svo's

Jmet said:

ok, lately i've been lookin at buyin a 5.0 but i've been finding a few 84-86 svo's that are startin to look pretty nice. can anyone tell me....

1) whats a good price range on these? are they hard to find?
2) how quick are they/how quick can they be
3) how's the aftermarket on a 2.3 or svo? is there one?
4) are there any problems they can have? things i should look out for?

if any of ya guys can help that'd be awesome!

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I'm not going to lie to you ok...I would go with the 5.0L if I was you.

Check out www.svoca.com

You'll be able to find links to companies that support after-market items, both performance and resto.

You'll also find a "cars for sale" that will give you a better idea of what these can go for depending on condition of the car.

These cars are fairly good stock and have been know to keep up with some of their V8 counterparts. There are a few folks beating the V8s on the drag strip as well. It all depends on how much money you're willing to spend for the right parts. Word of warning here - the 2.3 Turbo aftermarked is NO WHERE as big as the 5.0/4.6, so your choices are going to be limited. Imaginiation is usually what gets a 2.3 Turbo motor producing better numbers, but it will cost you money!

As fars as problems go with these cars, it's just like anything else. You're looking at buying a 20 year old car and unless you know the previous owners, you're taking a chance. This is no different then buying a '84 5.0. So, make sure you get whatever car you're looking at checked out before you decide to purchase it. Do your homework on these car and learn as much as you can before you buy. If you end up buying one, you're joining a rarer crowd then the V8s of their time. It's pretty cool to drive down the street and know that you probably won't see another SVO while you're driving yours.

jzleach1 said:

www.svoca.com

As fars as problems go with these cars, it's just like anything else. You're looking at buying a 20 year old car and unless you know the previous owners, you're taking a chance. This is no different then buying a '84 5.0. So, make sure you get whatever car you're looking at checked out before you decide to purchase it. Do your homework on these car and learn as much as you can before you buy. If you end up buying one, you're joining a rarer crowd then the V8s of their time. It's pretty cool to drive down the street and know that you probably won't see another SVO while you're driving yours.

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I'm sorry but I'm going to have say there is a difference between buying a 84' 5.0L and a SVO. As mentioned before there is very few aftermarket parts for a SVO but there is about the same selection of OEM parts out there also. I'm sure you can buy a set of ball joints for any 79-93' Fox body stang from AutoZone right now except a SVO. The SVOs have a non seviceable ball joint and the whole a-arm has to be replaced. Since Ford stopped making them years ago, its pretty hard to find a new set. Now there is a guy making them now for like 750.00 a pair or you could swap in a whole SN95 front end on you SVO. I think you could also have a machine shop do some work on you old A-arms but either way you go your looking at more work than a non SVO stang. Keep in mind also that a SVO is about 20 years old and will need ball joints. These cars are a big DIY car and finding people around you who knows enough to work on them is as rare as the car its self. If you do deside to buy one I would strongly suggest you Join SCCA and TurboFord.org also. I would have went nuts without being on those forums as well as SN.

Pro-Hawk said:

If you do deside to buy one I would strongly suggest you Join SCCA and TurboFord.org also. I would have went nuts without being on those forums as well as SN.

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Amen...thats also why i own a "fake" svo ...mustang swap, aftermarket support (everything but the motor).

I agree with Hawk. If you're not willing to deal with weird quirks and virtually no aftermarket, you should stick with a 5.0 or 4.6.

This thread was hard for me to read, but the truth is the truth. Plain and simple.

I like to encourage people when it comes to these cars, but realistically you really need to do as much research as you can before you get into one. It’s a true collector’s car not in the sense of age or even its own rarity, but the rarity of OEM and Reproduction parts.

I am one of the few contributing to the after market for the SVO. Though things seem to be looking up for all the 2.3 Turbo Fords - SVO, Turbo Coupe and XR in regards to performance and restoration, it's still a long road to wide recognition from some of the bigger players... if it ever happens at all. To top that off, Ford continues to obsolete parts from its Motorcraft and FMS lineup, making it increasingly difficult to supply the market. Throttle Bodies are gone, Cams are slated, most OEM parts are gone. Some things have trickled over to Repro, but some major SVO specifics are gone for good... I don't even want to get into the XR4ti's and it’s not much better for the TC’s. Sadly people don’t think twice about parting out the later two due to the sales volumes, but with that kind of thinking, they could end up more rare than the SVO’s themselves.

We will continue to make our best effort to supply what's needed in regards to OEM, performance and restoration, but as others have said, it you want it here, now, yesterday when it comes to parts get yourself a nice 5.0. If you really do want an SVO and know well in advance what you are getting into I wish you the best of luck. It could be both the most pain and most fun experience you've ever had in your life.

Z.

Pro-Hawk said:

I'm sorry but I'm going to have say there is a difference between buying a 84' 5.0L and a SVO.

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Might want to re-read my post, or I can explain a little further. All I was really trying to get across was that these cars have now approached 20+ years and an SVO or 5.0 or 2.3 from '84 will probably have seen some miles and can be difficult at best to determine the history unless you know the previous owner(s).

You're absoultly correct on the ball joints. While you're at it you might as well have mentioned all the other SVO specific parts on these cars that are no longer available or tough to come-by. This is where doing one's homework pays off when looking at a used car and trying to determine if this route is for the buyer.

Yep...all kinds of folks out there using their imaginations on how to reproduce parts that are no longer available along with those developing their owns parts for scratch....GOD BLESS EM!

jzleach1 said:

Might want to re-read my post, or I can explain a little further. All I was really trying to get across was that these cars have now approached 20+ years and an SVO or 5.0 or 2.3 from '84 will probably have seen some miles and can be difficult at best to determine the history unless you know the previous owner(s).

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Sorry about that

jzleach1 said:

there are all kinds of folks out there using their imaginations on how to reproduce parts that are no longer available along with those developing their owns parts for scratch....GOD BLESS EM!

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Aman

Well even with my imagination and help from groups like TF my car is still refusing to start

SVOs are fun, but they are hard to find parts for, Do some reserch, find out as much as you can, and if you do get the SVO, have fun with it. Plus its fun to tell people that they just got beat by an almost stock 4 banger

MustangPatty said:

SVOs are fun, but they are hard to find parts for, Do some reserch, find out as much as you can, and if you do get the SVO, have fun with it. Plus its fun to tell people that they just got beat by an almost stock 4 banger

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I tell people that everyday.

My SVO was sort of sick and I could still run dead even with the fox GT's in town just from their own inability to drive.