I hope that the car is restored. It is rare, evocative of the era and very low mileage. The mr2 is possibly much easier. Jonny, thanks for doing these. Your natural enthusiasm for cars is brilliant and the stories behind the cars are great. Really enjoy the barn finds, the garages / man caves, car reviews and the chats with motoring people like Harry metcslfe.. channel should have many many more subs.
Aw, I love the little human stories and nostalgia in these episodes. It's not _really_ about the cars at the end of the day, it's about the people. So good.
These barn find videos are my favorites. It's going to be a challenging and expensive restoration project this one though... Hope there will be a Ford enthusiast skilled and brave enough to pull it off though.
I want to preserve all the cars. Iconic or not. But I dont think it'll happen for this one. Realistically you could buy a good one for 1/3 the price if the resto
Ronnie is a legend. Casually dropping in there ' I'd forgotten about the other car'....and how many people park a car up, and buy a new one ! Awesome video Jonny
In 1989-90, a high school friend of mine showed up at school one day in his father's brand new Merkur (as it was known here in Canada) X4RTi. It looked like something from the future! He took us for a drive during our lunch hours and a few weeks/months later, he let me drive it around the block too. I don't really know why that memory stayed with me, but I remember how fun it was to hang out and listen to our favourite music in (on cassette of course)!
@@mikeford963 yes they where. "Ford Werke Köln". In 2014, i had 1 of 3 UK registered Merkur XR4ti's. B35 RHC was the reg. It was unfortunately bodged to make a 3dr Cosworth
Such a shame, if that was in the garage with the MR2 then it would be a whole different ball game. It would be good to see it restored but I think it could be too far gone, the whole underside is probably worse than the top.
As others have said, it beggars belief that people can park up a relatively new car and leave it for 30+ years, worse still to completely forget about an MR2! Having said that, the Barn Find series is enjoyable and interesting, especially the back stories of the owners. Good work.
I'm hoping that this is what happened to all the Sierras of my childhood, they're not all scrapped, there are just many, many garages out there hiding them 😁 . Hopefully you can find them all!
I hope they’re being kept in better conditions. This poor example has been in a shallow pond for 30 years with the handbrake on and battery still connected. A pile of oxidization with metallic blue paint.
And that garage is then hidden also... by some rich dude that only cares about talking about how much its worth instead of actually driving the damn thing! 138k for a Ford escort cosworth lately is just a piss take and a way for rich people to wave their cocks around.
I hope someday I could find my dad’s old Sierra, which I came home from the hospital in when I was born. A510 SVV, 1.6L Auto in red. Last taxed 1996 but last V5 issued 1987, so I’m hoping someone’s got it tucked away somewhere.
@@scrapyardwarriorvlogging my dad bought one brand new reg A767 MVS it was a silver 20i Ghia automatic, many fond memories as a young boy, these videos are kinda nostalgic don’t you think?
I really enjoyed this, what a cracking find. Dad's Sierra. Cassettes of eighties classics. Naff sunglasses, and questionable aftershave. Transported me right back to the eighties that did. Marvellous. And what a brilliant brilliant car. This Sierra so deserves to be restored. I'd love to see it back on the road.
When Johnny said it was parked up at 6 years old I thought this’ll be a right little gem! Bit gutted to see what the ravages of time have done to it despite it being garaged + the no key situation. Fantastic series these barn finds, very enjoyable watching Mr Smith!
not worth it, too far gone, and rare or not it would make no financial sense. Maybe if it was a Cossie but not this one. Strip it and sell any salvagable parts, the engine which is low mileage would sell for decent money ditto the gearbox, & axle are probably fine.
Way too optimistic. An 80s Ford that's been standing in a damp building for 30 years? If they'd pulled any harder to get it out, they might have snapped it in half! It's a donor car, nothing more.
I remember someone up the street from me as a kid had a yellow MR2 and I thought it looked amazing, you know what it still does! Love to see a video on that if you ever pop back. Be great to see them out on the road again both are classics.
While it's sad to see a car with such low mileage parked when young and just rotting away it's a timely reminder that a lot of old cars in garages and barns will be like this. The idea of finding an easily restorable car hidden away is rare, unless it's something particularly special lots are just good enough for donor parts before being crushed. Still great to watch them being unearthed as the stories behind them are almost always worth hearing!
Fond memories of my XR4i reg A734 LLK. It was an ex Ford demonstrator and was entirely colour coded white including the alloys, headlight and rear light covers. I remember it even had electric heated seats and headlamp washers. #goodolddays
Got to love the MR2!! My dad use to have a 1994 (M) in British Racing Green, superchipped with K&N, boy did that thing go well and gripped the road like no end with its Yokies!! Please do a video for the MR2 Jonny!
