DID YOU KNOW??? 93-95 to 96-97 Probe GT differences

[FPGT24]

I'm an "expert" on the year to year changes on the 2nd gen GT....I have figured almost every little change out down to the littlest detail. I'm sure there is a few things I have missed cuz Ford changed so many things on our cars year to year. If you want to see my entire list of year to year changes and some in-depth info on the Probe, go to the Wikipedia article on Probes, I wrote that entire article over a span of 2 and some years....its still not done and is getting a major overhaul soon.

Regardless, I wanted so share something about Probes that many of you (especially the n00bs) probably didnt know. So here goes, this is about a few major differences of the 93-95 GT's to the 96-97 GT's....

Did you know that the vast majority of 1996-1997 Probe GT's used a much more restrictive exhaust system than the 1993-1995's??? How do i know this? I have owned 15 of these cars. How do i know that the exhaust is different? Hacked muffler off of a 93, and my 95, both sounded the same. Hacked muffler off 2 96's and 1 97, and they sounded like complete shit and barely made any sound. Experimented further.....took exhaust system leading from the cat-back off the 97 and replaced it with straight pipe (stock cat was still there, just resonator and muffler delete) and it sounded like my 93 and 95.

Did you know that all 96-97 GT's had a "different suspension setup" than the 93-95's? Sit a 93-95 beside a 96-97. If you take a close look, you will notice the 96-97 sits about an 3/4th to an inch higher than the 93-95. The ride of the 96-97 is very smooth and numb feeling, the 93-95 is rough and feels like a real sports car. Handling of the 96-97 is also different, much different actually, due to the higher ride height and softer suspension. Unlike the 93-95 that has virtually no body roll, the 96-97 has some body roll and its easily noticeable when turning a curve even at normal posted speed limits.

Other minor differences is that the 93-95 had rock hard seats (especially the 95 GT's, which used different cushions and had a spider web pattern on the seats, these seats are so hard it felt like you are sitting on rocks) while the 96-97 GT's had very soft seats. Rear windshield wiper was deleted for 96 and due to customer complaints Ford returned the option for 97.

Personally, due to the ride and diff handling in the 96-97, those Probes dont feel like real Probes to me and I dont really care for them. i love the 93-95 but the 96-97, not so much. I like the rough riding feel, loud exotic sound exhaust, and on-rails handling of the 93-95.

[SuperSquid]

due to going from OBDI to OBDII with it's extra emissions requirements...the exhaust primaries on the 96 had pre-cats in them which required a new design of the exhaust primary. If you take a look at them side by side with a OBDI primary, you'll notice the extra size of the entire piece. In 97, the pre-cats were removed but Ford didn't return to the OBDI exhaust since they still had to have the extra O2 sensors. With the pre-cats removed, the 97 exhaust primaries flow just about as good (maybe even better than some) as shorty headers negating most gains of the ebay headers on 97 model year cars. If you have a 96, gutting the pre-cats is a good performance mod.

About the suspension.....The 93 was the only year that actually had the original suspension. Because of complaints of harsh ride characteristics, every subsequent year had softer (and thereby taller) springs. There is a huge difference between 93 front springs and 94. I know this because I swapped in 93 springs on my 94 and soon went back to my 94 springs. Line up all model year cars and you'll find that all of them incrementally were higher off the ground.

Do more research....some of this stuff has been mentioned numerous times on here.

[Dan [Sac]]

Did you know that all 96-97 GT's had a completely different suspension setup than the 93-95's? Sit a 93-95 beside a 96-97

Yes, absolutely. Mazda re-engineered the suspension with different spring rates, control arm dimensions, instant and roll centers, camber curves, caster gain, bump steer correction, ackerman setup...

Your post is chock full of misinformation. Spring length and *possibly* spring rate do not mean "completely different suspension setup".

Also, the 97's have no precats. The housings are hollow.

As suggested, do some reading.

[blac_shine007]

I've seen some '96 with nothing in the pre-cats. I own a '97 626 and I have nothing in my pre cats and I have never modified it. The California cars have something in them, though.

