1985 Merkur XR4Ti Rally Car

Asking $6k OBO.

Full disclosure- this car doesn't run perfectly right now, starts and idles a little rough. That said, it just finished SOFR in this condition so even if you don't want to do any work you could run it as-is. I also don't really get along with it, although I've never DNF'd with it. If you want an ownership log of everything I've done to it since purchasing it in 2016, see this thread: https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/…/85-merkur…/120244/page1/

With that out of the way, let me try to sell it to you.

This is an SCCA Logbooked, updated to current safety specs Open 2WD car that is ready to run- just passed tech at SOFR, and I'm not removing anything so belts and extinguishers are current. If you want that turbo laggin' scandinavian flickin' 80s rally car experience this is it.

Car comes with an absolutely massive spares package, at least one of every stock part, a shortblock, several cylinder heads, freshly rebuilt JVAB front struts (uninstalled), and a parts shell with title (complete windshield!). Modifications are as follows:

Chassis/Body:
Seam welded as shown in Ford Motorsport prep manual
Double skinned rocker panels and strut towers
Logbooked cage tied to all upper suspension pickups
1/8" plate reinforcements in critical areas
1x1" tubing radiator guard/skid plate mount
3/16" aluminum skid plate
Lexan windows
Roof scoop
All cladding removed
Wheel wells clearanced
Gutted hood/hatch bracing

Suspension:
Custom front struts (RIX housings, Bilstein 40mm inserts, machined stubs, 350lb/in springs, 300/100 damping, Escort forest bump stops)
JVAB rear shocks (unknown damping Bilsteins, 175lb/in springs, junkyard Ford bumpstops)
Seam welded front subframe
Upgraded bushings all around
Custom reinforced rear subframe
Custom reinforced trailing arms
Bigass 14mm lug studs
Spare stock struts included
Spare rebuilt JVAB front struts included

Wheels/tires:
15x5.5" Ronal Saab front with 175/75R15 gravel tires
15x6" Ronal Saab rear with 195/65R15 gravel tires
HUGE amount of spares including lots of gravel tires, some snows, some tarmac

Brakes:
Stock front discs w/ Hawk pads
Thunderbird conversion rear w/ Hawk pads
Hydraulic handbrake
Adjustable proportioning valve

Engine:
Ford 2.3 SOHC
Stinger center mount header
Stock Garrett T3 compressor housing, oil cooled Chinese CHRA, Cosworth turbine housing
3" side exit exhaust
Cosworth intercooler, steel intercooler piping
DO88 Aluminum Saab 900 radiator, Volvo 740 coolant tank, cooling lines rerouted
Mustang throttle body, fabricated upper intake manifold, ported lower manifold
Thunderbird ECU/injectors/VAM
Ranger (possibly other?) roller cam, Esslinger cam pulley, advanced 6 degrees
Esslinger billet auxiliary shaft and bronze drive gear
Custom dual redundant remote TFI
Inner head light gutted and converted to air intake
AEM dryflow filter
FC RX7 oil cooler
Big steel fabricated motor mounts

Drivetrain:
Thunderbird T5 transmission, Chinese short shifter, tall shift lever.
Custom transmission mount
Mustang steel driveshaft
4.3 LSD mk3 Supra differential with custom adapters and mountings (spares included), shimmed to ~250ft-lbs breakaway using Tractor Supply parts

Interior/Nav:
Old-ass Garmin GPS
Terraphone Pro Intercom
Codriver accessible fuse panel w/ smartglow fuses
Momo seats and steering wheel, heavy duty 1x1" tube seat bases/anti "up the ass of Timo" bars

Lighting:
LED headlight bulbs
Red interior LED lighting for navigator
Bolt-on light bar w/ MICTuning curved spot/flood combo bar and 4x Auxbeam LED pencil/spot driving lights
All tail lights/signals converted to LED

Again, the spares package is MASSIVE- look at the picture with the shelves, that's still missing the parts car and a shortblock. If you have questions fire away!

Had to look that up.  For reference 

Posted on the MCA website and FB page.

In reply to GPz11 (Forum Supporter) :

Thanks!  Feel free to pass my email to people, I think you have it?

It's also pending approval in some other FB groups.

In reply to ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ :

What boost level & approximate HP?

In reply to Pete Gossett (Forum Supporter) :

Stock 15psi boost, so it doesn't cook itself no matter how hot it is out, and to keep the tire budget reasonable.  In theory it's capable of whatever the T3 maxes out at, I'd go to Stinger's website for that info.

I have seen this car in person and have my own street car XR4Ti, this car is built like a tank! Wish I was in a position to buy it, because I had intended mine to be a rally car when I first got it. Will throw in a couple sets of injectors for the buyer!

To the question about horsepower: 

-On the stock T3 with the Cossie houseing and IC, at 15psi, it probably makes about 175-185hp (similar to stock, but likely a bit more)

-Cranked up to ~20-22psi on that setup you may be able to see 250hp/270ft-lb of torque. The T3 is just a hairdryer at that point though.

I'd be shocked if it didn't make 225ish hp with those mods. The LA3 (or equivalent) really wakes up cars with a t3 on them. It may be closer to 250 already..

How's the rust situation on both the rally car and parts car?

In reply to greenfieldhippi :

Rally car is nearly rust free, maybe some surface stuff here and there from gravel blast.

Parts car is decently crispy in the rockers and quarter panels.

Sale pending.

For sale: two RX-7s, quantum syncro, GTI...

In reply to Pete. (l33t FS) :

You have a gti?  

Sale still pending?

In reply to Shorterthanwide :

Nope, sorry- sold a while ago.  If you're looking for a rally car feel free to send me a message, I don't have anything for sale at the moment but might be able to help find something.

In reply to ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ :

I am looking for a xr4ti, not necessarily a rally car

I would suggest reaching out to Jeff Herson @ Merkur Parts Midwest. I just got a rebuilt steering rack from him yesterday for my XR. He’s on top of who’s selling what.

Also I’d either join the Merkur Club of America on Facebook or on their forum 

http://merkurclub.net/forum/index.php?sid=9ca63a825ab2b77e39906e1249b12db1