I bought a black sierra XR4i in a scrap yard many years ago Johnny for 2 thousand and restored it and sold it about six months later for 15 thousand I think it had less than 30 thousand miles on the clock i can imagine how much these cars are worth today, cheers Johnny love your channel 👍
Great episode ! I own a 1981 Capri 2.8 injection since 1987.Still in perfect condition. It never ceases to amaze me people throwing stuff on their cars !
I drove a XR4i when it was new, a short distance. Later when the XR4i 4x4 came out, I had one of those for a long journey, maybe 600 miles on winding roads from Oslo to western part of Norway. What a journey with that car on snow.
I can never forget seeing the Sierra for the first time. Playing football on our street in the early 80s and this vehicle which looked like something out of space went past, totally different looking car.
I mean. All these barn finds videos are just incredible. Love a Ford Sierra. I grown up in one. My family bought a blue estate Sierra back in june 1988 and we had it until 2005.
if i got offered the mr2 i'd snap it straight up 😂 love these barn find videos its absolutely amazing hearing these stories i'd love to see the xr4 restored it'd be so worth it
Me and my dad just recommissioned his mk1 xr4x4, 20 years sitting in a garage. Some minor recommissioning and it went through a mot with no advisories....excellent cars..
Class! From an age when Ford made some of the most iconic cars on the road.Thanks to everyone involved in bringing us this piece of motoring history and hopefully breathe life into it again
Love these Barn find videos. Especially when they have little bits of nostalgia knocking about the car or garage… the stories behind them too. If any of the barn finds get restored would love to see follow up videos to them 😄 keep up the great work Jonny 👍🏼
Enjoyed this always love these videos, seemed like a nice chap too. Shame the rot has gotten to the XR4i but i bet it could be sorted and if it had not been stored it probably would have been scrapped long ago.
Sierras... back in about 1990, my brother in law had loads, engines for a hundred quid from the scrapyard, 2 hours work and then we were sideways on roundabouts having a right lark... we got an XR3 for 200 quid , put an XR2 engine in it.. fantastic sound.... After that I had an XR3i with RS body kit, flat out everywhere.... good memories thanks Johnny!!!
My uncle had one new bought from Elstons in Brecon the same colour and year, 13k with a pretty mint interior that's got to be worth restoring the MR2 is Barn Find Auction fodder that could start the funds off for the restoration so Ronnie can cruise the 4i again but more important than the money with this one is the family story nice one Jonny.
Far worse has been restored, but there’s a hell of a lot of work in that. Depends how bad the floor is. Non cracked/warped Sierra dashboards are sought after, and lots of XR4i specific parts will be sought after too, so there’s value in it even if it’s too far gone for anyone to be interested in. Try and find a Sierra Minker K1 for ultimate rarity!
remember when Sierra's were launched and seeing them on the roads as a kid - they were so smooth and slick and spaceship like....they look really clunky now! Great episode and hope something can be done with the car.....and nice bonus barn find too.
Same here. The first one i got to see close up was the one i helped push out of the snow outside my house. I was driving my first car, a Morris Marina Coupe and thought the Sierra's dash was a bit naff!
"5195" is the warranty finish date for the battery, probably 4 years so end of 91. Ford batteries tended to last between 5 and 8 years, so that would be the first new battery to replace the original
What I love most about these barn finds is that the people in them and their families are true, cut from the cloth car enthusiasts. The kind of people who love driving so much that they own and drive an MR2 until they literally can't get into and out of it, move on to another car, but can't bring themselves to sell it. I just hope that people like that aren't a dying breed.
Every time I see one of these I wonder just how many cars are out there undiscovered. Some people just aren't into cars and might have no idea how treasured the thing that's been taking up space all these years could be by someone else.
Wow what ashame to see the Sierra in that state hoping Ronnie does restore it would be painful to know it had to be scrapped 😭😭😭love the mr 2 aswell what lovley man well done Johnny finding these 👍🏽👍🏽
This show really makes we wonder just how many amazing cars are sat abandoned across the world. If I had all the money and time in the world, I think I'd spend it finding them and restoring as many as I could
I had a fair few xr4i's and xr4x4's back in the early 2000's when they could be had for a few hundred quid, I used to visit ford fair every year and go to XROC/Interford meetups... How times have changed, wish I could go back!.. I always fancied an XR8 myself :)
First car I bought when in the RAF at 20 , now 51. Replaced rad, hoses. Coil ,leads, plugs, reset valves etc. Passed its MOT , lovely vehicle, reliable. Simple
Jonny mentioned the Merkur XR4ti which was sold in North America, they still have a cult following here. Engine was an EFI turbo 2.3L SOHC 4-cylinder rated at 175 hp. I still remember being at a big annual all-Ford show in the mid-eastern U.S. in 2005 which was the 20th anniversary of the Merkur introduction. The Merkur Club of America put a strong push-on to get their members and cars out for the event. From memory there were about 110 XR4ti in attendance along with a few assorted Merkur Scorpios ... quite the sight all gathered together.
