Hoovie is truly stunned by this rare '89 Merkur Scorpio in the CAR WIZARD's shop

This 1989 Merkur Scorpio is definitely an unusual car from the 80's. It's not quite a Ford, but similar in so many ways. Let the CAR WIZARD 🧙‍♂️ and HOOVIE show you this cool flashback import.
🔮🔧 AMAZON AFFILIATE STORE: www.amazon.com... 🔧🔮
🇬🇧🇬🇧 UK AMAZON STORE: www.amazon.co.... 🇬🇧🇬🇧
🧰 BENDPAK LIFTS: www.bendpak.com 🧰
👕 CAR WIZARD MERCH: teespring.com/... 👕
📷 INSTAGRAM @therealcarwizard 📷

[@karlhurn]

Amazing for me (an Englishman) watching Americans not know what a Ford Granada Mk3 is 😂😂😂

[@seangorry]

I saw the back of it in the last video and had to do a double take!

[@SamBao]

Some models are only available in certain region

[@robertwhall]

We had a Granada in the US for 2 generations, but it was very different from the EU Granada

[@michaelheimbrand5424]

I agree. Also, I´m Swedish and think it´s hilarious that you still called them Granada in the UK. That body was always a Ford Scorpio in mainland Europe. Anyway, I guess they had the world record in rusting out in the UK too?

[@karlhurn]

@@michaelheimbrand5424 They sure did rust. They did call the top of the range one Granada Scorpio in the UK. They only called the last really ugly model Scorpio without the Granada name. Wow! I know too much about Granada’s!!! 😂😂😂

[@BiologicalEngineer]

The chemistry between these two still never gets old

[@andyn46]

It’s so easy to tell when a KZbin duo is genuine. So many forced friendships for the camera on this platform. Seeing Wizard and Hoovie is always a delight, makes you feel like you’re just hanging around with some old friends

[@Vhicken]

@@andyn46 Well they are old friends, Wizard was best man at Tyler's wedding!

[@ekarabardak]

@@Vhicken actually Euro Asian Bob was Hoovie's best man (he said so in an episode)

[@Karmy.]

@@ekarabardak I know though at least that their friendship dates back to Hoovie's dealership days over a decade ago

[@renovoss]

I drove a 1986 Ford Scorpio for 6 years while stationed in Germany. Absolutely loved that car! It was built for the Autobahn. The engine wasn't anything for power but the gearing was such that I could drive all day long at 125mph with no issues whatsoever.

[@largol33t1]

I STILL remember reading an ad about it in Road & Track. They boasted that the Scorpio could conquer the autobahns of Munich just as well as it could conquer your driving comforts. They also reminded buyers that it had adjustable rear seats, which was rare for the price range at the time too. I would love to drive one. Just like you, I have never personally seen these in a Merkur "outfit." They were always badged as Ford Scorpios. I saw one or two somewhere in Europe long after the Merkur brand was shut down.

[@brandonrobishaw7606]

Merkur versions in the U.S. Are different in a few ways one for the American market the headlights weren't legal so they put on the same headlights as the Ford Mustang and the rear treatment they had to add more reflective panels between the tail lights around the license plate and an ugly spoiler to contain a third brake light. Then they limited the options available no diesel engine no four-wheel drive no manual transmission almost all were leather I personally had a cloth interior car.

[@rereg543]

"It's because you think I'm a moron! I'm not that stupid!" *Wizard:* laughs

[@furiousdriving]

politely laughs!

[@BetterCallGatto]

He's not a moron... He only got two lefts hands and no idea how to use the opposite thumbs properly 😅

[@padgc]

Ford granada scorpio as used by the police in the UK back in the day

[@AleksiJoensuu]

I mean, Hoovie does call himself an idiot, but a moron is where he draws the line.

[@JS-1983]

Those Ford Scorpios were also quite popular as taxi-use with diesel engines in Europe.

[@Kingdonnerkebab]

And petrol too, my dad and uncle taxied many and they were mega reliable, only rust finally got them.

[@pauldalkin2573]

Went with the Granada name in GB. I think they used the Scorpio name on the luxury model.

[@JS-1983]

@@pauldalkin2573 in Finland all of those were called Scorpio.

[@Silversurfer604]

Na as 2.9 the perfect weed smoker mobil in the mid 90s :-), miss it

[@russ9898]

@@pauldalkin2573 I remember these as a Ford granada too. They were physically huge cars in the UK at the time. Naturally, cars have somewhat grown since and they're not all that big by modern standards

[@leeboyle372]

Sold in the UK as Ford Granada Scorpio Nearly all parts available still Uk version had one piece headlights. You were doing very well if you could afford one of these

[@mentat1341]

Mrs. Wizard wins the internet today with the "it's not that type of pump" to Hoovie

[@FrankySilverFace]

Tyler's impression of Austin Powers was a good recovery.

