A Farewell To My Merkur XR4Ti

"Matthew Keyser" (teisco15)
08/11/2016 at 15:12 • Filed to: Top Gear, Merkur, Merkur XR4Ti, Bring a Trailer

“I should’ve bought a Miata” I said to myself while staring at my new car. It was dirty, noisy, and had puked coolant all over itself after having to be pushed up the driveway. Now, two and a half years later, I’m extremely glad that I didn’t.

(If you aren’t familiar with this particular car, you can click !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! to get caught up.)

Miata may always be the answer, but it just wasn’t for me. I didn’t know what I wanted when I started looking for my first car, but I knew I didn’t want something ordinary, and I defy anybody to tell me that my first car story is “ordinary.”

It all started on September 26th, 1986 when a man named Leonard Borden went into a Ford dealership in Illinois and purchased a black, automatic Merkur XR4Ti. Over the years of ownership, Borden had the car modified with lowering springs, Koni suspension, four wheel disc brakes, Sierra Cosworth headlights and hood vents, a Borla exhaust, and several other odds and ends.

As Mr. Hardigree said in his !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! highlighting the sale of the car, which we will get to in a minute, Leonard bought the car after being diagnosed with kidney cancer, and he defied all odds when he made the last payment on the car in person.

This picture was sent to me by Jeff Herson of Merkur Midwest. The picture features the eventual Top Gear car, the original owner in the center with his back to the camera, my father rockin’ the jorts, and 11 year old me in the brown shirt.

The story of the car after Leonard’s ownership has been pretty well documented. It was quickly reverted back to as stock as possible and had a manual transmission swap by !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! before being driven out to California for use on Top Gear. At the end of the show, the car was bought by Rutledge Wood who took it home to Georgia to little fanfare from his wife. That is where Matt Hardigree stepped in.

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! was the first Jalopnik article I ever read and I was instantly hooked. Thankfully I was in the right place at the right time and I wound up taking delivery almost exactly a year after Hardigree.

My secret goal was to remedy all of the issues highlighted by Travis Okulski when Hardigree bought the car and I am happy to report that I was largely successful barring the red paint.

After my first night of ownership, I had an unfamiliar urge to write. Because of this urge and the success of the articles that resulted, I will soon be moving several hours away from my hometown to Muncie, Indiana where I will be studying journalism at Ball State University.

As much as I love the Merkur, I don’t really have a place to keep a second car while I’m off at school, and I know even if I could find somewhere it wouldn’t get driven, wouldn’t get taken care of, and would eventually deteriorate past the point of repair.

So rather than watch my first car die an inglorious death that no car deserves, I figured it’d be best to let it find a new home.

I auctioned the car through !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , which you might be aware of if you saw this aforementioned !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! by former-owner Matt Hardigree, if you heard me on the Untitled Car Show Podcast !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , or if you’re one of my seven followers on social media where I posted about it !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

The week of the auction was one of the most stressful weeks of my young life. I actually managed to crash the mail app on my iPhone from refreshing it constantly despite most of the notifications being comments bashing me for being young.

When all was said and done, the car wound up going to a great home. The new owner drove the car back to Wisconsin where he plans to enjoy it with his car-loving six year old son.

This is the proud new owner of the Top Gear Merkur.

One thing that people seem to forget about my ownership is that this was my first car. I did kid stuff in it. I drove it to take my SATs, I went on dates in it, and on one rainy afternoon I held a heroic and completely unintentional drift on a highway offramp.

Speaking of dates, it is worth noting that picking up a girl in a bright red old car with two wings, no air conditioning, and a virtually unpronounceable name is pretty risky. Especially if her father is outside.

While giving a teenage boy a car like this may sound like a recipe for disaster, I was determined to prove the naysayers wrong. I was also terrified by the prospect of having to write about !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! my Merkur.

The closest I ever came to an accident during my ownership of the Merkur was when I was almost rear-ended by a DeLorean DMC-12 the day before the new owner arrived to take it home. This left part of me wishing I had the opportunity to write a truly one of a kind story, and the other part of me grateful that I didn’t have to give the owner his money back.

The result of me treating my sub-$3,000 car like something that was to be preserved and improved upon means that I am one of the few 18 year olds to sell a car in better condition than I bought it.

