XR4Ti Change Delineation Thread

XR4Ti / Sierra / Sierra Cosworth Discussions - Questions, problem resolution, general talk, technical tips and modifications.
Post Reply
Merkur Club web site
User avatar
merkurdriver
Level 8
Posts: 6365
Joined: Tue Jan 21, 2003 4:29 pm
Location: Northeast Ohio
Contact:

Post by merkurdriver »

jasonty wrote: What about the "XR4Ti" stickers on the doors ala Kate Ertls cars?
1985 year only. (I've seen those door decals NOS, so they are a genuine Ford part)
User avatar
merkurdriver
Level 8
Posts: 6365
Joined: Tue Jan 21, 2003 4:29 pm
Location: Northeast Ohio
Contact:

Post by merkurdriver »

grondie wrote:
1988 Black :D, it is a late 88 though :cheers Chris, are you saying they changed the interior fabric style before the 86MY? I have a 5/85 that has the original window-pane style.

Image
Black cladding strip in an mono white 88? I'm going to guess that car also has the BBS-stlye wheels on it then? Seems like all black trim mono-whites have the BBS and the silver trim mono-whites have the spatulas.
User avatar
grondie
Administrator
Posts: 166
Joined: Thu Jul 01, 2004 6:25 pm
Location: Burlington, NJ
Contact:

Post by grondie »

merkurdriver wrote:
grondie wrote:
1988 Black :D, it is a late 88 though :cheers Chris, are you saying they changed the interior fabric style before the 86MY? I have a 5/85 that has the original window-pane style.
Black cladding strip in an mono white 88? I'm going to guess that car also has the BBS-stlye wheels on it then? Seems like all black trim mono-whites have the BBS and the silver trim mono-whites have the spatulas.
Bingo, I've always called the cars with BBS style wheels 88.5's.. I actually kind of like the silver trim on them though..

Image
Bob in NJ

85 White XR / 85 Nimbus Gray XR / 88 White XR Automagic! / 89 Black Scorpio
anglin
Level 7
Level 7
Posts: 2449
Joined: Thu Apr 22, 2004 3:20 pm
Location: Hartford, CT
Contact:

Post by anglin »

grondie wrote:Chris, are you saying they changed the interior fabric style before the 86MY? I have a 5/85 that has the original window-pane style.
I'm pretty sure the fabric change occured in the middle of 85 somewhere. I think there are 85s with the herringbone fabric. Then again, the car with the window-pane fabric was sold to me as an 86. Hrm.

Here's a functional question. I'm (obviously) hosting my "change" pictures away from the MCA server. In the event that I fall off the face of the earth, my pictures go away. Is there a way we can host the pictures from this topic on the MCA web space once we get the details nailed down?
Anglin email: - anglin at mc2racing.com
www.mc2racing.com
User avatar
Rooster
Level 5
Level 5
Posts: 603
Joined: Tue Oct 17, 2006 6:43 pm
Location: Bergen County, New Jersey, U.S.A.

Post by Rooster »

My 1985 was built in 6-1985 I have the checkerboard gut :) so what year did the change over happen in?
-Rooster..
1985 Merkur XR4Ti "New plan"
1986 Merkur XR4Ti Stock, Low miles unmodded will be that way 4ever
1989 Merkur Scorpio white and Tan "Casper" Daily Driven
Image
85xr
Level 2
Level 2
Posts: 158
Joined: Sat Oct 04, 2008 7:18 am
Location: dayton oh

xr4ti change delineation thread

Post by 85xr »

85's have a larger courtesy light in the kickpanel than the 86's.
User avatar
Rooster
Level 5
Level 5
Posts: 603
Joined: Tue Oct 17, 2006 6:43 pm
Location: Bergen County, New Jersey, U.S.A.

Post by Rooster »

thats true we need pictures of that tho
-Rooster..
1985 Merkur XR4Ti "New plan"
1986 Merkur XR4Ti Stock, Low miles unmodded will be that way 4ever
1989 Merkur Scorpio white and Tan "Casper" Daily Driven
Image
User avatar
DPDISXR4Ti
Site Admin
Posts: 14789
Joined: Wed Jan 08, 2003 11:40 pm
Location: New York

Post by DPDISXR4Ti »

merkurdriver wrote:Black cladding strip in an mono white 88? I'm going to guess that car also has the BBS-stlye wheels on it then? Seems like all black trim mono-whites have the BBS and the silver trim mono-whites have the spatulas.
Hmmm, not sure that's correct Mike, but I'm not 100% on this one. I think my 3/88 white car had spatulas originally, and it has the black trim stripe. My 7/87 mono-white car had the maroon stripe.

