I have a stock 1992 SC with 130K on it. The first 100K were mostly highway miles, and the 30K that I have put on it have been mostly city driving. I have had it for five years and have performed minimal maintenance, as did the previous owner. In fact, the engine has not been touched in the last five years, other than to replace the main belt, change oil, change plugs and replace the radiator.
I absolutely love the car, but my mechanic says the transmission is shot. It is very hard to shift when standing still, but can be coaxed into gear when rolling. Usually, I have to shift into 3 or 4 to "line up" the gears, and then I can get it into R or 1. (A technically inclined friend mentioned something about syncro gears being worn out??)
I believe I will soon be forced to make the decision of keeping the car and replacing/rebuilding the tranny or buying something else. I would like something with more power. Rather than buy something new, I am considering keeping it, fixing the tranny and beefing up the engine.
I have several questions, and apologize in advance for the length of this posting. Also, please convert any technical terms to plain English. I know nothing about cars, notwithstanding my early years when my dad tried to turn me into Mr. Goodwrench. I now wish it would have taken.
1) What "big ticket" maintenance items should I be concerned about with the age and mileage of this SC? For example, I read horror stories of cracked heads. Are there any common problems with SCs that start to show up after 100K?
2) Is it advisable to make the "standard" performance modifications referenced in this forum to an engine with 130K miles, and are there any modifications I should not make because of the age and mileage of this engine? Or would it be worth the money to simply start with a new engine if I do decide to increase HP?
3) I would like to take it to a mechanic (not at a Ford dealer or otherwise a SC specialist) and have him take a look at the engine. What should I ask him to do that would give the best indication of the status of the engine? A friend suggested a compression test would be a good place to start. What else?
4) I have heard the SC engines are very reliable. Assuming nothing is seriously wrong with it, how many more miles can I realistically expect to get out of it?
5) What is the best and cheapest way to get from 210 HP to 275 - 300, taking into account a mechanic will be doing ALL of the work? What will give me the most bang my buck?
6) If the engine is juiced to 275 HP, what other modifications (drivetrain?) would I have to make?
7) What's a good ballpark estimate to fix/replace the tranny, get the engine to approximately 275HP and perform any other suggested maintenance for a SC of this mileage and age?
8) I guess the overall question is, should I spend several grand on this car and hope it holds together for another five years, or spend $30,000 to $35,000 on something new that will be worth half that in five years? This car has exceeded all my expectations as far as reliability, performance and low maintenance costs, but I fear I'll be swamped with repairs in the next two to three years. There are many ticky tack items (sunroof motor, AC compressor, power window motor) that have developed problems in the past year.
Any thoughts on some or all of these questions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
I absolutely love the car, but my mechanic says the transmission is shot. It is very hard to shift when standing still, but can be coaxed into gear when rolling. Usually, I have to shift into 3 or 4 to "line up" the gears, and then I can get it into R or 1. (A technically inclined friend mentioned something about syncro gears being worn out??)
I believe I will soon be forced to make the decision of keeping the car and replacing/rebuilding the tranny or buying something else. I would like something with more power. Rather than buy something new, I am considering keeping it, fixing the tranny and beefing up the engine.
I have several questions, and apologize in advance for the length of this posting. Also, please convert any technical terms to plain English. I know nothing about cars, notwithstanding my early years when my dad tried to turn me into Mr. Goodwrench. I now wish it would have taken.
1) What "big ticket" maintenance items should I be concerned about with the age and mileage of this SC? For example, I read horror stories of cracked heads. Are there any common problems with SCs that start to show up after 100K?
2) Is it advisable to make the "standard" performance modifications referenced in this forum to an engine with 130K miles, and are there any modifications I should not make because of the age and mileage of this engine? Or would it be worth the money to simply start with a new engine if I do decide to increase HP?
3) I would like to take it to a mechanic (not at a Ford dealer or otherwise a SC specialist) and have him take a look at the engine. What should I ask him to do that would give the best indication of the status of the engine? A friend suggested a compression test would be a good place to start. What else?
4) I have heard the SC engines are very reliable. Assuming nothing is seriously wrong with it, how many more miles can I realistically expect to get out of it?
5) What is the best and cheapest way to get from 210 HP to 275 - 300, taking into account a mechanic will be doing ALL of the work? What will give me the most bang my buck?
6) If the engine is juiced to 275 HP, what other modifications (drivetrain?) would I have to make?
7) What's a good ballpark estimate to fix/replace the tranny, get the engine to approximately 275HP and perform any other suggested maintenance for a SC of this mileage and age?
8) I guess the overall question is, should I spend several grand on this car and hope it holds together for another five years, or spend $30,000 to $35,000 on something new that will be worth half that in five years? This car has exceeded all my expectations as far as reliability, performance and low maintenance costs, but I fear I'll be swamped with repairs in the next two to three years. There are many ticky tack items (sunroof motor, AC compressor, power window motor) that have developed problems in the past year.
Any thoughts on some or all of these questions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.