All hail Bob Lutz!

Throughout my ownership of the car I !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! it to a new Mustang, my soon to be roommate and I made a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! about a small road trip we took which his audio video production teacher praised as “not crap,” and it even had a cameo in a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! we made for school.

One thing I didn’t get the chance to do with my Merkur was write a “review” of it. This was mostly down to the fact that I hadn’t driven enough cars to know how things are supposed to feel.

Now, however, I have. I’ve even written a review for a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , which pretty much means I’m a trustworthy source of automotive information.

Rather than bore you with suspension travel-based hyperbole and lamenting the loss of steering feel in modern cars, I figured I would focus on the interesting things.

The pedals for example. The brake and the throttle are impossibly close together, and while I initially thought this was a result of the car being converted to a manual from an automatic, I’ve been assured that this is what all 1986 Merkur footwells look like.

The upside? Heel-toe rev matching is damn near easier than breathing. After a few days behind the wheel, you don’t even have to think about it, it just happens.

The downside? Someone like myself who was given big, dumb feet has to get used to either buying narrow shoes, or take one shoe off while driving.

A majority of the time, I chose the latter.

The throw between gears is almost truck-like. The transmission does not like to be rushed, but that seems to be the nature of the car in general. You don’t slam it down into gear and chuck it into a corner, you gently slide it into gear, you get your braking done before you turn in, and you ride the surge of turbocharged power out of it.

The Merkur isn’t at home roads that are too technical, it’s a cruiser that prefers wide open sweepers and long straightaways. It encourages you to drive quickly, but not like an idiot. Once you get acclimated to how the car likes to be driven, you’ll soon find yourself very lost and very far away from home with a massive smile on your face.

Very lost and very far away from home with a massive smile on my face.

So you might now be wondering what’s next, I am “the kid with the Top Gear Merkur” after all.

As far as a car is concerned, my parents wanted me to get something practical and utilitarian to drive back and forth to school. Something endlessly reliable and mind-numbingly boring. What I actually wound up buying is a high-milage 2007 Volkswagen GTI from two Hispanic gentlemen and a rooster, but that’s a story for another time.

As for me, I will be starting my first semester of college in less than a week and despite the Merkur starting a new life with a new owner, I certainly don’t think you’ve heard the last from me.

And with that, here ends my last Merkur article. It’s been a joy to own, a joy to drive, and a joy sharing my experiences with all of you. I’d like to thank !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! for all of their advice and help sourcing parts, my parents for letting me buy such a contraption, my grandmother for reading everything I write, and all the good people at Jalopnik for sharing and supporting my writing over the years.

The Merkur has the Jalopnik bump.

I owned three cars for a few months. Here was my fleet.

Long road ahead.

The Merkurs last trip to the first place I ever went in it: Wendy’s.

Good times, bad times, you know I’ve had my share.

DISCUSSION (100)

Takuro Spirit > Matthew Keyser
08/11/2016 at 15:17

back to Wisconsin

No... NO! Keep that thing out of my state!

Just kidding, I hope to see it around. Do you know specifically WHERE in WI?

McMike > Matthew Keyser
08/11/2016 at 15:22

enjoy it with his car-loving six year old son.

Who will ask when the time is right:

“Dad, what is a Top Gear?”

“Dad, What is a Jalopnik?”

dogisbadob > Matthew Keyser
08/11/2016 at 15:22

Good luck with school and the GTI

bobbe17 > Takuro Spirit
08/11/2016 at 15:26

I agree with this question. I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for it.

Arrivederci > Matthew Keyser
08/11/2016 at 15:29

Oy - a 2007 GTI? That really throws that whole “endlessly reliable” request from your parents right back in their face, eh? Good luck with both the new ride and at Ball State! Fun fact about Ball State, my cousin’s husband used to be student body president!

Jeb_Hoge > Matthew Keyser
08/11/2016 at 15:29

What I actually wound up buying is a high-milage 2007 Volkswagen GTI from two Hispanic gentlemen and a rooster

Kinja'd!!!

RWD-by-the-Sea > Matthew Keyser
08/11/2016 at 15:29

This was incredibly well-written and a delight to read. Thank you.

RallyWrench > Matthew Keyser
08/11/2016 at 15:31

This was a great synopsis of your time with it, I didn’t know you had crossed paths with the car when younger, that’s really cool. Glad it’s found an enthusiastic home.