yes! I remember these being for sale in imports edition of Auto Trader when I first got my license - and they were affordable strange/cool 'sports' car that I could actually afford - they were dirt cheap back in the 90's
I saw one the other day here in British Columbia! I never knew they sold them in North America. As a Brit and child of the 80s I couldn’t believe seeing an old XR4i on the road in Canada 😄
@@RR0381 I'm in Ontario...they were actually quite common here in the late eighties/early 90's - in the biweekly autotrader for imports you'd prob see 2-3 of them - and like I said previously they were cheap enough for a broke high-school kid to afford back then....I ended up buying a Fiat x1/9 instead :)
Wow. I really hope this car gets the propaer care and love it needs. Always had a soft spot for the old Sierras. My first car was a 91 Sierra 2.0i saloon. Looking at car sites every now and again, and always check Sierras and Cossies just to see if there's a bargain or two. Never is.
That MR2 was something else! That color combo with the black leather seats. Would love to have seen the interior of it for sure and to see if it was a T-Top car. I had a friend back in the early 90's who had a new white one with t-tops and blue interior. Man, the times we had in that car and she sure knew how to drive the crap out of it! 😉
Breaking my heart ❤️. HOW do people forget they have cars in barns and garages and then when its a Sierra or an MR-2? Mind boggling. he needs to restore the Xr4i and get the MR to a proper mechanic.
What a car! I was a kid when the Sierra was launched and it looked mental compared to anything else on the road. My dad had an XR4i and I have fond memories of him trying to hit the top speed on the local dual carriageway.
When it was put away it probably was already quite rusty. My brother had a 4x4 Sierra estate at 5 years old at 25000 miles it had rust on the arches wings tailgate. They rusted badly.
I worked for Avis Car Rentals in Earls Court London in 1987. We used to get new cars direct from the factory delivered to us. We had a few of these brand new on the yard. I have a few photos of us with the 4wheel drive models, out the back of the yard, trying to see if we could spin all 4 wheels! Other notable cars we had was the XR3i and the Montego Turbo. The one I liked the most was the Ford Granada V6.
Great video as always Jonny, Shame to see the condition of the Sierra but what a great family story about the car, the music tapes, the aftershave, the sun glasses. And then the MR2!
My dad had one of these, in this colour. The dealers nicknamed it slammer blue as it was the colour of wet tarmac and had 4 if I remember, fender benders with people just not seeing it. What a find!!
Another great episode. Well it'll either get restored or worst case broken and at least some of the parts will help other owners regardless. Great show, keep them coming.
These barn finds poke the old memory bank in so many different places. I had an A reg XR4i, though I think Ronnies is in better nick than mine was back then. I had a pair of the old folding Aviator sunglasses. They were scratched to the point that I could hardly see through them, but I had to wear them because they looked cool. The anticipation of standing outside the garage waiting to open that door must be unbelievable. Years ago I was taken on to manage a stalled project. When I arrived the project was 18 months overdue and I was shown the equipment waiting to be installed. It had been locked in a secure room since being delivered almost 2 years earlier with all the computers and monitors in unopened boxes still sealed with shrink wrap. This was a time when flat screen technology was just taking off. We had 5 big flat screen monitors for the project that had cost 8,000 USD each. Once we got everything moving we moved the equipment to the installation site and opened everything up. That's when we found that sometime during the 2 year period they were in storage, the monitors had been stolen from boxes and replaced with bits of scrap for weight. Jonny - have you ever got to a garage, opened it up and found that the car had been nicked? That would be an interesting video!
How very sad to see such an amazing car with such low mileage end up in such a poor state.. It would be lovely to see somebody take it on and restore it to its former glory...🙂
That makes sense. My passenger side front wing is original. 100% rust free. The driver side was replaced. Now it looks more like a mid 2000s Ibiza/Golf with the VAG foam problem
I LOVE the Sierra. My first ever drive of a car was in my dads company car - a 2.0 Ghia manual in aqua marine paint he had the first gen, then it was replaced with the face lift - same colour (which I thought looked way better)), every weekend I would earn my pocket money valeting it inside and out. Then years later, I had the 2.0 Ghia auto in a dark blue (only the Ghia's were built in Germany and thus had way better anti-corrosion protection). It was a pleasure to drive, comfy, stable, had enough oomph, and it was fitted with the pepper pots. I also had time with a 1.8LX manual which compared to another car I drove at the time - Vauxhall Cavalier 2.0L, the Sierra just felt as if it drove and held the road WAYYYY better (as was again shown when Fords Mondeo kicked the Vauxhall Vectra's arse in drivability lol). I miss the days when standard cars had rear wheel drive, it made the cars feel... 🤔 better in many aspects... 😉👍 😎🇬🇧
Love both cars, shame the Sierra was stored in such conditions😢 Everything is restorable, just that to do well would cost realistically about 20k minimum! The Mr2 should be done asap!!