Incidentally, 3/88 automatic cars got the 150 speedo face, while that didn't seem to happen on the 5-speed cars until 4/88. My 3/88 5-speed had a 85 MPH speedo face.
Last edited by DPDISXR4Ti on Sun Aug 02, 2009 2:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Brad
User avatar
DPDISXR4Ti
Site Admin
Posts: 14789
Joined: Wed Jan 08, 2003 11:40 pm
Location: New York

Post by DPDISXR4Ti »

anglin wrote:
grondie wrote:Chris, are you saying they changed the interior fabric style before the 86MY? I have a 5/85 that has the original window-pane style.
I'm pretty sure the fabric change occured in the middle of 85 somewhere. I think there are 85s with the herringbone fabric.
I'm gonna wave the BS flag on this one. :BS I've never seen an original '85 with the herringbone fabric. Never.

On hosting this info, yes, I think this will absolutely be worth hosting on the new site w/ pics. But one step at a time. Bob's plate is already overflowing and they're bringing another of potato skins over....
Brad
User avatar
DPDISXR4Ti
Site Admin
Posts: 14789
Joined: Wed Jan 08, 2003 11:40 pm
Location: New York

Post by DPDISXR4Ti »

aviatorpa23 wrote:No wing - and can not find evidence that this hatch ever had a wing installed - nor do the mounting bolts look like they have ever had a wrench on them - but if no XRs ever shipped without a wing, I suspect that this is a replacement hatch and a wing was never mounted to it. Paint looks very orginal, but then there are artists out there with a paint gun.
Right. No XR ever came from the factory without ANY wing. The hatch/wing change was one item that was tightly tied to the '87 -- '88 model year change-over. All '87 M.Y. are bi-wing "small glass"; all '88 M.Y. are mono-wing "large glass".

The "MERKUR" script on the rear hatch however arrived early, replacing the badge. All 7/87 cars (these would all be 1987 M.Y.), have the script. Anyone with a 6/87 car?
Brad
User avatar
DPDISXR4Ti
Site Admin
Posts: 14789
Joined: Wed Jan 08, 2003 11:40 pm
Location: New York

Post by DPDISXR4Ti »

Here's another one to pin-point....

When did the upgrade to the T-9 occur when it got the removable counter-shaft retainer? 9/86 (early '87 M.Y.) was still the "old" style. By 3/87 the new one had arrived. Note, although an upgrade, the removable retainer provided one more location for a leak to develop!
Brad
User avatar
merkurdriver
Level 8
Posts: 6365
Joined: Tue Jan 21, 2003 4:29 pm
Location: Northeast Ohio
Contact:

Post by merkurdriver »

DPDISXR4Ti wrote: My 7/87 mono-white car had the maroon stripe.
87.5 bi-wing car or 88 single wing car? If its a bi-wing 87.5 that totally makes sense, but if its a 88 single wing with the maroon stripe that would be interesting.
User avatar
merkurdriver
Level 8
Posts: 6365
Joined: Tue Jan 21, 2003 4:29 pm
Location: Northeast Ohio
Contact:

Post by merkurdriver »

DPDISXR4Ti wrote: I've never seen an original '85 with the herringbone fabric. Never.
( x 2 )
User avatar
DPDISXR4Ti
Site Admin
Posts: 14789
Joined: Wed Jan 08, 2003 11:40 pm
Location: New York

Post by DPDISXR4Ti »

merkurdriver wrote:
DPDISXR4Ti wrote: My 7/87 mono-white car had the maroon stripe.
87.5 bi-wing car or 88 single wing car? If its a bi-wing 87.5 that totally makes sense, but if its a 88 single wing with the maroon stripe that would be interesting.
Anything through 7/87 would be a '87 M.Y. (and yes, I had to go back any edit these posts - I initially mistakenly said 6/87)
Brad
anglin
Level 7
Level 7
Posts: 2449
Joined: Thu Apr 22, 2004 3:20 pm
Location: Hartford, CT
Contact:

Post by anglin »

merkurdriver wrote:... but if its a 88 single wing with the maroon stripe that would be interesting.
You mean like this?

Image

Image

I don't have the originals of these pictures. IIRC, the car belonged to a guy who had a pretty serious underhood fire which totalled the car. I snagged the pics a few years ago (pre-2000-ish) and then cut the burned parts of the car out of the picture so I could use them here.

The fact that the pictures are so old is the only reason why I think that this might be a legitimate combination/unmolested example.
Anglin email: - anglin at mc2racing.com
www.mc2racing.com
Post Reply