Takuro Spirit > McMike
08/11/2016 at 15:31

To which dad’s reply shall be “Go to fuck a camel, son. Go to fuck a camel.”

Matt Nichelson > Matthew Keyser
08/11/2016 at 15:32

Awesome write-up! Good luck with school and moving on.

Kinja'd!!!

Matthew Keyser > Arrivederci
08/11/2016 at 15:40

That took quite a bit of convincing, so far so good though! Thank you!

Matthew Keyser > dogisbadob
08/11/2016 at 15:41

Thank you very much!

Matthew Keyser > Matt Nichelson
08/11/2016 at 15:41

Thank you!

Matthew Keyser > Jeb_Hoge
08/11/2016 at 15:42

That story will come in time. It was quite the series of events.

Matthew Keyser > Takuro Spirit
08/11/2016 at 15:44

“North of Union Grove” wherever that is.

He plans to take it to car shows and such in the SE Wisconsin area.

Takuro Spirit > Matthew Keyser
08/11/2016 at 15:45

Ah okay. Union Grove is a small town with a big drag strip, the only NHRA sanctioned one in our state.

wesleyCrowbar > Matthew Keyser
08/11/2016 at 15:48

There's a new guy at my job with one of these. Something tells me he doesn't know or doesn't care what he has, judging by the condition of it. Paint is good, but it's missing some body panels and curbed wheels/flat tire.

AfromanGTO > Matthew Keyser
08/11/2016 at 16:04

Good luck in college! Nice write up, and maybe one day you’ll be able to write about a Group B rally car!

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > McMike
08/11/2016 at 16:05

“Well son, Jalopnik used to be a automotive site before Gawker posted a video of Hulk Hogan screwing Bubba the Love Sponge’s wife."

Matthew Keyser > AfromanGTO
08/11/2016 at 16:27

Thank you!

JGrabowMSt > Matthew Keyser
08/11/2016 at 16:53

As a veteran of the Communications/TVDM/Journalism college experience, it is hard, you will learn to hate it, and it will be the best experience of your life.

Make sure you get along with your professors. If you find yourself not getting along well, or seemingly unable to produce work your professor likes, find a way to repair that, and quickly. Ive had professors hate my writing style, and attempt to change it. Ive had other professors that have asked to use my work as future examples in their classes. You dont have to be an A+ student to have learned a lot. Make mistakes and learn from them, dont obsess over being perfect 100% of the time.

Whatever you do, do not settle for a poor situation, this is your education at stake.

Also, make lots of friends, and go on crazy adventures that get you stuck on the side of the road for hours. Your best writing will come from the facts of your stories. Also, when I get home tonight Ill let you know a book to get, read and learn to love. If you find that you make it through college and it was never assigned, you’ll be in a better position.

Matthew Keyser > JGrabowMSt
08/11/2016 at 17:02

Thank you, I really appreciate any and all advice.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Matthew Keyser
08/11/2016 at 20:54

You might want to check out AMS Tuning’s FB page. This apparently was the first car they worked on. It was their TBT.

Matthew Keyser > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
08/11/2016 at 21:08

Thanks for point that out! It's really cool!

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Matthew Keyser
08/11/2016 at 21:11

Great article by the way!

RacinBob > Matthew Keyser
08/11/2016 at 21:18

Well Bought, Sell Sold. Net gain for both. The Merkur’s new home is about 20 miles from where our LeMons car is stored. It’s the world’s only ford 2.3 Opel Gt. Stop up at Gingerman in October, we will be there.....

Under_Score > Matthew Keyser
08/11/2016 at 22:05

This is awesome; I’m glad you got so much out of it. And I hope journalism isn’t too hard on you; I’ve heard stuff about them making students think liberally minded. That’s a reason my mom told me to avoid it. But, hopefully that isn’t the case at your school.

Matthew Keyser > RacinBob
08/11/2016 at 22:05

I’ll have to see if I can make it up, never been to Gingerman but have only heard good things.

RacinBob > Matthew Keyser
08/11/2016 at 23:56

It’s a hoot. We will be there for testing friday Oct 7 and racing the on Sat and Sunday. If you don’t mind sharing a room, we probably can find a space for if you want to stay over night. We can always use crew.

