Don’t get rid of this car. The value has deeper sentimental value, but the values of the XR4TI are going up. I’ve owned mine for 10 years and I’m never getting rid of it.

I fell in love with the XR4Ti back in the mid 80's. I finally got to take one for a test spin at Reedman Chevrolet (it had the auto transmission) and I was hooked by how fast it was (for that time). My story parallels your father's. I could afford the car, not the insurance. Thanks for sharing the video with us...Your father's expression when he saw the car was priceless. I was so happy for him. Hopefully one day I can find one just as clean. I wish the XR4Ti would have been marketed better. It was a good car that should have had a longer run.

I had 2 Xr4Ti's. An 1986 Xr4Ti dual spoiler 3 speed automatic. The 3 speed auto drove me nuts without an overdrive! So when I had a chance to buy a 1988 with at 5 speed manual I jumped on it. Loved the car!

This is an awesome car in the condition that it's in! For ANY performance modifications, it uses most of the SVO Mustang platform, so all turbo and head related things are going to be cheap and easy to find!

My high school dream car. I am determined to own one before I get too old to work on cars.🤩🤩🤩

I bought one exactly like this in 1986. Great little car. My insurance was nothing like his. I put 68,000 on mine in one year.

Love this! When I was growing up my dad had about 4 of these. Silver one as his daily, red one for his autocross car, and then 2 other parts cars. Also had some sierras and has an escort cosworth right now in the garage fully built for rally. Special cars forsure

Thats awsome ive been on the hunt for my dads dream car 57 Chevy but he has his dream truck an ol Dodge Ram Charger

Great example!! It’s a curious combination. It has to be a super late production 87 because the logos on the back hatch are 1988(which can happen I’ve had late 87s with 88parts) but it’s has plastic cladding rather then mono paint. On the driver side shock tower it might still have the date stamp. Also, Jeff Herson at Merkur parts Midwest can help it stay on the road

That’s a great XR4Ti example. The Sierra folks now are seeking this edition.

Awesome Situation Awesome Car !!

That's a NICE find~!!! Looks super clean well kept. Very lucky. They are super hard to find these days. BTW, you are a good son for doing all that to get it for dad.

I had one back in my early 20's (53 years old now) and yes, it was awesome. 2700#'s??? No wonder it was so quick! It's basically a mustang SVO that looks much cooler.

I love this car!!!

It reminds me of fords version of an older supra celica

The XR4TI community is rather interractive too - a few vendors available for them and LOTS of information for them. I myself just recently bought an 87 Merkur XR4TI - and in the UK the UK version is the Ford Sierra Cosworth.

I had one in the early 90's super fun to drive. The manual gear box was a blast. Sorry I sold it :(

Other than age related wear, the only two common trouble areas, through my research, are turbo heat and the T9 reliability, both can be addressed but I don’t know at what cost.

Great to see another one saved and she is a nice one too. Good thing you bought it before Darren because he likes to test drive them and wreck them then walk away from the deal. Ask me how I know I have the car he wanted and wrecked. Let me know if you want the pictures. He’s a bull in a china shop. He did have the video up on his page of the car he wrecked until I commented on the car and it mysteriously disappeared.

I had an '87 for about five years, and I think it's the best year for these cars. One thing I noticed that seems unusual for a car that is in such original condition: the Merkur script on the hatch on your car is for the '88-'89 models. The '87 came with a Merkur badge (like on the front) located on the right rear of the hatch. Other than that, this car appears to be unmodified.

Love this car I had one before very fun to drive!!!

That’s awesome dude. Good stuff !

When these cars were new, Ford had a hard time selling these European Fords in America. The market was very lukewarm.😮

I almost bought a XR4TI back in High School like 2005 maybe. It was an auto. Pretty neat car but it smoked a bit lol

there is one in Victoria Canada.. Mint but swapped with a 302. almost 15 000$ Can

I bought a set of takeoff Mustang 5.0 LX wheels and tires from Saleen around 1987 sold the tires (didn't fit the Merkur correctly). Bought 205 -40-15's goodyears front with 235-50-15's Rear. with the FORD center caps like a (Ford Sierra). Installed an Intercooler and tinted headlight covers the car was Black with grey leather and stick. I had 2 Mazda RX-7's before this car. an 83 GSL which an Eldorado rolled me over and a 85 GSL that I traded to get the Merkur. ( Needed the room) I miss that car.

Damn nice car. Most oem I have seen yet. Kinda sad to have it get chopped up for a track car. But I get it.

Very cool, nice clean car. Congrats to your father and big props to you for going to pick it up for him. I just picked up an 89 with some of the Sierra RS500 bits and many other upgrades.

Also one of my dreams

Does the wings give it 5 more horsepower?

Did that woman drive 18 hours? Because he kept hugging her as if she did. If anyone deserved a hug it was you bro!

Check if your pops would like to buy my 4 door Scorpio merkur 1988 125000 miles still runs

Its my dreamcar too... I will bring one to Europe one day. I've had an XR4i.. Please don't autocross it.. I would never tune and change a clean one as this

Mare-coor.