Getting a Merkur XR4Ti....anyone ever have one? Experience?

[85_SS_302_Coupe]

I'm selling my beater/DD Bronco II and buying this prestine Merkur XR4Ti, it's the typical turbo 2.3/5speed. I've always been kinda iffy about the looks of these cars, but they're basically a Mustang SVO with IRS wrapped in a weird euro looking body.

It looks exactly like this one:

I have a friend who has one that is nearly stock and runs 12.90s and he knows a ton about how to get a lot out of them for cheap so this should make for a fun DD.

 

[Mustang928]

Well... I would be surprised if you could use as a daily driver. My neighbors spent most of its time in the garage, it was one thing after another going bad on it. This is actually the 1st time I have ever heard anyone say anything postive about the car.

 

[Mr. Rustypwnz]

those have no intercooler, and an irs out back, I like em, as I used to have an svo of my own, the FIRST thing I would do is put a huge intercooler on it, its not for show or go, but reliability!!! hot sun+no ic= pinging= blown hg, this is the voice of experience talking!!! once you get a nice fmic, turn the boost up to about 18psi, then go stang hunting!!! lol

 

[mustangjoe87]

there is a red one at the end of my street for sale, cool little cars

 

[KAILUAZ]

A guy I worked with had one back in 90,, it was his daily driver. It was a pretty neat car,,, I had more issues with my 79 Cobra turbo than he did.

 

[85_SS_302_Coupe]

Well... I would be surprised if you could use as a daily driver. My neighbors spent most of its time in the garage, it was one thing after another going bad on it. This is actually the 1st time I have ever heard anyone say anything postive about the car.

Yeah they're finicky...if it turns out to be too much hassle for DD use then i'll find another beater. This car is ridiculously cheap....and i can't believe how nice it is. I'll be leaning on a few local guys who know a lot about the 2.3 turbo engines since i don't have a lot of experience with them. I've always heard the 2.3s are nearly bullet proof so we'll see.

The one guy i know who has one....we were going to a local cruise in, about 20 cars were cruising together to the meet up place and he was driving his. Another guy in our group had his '03 Cobra out...and i kid you not he drove away from the Cobra like it was a GT. The dude in the Cobra just about crapped himself. Of course his Merkur was far from stock, but he didn't have buckets of cash in it either.

 

[Mr. Rustypwnz]

I've always heard the 2.3s are nearly bullet proof so we'll see.

yes, with a proper tune and fuel and a good ic, yes, but just a little neglect and it will bite you in the ass!!

 

[85_SS_302_Coupe]

yes, with a proper tune and fuel and a good ic, yes, but just a little neglect and it will bite you in the ass!!

My goal is just to get it running really good and maybe as quick as a stock 5.0...nothing too crazy since i'm wanting it to work as a DD. I've always had a closet fascination for the turbo 2.3s ever since the Turbo Coupes came out when i was a kid. I love the idea of making as much HP as a V8 in a rear wheel drive car and getting near 50/50 weight distribution. As nice as this car is though, i have a feeling the mod bug is going to bite me in the ass pretty hard as well.

 

[Mr. Rustypwnz]

ok sounds kewl, a well running merkur (pronounced mare koor) willl run right beside a stock 5.0.

 

[85_SS_302_Coupe]

Well i just went and took a closer look at it....you guys won't believe how clean this car is. I kid you not, with a buff job and some detailing, it's like it just rolled off the showroom floor. The interior has one small burn on the driver's seat, but other than that it's not even sun faded.

Now all i need to do is sell my Bronco II and it's mine....anyone wanna buy a truck???

 

[grey5.0beast]

I wish I had money, I want a broncoII

 

[85_SS_302_Coupe]

I wish I had money, I want a broncoII

1k and it'll drive to your house with no problems


I don't want this to be a for sale thread and get locked though so PM me of you're really interested.

 

[grey5.0beast]

I have NO money though lol. But this thread did get me thinking, I want to do a budget build 2.3t. I'd like to shoot for using all JY parts(block, turbo, Ranger head, even the car) and go for under 1500 bucks spent total and go for 12s!

 

[85_SS_302_Coupe]

I have NO money though lol. But this thread did get me thinking, I want to do a budget build 2.3t. I'd like to shoot for using all JY parts(block, turbo, Ranger head, even the car) and go for under 1500 bucks spent total and go for 12s!

Man, if you remember me posting that thread about this 2.3 > everyone's 5.0 (which got locked...i guess someone got pissed, it was just a joke, besides that included MY 5.0 too). The only catch is that it does take some money to get them build up enough to handle the boost it takes to make a big numbers, but how cool would it be to drop down to the import scene's playing level and beat'em at their own game? They can always argue that you've got a V8 and whatever, but i guarantee you this Merkur will SMOKE 99% of the imports around here, save for a few guys who are really serious and actually drive respectable imports.

My long term is to get to know these engines really well with this car and enjoy it for a while, and then look into buying another coupe and swapping a turbo 2.3 into it.

 

[Flavadave4]

After spending some time walking around in Carlisle and talking with some Merkur owners i love them.

Good choice!

 

[StangerT]

just my two lincolns here, but I would not touch that car with a 10ft pole unless you had a butt-ton of money you wanted to waiste on it. I use to work at a car delaership when I was younger, and we had a special name for a similar car that sat on the lot for nearly 1 yr befroe it went off to auction -

 

[85_SS_302_Coupe]

just my two lincolns here, but I would not touch that car with a 10ft pole unless you had a butt-ton of money you wanted to waiste on it. I use to work at a car delaership when I was younger, and we had a special name for a similar car that sat on the lot for nearly 1 yr befroe it went off to auction -

Seems like i hear stories like this a lot, but i also hear stories of guys throwing Turbo Coupe engines into Mustangs and having a blast for next to nothing.

 

[carbed87]

a little secret i've been keeping to myself for awhile now is that i think my next project fox will be a 2.3T, or of course a merkur. i looked at i think one before i got my dd 2.3 stank and i wanted it sooo bad but the guy didn't have a title for it and failed to mention so until i got there. but yeah, they look like awesome cars man, good luck

 

[BlooDReigN]

12.9's won't happen for cheap...I have one of these cars and while the engines are great, and the suspension is great if you want to build a autox car (with a little work in it anyway), they are NOT drag cars. The stock IRS and transmission is feeble at best, and will break with anything past stock power. I blew a stock tranny and a stock diff and my car was doing 15.0@5500ft density altitude. That would be equivelant to approx a mid-low 14 at sea level. The stock rear end is also an open diff and it's a fair bit of work to rectify that discrepancy. It's not too bad a job to swap a t-5 in it however.

 

[Mr. Rustypwnz]

to say that you put a 2.3t into a car for cheap and ran 12's is not gonna happen unless you want to tune alot, have a big ic, big injectors, lots of gauges a wideband is mandatory at least, and lots of patience!!! ive been down this road, I really dont recomend this for a dd, it sucks having a car that dosent want to run all the time. hell funny story, the first day I had my license the timing belt snapped at about 6k!!!!