I don’t see a way to PM you on this, probably the best way to get a hold of me is to email via the ad I have up for my wife’s car on autotrader. (Or better yet, come up and buy the thing!) http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/…

Kinja'd!!!

Matthew Keyser > RacinBob
08/12/2016 at 00:03

I actually was looking at some Civic Sis before I found my GTI. That sounds awesome! Hope I can make it up!

Harris Lue > Matthew Keyser
08/12/2016 at 11:18

Kinja'd!!!

Awesome story man! I too have been seduced by the old Turbo Lima engines and spent my early years pushing the pedal on an n/a 2.3 before doing the Merkur/Turbo Coupe/SVO mashup swap into my Mustang. Glad you found a good home for your first car and I can’t wait to read more of your writing! Keep it up.

John Newland > RacinBob
08/12/2016 at 11:24

Extremely well bought, but I may be biased as I bought it. The car made the ~200 mile trip, through 90+ degree weather and Chicago rush hour no less, without any drama. Thanks for a great, super fun car Matt, and good luck with school! The Merkur is in good hands!

Eric Leonard > Matthew Keyser
08/12/2016 at 13:38

Going to have to start looking for a GTI racing around Michiana instead of a Red Merkur? That’s gonna take a little more attention. haha

feather-throttle-not-hair > Matthew Keyser
08/12/2016 at 13:45

Oh man. My friend owned one once, it puked coolant all over the road when we were on a drive once. I think it cracked the bottom of the radiator (which was a saab unit, the car was a Frankenstein) against the ground on a particularly bumpy section of road.

I’ve never driven a car that made me feel so much like i was going to die. Besides being completely hacked together with parts never designed for that car (jetta bumper) it was stupid fast. Okay, maybe not stupid fast, but butt dyno wants to say 300+ horsepower at the wheels. Fast enough to be utterly terrifying with all that lag, noise, bumpiness and “what was that?” noises.

Kinja'd!!!

syaieya > Matthew Keyser
08/12/2016 at 13:51

Merkurs have always been interesting littlecars that ive never had quite the time or money to actually buy one, but the thoughts been there. They look all kinds of 80s cool and my friends give me shit whenever one catches my eye

Emrys > Matthew Keyser
08/12/2016 at 13:52

my brother has a white Xr4ti out in Kalamazoo.

Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig > Matthew Keyser
08/12/2016 at 13:54

“Oh... You’re going to Ball State. Huh.” - BSU Graduate

Nah. It’s not that bad. It’s cheap, anyway, as long as you don’t let them talk you into a two year housing contract. Seriously, get out if they did. There’s tons of cheap housing off campus, even nearby.

Plus, you’re already a great writer, so you don’t need to worry about learning any actual, professional skills while you’re there. Have fun!

RazorGP > Matthew Keyser
08/12/2016 at 13:56

Great article. Glad to see you really loved the car as much as I did when seeing them as a kid (80's cars as a 90's kid). Never had the opportunity to get one.
Hope your passion for writing never fades regardless of what college will try and do.

OneRotor > RacinBob
08/12/2016 at 14:19

BREADVAN!

craz11 > Matthew Keyser
08/12/2016 at 14:20

Newsflash kid:
That 2007 GTI isn’t any more practical nor reliable than the 30-year-old Merkur you just sold.

Aside: Thanks for the great articles and good luck in college!

MK6GTI-now with added Miata > Matthew Keyser
08/12/2016 at 14:23

A high-mileage GTI, huh? Good luck with that one (coming from a 46k mile GTI owner)

Pete Zapardi's Pizza Party > Matthew Keyser
08/12/2016 at 14:26

Awesome story man... My first car was also an XR4Ti. My dad bought it in 1988 and it was basically just his weekend car until it became mine 8 years later. That car was practically part of the family. I picked up my first date in that car, also drove to my SAT’s, my high school graduation, etc. I’ve owned a lot of cars since then, but I still miss that Merkur. My only real regret is that I don’t have much in the way of photographs, but this one is one of my favorites... me, my dad, and my little sister on the day we picked the Merkur up from the dealership.

Kinja'd!!!

Jeff Glucker > Matthew Keyser
08/12/2016 at 14:29

“Good times, bad times, you know I’ve had my share.”