My brother had one of these, same colour and when it eventually needed a fair bit of welding he parked it up in his (thankfully under house heated) garage for 20+ years. The hope was to restore it someday. He sold it recently I believe and the rust he put it away for...now classed as extremely minor! Most rotted and the body panels/shells have always rare. It's a Fast Ford, someone will restore it. Peace Charlie 🇬🇧
A late friend of mine picked up an XR4i back in the early 2000's for £250! Believe it or not it had absolutely nothing wrong with it..Sold it for a few quid more. Stunning black motor....;)
Add another zero and you can almost do it now. They aren't very expensive, which is probably why the one in this video won't be restored. It wouldn't be financially viable
Unbelievable, when I got married my best man got me a xr4i in white to get me to the church, best part of the whole day for me, apart from getting married.... love seeing the mr2 aswell. Shame they don't have the keys. Hope they get saved and back on the road. Great video
I used to have one of these in the early 2000's, paid £250 for it from a trader who'd taken it in P/X and just wanted rid. I believe that's a very rare colour for them.
Such a shame the 4i has soaked up so much water over the years, would love to see the MR2 unearthed one day, definitely looks solid and very much drier! 👍🏻
Loving the cars what a find a must for restoration but, OMG.. folding aviators they bring back memories I remember feeling so cool in my 20s having them... sad or what. Lol.
I hope that the car is restored. It is rare, evocative of the era and very low mileage. The mr2 is possibly much easier. Jonny, thanks for doing these. Your natural enthusiasm for cars is brilliant and the stories behind the cars are great. Really enjoy the barn finds, the garages / man caves, car reviews and the chats with motoring people like Harry metcslfe.. channel should have many many more subs.
The only issue I have is that it's a five-digit odometer. It could easily be 113,000 miles. Still cool it survived.
@@samholdsworth420
Ex rep car for first few years, so if so, could very well be.
No
Low mileage is irrelevant when it hasn’t moved in 30 years
Aw, I love the little human stories and nostalgia in these episodes. It's not _really_ about the cars at the end of the day, it's about the people. So good.
History and Memories of better times....
and hopefully better times to come -
If that XR4i had been immaculate when that garage door opened, it would've totally been about the car. 😜
I'm currently restoring an xr4i that's been sat for the past 21 years with around 32k miles on the clock 😁 good to see others being found 👍
Amazing!
These barn find videos are my favorites. It's going to be a challenging and expensive restoration project this one though... Hope there will be a Ford enthusiast skilled and brave enough to pull it off though.
🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻
I want to preserve all the cars. Iconic or not. But I dont think it'll happen for this one. Realistically you could buy a good one for 1/3 the price if the resto
Lee at Smarden classics is your man to get it restored
@@TheLateBrakeShow any thoughts on doing an episode that follows up with these cars??? THAT would be cool... and soul crushing I'm afraid!
These episodes are so good. It's refreshing to watch a programme that is mature, really entertaining and has a total lack of bullshit.
Ronnie is a legend. Casually dropping in there ' I'd forgotten about the other car'....and how many people park a car up, and buy a new one ! Awesome video Jonny
Love the Welsh accent.
The MR-2 is the real find.
In 1989-90, a high school friend of mine showed up at school one day in his father's brand new Merkur (as it was known here in Canada) X4RTi. It looked like something from the future! He took us for a drive during our lunch hours and a few weeks/months later, he let me drive it around the block too. I don't really know why that memory stayed with me, but I remember how fun it was to hang out and listen to our favourite music in (on cassette of course)!
Those Merkur's were made by the German of Ford of Europe. At least that's what I've been led to believe.
@@mikeford963 yes they where. "Ford Werke Köln". In 2014, i had 1 of 3 UK registered Merkur XR4ti's. B35 RHC was the reg. It was unfortunately bodged to make a 3dr Cosworth
Pointing a camera at people normally makes them clam up but JS, you manage to make people feel so comfortable and open up. Love this series.
Such a shame, if that was in the garage with the MR2 then it would be a whole different ball game. It would be good to see it restored but I think it could be too far gone, the whole underside is probably worse than the top.
Old Sierra cars rot from the Inside Out
As others have said, it beggars belief that people can park up a relatively new car and leave it for 30+ years, worse still to completely forget about an MR2! Having said that, the Barn Find series is enjoyable and interesting, especially the back stories of the owners. Good work.
