RE: Minker K1: PH Carpool

RE: Minker K1: PH Carpool

Author
Discussion

StottyZr

6,860 posts

162 months

Monday 13th May 2013
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TREMAiNE said:
StottyZr said:
A friends dad owned the red one for a few years (about 10years ago) it was up for sale again recently for something like £4500. I thought it would be worth a punt but decided I didn't have enough spare money to buy it.

I'd expect the values will be rising now the UKs populace of Petrolheads know it exists hehe
Apparently the red one was single turbo'd and has now been written off frown
Apparently its back on the road reg E156XUB, he's just sent me a picture of it.

s m

23,164 posts

202 months

Monday 13th May 2013
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blade7 said:
"Countach beater" laugh I remember when they came out and when the 4x4 Cosworth came out for a lot less money.
I remember the performance was favourably compared ( up to 130mph at least )to a Testarossa in the Performance Car article which tested the Minker 323. You're right though in that, the 315bhp Cosworth 4x4 in the same test was quick as the Minker at less cost, albeit the performance was delivered differently.

sidaorb

5,589 posts

205 months

Monday 13th May 2013
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Reading some of the comments on here make me feel really old, there were quite a few specials floating around at the time TT, Rouse, BBR all had plays with Sierras in various guises.

I owned a couple of standard XR4x4 as has been said before, scary launches and great handling (especially after fitting poly bushes) and this was an era when we loved playing silly buggers and engine swaps were rife, just about anything would get a Rover V8 shoved in it, Capris got cossie lumps and one of my XR4x4s got the later 2.9 24v Cosworth lump fitted from the Granada.

M666 EVO

1,124 posts

161 months

Monday 13th May 2013
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Whilst I appreciate the love a man can have for his car I just don't see this at all. Looks like a Max Power right off gone horribly wrong. Sorry, I am sure it's a nice car and a nice owner but 100% Carpool fail.

If PH is going for rarity can I finally propose my Delta HPE, only 6 in GB and with a real Evo engine? The only Q car as it looks like a normal hatch back. No body kits or dodgy wheels...

Fittster

20,120 posts

212 months

Monday 13th May 2013
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I remember an article about the blue one in either Car or Autocar. Very nice motor.

menoy

142 posts

133 months

Monday 13th May 2013
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M666 EVO said:
Whilst I appreciate the love a man can have for his car I just don't see this at all. Looks like a Max Power right off gone horribly wrong. Sorry, I am sure it's a nice car and a nice owner but 100% Carpool fail.

If PH is going for rarity can I finally propose my Delta HPE, only 6 in GB and with a real Evo engine? The only Q car as it looks like a normal hatch back. No body kits or dodgy wheels...
This is one of three in the world, not in GB. So quite a bit rarer rolleyes As said - a Marmite car, but one a true petrolhead does appreciate, even if not for the looks.

Personally never heard of it, that alone stirs my interest. Stirred far more having read into the details.


PS Write off.

Edited by menoy on Monday 13th May 20:00

loose cannon

6,029 posts

240 months

Monday 13th May 2013
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I remember reading about the minker 323 when I was finishing my apprenticeship,
Oh how I wanted 1 with those bottger alloys and body in gloss black
I have only ever seen 1 for sale and that was 10 years ago smile

T66ORA

3,474 posts

256 months

Monday 13th May 2013
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Phil Dicky said:
Weren't Gartrac responsible for the RS1700T as well?...bet the youngster won't have a clue what one of those is smile
The RS1700T was a Boreham motorsport project, Gartrac did the 2.8i V6 rwd mk3 Escorts(G6).

T66ORA

3,474 posts

256 months

Monday 13th May 2013
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That Minker rear spoiler was first seen as far back as 1984 on the Sierra XR4i TT 230

http://www.flickr.com/photos/triggerscarstuff/6383...

Zad

12,695 posts

235 months

Monday 13th May 2013
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T66ORA said:
Phil Dicky said:
Weren't Gartrac responsible for the RS1700T as well?...bet the youngster won't have a clue what one of those is smile
The RS1700T was a Boreham motorsport project, Gartrac did the 2.8i V6 rwd mk3 Escorts(G6).
Just an excuse to post:



Lots more pics of it here, including under-bonnet shots of the V6 http://retrorides.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=ge...

Looking like a baby Quattro. Very clean and original, just how I like em.

ST200

12 posts

154 months

Monday 13th May 2013
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Remember these well from the 80's. One mag (Fast Lane possibly) spoke to a couple of traffic cops about the car given that they could never catch it in their Granada or Carlton and they both said they thought it was some new type of Japanese thing. Not a looker but sometimes that's not the point, a rare, rare motor. Makes the Tickford Capri look mass produced!!

rallycross

12,747 posts

236 months

Monday 13th May 2013
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The XR4x4 turbo's ( Minker, Turbo technics etc) were very good compared with the standard car XR4x4 but compared to the Sierra Cosworth they were a heavy old lump with inert handling and poor brakes compared to the Cossie, although the 4x4 turbo was great at coping with wet / damp / bumpy roads where the Cossie would just lose traction and slide around even in a straight line.