Nicely captioned.

Matthew Keyser > Jeff Glucker
08/12/2016 at 14:40

Thank you!

Matthew Keyser > MK6GTI-now with added Miata
08/12/2016 at 14:41

46k? Barely broken in!

Matthew Keyser > craz11
08/12/2016 at 14:43

I'm well aware of that, but it's fun to drive and has A/C and I might get a story or two out of it. Thanks!

Matthew Keyser > RazorGP
08/12/2016 at 14:44

Thank you very much!

FrankStallone > Matthew Keyser
08/12/2016 at 14:44

Aw, wish I had seen it, I would have put in a bid. I’ve always liked the look of the XR4Ti.

Also - liked your flex review. My wife has an ecoboost AWD model and for a car with a GVWR over three tons, the damn thing hauls. 0-60 in a little under 6 seconds, and I think with an engine tune it could be in the low fives.

Congrats on college. Give ‘em hell.

FrankStallone > Arrivederci
08/12/2016 at 14:45

Good thing he knows how to wrench.

/still traumatized from my B5 passat

Matthew Keyser > Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig
08/12/2016 at 14:47

Thanks! Yea I avoided the two-year contract, but I was lucky enough to get into the newest dorms on campus.

Matthew Keyser > FrankStallone
08/12/2016 at 14:48

Thank you! I really want to drive a EcoBoost Flex. Sounds like one helluva daily.

Matthew Keyser > feather-throttle-not-hair
08/12/2016 at 14:49

Correct me if I'm wrong, wasn't this car a NP or CP at some point?

Matthew Keyser > Eric Leonard
08/12/2016 at 14:50

At least it's silver so it totally blends into its surroundings.

Ryan > Matthew Keyser
08/12/2016 at 14:52

Keep an eye on that cam follower! Other than that the MKV isn’t as bad as people make it out to be. (Audi A3 Owner)

Raitzi > Matthew Keyser
08/12/2016 at 15:06

Is this same car as Sierra Cosworth?

jeffieboy > Matthew Keyser
08/12/2016 at 15:06

Gee for a few dollars less we might have been able to buy the Top Gear LeMons car! Actually Matthew, I’m looking at your photos and thinking back to my first car (a 1977 Volkswagen Rabbit) learning how to properly drive a stick, driving with the handbrake in the snow, how to corner properly, and so on with fond memories. I just wish that I had taken/kept some good photos of it. A boy’s first love! Good luck with school.

stephenmcknight > Matthew Keyser
08/12/2016 at 15:12

Matthew Steven Leblanc has been offered, a one year 1.7 million dollar deal to return to Top Gear for season 24. Grand Tour will air late October to early November, as Jezza want a Christmas show and he got one I guess.

sad to see Top Gear fall so far, as Top Gear Magazine sales in the UK are down 14 per cent since Clarkson left 15 per cent worldwide. Matt got a big job ahead of him, if he come back as Global sale will not save them in 2017 Top Gear know this.

if has to be good season 24 that why, James Martin signing might be the end it the BBC go that way hope they tell the Chef to sod off and keep Harris. Rory Reid has not signed a new deal either, if both walk away then it all over for Top Gear.

Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig > Matthew Keyser
08/12/2016 at 15:16

Very cool. If they still have that Sbarro in the Atrium, get the baked Ziti. It’s “delicious.” I’m trying to remember some cool stuff around Muncie, but at this point, most of college is just a haze of stress and walking. The local libraries are pretty great? Yeah, I got nothing.

William Robinson > Matthew Keyser
08/12/2016 at 15:18

When all is mostly right with an xr4ti you can find fun in the road ahead...for how long, xr4ti will decide and let you know in an expensive ordeal... loved mine spent stupid money and sent it to the junk yard with a blown 50 mile engine and a hatch full of spendy bits including a world class t-5 and a pedal assembly.

dizzy > Matthew Keyser
08/12/2016 at 15:19

What a wonderful post, and yes those cars can have an big affect on you, i have had a lot of history with those. Congrats to you and hope to see some more of your writing in the future.