[blac_shine007]

With the pre-cats removed, the 97 exhaust primaries flow just about as good (maybe even better than some) as shorty headers negating most gains of the ebay headers on 97 model year cars. If you have a 96, gutting the pre-cats is a good performance mod.

The biggest flaw with the ebay headers is that the midpipe diameter was reduced from 2.0 inches to 1 7/8 and then went into a 2 inch flex pipe with a 2.5 inch outlet. I made 169 whp and 157wtq before I modified the midpipe, and ONLY the mid pipe. On the same dyno, I made 176 whp and 160wtq off of just opening it up. Personally, I'd buy the ebay headers and modify the midpipe.

[mac1]

let the man have his 20min, sheesh. I didn't know half of this shit.

Did you know you can safely run a stock bottom KLDE at 340hp all year long at well over 100mph for as long as there is gas in the tank and clear road in front of you!!!!!

[FPGT24]

let the man have his 20min, sheesh. I didn't know half of this shit.

Don't worry I put up with shit like this daily. Just trying to be helpful and share some information that some or many may not know. Knew the guys that build Probes would be on here making me look like a moron immediately tho.

---------- Post added at 02:45 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:43 AM ----------

I've seen some '96 with nothing in the pre-cats. I own a '97 626 and I have nothing in my pre cats and I have never modified it. The California cars have something in them, though.

I've heard a few.....FEW.....96 GT's that sounded like 93-95's. I don't think all 96's came with the restrictive OBD2 exhaust. Maybe Ford put on some leftover 95 systems on some 96s....? Or maybe the systems were replaced with OBD1 systems....? Beats me. I've been trying to figure this out for years.

---------- Post added at 02:48 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:45 AM ----------

Yes, absolutely. Mazda re-engineered the suspension with different spring rates, control arm dimensions, instant and roll centers, camber curves, caster gain, bump steer correction, ackerman setup...

Your post is chock full of misinformation. Spring length and *possibly* spring rate do not mean "completely different suspension setup".

You took that very seriously didn't you looooolllll I used the term very loosely and I'm pretty sure that everyone else understood what I meant.

More than spring length was modified tho. Have you ever driven a 95, then hopped in a 96 and drove it right after? I don't really know anything about suspension, but even the dumbest ass **** on the planet could even tell you that theres more than just a difference in the springs with the way a 93-95 feels like a completely different vehicle apart from the 96-97.

---------- Post added at 02:50 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:48 AM ----------

About the suspension.....The 93 was the only year that actually had the original suspension. Because of complaints of harsh ride characteristics, every subsequent year had softer (and thereby taller) springs. There is a huge difference between 93 front springs and 94.

Great point....now that you mention that i remember my 93's riding much rougher than the 94 and 95's I've owned. I just thought the 93's had bad struts and that the 94's was going bad. You cleared up alot of shit for me thanks dude.

[SuperSquid]

What I was saying about the pre-cats...they were basically inserts in the exhaust primaries. At the beginning of production on 96 cars, they were using them. Before the end of the run, they figured out they were unnecessary and stopped paying the cost of insertion. Since they had recast the primaries and the exhaust system, they kept using the parts sans pre-cats. If you find a 96 without the pre-cat inserts, checking the manufacture date will reveal a car made toward the end of the model year.

[FPGT24]

@supersquid

I just picked up a new 97 yesterday, gonna have to put straight piping on it to make it sound like my 95 does. do you suggest changing to a high flow cat as well? i want to do anything possible to make it much louder....love insanely loud exhaust and love pissing off the neighbors lol.

[DeProbeGT]

i have both a 96 and 97 and my 96 has a rear wiper, but the 97 had a plug in the hole...dunno if its just cuz the 96 was basically fully loaded and the 97 wasn't...just throwing it out there..

[spada]

Woah, I always wondered why the seats in my 95 GT were a lot harder than the 94 seats.