Yea, just crazy it was left to rot :(
he must be loaded
Superb episode. I struggle to understand how you can “forget” about two cars 😂😂
2 “ran when parked” at that!
Lost his dad could not face it.
I'm hoping that this is what happened to all the Sierras of my childhood, they're not all scrapped, there are just many, many garages out there hiding them 😁 . Hopefully you can find them all!
not all of them are hiding, i drive one every weekend 😎
I hope they’re being kept in better conditions. This poor example has been in a shallow pond for 30 years with the handbrake on and battery still connected. A pile of oxidization with metallic blue paint.
And that garage is then hidden also... by some rich dude that only cares about talking about how much its worth instead of actually driving the damn thing!
138k for a Ford escort cosworth lately is just a piss take and a way for rich people to wave their cocks around.
I hope someday I could find my dad’s old Sierra, which I came home from the hospital in when I was born. A510 SVV, 1.6L Auto in red. Last taxed 1996 but last V5 issued 1987, so I’m hoping someone’s got it tucked away somewhere.
@@scrapyardwarriorvlogging my dad bought one brand new reg A767 MVS it was a silver 20i Ghia automatic, many fond memories as a young boy, these videos are kinda nostalgic don’t you think?
I really enjoyed this, what a cracking find. Dad's Sierra. Cassettes of eighties classics. Naff sunglasses, and questionable aftershave. Transported me right back to the eighties that did. Marvellous. And what a brilliant brilliant car. This Sierra so deserves to be restored. I'd love to see it back on the road.
When Johnny said it was parked up at 6 years old I thought this’ll be a right little gem! Bit gutted to see what the ravages of time have done to it despite it being garaged + the no key situation.
Fantastic series these barn finds, very enjoyable watching Mr Smith!
Definitely restorable and the rarity would say save it, love a barn find great episode 👍
not worth it, too far gone, and rare or not it would make no financial sense. Maybe if it was a Cossie but not this one.
Strip it and sell any salvagable parts, the engine which is low mileage would sell for decent money ditto the gearbox, & axle are probably fine.
It's fucked. Water +metal+30years In same spot... game over. 40 more be just slush
All that water around the sunroof and inside almost guarantees that it's beyond saving,will be rotten to the core unfortunately. 🙁
Way too optimistic. An 80s Ford that's been standing in a damp building for 30 years? If they'd pulled any harder to get it out, they might have snapped it in half! It's a donor car, nothing more.
It's restorable but not cost-effective no one's going to do it
I remember someone up the street from me as a kid had a yellow MR2 and I thought it looked amazing, you know what it still does! Love to see a video on that if you ever pop back. Be great to see them out on the road again both are classics.
Love this episode. I've owned my xr4i for 34 years, good on Ronnie keeping his.
34 yrs? That is awesome Arthur.
I love the owner just addressing the camera directly.
While it's sad to see a car with such low mileage parked when young and just rotting away it's a timely reminder that a lot of old cars in garages and barns will be like this. The idea of finding an easily restorable car hidden away is rare, unless it's something particularly special lots are just good enough for donor parts before being crushed.
Still great to watch them being unearthed as the stories behind them are almost always worth hearing!
Especially in a rainy part of the country. In the south east it might not be quite so bad, as long as there's no burst pipes!
Especially with a burst water pipe.
maybe for future videos you could do a "barn find follow up" series to revisit any of the barn finds that have been restored.
Fond memories of my XR4i reg A734 LLK. It was an ex Ford demonstrator and was entirely colour coded white including the alloys, headlight and rear light covers. I remember it even had electric heated seats and headlamp washers. #goodolddays
Got to love the MR2!! My dad use to have a 1994 (M) in British Racing Green, superchipped with K&N, boy did that thing go well and gripped the road like no end with its Yokies!!
Please do a video for the MR2 Jonny!
I bought a black sierra XR4i in a scrap yard many years ago Johnny for 2 thousand and restored it and sold it about six months later for 15 thousand I think it had less than 30 thousand miles on the clock i can imagine how much these cars are worth today, cheers Johnny love your channel 👍
Great episode ! I own a 1981 Capri 2.8 injection since 1987.Still in perfect condition. It never ceases to amaze me people throwing stuff on their cars !
Love Jonnys enthusiasm for ‘normal’ exotica like this! To me this is true petrolheady stuff. Keep it coming!!!!
I drove a XR4i when it was new, a short distance. Later when the XR4i 4x4 came out, I had one of those for a long journey, maybe 600 miles on winding roads from Oslo to western part of Norway. What a journey with that car on snow.
I can never forget seeing the Sierra for the first time. Playing football on our street in the early 80s and this vehicle which looked like something out of space went past, totally different looking car.
I mean. All these barn finds videos are just incredible. Love a Ford Sierra. I grown up in one. My family bought a blue estate Sierra back in june 1988 and we had it until 2005.
