found this gem in the junkyard and thought about picking it up for a resto project.. but not too knowledegable in the merkur area, aside from the TC drivetrane.. wondering if it's worth saving, he doesn't want much for it. if it's not worth much restored to OEM condition, i was thinking about the possibility of a turbo EFI smallblock.. either way, it's a shame to see the poor car sitting there, going to waste when it's the first and only XR4Ti i've ever seen in my life..
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Merkurs can be had for cheap in decent shape, check craigslist. That looks like too much of a project... You could probably find one that needs less work for a reasonable price, and then come pick parts off that one.
I kinda wanted to find a Merkur Scorpio (same car, but 4 door and 2.9 v6) and do a 5.0 swap. I always liked Merkurs for the oddball factor, but I never drove one.
ChuckW, you have a page..lol
IIRC the 5spd's in the Merkurs are T-9's. There is a strong following for the cars but as said above, they dont bring a ton of cash.
I drove a bunch of them back in the 80's when I worked at the Ford dealership ... fun cars ... ugly as sin
There are a few Merkur's around Atlanta. Some in very nice shape. The Scorpio drives like a sharper first gen Taurus
I would honestly let that one die.
There are several Merkurs in the NE, so if you're actually interested, finding one wouldn't be too hard. Actually the bulk the cars still in the US are probably there.
Check out Merkur Club of America (http://forum.merkurclub.com/forum/) or MerkurSport (http://www.merkursport.com/)
Outside of the engine, the rest of the car is not easily sourced domestically. They have a loyal following, which is needed as a support group to help keep them on the road, since they were an orphaned line. Ford USA would completely disavow their existence if they could. They totally mismanaged the marque. I've had a couple of the XR4's and Scorpios, and still currently have a Scorp (which is in pieces right now).
Better off saving this one.
http://allentown.craigslist.org/cto/2058159853.html
talk about a much better deal lol.. if they're not worth anything, than i wouldn't mind molesting the hell out of 1.. but instead, i'd rather save the SN-95 that's sitting in the same yard for 200.. i at least know what that's worth, even though they're ugly a ball sack in my opinion
Id do the Mekur. More of a "WOW" factor. Plus as a Mustang guy....well....its a Stang....Much like an asshole. Everyone has one.
Mustangs make good donors/parts cars.
it's a 3.8 car with billet wheels and aftermarket lights (headlights, tail lights).. i'd rather drive 10 minutes to get that than an hour plus for a merkur.. i can get more for the stang if the merkur's aren't really worth anything.. especially because stangs are far more appealing to most ford guys