1989 5 Speed XR Build Three

[andyofcolumbusmerkur]

Build up number three.
Part one: Sun Valley Performance build in Arizona late 1990's
Part two: Barberton Ohio after trip to Carlisle 2013
Part three: Barberton Ohio Summer 2023 (and Spring 2024)

[andyofcolumbusmerkur]

Only pictures I could find of car from the Sun Valley Performance days.

[merkurdriver]

So much yellow at Sun Valley

[my8950]

I've never heard of Sun Valley, but I am 99% sure that car with the yellow was in Michigan about 25 years ago...

[andyofcolumbusmerkur]

I've never heard of Sun Valley, but I am 99% sure that car with the yellow was in Michigan about 25 years ago...

It was in Michigan. That guy had it awhile before selling it to Mike at the Merkur Depot. I don't think it was driven in the winter while in Michigan since it's really clean underneath. SVP made a lot of custom parts way back when. Seems like they copied some of the David Godfrey stuff and also made some things of their own.

[andyofcolumbusmerkur]

My Mom actually bought it from Mike and then years later I purchased it. Here it is at Carlisle. Wasn't on the show field but was at the hotel parking lot. I also have a bunch of paperwork from when the original owner had repairs done in Oregon and California. I wonder what he's driving these days. The guy from Michigan got all into some other German car marque, which from what I hear are nothing but problems, and not nearly as cool as the Merkur. His loss.

[my8950]

My Mom actually bought it from Mike and then years later I purchased it. Here it is at Carlisle. Wasn't on the show field but was at the hotel parking lot. I also have a bunch of paperwork from when the original owner had repairs done in Oregon and California. I wonder what he's driving these days. The guy from Michigan got all into some other German car marque, which from what I hear are nothing but problems, and not nearly as cool as the Merkur. His loss.

Guy in Michigan lives over by our shop. He actually bought a car off the forum here that had been for sale for years, the Carlisle give away car.
Then he YB swapped it, converted to 4x4, or AWD, and then sold it probably 6 months or so ago...

[andyofcolumbusmerkur]

The car looked good from a distance. The whale tail got a little too much attention. Every fart can equipped car wanted to race. I wasn't really digging the fake Cosworth sticker and fiberglass wing. One time I came outside to find a cop car behind me in the parking lot. Of course I thought oh no I'm going to be in trouble for street racing or something. The cops just wanted to know if it really was an RS Cosworth.

[andyofcolumbusmerkur]

Even though the car was very clean, there were some areas I treated with Ospho rust converter before going to paint. Some chips around the front fender and hood area. A small spot against the weather stripping on the hatch. A small spot against the weather stripping on the passenger side door. And a spot from when the lower cladding, arches, front bumper, and rear bumper were removed for their yellow paint. It wasn't noticeable with the rear bumper on, but I didn't want it to get worse. I really hate rust. Nearly 10 years later those areas look just fine. This is when I put a used base model Sierra front bumper on the car.

[andyofcolumbusmerkur]

[andyofcolumbusmerkur]

[andyofcolumbusmerkur]

[DAReese]

The car looked good from a distance. The whale tail got a little too much attention. Every fart can equipped car wanted to race. I wasn't really digging the fake Cosworth sticker and fiberglass wing. One time I came outside to find a cop car behind me in the parking lot. Of course I thought oh no I'm going to be in trouble for street racing or something. The cops just wanted to know if it really was an RS Cosworth.

Mike got some attention when he had the Sapphire Cossie from the Barberton police. Wonder if it was the same one.

[andyofcolumbusmerkur]

I don't know their names so I can't say for sure if they are the same Euro Ford fans or not, but I definitely thought I was in trouble when I saw them checking out my car. Can you edit the above post so it doesn't show the same photos a second time? I plan to add a bunch more photos showing what it looks like now. When it's back on the road I will have to drive on over and get a pic of both cars parked together.

[andyofcolumbusmerkur]