My XR4Ti project:

[saron81]

Upon special request...
Here's a few pictures of the XR4Ti in my garage. It's been a long time project, and as you can see... it's still a major work in progress. I bought this car completely stock in 2000, and drove it as my daily driver for the next 8 years. It's been all over from Key West, to Massachuttes, to Indy. It's driven on the beach at Daytona, and on the Brickyard. I have a lot of good memories in this car.
The drivetrain is pretty much done, but the paint and bodywork still has a loooooonnnng way to go. I eventually want to paint it like the Eggenberger Texaco touring cars. I was making much faster progress on it before I had kids. Since then... it's just sat in my garage. I really only take it out a few times a year just to blow the cob webs out of it. Still need a RS500 front splitter, and lower rear wing... but they're not exactly easy to come by (or cheap when they do come up!) Should be right around 400 rwhp with this spec.
Specs:
Engine:
-Stock 60k shortblock.
-Ported/polished big valve head
-Esslinger 2277 cam
-ATR header
-Ported/polished/rotated/gutted intake
-Supercoupe throttle body
-750cc injectors
-Turbonetics BB T3/T4 "E"
-SDS management
-RS500 intercooler

Suspension/driveline:
-Adjustable Spax sport kit
-poly bushings all around
-T5 transmission

Body:
-Genuine RS500 body kit (bumper, flares, upper wing, grill, headlamps)
-Sierra Cosworth aluminum hood
-BBS RS wheels

A few pictures:









And a video of when I first got it running: OPEN DOWN PIPE VERY LOUD.


(factory tach doesn't work properly... big tach has since been replaced.)

Engine build pictures:

[Numbersix]

Hot.

In high school (a long, long time ago), I lived very near Rapido (when they were still based near Portland OR). I was lucky enough to see many very fast Merkurs back then. Still think they are pretty cool when done up well like this.

[Eightysixturbo]

[Spiller337]

Love these cars. It's pretty cool that you got the RS500 kit for it too. Good luck.

[scrapperking]

beautiful merkur, will be keeping an eye out for this thread! i regret not spending all my $$$ on a XR4TI a year ago!!!

[VadGTI]

Here's a replica splitter:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FORD-SIERR...item2c6556d3c8

And I wanted this, but the guy won't respond to my e-mails . Moonstone replica and 1984, so legal to import . Only 1000 Pounds. I love these so much I'd literally sell my M3 to build a proper one out of that clone.

[VadGTI]

As an owner of one, do you know if it's possible to cut that little c-pillar and install the one piece glass or does the entire quarter panel need to be changed over? That glass (and the Cossie front end) changes the entire look of the car.

[saron81]

I have this also: (same wheels)

[saron81]

As an owner of one, do you know if it's possible to cut that little c-pillar and install the one piece glass or does the entire quarter panel need to be changed over? That glass (and the Cossie front end) changes the entire look of the car.

You can chop it out... to do it properly, you need to redo the inner panels to actually fit the factory Ford glass in there (and interior trim panels)... but I've seen convincing hack jobs with plexi-glass windows.

[jazzcat2001]

i am still kicking myself for not getting one of these when i had the chance a couple years back...now im looking at them again as a replacement for the mk3

[Daedalus]

Ummm... Wow.

http://baltimore.craigslist.org/ctd/3028609158.html

[Chapel]

I this thread

[Wanganrunner]

These make me so happy.

Excellent project, sir.

[speedworks1]

I was real close to building an RS 500 clone myself with one of those. Still very cool and very 80's

[RobMarkToo]

We used to have a Merkur Scorpio when I was about 13. As far as I can remember we didn't really have any trouble with it, my dad always said it drove great, and was a steal with full options for around 16 grand i think, when Ford was just trying to get rid of them. Will always remember the weird squeeze bulb lumbar support. Also I remember the rear seats would recline which I'd show off to all my friends. Super comfy car for long trips and huge cargo area with the hatch back.

[85vrcoupe]

These things are odd but cool at the same time. That white RS 500

[Turbo-D]

Group A goodness

[Amsterdam087]

[wabbitGTl]

i've always loved the merkurs, i actually got to paint an xr4 when i was in auto body class back in high school. a friend of mine has a dual cam euro head but i don't think he'll ever part with it.

[bzcat]

I Sierra. Even the bastardized XR4Ti with Mustang SVO engine.

RS500 was my childhood dream car.

[VadGTI]

I Sierra. Even the bastardized XR4Ti with Mustang SVO engine.

RS500 was my childhood dream car.

Wanna go halfsies on that replica?

[patrikman]

A noble cause, well done sir.

[bzcat]

Wanna go halfsies on that replica?

Is this your indecent proposal? Send me more details (but please, no nudes of yourself).

I'd drive it just as is and confuse people

[aethelwulf]

I still miss my old XR4Ti. Awesome project!

[302W]

Sweet ride man, sounds pretty fast. When it comes time to paint the body, would you try to put in those 3/4 big windows instead of the Merkur spec ones?

[VadGTI]

Is this your indecent proposal? Send me more details (but please, no nudes of yourself).

I'd drive it just as is and confuse people

Texted you.

Also, sexted you.

[bzcat]

Texted you.

Also, sexted you.

My eyes...

[choochoo]

Texted you.

Also, sexted you.

You two, get a room!

OP, great project. always liked the XR4Ti. Too bad it was such sales failure or else we would have surely seen more Ford "global" cars in our market earlier.

[Lwize]

There's something oddly familiar about this thread.

[J-Tim]

There's something oddly familiar about this thread.

You're not alone...... you're never alone!

[Uberchad]

Super cool car!

I was really far along with a Sierra Cosworth clone using an XR4Ti shell, an imported base sierra shell which was very rusty, and an escort cosworth engine. My goal was to have the aesthetics 100% original looking besides wheels and then build the mechanicals how I wanted them. If you want to be super picky, there are quite a few differences in the shells.

The rear window shape is different at the back. Cutting out the C pillar will not get you the correct shape nor will the original glass fit. I grafted the roof and rear windows on instead but that required a lot of work.



The rear fuel filler area is different:



The rear panel is different:



The cladding holes need filling and these formed sections smoothed out:



The hood is much flatter than the US hood and of course has the vents:



The rear bumper is also almost never swapped but it is much shorter and unique to the cosworth. Add in the obvious stuff like the wing, the front bumper, the headlights, the arches, the grille, and it gets spendy very quick.

I lost steam on the project and parted it out and bought an escort cosworth from the part out. The shell is being finished on the east coast. Now that the Sierra's can be legally imported though, if I have to have one, I can. (which i sort of do). The nice thing about starting with an XR4ti is that the chassis is actually vastly superior to the Cosworth because it has the "motorsports strengthening kit" they used on the rally cars as standard to pass US safety standards. The initial 3 door cosworths had a floppy chassis by today's standards. The XR4Ti is noticeably stiffer.

If I built another XR4Ti, I would personally not go all out cosworth conversion. If I did it again, I would use the best parts from Europe to replace the stuff I don't like on the US cars. (bumpers, headlights, steering wheel, front seats) but keep the 2.3T, the cladding, the rear windows, the bi-wing, etc.

If that RS500 bumper and rear wing is real, it is worth huge money in europe. Seriously!

[VadGTI]

So, I guess I'm going about it the right way by starting from a Sierra cosmetically. Well, except for the Motorsport thing.

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[Uberchad]

So, I guess I'm going about it the right way by starting from a Sierra cosmetically. Well, except for the Motorsport thing.

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More info and pics!

[UTdubbin]

^^^^Precisely how I feel about this!

[VadGTI]

More info and pics!

There's a thread on page 1!

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