I'm selling my red 88 merkur XR4Ti, anyone want it?

[goland55]

So I've had my 3 merkurs sitting around for a couple years with no money to get any of them back up and running (poor college student). I'm finally about to graduate and will be moving to CA in about a month. I need cash and I will probably never get a chance to get 3 merkurs running so I'm putting one of my babies up for sale.

The car is a red 88 Merkur XR4Ti. It has about 120k miles on it if I remember correctly. When I bought it, it wouldn't start which was only a bad EEC relay. It also had a torn up wastegate actuator which I replaced.

Two outstanding problems that I never got a chance to address are a leaky radiator and a T9 tranny that likes to pop out of reverse.

The paint is a little faded. The interior is cloth and in good condition.

I can take some pictures of the car if anyone is interested. $500.

This car would be great to use for a 2.3T swap into a stang since all the problems are with the merkur stuff and not the engine. Anyone who wants to come by and check it out let me know.

 

[Fuzzylogic]

I know alot of people that are into these cars but I've never researched into why. What's the deal with them, if you don't mind?

 

[goland55]

Well, the main difference from the other 2.3T cars is the body and suspension.

The body design was worked on for a while in europe where they put it through wind tunnel tests and whatnot and got the body to have a drag coefficient around 0.32 (http://www.merkurencyclopedia.com/Merkur_misc/aerodyne.html). That is a damn good drag coefficient.

The car also has IRS (independent rear suspension). IRS is a double-edged sword and some people will like it and some won't based on what you're trying to do with the car. The IRS provides for better handling than a straight axle but is also weaker. So basically, an XR4Ti would make a good autocross car but not the best drag racing car.

The merkurs also have some cool options that put the car a little ahead of its time. Heated seats, onboard computer that showed what lights were out, what doors were open and whatnot.

In europe, a cousin of the XR4Ti is still somewhat popular (Cosworth Sierra). There's kits you can buy for the Merkurs to update them to the styling of the Cosworths.

For a while I wanted to build an autocross car out of one of my XR4Ti's but ran low on money since I ended up going to college fulltime for 6 years. Oh well. Maybe someday I'll build up one of the other ones I have.

 

[Fuzzylogic]

In europe, a cousin of the XR4Ti is still somewhat popular (Cosworth Sierra). There's kits you can buy for the Merkurs to update them to the styling of the Cosworths.

For a while I wanted to build an autocross car out of one of my XR4Ti's but ran low on money since I ended up going to college fulltime for 6 years. Oh well. Maybe someday I'll build up one of the other ones I have.

Okay, I heard a little more about the Sierras. Have a pic of one of those updated style Merkurs?

You've sold me, I love little cars like that.

 

[Fuzzylogic]

http://people.arsc.edu/~munk/89/index.html

See, and now I'm converted and want one. And I JUST picked up a '93 Fox coupe with plans to either have fun with the 2.3T, or play around with swapping a SHO engine in.

I don't have enough money for two cool projects. Son of a ...

 

[goland55]

They're definitely fun cars. Lots of weird electrical issues though. I dunno what those damn Germans were doing when they were wiring up those things.

I really wish I had the time and money to do something with this car. I'm afraid if I don't sell it before I leave for CA my dad might get sick of seeing it and bring it to the junkyard.