Hoser Dave > Matthew Keyser
08/12/2016 at 15:25

I also owned a Merkur when I was 18. But this was in the 90's before things like digital cameras and YouTube existed. I learned all about turbos with that car. I’ve always had a soft spot for them, wanting another for a toy to enjoy. A couple years ago I got my Focus ST and realized that I was remembering my times with the Merkur and just how I really wouldn’t enjoy it the same as back then. It was great in that time in my life.

MK6GTI-now with added Miata > Matthew Keyser
08/12/2016 at 15:31

Barely broken in !

Zach P67 > Matthew Keyser
08/12/2016 at 15:41

Pretty cool story. Everyone has their first car story but that isn’t necessarily the one that sticks the most, it’s the one you do kid stuff in.

You will long for it, it will stick with you forever. When the time comes and you have money and space you’ll probably buy another. I constantly look for my Red R/T Dakota I got rid of when I was 22. It isn’t a question of if but when I will own another.

Also a fellow Ball Stater here!

CocoabutterLover > Matthew Keyser
08/12/2016 at 15:56

I have 258,000 km on mine, ‘07, 4 door. Just takes proper maintenance, not ignorance.

Matthew Keyser > Zach P67
08/12/2016 at 16:10

I made sure I got first right of refusal when the current owner goes to sell it. Just in case. You never know.

Matthew Keyser > dizzy
08/12/2016 at 16:11

Thank you!

Matthew Keyser > jeffieboy
08/12/2016 at 16:14

Thank you!

Matthew Keyser > Raitzi
08/12/2016 at 16:15

It’s the U.S. version. Built on the same assembly line with a different engine to meet U.S. emissions.

Matthew Keyser > Ryan
08/12/2016 at 16:19

Kinja'd!!!

That’s the first thing I did, as you can see mine was actually pretty far gone, but thankfully didn’t do much damage. Now I just check it every oil change and it haven’t had any issues.

feather-throttle-not-hair > Matthew Keyser
08/12/2016 at 16:50

You are not wrong, my friend was the seller. It was hilarious, and CP all the way, even though more people thought it was NP than not.

Mane > Matthew Keyser
08/12/2016 at 16:56

Y’know Matt, I’m catching just a whiff of some Doug DeMuro in your writing here and there... Keep up the good work.

lostinspacecamp > Matthew Keyser
08/12/2016 at 17:17

But you need to have a front plate in Wisconsin

Matthew Keyser > Mane
08/12/2016 at 17:17

Thank you! I take that as a compliment of the highest sort.

Mane > Matthew Keyser
08/12/2016 at 17:40

As it was intended.

Spacegrass > Matthew Keyser
08/12/2016 at 17:55

Awesome write up Matt. Sad to see the Merkur go (did see Haridgree’s post last week), your updates were some of the best on Jalopnik. Best of luck with college and I’m sure you’ll be a kick ass writer. Hope you applied for the Doug 2.0 job haha.

Matthew Keyser > Spacegrass
08/12/2016 at 18:16

Thank you very much! I really appreciate the support.

jpkingjd > RacinBob
08/12/2016 at 18:26

Pretty sure that’s a Lotus Europa, dude.

MK6GTI-now with added Miata > CocoabutterLover
08/12/2016 at 18:29

Not sure what I could have done to maintain my first or second water pumps or the electrical system or the pressure plate.

19JRC99 > Takuro Spirit
08/12/2016 at 19:01

Please let me in on this joke....

19JRC99 > Harris Lue
08/12/2016 at 19:06

Nice Fox!

frostynips > Matthew Keyser
08/12/2016 at 19:40

Glad to see that it went to a good home, Matt. Also glad to see the sale in BaT went through and did decently well. Was a little worried there for you for a minute.

Good luck at school, keep writing and remember to write everyday! Write about anything and everything, but just be sure to write. Some of it will suck, some of it will be gold, but the important thing to remember is that you have to write what is in your heart.

Matthew Keyser > frostynips
08/12/2016 at 20:00

Thank you very much! I was nervous for the first few days too.

EdWunclerJr > Matthew Keyser
08/12/2016 at 20:12

This makes me sad, good job.

randomadjuster > Matthew Keyser
08/12/2016 at 20:18

I’ve enjoyed every one of your updates, Matthew. Glad to see you make the smart choice with the car instead of holding onto it pointlessly. And I look forward to seeing your name on future articles.

