Originally posted by Fordified
An SVO is an expensive car to maintain, because many of its parts are SVO specific and not produced new.
A much better performing and handling fox can be built cheaper than buying an SVO and either keeping it stock or modding it.
This is why I didn't want an SVO, because I knew it wasn't going to be stock, and that parts are expensive.
Gotta disagree with you on the first part here, Fordified...
I have, and have KEPT my SVO for the past 6 years or so because it is absolutely dirt cheap to operate and maintain. I'm not going to lie to you, my car is by no means a show car; it's a driver all the way. I drive the crap out of it everyday and love every minute of it.
Most of the mechanical parts of an SVO are not specific. The rear end, brakes and control arms are all Lincoln stuff, the engine was in MANY other cars and the body is just a Fox Stang. The shocks and stuts are specific, yeah, but they're a lifetime warranty item if you just buy them once. The rack is specific, but any other will do, if you don't mind giving up some 'feel' (I don't know what kind of 'feel' the SVO rack had, honestly). The computers are specific, but the 84 TE computers were junk and the other's can be replaced with a T-Bird computer, which is actually a better (faster) processor. Oh yeah, and the wheels...they're specific, too.
The cosmetic stuff is what's specific. And yeah, that stuff can be rare and expensive, but reproductions are being made with the original tooling. Most of the prices are pretty reasonable.
My SVO isn't stock, but I haven't cut it up at all to make any mods. That's why I agree with you about building a Stang with the 2.3t and other SVO mechanical bits. I sometimes wish I had done that instead, so I could chop the crap out of it in the name of performance and not feel bad about wrecking something that is not a run of the mill Mustang.
And that's why whoever wanted to put a 5.0 in an SVO is just missing the point. Sure you can put the 2.3t back in, but if he's on a budget, it will make more sense to sell the SVO and put the money into his new car.
-Mike