Merkur pricing

Is it just me or has the pricing of the xr4ti gone through the roof lately. I have been looking for one but it seems like people think their leaky, rusted XR with a blown head gasket is worth $1500+. Are the cheap ones hiding somewhere?

It seems any vehicle is like that nowadays. Good luck even trying to find a running car for under $700 on CL or anything these days.

Quote
Thomas Kimsey
Is it just me or has the pricing of the xr4ti gone through the roof lately. I have been looking for one but it seems like people think their leaky, rusted XR with a blown head gasket is worth $1500+. Are the cheap ones hiding somewhere?

Nope, they're for sure a good deal higher than 4-5 years ago.
Same with Volvo 240.

Drive a bit and deals can be found:

http://detroit.craigslist.org/okl/pts/4289834545.html
Merkur XR4ti Parts see pics and Scorpio Ford (Pontiac)
image 1image 2image 3image 4image 5image 6image 7image 8image 9
© craigslist - Map data © OpenStreetMap

(google map) (yahoo map)
Scorpio and Xr4ti parts
parting out 89 Xr4ti motor knocks c3 trans car still together
Gray Leather interior Seats have good leather the drivers has a little wear (holding for someone)
Hatches

What do you have in mind? evil intent? Willing to drive how far?
(You see the Estonian guy over the week-end? He's ready to leave his country to go get a 240 Volvo..those boys don't mess around!)

---

John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

Closer:
CL >new hampshire >all for sale / wanted >cars & trucks - by owner
x prohibited[?]

Posted: 29 days ago
1989 Merkur xr4ti - $1000 (Saugus ma)
image 1image 2image 3image 4image 5image 6



1989 Merkur xr4ti automatic transmission
Selling my rare Merkur XR4TI its a 2.3 turbo ford motor RWD, auto. Just blew the head gasket, I have 3 other vehicles and I'm trying to finish my project. Recently replaced the auto C3 to a known good one no slipping (that's why changed it to begin with) new front rotor,calipers, and pads since they didn't exist when I got the car. Manual boost control, mk3 vw front bumper and lip. New plugs, wires, ignition module, coil, valve cover gasket. I upgraded the MAF and ecu to a 3 inch t-bird MAF and ecu to calibrate it. Looking for $1000 call or text 781-316-5585 I may be interested in trades but I could use the money.

---

John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

Watch out for rust under the plastic sill covers. Fixing a rotten car can easily overcome the time and effort you need to put into leaks and head gaskets. I would be willing to pay much more for a rust free shell than a $500 pile of crap at this point. That is assuming you are going to race it and not just beat it around town. A little rust under the plastic covers might help you to bring the sellers back down to reality also.

Quote
john vanlandingham
Closer:
CL >new hampshire >all for sale / wanted >cars & trucks - by owner
x prohibited[?]

Posted: 29 days ago
1989 Merkur xr4ti - $1000 (Saugus ma)
image 1image 2image 3image 4image 5image 6

1989 Merkur xr4ti automatic transmission
Selling my rare Merkur XR4TI its a 2.3 turbo ford motor RWD, auto. Just blew the head gasket, I have 3 other vehicles and I'm trying to finish my project. Recently replaced the auto C3 to a known good one no slipping (that's why changed it to begin with) new front rotor,calipers, and pads since they didn't exist when I got the car. Manual boost control, mk3 vw front bumper and lip. New plugs, wires, ignition module, coil, valve cover gasket. I upgraded the MAF and ecu to a 3 inch t-bird MAF and ecu to calibrate it. Looking for $1000 call or text 781-316-5585 I may be interested in trades but I could use the money.

John, how common is it for the head gaskets to go on the 2.3 and is it any cause for concern? Also I had the idea that I wanted to get a car with a type 9 so I could have manual right off the bat but how intensive is the T5 swap?

Edit: Nevermind that car has been sold



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/11/2014 03:55PM by Thomas Kimsey.

Quote
MarkHille
Watch out for rust under the plastic sill covers. Fixing a rotten car can easily overcome the time and effort you need to put into leaks and head gaskets. I would be willing to pay much more for a rust free shell than a $500 pile of crap at this point. That is assuming you are going to race it and not just beat it around town. A little rust under the plastic covers might help you to bring the sellers back down to reality also.

Yeah rust free and New England doesn't work. Seems like the guys who have the rust free examples out west know it and reflect it in the price.