I got to drive them both both in the late 80's when my dad had a few of them. The later Saphire Cosworth 4x with some simple upgrades was miles better than either of them.

The XR 4x4 was a heavy old lump, good for towing, the turbo versions were fast but pretty lame compared to a quick Cossie.

T66ORA

3,474 posts

256 months

Monday 13th May 2013
quotequote all
Zad said:
T66ORA said:
Phil Dicky said:
Weren't Gartrac responsible for the RS1700T as well?...bet the youngster won't have a clue what one of those is smile
The RS1700T was a Boreham motorsport project, Gartrac did the 2.8i V6 rwd mk3 Escorts(G6).
Just an excuse to post:



Lots more pics of it here, including under-bonnet shots of the V6 http://retrorides.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=ge...

Looking like a baby Quattro. Very clean and original, just how I like em.
Very nice mate thumbup Yours?

Itsallicanafford

2,759 posts

158 months

Monday 13th May 2013
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There was a girl at school who used to show off her minker behind the bike sheds.

MarkPhillipson

31 posts

149 months

Monday 13th May 2013
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Like others, I'm slightly struggling to be convinced about the performance figures but Mr Russ 16V makes a convincing case. My doubts stem from the fact that the fastest standard (note, standard) contemporary car was almost certainly the 911 Turbo (often referred to as the 930). Motor magazine produced 5.3 secs 0-60 and Autocar 5.1. This from a car of similar power - 300 bhp - with phenomenal traction - though not of course 4WD back then - and low weight (as someone else pointed out - Eighties cars were lighter than today's, generally). I know I could not achieve 4.5 0-60 from my own 4WD 996 with 300BHP and it is also respectably light. Can we be clear - is that 320bhp figure an at-the-wheels number? That would make all the difference. Either way - I would like it much better if it looked more standard - like the Cossie that pursued me in my 996 Turbo one time - a story I have already alluded to elsewhere so will not bore you all with again.

s m

23,164 posts

202 months

Monday 13th May 2013
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Petrolhead_Rich said:
According to that it has a top speed of 170mph in fifth gear, is that a (max rpm) x(Gear Ratio) top speed or can that ford sierra actually do 170mph?
If they had the 'longer' 3.14 diffs they had a theoretical maximum in top of about 178 mph

s m

23,164 posts

202 months

Monday 13th May 2013
quotequote all
MarkPhillipson said:
Like others, I'm slightly struggling to be convinced about the performance figures but Mr Russ 16V makes a convincing case. My doubts stem from the fact that the fastest standard (note, standard) contemporary car was almost certainly the 911 Turbo (often referred to as the 930). Motor magazine produced 5.3 secs 0-60 and Autocar 5.1. This from a car of similar power - 300 bhp - with phenomenal traction - though not of course 4WD back then - and low weight (as someone else pointed out - Eighties cars were lighter than today's, generally). I know I could not achieve 4.5 0-60 from my own 4WD 996 with 300BHP and it is also respectably light.
The Autocar actual timed figures for the Minker K1 in the June 1990 issue were 4.8 seconds to 60 - the timings they had for the Countach were 4.9 to 60. The Minker was quicker in a fair few of the 4th and 5th gear increments below 90 than the Lamborghini even with the longer final drive ratio ( £690 option ) that the test car had. Whether you believe the figures or not, they do broadly tie in with what you'd expect from 320bhp in a 4wd Sierra. Performance Car magazine obtained very similar figures from a 315bhp Sapphire Cosworth 4x4 and the Minker 323 they timed. I'm sure a 996 with the same power would sail on to a higher speed because of gearing though
Undoubtedly a large slice of headline-grabbing license by Autocar in saying it was a Lamborghini beater but then they are in the business of selling magazines!

MarkPhillipson

31 posts

149 months

Monday 13th May 2013
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No, no - I believe Autocar - they were an honest bunch. But I would suggest that at higher speeds, yes, a 996 (narrow-body pre-S - this is beginning to sound a trifle geeky) would win out but more because of aerodynamics than gearing. Sierras were pretty slippy in their day but take a look at a 3.4 996 - incredibly shallow shape (no bulging arches) and completely flat underneath. 0.30CD I believe.

sidaorb

5,589 posts

205 months

Monday 13th May 2013
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Much preferred this....


blade7

11,311 posts

215 months

Tuesday 14th May 2013
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menoy said:
This is one of three in the world, not in GB. So quite a bit rarer
Yep because most people thought it was much too expensive. The standard TT XR 4X4 had diddy turbo's on account of the chocolate gearbox.