:barf:

You don't. The SVO is one of the most collectible Fox Bodies.

 

cars were meant to be driven, not sit in a ####ing museum, If I had a shelby AC cobra, (a real one), I'd still drive it to work in the summer, I'd don't car how much a car is worth, it ain't worth #### to me if I can't drive it. Otherwise wtf is the point of owning it?

edit - I should add, that I take exceptional care of MY two vehicles

 

All the more reason. DRIVE IT!

Cars are built to be driven.Regardless of it's collectibility. I'm in the process,maybe 2-3months from completing a SVO for just that reason. Drive it daily. Not sure what gas mileage will be as it's not done yet.Biggest determining factors in gas mileage are going to be hrspwrtoweight ratio and how often your right foot gets heavy. I had 66k on my 86SVO b4 starting this project almost 4yrs ago and it ran decently given me 20-24 mpg around town. never really drove it enough on highway to get mpg's.:blam:

 

My SVO gets used on a weekly basis. Highway miles are around 27 mpg and city around 18mpg. Good luck with using it as a daily driver. I found mine not to be reliable enough to depend on it on a daily basis. Better off having a second car just in case. Perhaps a V8 GT

 

drive it, I got my 89xr4ti in 03 and drove it for 4 yrs as my daily driver.
the car fell apart, but still would be driving it if it was structurally sound....I put 80k on it in the 4yrs....

 

I've been daily driving one for 3 months. It's a complete and utter joy.

 

i have an early 85 that i have big plans for. i think they are the perfect daily driver , very dependable as long as its not all tricked out. these cars handle like a beast. the funnest under-powered car ive ever had.

 

Your taking a chance on relying on any 20 year old car as a daily driver. On that note though, Mine was driven very regularly intil the last couple years. I've been having issues with keeping it running reliably, plus with two kids, it just isn't as practical as my Bronco for hauling them around.
I now have it running good again, and plan on driving it a lot this summer.
The SVO all too often, has parts that you just can't go down to Autozone or the local junkyard and get... So even if it's an easy fix, you might be without a car waiting on parts.
Oh yea... Mustangs, V8 or not suck in the snow.
I wouldn't discourage using it everyday, but would have a 2nd vehicle just in case.

 

I drove mine daily for 6 years and 100k. It broke down 2 times that weren't an easy fix and that was caused by losing the soft plug in the slip yoke for the trans. I would loose fluid and kill trannys. I don't drive it now daily for reliability issues since it's too moded and breaks a lot of parts. In STOCK form they are AWESOME dd's if kept up on maintenance. Oh and my fuel mileage has always been crap since I have a lead foot.

 

MY '84 is almost a daily driver. I probably drive it 20 days a month. When I bought it the head gasket was blown and the head was cracked, so I had the engine and turbo rebuilt, to original specs, put in a new clutch, radiator heater core. It is the most fun car I have driven in years and is quicker (at least feels quicker) than my '94 GT vert. I get about 17 mpg, around town. Carpooling 2 kids to school in it tomorrow!! I would drive it anywhere anytime with no concerns.

 

2.3T is pretty reliable from my experience and good gas mileage stock. I guess it depends on owner and maintenance of the car.

 

Well, My SVO has been my daily driver for the last two weeks. My Bronco is leaking so bad, I've parked it with a pan under it.
It'd hard to keep the kids from climbing all over in the SVO seats though like they do in the Bronco. They're learning though.

 

I had an 87 TC dialy driver for more than 5 years. Occasional problems as to be expected with any 20 year old car. I was getting 30MPG plus. It had 234,000 miles on it when i got rid of it..... Damn, I wish I had it back!

 

My 84 SVO is a dd and gets 325-350 miles per tank.

 

I had an 88 turbo coupe thunderbird with the same driveline and ran great, never had any problems. Never get it hot though, water pump went out and cracked the block. They are FUN! Good luck..

 

Mines a dd it gets around 25 to 28 mpg .My 99 svt cobra gets around 15 to 19 my winter car !

 

I daily drove my first SVO for just over ten years. I bought a truck since I had a new house and the truck became my daily driver.

Drove the crap out of the SVO during those 10+ years. Also raced it on track quite a few times.

All kinds of weather and conditions. Several long distance road trips as well. It only broke down twice in all those years. One was a fried injector and the other was a broken dog bone cable. The cable is an easy fix and I keep one in the glove box just in case. The cable is about $12.

 

Dragpak.
You fail to mention you only live 3 blocks from work!

 

My kid's 82 GT with the carb'd 2.3 turbo is a daily driver from the day the streets are cleared of sand and salt until the first snow warning. Rain or shine. Kid never complains about mileage. Gets detailed every weekend. I would think the SVO EFI version would be more reliable and get better mileage and be a more common car that my kid's GT. I do know parts are more available which is why I am considering putting an EFI set-up in it for him but he is content on being different.

 

The carbed turbo doesnt hav alot of fans, seeing its a tad more complicated engine than the EFI version. And IIRC its a draw thru. But if you wanted to make a decent engine you could do some work to it. like say the OFFY 4bbl intake and a blow thru carb. Just mess around on here: http://ford23.prophpbb.com

 

A reliable carb'd 2.3T...

 

My '86 SVO has been a daily driver for about a month and a half now.

As for gas mileage, I get high teens in the city and mid to high twenties on the highway.

The thing isn't near stock. Far from it actually. But its a fun car to drive. It does, however, make me appreciate my terminator cobra when I pull that car out of the garage on the weekends or for the occasional drive to work.

But the SVO has its strong points - the very reasons I bought it in the first place. You'll never be "just another car" during rush hour. People constantly ask me about the SVO (as opposed to my terminator that get evil eyes from the church going blue haired soon-to-be six foot under crowd).

The only downside of the vehicle is parts (parts that really count) are hard as hell to find. I was lucky and got this car off a fanatic so he had the hard to find parts already on the car and in great condition.

If you get one - drive it all the time! You won't regret it! Just don't become one of "those" folks that lets it sit in the garage all the time in fear of a scratch here or there.

 

Be careful with that passenger side turn signal lens, keep up on maintenance and enjoy it. They were meant to be driven, so drive it.

 

I drive 86 every day. I had 85k when I got it 2001, it has 187k now. The only time it broke down on me was when a started went out. I push started it and was on my way. The only major parts replaced was the clutch at 90k and the head gasket at 186k.

 

He!! Yes

About the only downside of the 2.3t is the frequent spark plug replacements when you crank the boost up. The only downside of the SVO is replacing the control arms when the ball joints get sloppy. My first SVO had 100k on it when I retired it from daily driver status. I just got the second one and haven't even driven it yet (it had been sitting for 7 years). My first TurboCoupe had 225k on it when I retired it (it had cancer) and the second one turned over 220k last weekend. The third one only had 90k on it, I'm still getting it whipped into shape for DD duty. The drivetrain on these cars just goes forever. I did pull the engine apart that had 225k on it and the bearings where on their last leg (no silver, just copper all the way around) but it didn't make any noise, use oil, had good compression and got good mileage.

steve

 

My converted LX has been DD for 3 years now and hasn't missed a lick in that time, well, except for breaking 4 T-5's. Have noticed since I made the wife pay for and help install the last one, it's lasted the longest.