SHO-down in Motown

“There are no egos in this club,” said Tom Ochal, owner of a pristine 1993 Taurus SHO. “The other guys might have a problem with aftermarket wheels or other-make parts, but not us.”

That same sentiment was echoed throughout the parking lot at the 19th-annual Taurus SHO club convention at Ford World Headquarters in Dearborn, Mich., right before the crew took off to the Waterford Hills racetrack in nearby Clarkston.

At least 100 cars SHO-ed up for the 2010 meet. They came from all parts of the Midwest to meet other SHO owners and talk speed, parts and welding camshafts. All generations of the Taurus SHO were represented--from 1989 to 2011. Even Edsel Ford II made an appearance to shake hands and take pictures. The best part, according to the group, is to put names and cars with faces. Each car carried a gold number on the windshield signifying whose it was and where it came from.

Jake Lingeman
The club talks with Edsel Ford II after taking a group photo.

The advantage of the club and the car is the collective body of knowledge that comes with owning it. If someone has a problem, he has a few hundred owners to talk to about it. By the way, if you have a third-gen Taurus SHO, get your camshafts welded if you want it to last.

Ochal's car, a black second-gen SHO, featured SVT-style five-spoke wheels, a carbon-fiber hood and a black eight-ball shifter. The carbon-fiber hood was the biggest pain, according to Ochal, but with help from the group he fabricated some plates for the latch and now it works as if it came from the factory.

Ken Mallinson
Tom Ochal's 1993 Taurus SHO

Ryan Pasch, owner of one of the rare Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle SHOs, used the group and the rest of the Internet to start a Web site, www.bringbackthesho.com. The movement began on the club's Web site, www.shoclub.com, before spreading on Facebook, Twitter and his own site. When Ford finally announced the rebirth of the SHO in 2009, it credited Pasch's site as part of the reason.

Club meets such as this one are becoming more common. Owners of any make and model can just as easily create a Web site, start a club and set up a SHO 'n' shine of their own. Whether they'll be as laid back as this group, who knows. It will depend on their egos.

By Jake Lingeman