Faust Posted September 10, 2020 Share Posted September 10, 2020 I generally find that if a car has polarizing styling, and a lot of people find it weird or ugly, then I’ll be on the other side of the fence. A perfect example is the Mustang SVO – I love ‘em! I also have a thing for bug-eyed EXPs and 4-door Vettes, so take that for what it’s worth! One car I’ve always loved that fits in with these styling oddities is the Ford Sierra XR4i. We got them in North America as “Merkur XR4Ti”s, but they didn’t do very well. Still, I thought they looked awesome, and I haven’t changed my mind in the intervening decades. No surprise then that I’ve wanted the Tamiya Sierra XR4i for a while! Well, I got one, and now I’ve got it done! I have to say, it was a bit of an uneven build; some parts were great, other features of the kit were less so. Still, it’s awesome to finally have one of these “aerodynamic frogs” on display! Check it out here, and let me know what you think! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/model-kits/cars/tamiya-1-24-ford-sierra-xr4i/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim boyd Posted September 10, 2020 Share Posted September 10, 2020 8 hours ago, Faust said: I generally find that if a car has polarizing styling, and a lot of people find it weird or ugly, then I’ll be on the other side of the fence. A perfect example is the Mustang SVO – I love ‘em! I also have a thing for bug-eyed EXPs and 4-door Vettes, so take that for what it’s worth! One car I’ve always loved that fits in with these styling oddities is the Ford Sierra XR4i. We got them in North America as “Merkur XR4Ti”s, but they didn’t do very well. Still, I thought they looked awesome, and I haven’t changed my mind in the intervening decades. No surprise then that I’ve wanted the Tamiya Sierra XR4i for a while! Well, I got one, and now I’ve got it done! I have to say, it was a bit of an uneven build; some parts were great, other features of the kit were less so. Still, it’s awesome to finally have one of these “aerodynamic frogs” on display! Check it out here, and let me know what you think! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/model-kits/cars/tamiya-1-24-ford-sierra-xr4i/ Adam....sharp buildup of an undersung car in real life. Looked at your WordPress presentation, and really liked that last combo picture with the T-Bird Turbo Coupe and the SVO Mustang. Can't recall if I've commented before, but that Dark Sage paint color on your SVO was super-rare in real life. I recall looking that up when I worked at Ford back in 1986 and seeing that we built only 6 SVO's (or something close to that) in the Dark Sage color. So your model replicates a real collectible car in real life. Best Regards....TIM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragline Posted September 10, 2020 Share Posted September 10, 2020 As a mechanic I got to work on two of these over the years. One had so many electrical gremlins the owner finally gave up [I gave up sooner], the others was a friend of mine who thought changing oil was optional and roasted the turbo. Even in 1998 money it was expensive to fix that car. I forget how much but it was turbo, pedestal and oil lines as a package. Over a grand I think. I will say this though. It hauled the mail! Nice build of a model I've had in the stash for years but every time I look at it I'm reminded of trials and tribulations and put it back on the shelf. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spottedlaurel Posted September 10, 2020 Share Posted September 10, 2020 Great to see one built, it's turned out nicely. The final fitting issue you had sounds similar to that I had with the Tamiya Audi Quattro, which I think dates from a similar time. I ended up having to shave plastic off the inside of the bodyshell and various interior pieces - always a bit nerve-wracking when everything's painted...... These kits go for good money here in the UK and I haven't been able to get one at a reasonable price yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted September 10, 2020 Share Posted September 10, 2020 Nice model, that’s the first Tamiya kit I ever bought back in the 1990s. They were great cars, poorly marketed in the USA. I had the pleasure of driving one and it was fast with the automatic! I wanted one ever since that but never scratched that itch! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faust Posted September 11, 2020 Author Share Posted September 11, 2020 Thanks guys! Tim: I think that Sage Green was only on Hertz cars, if I remember right. That's a shame, because I think it's the nicest colour on the SVO. I've never seen one in real life, but then again, I've only ever seen two SVOs still rolling up here in London, Ontario! Man, $1K for a replacement turbo in 1998? that would suck. I know a few people who feel the same about oil changes. I never get it. You won't spend $1K on oil over an average car's life (I likely will, but the G8 eats 8L every 10,000km, and it's all Mobil 1 which is, like, $50+ a bottle up here!), so why would you risk it. Idiots get what they deserve! Interesting to know that about the Quattro, too. I'm not surprised that this kit would be expensive in Britain. They were a bigger deal there than here. Heck, my brother bought this one directly from a seller in Japan! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugatti Fan Posted September 11, 2020 Share Posted September 11, 2020 Your XR4 looks good. I wish that Tamiya had kitted a Sierra Cosworth Saloon as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PappyD340 Posted September 12, 2020 Share Posted September 12, 2020 Nice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faust Posted September 12, 2020 Author Share Posted September 12, 2020 On 9/11/2020 at 3:12 AM, Bugatti Fan said: Your XR4 looks good. I wish that Tamiya had kitted a Sierra Cosworth Saloon as well. I think I've seen somewhere that you can take the Sierra's interior and put it with the Cosworth racing body to at least get a "civilian" curbsider of the Cosworth. I'm so glad they didn't do the Cosworth instead of the normal XR4i. I really don't like the Cosworth's look at all. But, I do seem to be in the minority on that one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugatti Fan Posted September 15, 2020 Share Posted September 15, 2020 I was not aware that there was a racing body available for a Cosworth Saloon. Is it a resin body from some after market supplier or a polystyrene slot racing body? Personally, I think the Sierra XR4i and the Cosworth are both nice looking cars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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