Brilliant, must bring back so many memories of people who probably aren’t with us anymore.
Love these barn find videos, could watch them all day long.
if i got offered the mr2 i'd snap it straight up 😂 love these barn find videos its absolutely amazing hearing these stories i'd love to see the xr4 restored it'd be so worth it
Me and my dad just recommissioned his mk1 xr4x4, 20 years sitting in a garage. Some minor recommissioning and it went through a mot with no advisories....excellent cars..
I have an estate version.
@@Roverturbo I know I watch your channel....got a brief video on mine if you wish to view...
@@stevenking2946 yes mate.
Class! From an age when Ford made some of the most iconic cars on the road.Thanks to everyone involved in bringing us this piece of motoring history and hopefully breathe life into it again
I really like these videos, it's the ownership stories as well that go with them that make these finds that bit more special.
Love these Barn find videos. Especially when they have little bits of nostalgia knocking about the car or garage… the stories behind them too. If any of the barn finds get restored would love to see follow up videos to them 😄 keep up the great work Jonny 👍🏼
Enjoyed this always love these videos, seemed like a nice chap too. Shame the rot has gotten to the XR4i but i bet it could be sorted and if it had not been stored it probably would have been scrapped long ago.
Sierras... back in about 1990, my brother in law had loads, engines for a hundred quid from the scrapyard, 2 hours work and then we were sideways on roundabouts having a right lark...
we got an XR3 for 200 quid , put an XR2 engine in it.. fantastic sound.... After that
I had an XR3i with RS body kit, flat out everywhere.... good memories thanks Johnny!!!
My uncle had one new bought from Elstons in Brecon the same colour and year, 13k with a pretty mint interior that's got to be worth restoring the MR2 is Barn Find Auction fodder that could start the funds off for the restoration so Ronnie can cruise the 4i again but more important than the money with this one is the family story nice one Jonny.
Far worse has been restored, but there’s a hell of a lot of work in that. Depends how bad the floor is. Non cracked/warped Sierra dashboards are sought after, and lots of XR4i specific parts will be sought after too, so there’s value in it even if it’s too far gone for anyone to be interested in. Try and find a Sierra Minker K1 for ultimate rarity!
I just love these videos...thank you so much...Finding cars all over the UK and saving them is amazing..
remember when Sierra's were launched and seeing them on the roads as a kid - they were so smooth and slick and spaceship like....they look really clunky now! Great episode and hope something can be done with the car.....and nice bonus barn find too.
The controversial ‘jelly mould’! Pretty mundane shape these days
Same here. The first one i got to see close up was the one i helped push out of the snow outside my house. I was driving my first car, a Morris Marina Coupe and thought the Sierra's dash was a bit naff!
Try looking above the sun visors for the keys or under the floor mats.
Great video Johnny.
I remember when the first came out, they looked absolutely crazy, the twin spoiler was bonkers! It was like they were from another planet
Oh man, I want that MR2...absolutely love them!
"5195" is the warranty finish date for the battery, probably 4 years so end of 91. Ford batteries tended to last between 5 and 8 years, so that would be the first new battery to replace the original
Thanks Chris, great info
What I love most about these barn finds is that the people in them and their families are true, cut from the cloth car enthusiasts. The kind of people who love driving so much that they own and drive an MR2 until they literally can't get into and out of it, move on to another car, but can't bring themselves to sell it. I just hope that people like that aren't a dying breed.
Every time I see one of these I wonder just how many cars are out there undiscovered. Some people just aren't into cars and might have no idea how treasured the thing that's been taking up space all these years could be by someone else.
Wow what ashame to see the Sierra in that state hoping Ronnie does restore it would be painful to know it had to be scrapped 😭😭😭love the mr 2 aswell what lovley man well done Johnny finding these 👍🏽👍🏽
I saw no less than three SW20 MR2's while out on a drive yesterday which reminded me of the one Ronnie has stashed away. I still want to save it!
This show really makes we wonder just how many amazing cars are sat abandoned across the world. If I had all the money and time in the world, I think I'd spend it finding them and restoring as many as I could
I had a fair few xr4i's and xr4x4's back in the early 2000's when they could be had for a few hundred quid, I used to visit ford fair every year and go to XROC/Interford meetups... How times have changed, wish I could go back!.. I always fancied an XR8 myself :)
Do you think we viewers could have a follow up video on some of the barn finds, to see what has happened to them since?
That XR4i was put into that garage same year I was born. As a fast Ford fan, I hope that someone can fully restore it!