Quote
MConte05
It seems any vehicle is like that nowadays. Good luck even trying to find a running car for under $700 on CL or anything these days.

$1000 is the new standard for a running/driving piece of crap up here as long as it will pass an inspection. I used to be able to buy cheap cars for $500 or less all day long, fix them up a bit, drive them, then sell them for a bit of extra money. Not anymore

Hell, a 92-00 Civic that isn't rusty, is $2500+ up here with 200,000miles on it :0

It's the whole workforce problem.
More and more people earning extra money doing exactly what Adam just described drives up the value of used cars.
Why would you want a Merkur when you could rally a Fiesta?

---

Grant Hughes

Quote
NoCoast
It's the whole workforce problem.
More and more people earning extra money doing exactly what Adam just described drives up the value of used cars.
Why would you want a Merkur when you could rally a Fiesta?

Damn successful people, ruining it for the rest of us.

Quote
NoCoast
It's the whole workforce problem.
More and more people earning extra money doing exactly what Adam just described drives up the value of used cars.

You really think so? There are (IMO) less and less mechanically savy/car inclined individuals out there doing exactly what I do/did. Maybe the ability to have easy access to listings via the interwebs has just exacerbated the problem?

Quote
Thomas Kimsey

Quote
john vanlandingham
Closer:
CL >new hampshire >all for sale / wanted >cars & trucks - by owner
x prohibited[?]

Posted: 29 days ago
1989 Merkur xr4ti - $1000 (Saugus ma)
image 1image 2image 3image 4image 5image 6

1989 Merkur xr4ti automatic transmission
Selling my rare Merkur XR4TI its a 2.3 turbo ford motor RWD, auto. Just blew the head gasket, I have 3 other vehicles and I'm trying to finish my project. Recently replaced the auto C3 to a known good one no slipping (that's why changed it to begin with) new front rotor,calipers, and pads since they didn't exist when I got the car. Manual boost control, mk3 vw front bumper and lip. New plugs, wires, ignition module, coil, valve cover gasket. I upgraded the MAF and ecu to a 3 inch t-bird MAF and ecu to calibrate it. Looking for $1000 call or text 781-316-5585 I may be interested in trades but I could use the money.

John, how common is it for the head gaskets to go on the 2.3 and is it any cause for concern? Also I had the idea that I wanted to get a car with a type 9 so I could have manual right off the bat but how intensive is the T5 swap?

I've had Xratties go years and years with no problems and others inexplicably blow gaskets with light foot on stock stuff..
At this point I say that part of the problem is guys be trying all kinds of "brilliant ideas" like mondo turbos and dumb cams and trick injectors and be pounding on them, blow the gasket and they'll will surface head 2-4 times--after maybe overheating things good..

EVENTUALLY somebody---the next owner probably---is going to have to deck the block to get it back to the "stone-ax" reliability... Natch that means engine out and crank and pistons out...

So that's what I asked what you have in mind..

Cause if its for a rally build then we look at it as a good opportunity to do a simple freshen up..
Cranks almost never need anything thanks to a BIG and good pump...USUALLY the rod and main bearings are fine for re-use... Pistons, MOST of the time they are fine--good German Mahle forgings, finished in Brazil . Valve springs should be checked

Auto to T5 is easy just need the front half of a manual prop or eliminate the Guibo and re-tube the front half.

---

John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/11/2014 04:38PM by john vanlandingham.

Quote
john vanlandingham

Quote
Thomas Kimsey

Quote
john vanlandingham
Closer:
CL >new hampshire >all for sale / wanted >cars & trucks - by owner
x prohibited[?]

Posted: 29 days ago
1989 Merkur xr4ti - $1000 (Saugus ma)
image 1image 2image 3image 4image 5image 6

1989 Merkur xr4ti automatic transmission
Selling my rare Merkur XR4TI its a 2.3 turbo ford motor RWD, auto. Just blew the head gasket, I have 3 other vehicles and I'm trying to finish my project. Recently replaced the auto C3 to a known good one no slipping (that's why changed it to begin with) new front rotor,calipers, and pads since they didn't exist when I got the car. Manual boost control, mk3 vw front bumper and lip. New plugs, wires, ignition module, coil, valve cover gasket. I upgraded the MAF and ecu to a 3 inch t-bird MAF and ecu to calibrate it. Looking for $1000 call or text 781-316-5585 I may be interested in trades but I could use the money.