PardonMyFlemish16 > Matthew Keyser
08/12/2016 at 20:21

You write like Doug without the mind numbing hyperbole. Keep it up and best of luck.

Corolla All The Things > Matthew Keyser
08/12/2016 at 20:58

XR4Ti all the things!

The first car is a hard thing to give up, and for a first car that was pretty awesome.

John Newland > lostinspacecamp
08/12/2016 at 22:33

I have a front plate...AND IT SAYS TOP GEAR! We'll see how long I can pull it off. Hopefully indefinitely because there are some anti-tampering fasteners in place without the screwdriver to accompany...

Matthew Keyser > PardonMyFlemish16
08/12/2016 at 22:38

Thank you.

Matthew Keyser > randomadjuster
08/12/2016 at 22:42

Thank you very much, I really appreciate the support!

JGrabowMSt > Matthew Keyser
08/12/2016 at 23:07

The book you should look at is Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man, written by Marshall McLuhan. Its not exactly the easiest material to digest at first, but it starts at the very beginning and makes its way up to today. The book is not new, but it is perfectly relevant, especially within a Communications major.

I plan to re-read it soon, so if you have any questions or what to discuss it further, drop me a line any time.

I would definitely suggest to try and read through it before you finish your freshman year. I kept a handful of other textbooks from college because of their content being exceptional, but above all other books, Understanding Media is certainly the most noteable.

OmegaUnlimited > Matthew Keyser
08/13/2016 at 00:24

It just occurred to me that you were probably born during my junior year at Ball State. I’m feeling pretty old. Have fun this year.

BenLikesCars > Matthew Keyser
08/13/2016 at 01:08

Outstanding.

That’s a nice car.

I was getting ready to chide you for getting rid of this car, but what you wrote changed my mind.

Nonetheless, I will now post several items about the South African Ford Sierra XR8, which, in addition to swinging a 302 V-8, was offered in a five-door configuration, it was perfect.

This is before the tune-up, and my thought while watching was hey this is the tune-up,

I think this is an American who actually did what I had considered urging you to consider doing, and, apparently, a Sierra/Merkur V-8 conversion kit is out there,

It looks so practical, but the soundtrack is Mad Max,

This car seems so rough it’s ridiculous, but the exhaust note is pure rock ,

Matthew Keyser > OmegaUnlimited
08/13/2016 at 01:33

Thank you!

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Matthew Keyser
08/13/2016 at 01:47

Nicely written, Sir.

lostinspacecamp > John Newland
08/13/2016 at 12:17

It'll be fine I'm sure. I doubt anyone has been pulled over for not having a front plate unless there was an ulterior motive.

Fastsvo > Matthew Keyser
08/13/2016 at 12:57

Great story! I too had a similar experience in an XR4Ti. I bought my ‘88 model back in 1994 as a junior in high school for $2,800. It had high miles (91k) but the seller had meticulously cared for the car (evident by the $5k in repair bills alone) and it was in great shape.

Yes, this wasn’t considered a cool car at the time, especially with my HS classmates. This was a time when you either drove a dropped Civic, Integra or a fox body Mustang. The only reason I even considered a Merkur was because my Uncle bought one in 1986 (still has owns it).

I quickly modified it after receiving my first paycheck by installing a 2.5" cat back exhaust utilizing a Dynomax Ultraflow muffler and then soon it was followed by a Rapido dual snorkel intake and an MSD 6A box.

Definitely one of the better cars I have owned. It was later replaced by a 1986 SVO Mustang and off to college I went.

Kinja'd!!!

Matthew Keyser > BenLikesCars
08/13/2016 at 16:36

The white five door looks incredible, and sounds even better.

BenLikesCars > Matthew Keyser
08/14/2016 at 01:20

They took two or three ideal cars and merged them into one. They do stir the imagination.

http://www.africanmusclecars.com/index.php/ford…

Kinja'd!!!

Manual steering!

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.…

S62-E39 > Matthew Keyser
08/14/2016 at 10:38

I’m pretty sure I saw your car driving over Monarch Pass in Colorado on Friday. Did you sell it to somebody who might have been heading that way? This might be coincidental, but given how rare it is, it might be a thing.

Matthew Keyser > S62-E39
08/14/2016 at 12:11

To my knowledge the car is currently in Wisconsin.