[@lbwlawyer]

This is a special video for me Wizard. My grandfather had a Merkur Scorpio back in 1990 until he had to stop driving due to Alzheimer’s. His was what a very metallic silver, very bright. He’d let me drive it when I’d visit if I detailed it for him. It’s a weird, special car. In its prime, it’d soak up highway miles at slightly higher than legal speeds and felt exceedingly stable and comfy.

[@williamegler8771]

My mother bought one brand new. She drove it for 22 years and 257k miles. It needed a transmission rebuild at 175k but other than that it was mostly trouble-free. I remember at trip through Montana cruising at a steady 95 mph...

[@mikehannigan848]

Maybe it's because the only two examples I've ever seen were rust belt only cars,but trouble free they was not.

[@777jones]

They were German engineered sedans after all.

[@williamegler8771]

@@mikehannigan848 With proper maintenance by knowledgeable mechanic they can very reliable and durable.

[@williamegler8771]

@@777jones They were some of the most popular police and fleet vehicles in Europe and in many countries around the world. They are very reliable... Have you ever owned one? German automakers sell millions of vehicles a year and a majority of those are to repeat customers that were satisfied enough to buy another one.

[@mikehannigan848]

@@williamegler8771 Yeah until the simple part you need is not in stock and it just sits, or the electrical system goes tit's up and it just sits, or like the wizard says you need a body panel that's no longer available and it just sits. I'd rather buy a Lexus for the same price or less and laugh at the Scorpio owners. MY wife's GS400 has 225,000 miles on it, doesn't leak or burn oil, I can get every part on it, and it's actually fast and fun to drive. Cost less than a Scorpio too. And any jabroni goomba can work on it. Check and mate.

[@VinayKapoor]

A particular guy would say... "THISSSS IS A SCORPIO AND IT IS SOMEWHAT A UNICORN 🦄 OF THE CAR WORLD"

[@johnshenberger2194]

I can literally hear Doug saying that in my head as I read it.

[@richardparnell8402]

@@johnshenberger2194 seconded

[@marks8068]

Unicorn? more like nightmare material.. ive had to do so many stupid repairs on these its not funny anymore..

[@MAKSOR70]

how many do you want its a rebadge Ford Scorpio plenty of them inEurope

[@Parrotdise290]

Yeah, he should review this one.

[@markwoodley712]

My neighbour owned one of these and I always admired it. It didn't get driven a lot because he was close enough to walk to/from the metro rail station. It was out there, but you didn't see a whole lot of them. A EuroFord!

[@th3b0untyhunter]

"Not quite a Ford" ??? It's totally a Ford. It's a european Ford (Granada Scorpio in UK and Scorpio in Mainland Europe) with a different badge

[@lewis72]

This would have been a "Scorpio Ghia" in Mainland Europe.

[@LiveFreeOrDieDH]

Me: "How did Hoovie end up making the dumbest automotive channel in all of KZbin?" Hoovie: Licks paint chips Me: "Oooooohhhh." 🤣🤣🤣

[@dneedham8302]

If the A/C ends up still having pressure, but not turning on. I'd check out the triple switch on top of the receiver / drier. Those are known to fail.

[@davidsenderodelsanto]

I used to have an XR4-TI and I loved it. This brings back memories of an overly opulent youth.

[@click100uk2]

I had a red XR4i for 10 years and got the 2.9i 4-wheel drive Granada Scorpio afterwards and kept that for 10 years. Great cars.

[@blue88aw11]

Same I had 2 merkur xr4ti's in the 90s

[@richardsheargold695]

Here in the uk, I had a 1986 Ford Granada 2 litre. It was a “large car” here in the 80’s and 90’s. Very nice car 👍

[@hdmk213]

My parents had a 1990/91 Ford Granada from new - the same car as this, but a cheaper trim. A long time ago now though

[@davecurlett2227]

My high school friend's dad had one of those! We called it the Bloody Merkin because the interior was mostly red

[@jase976]

My dad had the Scorpio COSWORTH (UK), amazing car back in the day, all the toys. Rear button worked the recline feature on rear seats.

[@erikvanhorn489]

Worked at a Lincoln dealership in ‘89 it was a unique car. XR4Ti was fun. Leather had a very unique scent.

