[SOLD] FS 1988 XR4Ti

[eaton53]

Ebay Guy was the 1st link in the thread with the BaT car in it.
It had non-working A/C... a HUGE blunder when you're trying to get top dollar.
Yes, selling in the wrong place... HUGE blunder #2.
Reserve auction... HUGE blunder #3.
So he got $6600 when he was looking for $12.5K. Didn't meet reserve. Maybe he learned something.

Detailing under the hood only is not that expensive.
The rest of this car is actually quite nice but the engine compartment lets it down.
A little work and a small investment could really pay off on BaT or Cars and Bids.

[my8950]

This one looks pretty poor, especially that A/C hose with foil...

[eaton53]

Foil's not an issue if you explain its purpose. It's not an "OEM part".

Other than that, it looks exactly like mine down to the cleanliness. That's how clean a car for sale should be.
It doesn't have to a show quality, but there's no reason it shouldn't be that clean.
Get in there and scrub it yourself if you must. Put your best foot forward if you want to get paid!

Battery's not Motorcraft, though. The horror...

[Ed Lijewski]

That's Paul West's perennial 1989 Carlisle award winner.

He's put something ~150K miles on it (he's owned it for years, maybe since new or near new).

The battery? Apparently you missed that it has the "correct" OEM Merkur battery poles. Paul devoted much time, and $, to getting it, as Motorcrafts were NLA so as much as possible everything under the hood would be as OEM as he could make it.

And the a/c hose is also original. After 32 years of on road use why do you think that is?

Doh. The craftsman like application of the insulation on it.

If Paul ever decides to sell it, to you, doubtlessly he'd accept your request to remove the insulation. If you outbid every one else, at a premium.

Re engine detailing, why do I get the sense that while you may have done that, or paid for it to be done, it may have been done once and the car then hardly moved between garage and local car show? On a car used often it becomes a drag to do. Paul, to his credit, does it every year. I wouldn't.

YMMV

[eaton53]

I knew who's car it was.
I was just messing with you by nitpicking it.

I clean my engine bays frequently so that they don't have go to the detailer.
It's a lot easier to keep them clean if they never get dirty to begin with.

The OP should strive to make his engine bay look as much like Paul's as possible.
Then he won't have to ask for offers... it'll start another bidding war. And his is a manual... more $$$!!
I now believe that a best of the best survivor manual XR could fetch $20K.
Who would've thunk that before a couple of days ago?

[Ed Lijewski]

If more Bucks is what drives you put a T5 in yours.

YMMV

[eaton53]

If more Bucks is what drives you put a T5 in yours.

YMMV

I've got survivors. You don't mod a MCA Preservation Award winner.
When I got it and came on the board I was given this advice... If you want to do mods, buy a different car.
I have heeded that advice rather obsessively. And punters do appreciate originality.

This is about the OP's car, not mine. Mine's not for sale.
I assume he wants to get max dollars for minimum investment.
So the best thing he could do is what Wheeler Dealers did...
Put the intake plumbing back to stock and clean up the engine bay.

[andrewstc]

Is this still available? I'm near Charlotte. Thanks!

[milehighXR]

I'm building mine to drive it, to my taste. If these prices keep going up it justifies to me the $6-20k in body work i expect my need to make her pretty again.

[milehighXR]

This one looks pretty poor, especially that A/C hose with foil...

To me that looks beautiful, but eye of the beholder and all...

[London262]

Moressnd

[Bobellis]

XR sold Nov 18, 2021

[andyofcolumbusmerkur]

XR sold Nov 18, 2021

Congrats. I hope you got your asking price or close to it.

[Bobellis]

Thanks, Andy! I appreciate your good and kind words.
Best Wishes