PennSilverTaco's "Perfect 5-Lug Regular Cab" Build, Aspergers, and General BS MegaThread!

There was a Shelby Dodge Shadow with a Pioneer CD player option, circ 1987; I photographed one at a cruise night in Quakertown in 2018 or 2019, but it'll probably take me a while to find the pictures...

 

My cousin had a Dodge Shadow, she liked that car, lol.

 

May have actually been a Dodge Lancer, which was comparable to a Chrysler Lebaron...

 

Hit the door with the belt sander, still have to add a little more wood putty to that low spot but looking pretty good.

 

Is that the salvage Dakota in the background?

 

It sure is, I had him put it back in the weeds so it's not in my way.

 

For some reason, I thought it was a third gen...

 

Its a 2004 2wd, quad cab or whatever they call the 4 doors.

 

Quad Cab...

 

It goes in Reverse and 1st but he said it won't go out of 1st if he tries to drive. I have absolutely no idea what's wrong with it but he wants to go buy a transmission and hope that is the problem.

 

The Taurus was easily among the hottest-selling cars in America when it was released in 1986, and it had the same basic body style from 1986 to 1995; In the earliest day of the Taurus, it was possible to order a no-frills "L" model with an AM radio and no A/C, all the way up to a fully loaded example with A/C, stereo cassette, and power everything...

For a car that sold so well, I am surprised that there are very few of these cars left (unlike the GM X-body cars, which sold very well at first, but turned out to be junk; As such, most Chevy Citations were in junkyards before the turn of the century); The one exception is the original SHO, with it's Yamaha V6 and manual transmission (automatic optional on 1992-1995 models). I do see decent 1992-1995 Taurus sedans around from time to time, but never any pre-refresh 1986-1991 models; I NEVER see wagons...

The 1st Gen Taurus, in my opinion, was much better looking than the oval-obsessed 1996-1999 2nd Gen (same for the Sable, though the 2nd Gen Sable was much more conservatively styled). It seems like when I see 1st Gen Tauruses, they are always in better condition than the 2nd Gen (1996-1999) and 3rd Gen (2000-2007) examples I see driving around...

There was an incredibly rare Taurus MT5 produced from 1986 until about 1988; The "MT" stood for "Manual Transmission", and these cars exclusively came with an underpowered 4-banger. Available in both sedan and wagon form, these cars did not sell well; However, most of the examples I've seen in online pictures seem to be very well-equipped, with A/C, power everything, and an AM/FM radio with cassette...

Unfortunately, the 1980s was the decade when the popularity of a manual transmission in anything but a sports car, an economy car, or a truck was starting to wane

 

This 1986 MT5 found by Murilee Martin on one his junkyard excursions is very well-equipped and not in horrible condition...



All credit to Murilee Martin; CLICK HERE for his writeup on this car...

 

My guess would be, just like Murilee's typically is with seemingly undamaged older vehicles that up in junkyards, one of two things...

Either something very expensive broke that exceeded the value of the car, or the car was traded in for a newer car, ended up being sent to a wholesale auction where nobody wanted, and then ultimately ended up being purchased at scrap value by a pick-and-pull yard...

If you look at the second picture, you will see that the radio has been removed; Likely, there was a fairly expensive aftermarket head unit installed, and the previous owner took that out when they got rid of the car...

 

Not the "normal" versions; The regular V6 was not available in stick, only the 4-cylinder...

The SHO, released for the 1989 model year, was initially only available in stick; For 1992 or 1993, automatic became an option...

 

Interior of a 1979 Oldsmobile Cutlass Salon that Murilee found in a junkyard back in 2015; What was the deal with whorehouse red interiors in the 1970s and 1980s...?

 

Ditto these overstuff pleather seats...

 

The fan

 

That's then just the fan, LOL...

Compressor, condenser, reversing valve (since it's a heat pump), etc; These are commonly referred to as condensing units...

Also, does it snow much in Oregon? That unit should be on risers!

 

It’s too dark in there to get all the components

 

My Mom has owned several, her current one she bought new in 2004 and still has it, decent car for an old lady.