First car I bought when in the RAF at 20 , now 51. Replaced rad, hoses. Coil ,leads, plugs, reset valves etc. Passed its MOT , lovely vehicle, reliable. Simple
Jonny mentioned the Merkur XR4ti which was sold in North America, they still have a cult following here. Engine was an EFI turbo 2.3L SOHC 4-cylinder rated at 175 hp. I still remember being at a big annual all-Ford show in the mid-eastern U.S. in 2005 which was the 20th anniversary of the Merkur introduction. The Merkur Club of America put a strong push-on to get their members and cars out for the event. From memory there were about 110 XR4ti in attendance along with a few assorted Merkur Scorpios ... quite the sight all gathered together.
yes! I remember these being for sale in imports edition of Auto Trader when I first got my license - and they were affordable strange/cool 'sports' car that I could actually afford - they were dirt cheap back in the 90's
Wheeler dealers did one a couple of season's ago.
Car wizard had one in background of a video last week but didn't show it. Gutted.
I saw one the other day here in British Columbia! I never knew they sold them in North America. As a Brit and child of the 80s I couldn’t believe seeing an old XR4i on the road in Canada 😄
@@RR0381 I'm in Ontario...they were actually quite common here in the late eighties/early 90's - in the biweekly autotrader for imports you'd prob see 2-3 of them - and like I said previously they were cheap enough for a broke high-school kid to afford back then....I ended up buying a Fiat x1/9 instead :)
Wow. I really hope this car gets the propaer care and love it needs. Always had a soft spot for the old Sierras. My first car was a 91 Sierra 2.0i saloon. Looking at car sites every now and again, and always check Sierras and Cossies just to see if there's a bargain or two. Never is.
Absolutely love the Barnfinds !!! Hope they both get back on the road 👍👍
That MR2 was something else! That color combo with the black leather seats. Would love to have seen the interior of it for sure and to see if it was a T-Top car. I had a friend back in the early 90's who had a new white one with t-tops and blue interior. Man, the times we had in that car and she sure knew how to drive the crap out of it! 😉
Great episode this. What a top bloke, and that German Shepherd a beautiful old dog 👍🏻
Breaking my heart ❤️. HOW do people forget they have cars in barns and garages and then when its a Sierra or an MR-2? Mind boggling. he needs to restore the Xr4i and get the MR to a proper mechanic.
Love the camera work in these vids. The way the camera gets that low shot as they pull roll of fencing out is perfect.
Yes but the sound still needs sorting out!
I can NOT stop thinking about that MR2, I want to restore it so bad.
Level 42 and Givenchy. I just stepped into a time machine and regressed 35 years!
What a car! I was a kid when the Sierra was launched and it looked mental compared to anything else on the road. My dad had an XR4i and I have fond memories of him trying to hit the top speed on the local dual carriageway.
When it was put away it probably was already quite rusty.
My brother had a 4x4 Sierra estate at 5 years old at 25000 miles it had rust on the arches wings tailgate. They rusted badly.
Different model, different shell, (probably) different factory (made in England?)
I've got an '84 XR4i with no rust on the back.
I had one of these in 93,I was 24 years old ,white,2.8 with a full jan speed exhaust,I loved it.
Had an Xr 4i, then XR 4x4 2.8, then XR 4x4 2.9. Dare I admit I used to tow caravans with them! Great cars. Great episode.👍
Nice vid, amazing what gets tucked away! Brought back some nice memories of my Grandad’s blue Sierra. All the best Ronnie, thanks for sharing!
I remember the four way joy-stick those had to control the balance of the stereo!! I have a spare one in a cupboard!!!
I worked for Avis Car Rentals in Earls Court London in 1987. We used to get new cars direct from the factory delivered to us. We had a few of these brand new on the yard. I have a few photos of us with the 4wheel drive models, out the back of the yard, trying to see if we could spin all 4 wheels! Other notable cars we had was the XR3i and the Montego Turbo. The one I liked the most was the Ford Granada V6.
Late brake show knocked it out the park again ,superb little episode,well done Johnny and the crew 👌👌👌
Great video as always Jonny, Shame to see the condition of the Sierra but what a great family story about the car, the music tapes, the aftershave, the sun glasses. And then the MR2!
Awesome! Didn't realise Bryn who does the auctions is on your channel. He's a top bloke!
Lovely car, I really hope it can be saved. Ronnie is great character too. Thanks Jonny
I had an 82 plate, one of my favourite cars from my past.
My dad had one of these, in this colour. The dealers nicknamed it slammer blue as it was the colour of wet tarmac and had 4 if I remember, fender benders with people just not seeing it. What a find!!
My dream car back in the day, in my favourite colour. My dad had an A reg 1.6GL that we all loved, in Status Silver
I owned one of these in silver until the early 2000's, amazing fun to drive and a real head turner.
Another great episode. Well it'll either get restored or worst case broken and at least some of the parts will help other owners regardless. Great show, keep them coming.
These barn finds poke the old memory bank in so many different places.
