new 2/17/03
I'm not sure if any of you out there have playstations, or playstation 2 systems.. If you do, you might be interested in getting Grand Turismo 2 for it. It's a older game (1999). I was just getting ready to throw it on ebay, but I remember seeing a Taurus on there.. So I fired it up again to check it out- and you can purchase a brand new 1999 Taurus SHO V-8 for 30,000 on the game.. It comes in all the factory colors too. .So I picked my black 99, with stock wheels. The graphics are pretty decent, it has all the SHO details- the dual exhaust, special front end and
taillight treatment, correct wheels.. But the cool thing about GT2 is you can modify the cars, so here is what I did:
Stock GT2 SHO Specs: 234hp, 3328lb
You can take the SHO to the test track- its pretty much a quarter mile (it is 400 Meters /1312 feet)
My best stock run was 15.064 @ 92mph, my best 0 to 60mph was 8.02 I went to the top speed test- hit 156mph (maybe due to lack of governor?)
Ok so I pull the SHO into the garage, brought the platinum visa out:
Custom Racing exhaust and cold air intake system: $4,800 (seemed high but where else are you gonna go?)
Custom Engine Computer Chip: $1,500
Full Engine Balancing- piston & connecting rod weight balancing, precision balanced crankshaft. Rev limiter is also reset: $13,500
Port and polish heads, intake and exhaust ports:$5,500
NA Stage 1 & 2 Mods: adjust ignition & valve timing, installed thinner head gasket for higher compression. Exhaust manifolds replaced, head polishing, new cams, computer reset : $17,000
Racing Flywheel-super lightweight: $1,000
Ok with $42,300 worth of modifications I now have 364 Horsepower to work with... Lets see how she runs out:
1/4 Mile Runs: 13.934, 14.02, 14.593, 14.368 (forgot to write down my trap speeds) 0-60MPH: 5.757
Top Speed: 178!!! Big improvement in the top speed area.. Wow.
After all those mods I am worried about the transmission, so I brought it back to the shop:
I was lucky that they offer a full race transmission for the SHO- allows all gears to be quickly changed out to suit track condition: $10,500
Heavy Duty Clutch pack: $4,800
2 way limited Slip: $4,500
Okay with almost $20,000 in transmission upgrades I head to the track again:
1/4 Mile Runs: 13.565 @ 111mph
0-60MPH: 5.007
I am noticing a real problem hooking up at launch, so I go back to my friends at the shop, they throw on some soft racing slicks for a few hundred bucks, plus while I am there I go for the full weight reduction
package, for $29,200 they lighten the SHO by almost 400lbs. Seems high,but these guys really work fast.
Back to the track:
1/4 Mile Runs: 13.035 @ 114mph
At this point I was tired and had to go to bed. I am going to continue this research project tonight.. I feel I should be into the 12 second range soon.
So to sum it up:
Bought the SHO for $30,000
Engine Mods: $42,300
Transmission work: $19,800
My out of pocket is just $92,100. And I still have not welded the cams.
If any of you guys have this racing game I highly suggest you check this out.. Maybe a contest to see who can get the quickest 1/4 mile times?
Bill Gillam
Granite Falls,WA
99 Black/Tan Welded
You started out like it was a game and you slowly transitioned into talking like this was actually happening. :>)
That game is very fun. I had one in TR, but when compared to the other cars in the game, the SHO just couldn't compare. I think the max hp you could get out of it was somewhere mid 400's, which in real life is great, but in fantasy life.... Well, I was driving an RUF with 1000hp.
Anyone notice that when you mod your car in any of the GT games, the hp numbers go up, but the torque numbers remain the same?
Mike Kopstain
Midwest SHO Specialists
827 North Chestnut Avenue
Arlington Heights, IL 60004
Yeah it was sort of fun to mess with it.. I was impressed with how close it was to the actual car performance in stock form. I had not played that game in ages, I was also going for the supercars when I used to play it, Nissan Skylines and that wild Suzuki Pikes Peak car.. .but now that I have a real SHO I find myself trying to bang doors with the NSX and vettes with my SuperSHO.
The max HP I could get out of it was 364. :-( Too bad they did not offer the turbo/intercooler kit for it.
I just realized I forgot to add the weight reduction to my total cost.. I am actually into this SHO $121,300. Plus I dumped a few thousand into the brakes and suspension.
I have to admit it was fun to play it again though.. I picked the luxury sedan race last night, had two other V8 SHO's racing me, along with some Mercedes and some other rig.. It was very cool to watch the replay, 3 SHO's coming in hot to some turns..
Also the other very cool thing about it- you can put all kinds of aftermarket wheels on it to see how they will look on your car.
Tonight I hope to get into the high 12's and a 200MPH run on the high speed oval.
One interesting thing- if I try to sell the SHO on the game right now with all the mods it will only give me like $7,000.. Its more accurate than I realized. ;-)
Bill Gillam
Granite Falls,WA
99 Black/Tan Welded
Actually, I've played around with the tranny settings and everything else, and GT2 is pretty accurate when it comes to physics. I don't think I ever got it down into the 12s. The low end just isn't there. It was fun having a couple million to play with to modify the SHO, but you just can't lighten it past a certain point, and it peaks out pretty quickly. As people have mentioned over and over, the GenIII SHO is built for tearing up the highways, not drag racing. And GT2 seems to stick to reality rather well in this case.
-John B
I remember the first time I played GT2 on the PS2. I was at my nephew's house, he had built up millions of $$ and said to buy any car I wanted. I looked at them all and lo and behold there was a SHO you could buy!! So, I proceeded to buy a green 99 and put chrome 10 spoke wheels and do all the same mods as I had done to my car in real life. Let me tell you, something about seeing basically my exact car being flogged around a track made me laugh so hard I couldn't control myself. It was very cool!
-Mark
97 Pacific Green
Yeah I do get a kick out of it.. I finally got the SHO down to the 12.565 @ 117MPH.
My favorite is watching the replays.. Cool graphics. Sucks that they dropped the SHO from GT3.
Bill Gillam
Granite Falls,WA
99 Black/Tan Welded