I may have found Andy Rouse's XR4Ti

[jeek]

Hey,

I just google'd andy Rouse and this thread appeared in the archives!

http://tentenths.com/forum/archive/i...p/t-84574.html

I think this may be the XR4Ti that was changed into a rally car!

Here it is! been lying for a few years but it started up with just an airflow meter and some fuel. Unfortunatly the engine and running gear is standard twink stuff.











We bought it for the wheels! but now it seems it very rare! We were gonna scrap it too

cheers

[KA]

If it is the Rouse car, then that's a heck of a discovery....


Pic shows a Rouse XR4Ti at Donington ETCC round 1986- from memory, 2 cars were built in 85, one subsequently ended up in NZ/Australia

http://www.racingsportscars.com/etcc...-04-06-032.jpg

First thing that leaps out at me in the pics of your car is the recess in the front wing for the extinguisher/electrical cutout switches which is in the same place as on the Rouse cars (think these were in a different place on a LHD Eggenberger shell).


Eggenberger car as a comparison

http://www.racingsportscars.com/etcc...-04-06-003.jpg

[jeek]

did it have a recess on bothsides of the car?

This has and i assumed it would be for the airjacks?

[davyboy]

This doesn't look like a Group A car to me. Have you checked the suspension ? It should be fully rose-jointed. Also, the car would be almost on its belly with the wheels you have there. I would have imagined that the back of the car would have had a fuel cell visible when the hatch was raised. Did you compare the rollcage config to KA's pictures ?

[rallycrosscraig]

from those pics does not look like something that would have been group A, maybe just a road replica that then went on to be a clubman rallycar?

[bdwoody]

Also look under the bonnet there should be a chassis tag that isnt a ford number !

[KA]

Originally Posted by davyboy

This doesn't look like a Group A car to me. Have you checked the suspension ? It should be fully rose-jointed. Also, the car would be almost on its belly with the wheels you have there. I would have imagined that the back of the car would have had a fuel cell visible when the hatch was raised. Did you compare the rollcage config to KA's pictures ?

If it is an original Rouse shell, then it looks as if it's been hacked around a bit- and if it's been a rallycar, I suspect there may not be much of the original suspension still on it.

Originally Posted by jeek

did it have a recess on bothsides of the car?

This has and i assumed it would be for the airjacks?

From photos I've just looked at, yes there were recesses in both front wings- possibly airjacks on one side, extinguisher/cut-off on the other?

Can't swear to this but I've got a vague memory that the fuel fillers on the Rouse cars were on the rear panel between the rear lights- is there any sign of one, possibly two holes there, which may have been filled or plated over?

What you really need to do is find someone who knows their way around a Group A Sierra bodyshell who can confirm if it's the real deal or not...Maybe someone at the RS Owners Club can help, or put you in touch with Andy Rouse.

Just out of curiosity, where did the suggestion of this being an ex-Rouse chassis come from?

[jeek]

I will check for the boot panel 2nite and also for the extra plate!

It also has the 4 air jack points on the car!

I posted the car up on a few threads and on everyone there was someone who thought it might have been it!

I will put loads more pics and descroption 2nite when i got to it!

[GBRM]

I would say it doesn't look smart enough to be an ex-Andy Rouse car, the cabin bay IIR was differant too.

[jeek]

well i went and seen it agian and there is no ARE plate as far as i can see and there is no holes in the rear panel! :cry:

There are however some strange things on the car!

The spare wheel well is a D shape and has a large hole in the middle. there is no rear seat mounting points at all. however thre is some very meaty rear cage mounts at the side of the struts!

There seems to be a bit cut out of the chasis rail on one side!
there is a recess in the driver side inner wing at the front.
The jack mounting points look very professional

Th rear inner wings have panels rivited on and there is a battery box in the boot


I have pics of all this and im uploading them just so but its taking ages hopefull be up later!

[Aysedasi]

Well, its an interesting story, however it turns out!

[Al Weyman]

Just don't look like the real thing to me but I would love to be proved wrong, I am sure if it was it would never have been allowed to get in that state. Can you not at least identify if it started life as a proper Mercury Merkur fitted with the Mustang Pinto turbo engine. Maybe that bit cut out the chassis may have been to clear the engine and turbo unit, may be worth checking if a standard Merkur has that modification.

[jeek]

Ok so heres more pics! Can anyone tell me any more about this from these?


Side

rear

front

Strut top with cage mount with threaded holes

Same again

Where the spare whell well would have been.

Rear where the seat would be

Rubbish cage and jack mount

sill

Rear quarter

other side




Batter enclosure

Wing

wing

hole in the inner wing

front

seam welded roof

more roof

rear panel

engine

cut chasis rail

underneath

Front

[GTRMagic]

You have a significant restoration job ahead of you... looks like the car was parked in an ocean or something...

I hope you can prove the provenance before spending time/energy/money on it...

[Cameron Winton]

Looks like a Merkur/XR4TI front bumper. Chassis leg looks like a cut out for a side exit exhaust.
Could be a Rouse or Eggenberger car that has had all the goodies taken out of it. Some of the plating look like it may have had some kind of fancy cage in the past.
Good luck!

[Podd37]

I hate to say it but there is no way that that is the roll cage from a GpA anything. No door bars, no front section, no marks of it being attached to the shell and rather amateurish looking bolts on it. Perhaps the front wings came from the Rouse car, but that looks like a homebuilt job to me.

[GORDON STREETER]

I will show a couple of these pics to Andy next weekend and then you will know (if the old boy can remember) !

[jeek]

that would be great mate! I would really appreciate that! The cage is not the original one! there are much more hardcore mounts for the orig cage!

[brown dog]

One of the XR4Ti's ended up over here in NZ, Mark petch owned it for many years. It was converted to an RS500 (rear window mod) and fitted with a wide arch kit, and it ran in thundersaloons for a few years. Recently sold on trademe for about NZ $10K, still with a few of the goodies on it, Gp.a traling arms, old AP brakes on front, BBS centrelocks, Group A front suspension. Still would have been a MAJOR restoration job!

[Aysedasi]

Pardon my ignorance, but what is Mr. Rouse up to these days?

[GORDON STREETER]

Andy has "sort "of retired but can still pedal (and win ) He should be out at this weekends Heritage races at the Toca meeting at Snetterton in Pete Halls Camero. I'll keep an eye on the mirror for when he laps me !

[GBRM]

Andy has never retired and never will retire but he's very happily married and enjoying life. He has still been trying to push the SCV8 concept with Pete, looking after his son at Fortec and just enjoying life with his new lady.
I think you might see in the very near future a bit more of an attack on historic racing (Pete's car doesn't count!!) and he's more than welcome to drive my car some time!!

[jeek]

Good to hear he is still racing. Hopefully one of you guys can ask him if i have found his old car!

[jeek]

Did anyone manage to speak to Mr Rouse about this car?

[GBRM]

Originally Posted by jeek

Did anyone manage to speak to Mr Rouse about this car?

I passed the details on to Peter Hall (ICS) last week and he was going to speak to Andy, so hopefully either someone will post back here or I'll get an e-mail and let you know.