After two years of ordering parts from the UK my 4x4 3dr Replica is now complete. This car was built using the shell from the US Sierra (Merkur XR4Ti). The car has the entire running gear from a 1992 green top Sierra Sapphire 4x4, in addition to the kit I also did the single rear glass conversion and also managed to get a very clean 3dr interior, including dash and clocks.

What do you guys think?

This is what it started out as




Finished product











Wes

 

Looks good mate.....

Nice project..

 

Wow shes finished Wes!!!! Looks amazing matey. How does she drive?

 

that looks minty
ive never seen one with the rear glass like that

 

 

Thanks fellas, it's been a long sometimes frustrating project but all well worth it at the end. I always wanted a Cosworth but Ford never sent them over here and the CosEsco was too expeensive to import (3drs are not legal here) so I decided build my own.

She drives great, just as it did before all the bodywork but a bit nicer since I added the Konis. Thanks again for all your help John

Wes

 

Anymore pics of it through the build process?

 

Pics of the build (bodyshop) is here mate...

http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y28...hop%20rebuild/

 

love the car you have pm

 

Replied...

BTW anyone fancy making me a sig... I'm too lazy to do my own

 

Fantastic

 

I will do you a good sig Wes

 

Thanks mate

 

Impressive that the rear quarter glass have been converted to one single glass!

Good conversion!!

Still on the vacuum servo then!

 

I was only able to do the single glass because I also had the sheetmetal from a 3dr.

The servo is still there because ABS was not offered on US cars (except for the Scorpio, UK Granada) and it's such a pain... not to mention finding replacement parts.
I may still do it just to make the car look more authentic...

 

good work there mate
how come you couldnt import one. why is it not legal?

 

top work

 

Cracking job

 

thats really cool mate, love the rear quater window conversion! how come they aint legal over there??

 

Thanks for all the complements I'm proud to say the kit and bumpers are all genuine bits, I hate all the work need to fit fiberglass bits.

Apparently there are some US DOT/EPA regulation and standards that the Sierras do not meet, e.g. 5mph impact bumpers, side impact bars inside the doors, emissions equipment, no side mounted reflectors or lights, etc, etc. There is so much that they (the gov't) feels that the car can not be brought into spec to make it road legal here. On the other hand the small turbo Escorts being a newer car had most of these taken care of, so with minor mods can be coverted to satisfy the DOT/EPA regulations and be made road legal for the states.

The problem for me with the Escort (I really wanted one but who does'nt ) is the price and the additional $10K I would have to pay a registered importer to do the necessary conversion, most of which I could probably do myself but would not be allowed to.

A few more pics...









Cheers

 

This car looks even better in person!! Looks sooo freakin mint! Won first place in his class. There have been other rear glass conversions but NOTHING like this one!

Still, no thanks to Erik

 

Thank you Erik...

 

awsome car mate...

i am greek and i moved in the US 4 months ago. In Greece there is a huge market/fanclub for cossies and obviously i am one of the fanatics...

your car is stunning...

If you ever decise to sell the beauty, which i doubt it, contact me...

 

Thanks...

Welcome to America, I have a friend from Greece who always teases me about his cousin's Cosworth, now I have my own

Where in NY are you? I work in the city and sometime go to Brooklyn on the weekends.

Unless I can find a Cossie Escort reasonably priced here this car will not be forsale for a long, long, long time.

 

I think he's in Queens somewhere. I've asked him before.

 

Looks amazeing that top notch fella

 

hows this for your sig fella

 

Whitestone, Queens.

I guess we can meet one day for a coffee or a drink. I'd love to see your cars...

Being cossie owners makes me wanna be your best friend...

 

Kouzman,
I'm going to have another meet in Liberty State Park in Jersey City next month, PM me your email and I'll let you know. Oh, Liberty State Park is where Ellis Island is and you can see the Statue of Liberty and all lower Manhattan.

 

I may be down in the city with the car this weekend, PM me your number and i'll give you a buzz.

Wes

 

How have all the other people reacted to it, the mustang and corvette owners?

 

They have no idea what it is... Then again no one knows what a Merkur is either
I did have someone ask me this past weekend if it was an Escort or some kind of Mustang, I just say it's a European Ford. I may have to get plates that say Euro Ford

 

That will do nicely...

1 stEscort also offered to do me one... Can I run two sigs

 

Quality work, looks mint

 

Stunning mate
just what ford should have done

 

Pshhh, most Stang owners look down on anything Ford that isn't a Slowstang

 

The Mustang owners here like to refer to our little 4 cylinder motors as half a motor. The last guy I raced in my 2.3L Turbo 4 got pissed off when he realized my Mustang SVO was not powered by a V8.

My now sold Mustang SVO 2.3L Turbo... this is a 1985 1\2 model and one of 439 made that mid-year. Last dyno run with low boost 15-16psi) it made 262hp/299tq to the rear wheels.







My wife was actually trying to convince me to buy it back

Wes

 

Well done mate. You had teh balls to do it and pulled it off well.