Ownership Verified: CraigB's Merkur XR4Ti - Take 2

[CraigB]

As some you have no doubt seen, I have bought another Merkur XR4Ti. The first time around I bought a engine-less car and put it together myself. This time I lucked into one a friend was selling that is already road worthy. Well, as much a 30 year old oddball German Ford can be...

It's not without it's faults, there are a multitude of rumbles, rattles and squeaks. The paint work (looks like at least one respray) is tired, but I'll see if I can't get a few years out of it with careful cleaning. Despite those shortcomings it starts on command, idles, makes boost, spins tires and does general hood rat shit. Which is important for anything equipped with a turbo and a manual transmission. Locks and windows are manual and that's good as I don't want to deal with 30 year old Ford electric bits. Other than that it seems rust free and ready for me to turn a few wrenches on to extract a few more horses out of the 2.3 Lima.

Anyway here's some photos (sorry for the potato quality). As you can see my friend, for some reason, decided he didn't like the plastic cladding, but had only removed the driver's side and the wheel arch plastics. I put them back on the car tonight as I actually like them and think the car looks naked without them.

 

[93Flareside]

.... these aren't fox based or inspired are they?

 

[CraigB]

.... these aren't fox based or inspired are they?

Completely unrelated, except the engine is what you would have seen in a 1983-1986 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe or Mustang Turbo GT.

 

[93Flareside]

You're branching out!

 

[CraigB]

Not really. I've owned one before.

 

[93Flareside]

Still pales in comparison to your fox ownership.

Not that it's a bad thing. Congrats! I'd call it American since it's designed with tea and crumpets, built by brats and sp?tzle and sold to cheeseburgers and apple pie.

 

[JCE]

Dude, I fucking love Merkur's. Stupid rare in the states especially outside of a salvage yard.

 

[Der Stig]

Glad to see you back in a fun car, what's the first mod gonna be?

 

[luokyio]

Ooh, that is really nice. Cannot remember the last time I've seen a mk1 Sierra.

 

[CraigB]

Honestly, I just want to make it a nice driver and make sure everything is right first. Then I'm sure I'll put some sort of exhaust on it, up the boost, add some fuel and try to get 200 horse at the wheels. That'll be plenty for a weekend driver.

 

[Perc]

Right in the childhood. The one I grew up in had a 2.3 liter four as well... a naturally aspirated diesel. Something tells me this is a wee bit faster.

They used the European Ford font for the XR4Ti badge.

 

[Dr_Grip]

The set of lights my friend has are facelift lights (as you guessed). But the forums are on it. Should not take long nor be expensive...

 

[Dr_Grip]

You can see the demise of my friend's pre-facelift Sierra at the eight-second mark of this commercial:

 

[public]

They turned it into a McRib?

 

[public]

As for the car, it's pretty much what I wanted my happily departed Sierra to be. In case you get tired of this, ship it over and let Posmo combine the unripped seats and uncracked dash into this car :lol:

 

[Der Stig]

You can see the demise of my friend's pre-facelift Sierra at the eight-second mark of this commercial:

The Denglish caused me physical pain :lol:

DIE McDONALD'S, DIE.

Back to the Merkur, I did a CL search and turned up almost zip here in TX. One 2.3 turbo and then an actual Ford workshop manual, which is kind of neat.

 

[Redliner]

Sidenote: Every time I read Merkur I think of someone saying "Mercury" but making this face:

 

[WDWBen]

Always had a soft spot for these guys. Looks to be in really good kit, too. Love that mid-spoiler, as well!

 

[CraigB]

Car is inspected, insured and registered. Had to fit new headlight bulbs to pass inspection. I learned that a 9007 bulb will physically fit and connect where a 9004 should be, but has the opposite low/hi beam.

Now, quote all the people!

Dude, I fucking love Merkur's. Stupid rare in the states especially outside of a salvage yard.

These less so than the Scorpio, but still they have all but vanished from around here.

Ooh, that is really nice. Cannot remember the last time I've seen a mk1 Sierra.

Thank you. It photographs a bit better than it actually is, but it's a good solid start. Of course we got the mk1 up to 1989, where you guys already had a face lifted version.

Right in the childhood. The one I grew up in had a 2.3 liter four as well... a naturally aspirated diesel. Something tells me this is a wee bit faster.

They used the European Ford font for the XR4Ti badge.

There were a multitude of engines sold in these, but I guess I never knew there was a diesel.

It does looks exactly like the Sierra badge, doesn't it?

The set of lights my friend has are facelift lights (as you guessed). But the forums are on it. Should not take long nor be expensive...

Awesome! The plastic ones aren't in bad shape, but the glass Euro lights look so much better.

You can see the demise of my friend's pre-facelift Sierra at the eight-second mark of this commercial:

Ouch, that poor Sierra.

They turned it into a McRib?

Nah, there's too much nutritional value in an old Ford for it become McDonald's food.

As for the car, it's pretty much what I wanted my happily departed Sierra to be. In case you get tired of this, ship it over and let Posmo combine the unripped seats and uncracked dash into this car :lol:

I have never seen a XR4Ti without a cracked dash. The seats aren't bad, just need the top of the bolsters stitched back up.

Back to the Merkur, I did a CL search and turned up almost zip here in TX. One 2.3 turbo and then an actual Ford workshop manual, which is kind of neat.

They are a vanishing breed, a local search of my CL only turned up a rather rough Scorpio in Arkansas.

Sidenote: Every time I read Merkur I think of someone saying "Mercury" but making this face:

Well, Germans correct me if I am wrong, but Merkur is the German word for Mercury. So you aren't far off. :lol:

Always had a soft spot for these guys. Looks to be in really good kit, too. Love that mid-spoiler, as well!

It's not bad for a 30 year old example of an unloved model of an orphaned brand.

 

[thomas]

Yes, Merkur is Mercury (as in the Planet, etc) in German. I find that "MERKUR - Ford Werke AG K?ln Germany" rather funny, considering those were built at Karmanns factory in Rheine. Well, at least final assembly. So I guess one could argue about that part.. but who cares, really. Which brings me to my reaction to this:



Oh well, have fun, I guess.