This thread is in the 2.5L engine forum, so maybe we should talk about the engine differences too.
Two different pistons, some 93's being different. I haven't played around with internals of a KL in a while, but I vaguely recall different stampings and a flatter top on some 93 pistons.
Some of the 94 disty's actually had the newer style ignitor from the 95 distys. Then there's the 16mm or 32mm water pump pulley hole, don't some 94's still have the 16mm center?
The lack of the NE1 crankshaft sensor in the 95+.
The "REAL" oil pressure sensors on the 93-94 were replaced with on/off switches in 95+
The 95+ have a "low washer fluid" sensor and light
The 96 and 97 GT's have a schrader valve on the fuel rail.
The different intake manifolds, some having the raised V6 emblem area, some being depressed into the manifold. The raised emblem area being more rare.... I've never been able to figure out the pattern or reason for this, so if anyone can shed some light on that.
Then there's the "updated" rear brake calipers from 95+, but they are all still prone to having the E-brake lever seize up.
side door molding lengths.....the 96 and 97 molding doesn't cover the fender, and don't some 97's not even have any door moldings at all?
When did they get rid of the second coolant temp sensor? Wasn't one only used for the dash, and the other one for the ECU? Or was it one was used for the cooling fan operation only????

Can someone please answer my questions. ONLY if you for sure know the answer. Like I said I've been away from the engine for a couple years, BUT, I now have an mx-3 that I just megasquirted so of course I'll be swapping in a KL sooner or later.

PGT's shouldn't be separated in 93-95 and 96-97 groups. More accurate would be 93-94, 95, 96-97. The 95 was quite different, and then the 96 was different again.

[MonoxideChild]

Extremely early 93's has the smaller combustion chamber. There was a thread on mx6.com with pics years ago posting comparison pics. The 93 hoods have alot less bracing and are much lighter then the later years. 93's also are the only years that had the headlight up button in the center console. This thread could go on forever.

[FPGT24]

i have both a 96 and 97 and my 96 has a rear wiper, but the 97 had a plug in the hole...dunno if its just cuz the 96 was basically fully loaded and the 97 wasn't...just throwing it out there..

someone put the hatch on the 96 im 100% positive

[MIHELA]

My 97 doesn't have a low washer fluid indicator that I'm aware of.

[FPGT24]

Some of the 94 disty's actually had the newer style ignitor from the 95 distys.

The "REAL" oil pressure sensors on the 93-94 were replaced with on/off switches in 95+

The 95+ have a "low washer fluid" sensor and light

The different intake manifolds, some having the raised V6 emblem area, some being depressed into the manifold. The raised emblem area being more rare.... I've never been able to figure out the pattern or reason for this, so if anyone can shed some light on that.

side door molding lengths.....the 96 and 97 molding doesn't cover the fender, and don't some 97's not even have any door moldings at all?


PGT's shouldn't be separated in 93-95 and 96-97 groups. More accurate would be 93-94, 95, 96-97. The 95 was quite different, and then the 96 was different again.

1. The 94 distys....I have noticed that too, my 94 GT has a 95-97 disty on it and my 92 MX-3 GS also fits the 95-97 disty.

2. Not 100% sure about that one bout the 97's having dummy oil pressure gauge. I know the 93-94 had legit oil sending units, and I'm pretty sure the 97's got them as well. I know for a fact that the 95-96 has dummy switches for the oil pressure. If someone can confirm this, LMK.

3. No, they don't. That was optional in a convenience group. My teal mist 95 GT does not have it and ive owned many other 95-97 that did not have that.

4. 92 MX-3 GS, 93 MX-3 GS, 93 Probe GT, 93 626 ES, and 93 MX-6 LS were the only ones to have the indented "V6" emblem on the intake manifold. This was changed for 94 on all the K series motors. If you saw one of these on a 94+, someone put that intake manifold on it.

5. My 97 GT has door ding guards. Some 96's do have the guards on the fenders, and some don't, its bizarre. I think they were using up old stock from the 93-95 on some of the 96's. 97's do not have the ding guards on the fenders though, I have never seen it not even once. The vast majority of 96's and 97's didn't even have door ding guards.

I wasn't really overall grouping the 95 with the 93-94, i was grouping the suspension setups and rides of the 95 with the 93-94. I completely agree, the 95's are the real outcast models and are by a mile my favorites I've owned like 5 or 6 95 GT's....next up in my line is the 93 GT's.