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Any aftermarket performance add-ons/kits for Taurus?

I just inherited (kind of) a V6 4-speed 2002 Ford Taurus. Nice family car for a family oriented driver. However, I'm not a family oriented driver. I'm not content with just getting from point A to B. I also like to drive for the sake of the pleasure and satisfaction that driving can often bring. And with this particular car, my driving satisfaction is somewhat hampered by its delivering a lack of a more responsive and precise driver control over its acceleration. This seems due in part to the transmission's shifting characteristics (which are neither rapid nor always precise enough for me) compounded by the number of times it has to shift gears during mere casual acceleration. However, due to arrangements (which I won't go into here) I'm kind of stuck with driving this car for a while. Therefore I'm curious if anyone can tell me off hand if there are any aftermarket products available for the Ford Taurus in the way of ready made performance kits and such. For example: (1) replacement computer chips (which replace the car's computer presets and engine/transmission management algorithms with tested performance/drivability oriented settings). (2) Bolt-on supercharger kits not requiring internal engine modifications [instead, merely the use of a higher octane gas perhaps] (to increase low end torque thereby making way to implement the following...) (3) A differential kit providing a slightly taller gear ratio. This goes to possibly decreasing the annoying multitude of gear shifts that currently take place during merely modest accelerations to within ordinary (lawful) street speeds.

Oh and BTW: (4) NOT a different engine. NOT a different car (not for a while yet, that is). NOT a nitrous oxide kit.

Thank you, Ken

Reply to
Ken Moiarty
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Reply to
Backyard Mechanic

Before you worry about any "performance" add ons, get the transmission serviced! I've heard about so many Tauri with dying transmissions that it's silly.

nate

Reply to
Nate Nagel

I rented one of those things when I visited your country on a business trip a few years ago. I remember the sloppy handling, the gutless engine and third world build quality.

I think the best aftermarket accessory you could use on it would be a couple of sticks of gelignite.

Reply to
ShazWozza

Even though it violates your #4, if you're willing to bolt on a blower and drop the drivetrain module to change the diff, I'd seriously consider finding a V8 SHO drivetrain/system and doing a swap. Or, spend about the same money and find a V6 5sp SHO, or something else you'd rather drive.

Jim

Reply to
smile4camera

Which country? I'm in Canada. I'm presuming you are from either Europe or Japan? Needless to say Japanese and European makes run circles around North American car (as well as in many other) products.

[Caution: Ranting ahead...] This is due, IMHO, to a business ethic that North America, not to far unlike the third world in this respect, is plagued with: First, conceive of a product or service of negligible pre-marketing value. Then, grudgingly add quality and/or service as calculated by some parsimonious marketing formula (or as sparingly as can be gotten away with so as to undercut the competition by a miserly 1 or 2 cents on the price). Then invest heavily in sophisticated advertising/marketing propaganda to artificially create a desire for the particular product/service offered. The typically non-sophisticated (e.g. penny-wise/pound-foolish) North American consumer will respond to the sales hype, purchase the product/service, and then imagine himself/herself to have made a shrewd buy; that is, until far down the road reality inevitably sets in . [End of rant. Resume speed... ]

Ken

Reply to
Ken Moiarty

Which country? I'm in Canada. I'm presuming you are from either Europe or Japan? Needless to say Japanese and European makes run circles around North American car (as well as in many other) products.

[Caution: Ranting ahead...] This is due, IMHO, to a business ethic that North America, not to far unlike the third world in this respect, is plagued with: First, conceive of a product or service of negligible pre-marketing value. Then, grudgingly add quality and/or service as calculated by some parsimonious marketing formula (or as sparingly as can be gotten away with so as to undercut the competition by a miserly 1 or 2 cents on the price). Then invest heavily in sophisticated advertising/marketing propaganda to artificially create a desire for the particular product/service offered. The typically non-sophisticated (e.g. penny-wise/pound-foolish) North American consumer will respond to the sales hype, purchase the product/service, and then imagine himself/herself to have made a shrewd buy; that is, until far down the road reality inevitably sets in . [End of rant. Resume speed... ]

Ken

Reply to
Ken Moiarty

The best aftermarket purchase I can think of for a Taurus would be an Extended Service & Repair Plan.......

Reply to
*

Ken Moiarty wrote in article ...

accelerations

I think you've been reading too many mags like Motor Trend and Car & Driver, or watching too many television advertisements. You sound like a "driver's reaction" report...

"Precise driver control" and "Taurus" (Think of "bull" - as in china shop) do not go together.

Reply to
*

Actually it's been too many years since I've picked up a Motor Trend, Road & Track, Car & Driver, other car magazine to have read mention about performance chips in there. And no, I don't watch television advertisements. (I have a PVR setup in a PC attached to my TV which I use to filter out commercials before I watch a show I've recorded. I don't waste my time with live TV.) Infomercials are all so full of crap they would make me vomit to watch. An automotive add-on product informercial that comes to mind is for some useless looking piece of metal called "The Turbinator". Classic example of the kind of automotive add-on product nonsense advertising I think that you are alluding to. Performance chips are nothing like that. I suggest you look up "performance chip" on the web and (ignoring the obligatory specious or "wannabe" product sites) research and brief yourself on what they are and why certain "niche market" consumers can realistically benefit by installing one configured and tested for his/her particular vehicle from a reputable manufacturer.

Whatever that's supposed to mean...

No disagreement with your point here, except that it really has no bearing on what I actually said.

Ken

Reply to
Ken Moiarty

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