John, how common is it for the head gaskets to go on the 2.3 and is it any cause for concern? Also I had the idea that I wanted to get a car with a type 9 so I could have manual right off the bat but how intensive is the T5 swap?

I've had Xratties go years and years with no problems and others inexplicably blow gaskets with light foot on stock stuff..
At this point I say that part of the problem is guys be trying all kinds of "brilliant ideas" like mondo turbos and dumb cams and trick injectors and be pounding on them, blow the gasket and they'll will surface head 2-4 times--after maybe overheating things good..

EVENTUALLY somebody---the next owner probably---is going to have to deck the block to get it back to the "stone-ax" reliability... Natch that means engine out and crank and pistons out...

So that's what I asked what you have in mind..

Cause if its for a rally build then we look at it as a good opportunity to do a simple freshen up..
Cranks almost never need anything thanks to a BIG and good pump...USUALLY the rod and main bearings are fine for re-use... Pistons, MOST of the time they are fine--good German Mahle forgings, finished in Brazil . Valve springs should be checked

Auto to T5 is easy just need the front half of a manual prop or eliminate the Guibo and re-tube the front half.

Plan for me is to do some cone squishing (RallyX) to get used to the car on dirt/snow/gravel and improve my driving ability. Then once it makes sense go to stage with the same car.

Quote
Thomas Kimsey

Quote
john vanlandingham

Quote
Thomas Kimsey

Quote
john vanlandingham
Closer:
CL >new hampshire >all for sale / wanted >cars & trucks - by owner
x prohibited[?]

Posted: 29 days ago
1989 Merkur xr4ti - $1000 (Saugus ma)
image 1image 2image 3image 4image 5image 6

1989 Merkur xr4ti automatic transmission
Selling my rare Merkur XR4TI its a 2.3 turbo ford motor RWD, auto. Just blew the head gasket, I have 3 other vehicles and I'm trying to finish my project. Recently replaced the auto C3 to a known good one no slipping (that's why changed it to begin with) new front rotor,calipers, and pads since they didn't exist when I got the car. Manual boost control, mk3 vw front bumper and lip. New plugs, wires, ignition module, coil, valve cover gasket. I upgraded the MAF and ecu to a 3 inch t-bird MAF and ecu to calibrate it. Looking for $1000 call or text 781-316-5585 I may be interested in trades but I could use the money.

John, how common is it for the head gaskets to go on the 2.3 and is it any cause for concern? Also I had the idea that I wanted to get a car with a type 9 so I could have manual right off the bat but how intensive is the T5 swap?

I've had Xratties go years and years with no problems and others inexplicably blow gaskets with light foot on stock stuff..
At this point I say that part of the problem is guys be trying all kinds of "brilliant ideas" like mondo turbos and dumb cams and trick injectors and be pounding on them, blow the gasket and they'll will surface head 2-4 times--after maybe overheating things good..

EVENTUALLY somebody---the next owner probably---is going to have to deck the block to get it back to the "stone-ax" reliability... Natch that means engine out and crank and pistons out...

So that's what I asked what you have in mind..

Cause if its for a rally build then we look at it as a good opportunity to do a simple freshen up..
Cranks almost never need anything thanks to a BIG and good pump...USUALLY the rod and main bearings are fine for re-use... Pistons, MOST of the time they are fine--good German Mahle forgings, finished in Brazil . Valve springs should be checked

Auto to T5 is easy just need the front half of a manual prop or eliminate the Guibo and re-tube the front half.

Plan for me is to do some cone squishing (RallyX) to get used to the car on dirt/snow/gravel and improve my driving ability. Then once it makes sense go to stage with the same car.

OK in order of things to do:
DIFF
Brakes tip top
Some kind of cheap struts--KYB GR2 Fronts will do...

And of course the RIGHT T5 (flywheel, disc and PP is easy, pedal sets is easy, clutch cables are cheap new)

Have you seen the Supra diff mounting kit?

---

John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

Quote
john vanlandingham

OK in order of things to do:
DIFF
Brakes tip top
Some kind of cheap struts--KYB GR2 Fronts will do...

And of course the RIGHT T5 (flywheel, disc and PP is easy, pedal sets is easy, clutch cables are cheap new)

Have you seen the Supra diff mounting kit?

Yeah I have seen the setup for the Supra LSD. The first step for me is finding a car and getting it in decent shape. Working on a graduate school budget for the next year will limit what I can do until I start working full time next year.