STEVE MUNK'S 1989

A member of the Merkur Club of America


Driven off the new car lot by its original owner in January of 1990, my 1989 Merkur XR4Ti is one of the very last of its breed. The XR4Ti is actually a federalized version of Ford of Europe's Sierra in luxury sports car trim, assembled at the respected Wilhelm Karmann GmbH Coachworks in Rheine, Germany. Features of note include a turbocharged 2.3-liter 4-cylinder engine, 5-speed manual transmission, independent rear suspension, and near neutral (53% front/47% rear) weight distribution. The XR4Ti has 60/40 split folding rear seats, removable rear deck, and a huge rear hatch for station wagon-like cargo capacity. It also features metallic paint, glass sunroof, 15" alloy wheels shod with 195/60 Dunlop D60A2 JLB tires, grey leather interior, power windows, central locking, and heated side power mirrors. In its current state of modification (266 crank hp, 333lb/ft torque), this XR4Ti is fast with an estimated 145MPH top speed (transmission and RPM limited) and 5.8 second 0-60, handles very well, and is a lot of fun to drive. This is my second XR4Ti (of three) and I am very proud to own this special car. More photos are available.

Its first owner treated this XR with uncommon care and respect, keeping it spotlessly clean, garaged and covered (when not in use) during its entire pampered life in northern California. When I first saw the car after purchasing it in June of 1997 (sight-unseen but enthusiastically recommended by trusted agents), I was struck by how the interior of the car looked like it had never been used, as though the car had just come off the showroom floor yesterday, rather than almost 8 years before.

The mechanicals were treated in similar fashion, with all synthetic fluids, timely preventive maintenance, and significant cosmetic as well as performance upgrades. I have done my level best to continue in the first owner's footsteps. Though unavoidably the XR is occasionally exposed to the extreme cold weather of the Interior Alaskan winter, the car is kept in a heated garage as much as possible, and no dirt or dust is tolerated in or on it for long.

I intend to continue to upgrade the performance and appearance as far as budget and time allow in the next couple of years. My plan is for its final appearance to be similar to that of the Sierra RS Cosworth (see image at right), and I expect reliable engine performance will be in the neighborhood of 300-350 horsepower.

Modifications to date include:

  • Mechanical and Performance Modifications:
  • Suspension Modifications:
    • Spax 10-point adjustable front struts and 14-point adjustable rear shocks
    • Sierra Cosworth 28mm front and 16mm rear swaybars with BAT high-durometer urethane swaybar bushings
    • Rapido stock ride height front and rear springs (stiffer than stock)
    • Ford Group-N racing-spec inner and outer control arm bushings
    • BAT aluminum alloy rear shock tower brace
  • Body and Interior Modifications:
    • Sierra RS Cosworth [image] grille*
    • Left-hand drive European headlamps with 55W low beams, 100W high beams, 130W driving lamps[image]
    • HALMETER AF30 air/fuel ratio indicator (invaluable in tuning the mass-air system)
    • Alpine stereo system featuring 6-CD changer, Infinity speakers, and 10" Kicker SoloBaric subwoofer in sealed enclosure powered by US Acoustics 350 watt RMS amplifier.
    • Ford Motorsports black leather shift boot
    • MOMO "Superanatomico" black leather shift knob

* = Installed by original owner of the car

Planned modifications include, in approximate order of implementation:

  • Mechanical and Performance Modifications:
    • 42lb/hr fuel injectors
    • BAT SVT front brake kit (280mm SVT Rotors with large Thunderbird calipers)
    • 16"x7" wheels with 205/50 rubber
    • 65mm throttle body (stock is 50mm)
    • World-Class T5 transmission conversion (when the stock T9 "Hummer" 5-speed inevitably breaks due to all the engine modifications)
  • Body Modifications:
    • Sierra Cosworth hood with louvres (attempted acquisition from Great Britain in progress - may have to give up on this due to unobtanium status and instead just install Cossie louvres in stock hood and repaint)
    • Sierra RS Cosworth front bumper, fascia, and signal/fog lighting (already have but waiting on installation)
    • Sierra Cosworth wheel arches and side skirts (may give up on this due to unobtanium status and instead paint the stock cladding to match body color)
    • Stock rear bumper fascia painted to match body color
    • MC Rallying kevlar replica of Sierra RS Cosworth whale tail spoiler [image] (already have but waiting on installation)
    • Merkur badges replaced by European Ford badges

Questions or comments may be directed to me via email at fxstm@uaf.edu.

Steve Munk
Fairbanks, Alaska
2/13/2004

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