I had an A reg XR4i, though I think Ronnies is in better nick than mine was back then.
I had a pair of the old folding Aviator sunglasses. They were scratched to the point that I could hardly see through them, but I had to wear them because they looked cool.
The anticipation of standing outside the garage waiting to open that door must be unbelievable.
Years ago I was taken on to manage a stalled project. When I arrived the project was 18 months overdue and I was shown the equipment waiting to be installed.
It had been locked in a secure room since being delivered almost 2 years earlier with all the computers and monitors in unopened boxes still sealed with shrink wrap. This was a time when flat screen technology was just taking off. We had 5 big flat screen monitors for the project that had cost 8,000 USD each.
Once we got everything moving we moved the equipment to the installation site and opened everything up. That's when we found that sometime during the 2 year period they were in storage, the monitors had been stolen from boxes and replaced with bits of scrap for weight.
Jonny - have you ever got to a garage, opened it up and found that the car had been nicked?
That would be an interesting video!
How very sad to see such an amazing car with such low mileage end up in such a poor state.. It would be lovely to see somebody take it on and restore it to its former glory...🙂
They were made on the Karmen production line and out of all of the Sierras the XR4i’s had the best paint and rust protection out of all of them
Absolutely 👍
That makes sense. My passenger side front wing is original. 100% rust free. The driver side was replaced. Now it looks more like a mid 2000s Ibiza/Golf with the VAG foam problem
' man and machine in perfect harmony'
That was the strapline 😂
I LOVE the Sierra. My first ever drive of a car was in my dads company car - a 2.0 Ghia manual in aqua marine paint he had the first gen, then it was replaced with the face lift - same colour (which I thought looked way better)), every weekend I would earn my pocket money valeting it inside and out. Then years later, I had the 2.0 Ghia auto in a dark blue (only the Ghia's were built in Germany and thus had way better anti-corrosion protection). It was a pleasure to drive, comfy, stable, had enough oomph, and it was fitted with the pepper pots. I also had time with a 1.8LX manual which compared to another car I drove at the time - Vauxhall Cavalier 2.0L, the Sierra just felt as if it drove and held the road WAYYYY better (as was again shown when Fords Mondeo kicked the Vauxhall Vectra's arse in drivability lol). I miss the days when standard cars had rear wheel drive, it made the cars feel... 🤔 better in many aspects... 😉👍 😎🇬🇧
Love both cars, shame the Sierra was stored in such conditions😢
Everything is restorable, just that to do well would cost realistically about 20k minimum!
The Mr2 should be done asap!!
My brother had one of these, same colour and when it eventually needed a fair bit of welding he parked it up in his (thankfully under house heated) garage for 20+ years.
The hope was to restore it someday.
He sold it recently I believe and the rust he put it away for...now classed as extremely minor!
Most rotted and the body panels/shells have always rare.
It's a Fast Ford, someone will restore it.
Peace
Charlie 🇬🇧
I can't see that Sierra getting back on the road but parts from it could make quite a few people very happy
A late friend of mine picked up an XR4i back in the early 2000's for £250! Believe it or not it had absolutely nothing wrong with it..Sold it for a few quid more. Stunning black motor....;)
Add another zero and you can almost do it now. They aren't very expensive, which is probably why the one in this video won't be restored. It wouldn't be financially viable
Unbelievable, when I got married my best man got me a xr4i in white to get me to the church, best part of the whole day for me, apart from getting married.... love seeing the mr2 aswell. Shame they don't have the keys. Hope they get saved and back on the road. Great video
I had a Saturday job washing cars in a Ford dealership when these came out, I loved them then and now.
That Sierra is a really early one, as it was built in 1983. First registered on the 1st January 1984.
You can tell that from the reg number?
I was 17 when this was registered, loved them back then and still prefer them to a Cossie.
Wow what a shame nobody went in there to stop the leak as the shell is pretty much scrap. Looking forward to see if the MR2 gets fired up.
I used to have one of these in the early 2000's, paid £250 for it from a trader who'd taken it in P/X and just wanted rid. I believe that's a very rare colour for them.
Think the colour was Caspian Blue if I remember.
Absolutely amazing xr4i was a Carmarthenshire register and the mr2 was Pembrokeshire registered
Jonny finds yet another Sierra barn find! Great timing as I rewatched the GLS 4X4 video the other night
👍🏽
Another brilliant barn find 👍 love these episodes with all the car n human stories 😊 Johnny such a pro n you can feel his genuine excitement 😊
That shape of MR2 was such a looker
Such a shame the 4i has soaked up so much water over the years, would love to see the MR2 unearthed one day, definitely looks solid and very much drier! 👍🏻
Loving the cars what a find a must for restoration but, OMG.. folding aviators they bring back memories I remember feeling so cool in my 20s having them... sad or what. Lol.