Jesse Henke from JH Restorations unveiled his newest project, a 1987 Merkur “RS4Ti” at SEMA 2023. Jesse spent three years on-and-off building a modern Merkur XR4Ti. Under the custom hood sits a turbocharged 2.3 L Ecobeast inline-four crate motor capable of 475-500 horsepower. The motor features a Focus RS block, Callies forged crankshaft, Callies Compstar H-beam rods, Mahle forged pistons, and Ranger oil pan. A Bowler TKX five-speed manual transmission sends power through a QA1 driveshaft to a 2018 8.8-inch rear end. Jesse upgraded the car’s handling using SN96 Mustang suspension with Corvette C6 hubs, Mustang electric power steering, QA1 adjustable coilovers, and Wilwood 14-inch disc brakes. The exterior features custom fender flares, modified front and rear bumpers, and Ford Area 51 Blue paint.
Source: Carbuff Network and Larry Chen
How was the DI pump handled? Was the entire engine moved forward? Is that the reason for the hood bulge?