other mechanics are not at all familiar with the engine and will probably screw something up. Parts are getting discontinued left and right so get used to buying used! Overall, it's a great car and is my daily driver. I love the way it rides.
 
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