Yamaha-Powered 1990 Ford Taurus SHO Hits the Market as a Cheap Project

The first-generation Ford Taurus SHO remains one of the great sleepers of the late 1980s and 1990s, and a rough but running example has now surfaced for sale in Kamiah, Idaho, listed at just $1,100. What makes the SHO special isn’t the Taurus body it wears but what sits under the hood: a 3.0-liter dual-overhead-cam V6 engineered by Yamaha, rated at 220 horsepower and bolted to a five-speed manual gearbox sourced from Mazda.

Ford’s decision to hand engine development to Yamaha gave the SHO performance figures that embarrassed plenty of contemporary machinery. The sedan could reach 60 mph in roughly six to seven seconds, run the quarter-mile in about 15 seconds, and reportedly keep pulling past 140 mph. Because the transverse Yamaha V6 was taller than the standard Taurus powerplant, Ford borrowed the hood from the related Mercury Sable to make it fit, and set the SHO apart with unique bumpers, side trim and fog lamps, plus a sportier interior.

This particular 1990 car shows 88,000 miles on the odometer, though the seller believes that reading reflects a second trip around the dial. It starts and drives, but the shifter doesn’t cooperate reliably, and a worn throw-out bearing is suspected as the cause. The car was rescued from a junkyard, which explains its conditional title; a replacement fuel pump got it running again. Body and paint are described as acceptable for a driver, and the seller offers delivery for an extra fee.

SHO models from this era have developed a genuine enthusiast following, and clean, well-kept examples can change hands for many times this asking price. That leaves this worn Idaho car as either a bargain entry point for someone who can sort the transmission, or a parts-and-project proposition for a dedicated fan of Yamaha’s unlikely Ford collaboration.