[@richardculbertson8027]

The Ford version of this and the escort cosworth were my dream cars growing up

[@watershed44]

@Car Wizard The reason these didn't sell well was deliberate because the Mercury Lincoln execs didn't want them to compete with the US produced products, which were more profitable, and the dealers weren't given adequate service training to properly maintain them, all by design to drive the German Ford out of the US market. Same thing with the original Ford Fiesta back in 1977.

[@billvosteen1268]

They were way over priced. You could by a Mercury Sable, a larger car, fully loaded for thousands of dollars less.

[@NEEEBODY]

I had a 1986 Granada Scorpio 2.8i 4X4 manual back in 1987… wonderful car

[@gwilli]

It's always a good time when Hoovie interrupts Car Wizard videos.

[@Parknest]

This was sold as the Ford Granada MK3 in the UK & Ireland. I can see the resemblance to the Fox body at the front. The European cars had a single piece headlight unit. The Granada Scorpio was the flagship model. I had a 1987 Ford Granada Scorpio which had the 2.9 Cologne V6 with the same 4-speed auto. It made a beautiful noise (excuse the Neil Diamond reference) but it was thirsty (petrol is expensive in the UK). The Granada name was retired in 1994 in Europe. Out of the 4 Granadas I've owned, the best ones were the Scorpio and a 2.0 Ghia X I bought for £50 from a work colleague which needed a new clutch.

[@jonathanfrier5949]

Popular executive car in the UK in the 80/90s we called it a Ford Granada Scorpio, I have a 24v Cosworth saloon/sedan one, runs about 200 BHP, lots of luxury for the time, good car, check out the electric reclining seats

[@shanebraithwaite3922]

I’ve owned several of these and still have one but the European versions, fantastic cars and drove very well. The buttons in the back are for the rear reclining electric seats.

[@adamjohnathan]

I owned a 1988 Merkur Scorpio in silver color with grey cloth interior. The buttons in the rear for the seats are for the reclining function. The switches for the windows/seats do go bad, that is why the owner of this model purchased that bag of switches. I enjoyed this vehicle. Ford had a problem with the blend door actuator for the heat/AC which remained a problem until around 2000, they finally did a redesign, which messed with your AC.

[@grumblyone3334]

Used to see those around a lot, years back. Still do, once in a while. Never knew much about 'em though. Fancy.

[@niklasrose9050]

This was a very common car here in Germany, a competitor to the Audi 100 (or Audi 5000 in the US). In Europe it was also available as a regular sedan and as a wagon. The second generation (1994-1998) had an even more controversial design.

[@stewartmarler1416]

When Hoovie does the dead stare at the camera, I am convinced he's the "I like turtles" boy all grown up.

[@dwightbetten8918]

He's imitating the wizard when he debuted in Hoovies first video that included his new mechanic, David Long, later to known as "The Wizard".

[@GarrettWorcester]

@@dwightbetten8918 That's exactly what came to my mind when I saw him doing that!

[@TheChaztor]

@@dwightbetten8918 glad someone got that

[@bobcobbob3641]

My son had one of the same vintage, handled fantastically, but the electrical gremlins were maddening. Window regulators and window switches would work and then they wouldn’t. I understand the electrical troubleshooting manual.

[@ericfleetwood6744]

That explains the bag of switches in the trunk.

[@jeffreydilallo18]

The switch reclines the rear seats. I owned one of these (A/C issues and all) it was an awesome car - - and very unique.

[@jamesclark5097]

I had the Xr4ti which was sold in Europe as the Sierra. The American version shared a turbo charged 4 cylinder engine with the Thunderbird. Ford replaced the cracked leather seat covers but not the dash. I still have the Helm shop manual for it and had to consult it a lot to keep this Bob Lutz failure running.

[@rmlm10]

I owned an 88 Scorpio. Drove and handled great. But every electrical thing went bad by 25000 or so miles, I don't know at what miles because....in no particular order: speedometer- odometer quit, heater fan quit, auto transmission lost 4th gear, electric window motor quit, seat heater quit, abs quit, that's all I can remember. It was a beautiful car to look at. I wish mine was a better story.

[@adamn7516]

That engine was also used in the Ford Ranger and Bronco II at the time.

[@detonator2112]

That model has really stood surprisingly well the test of time. The shape looks timeless. Great work by Ford. Same can't be said about its European successor, the last Ford Scorpio which was ugly as sin.

[@That_AMC_Guy]

Somehow, I always suspected Hoovie had experience eating paint chips.

[@xzz2343]

Had two of these. One was an auto, the other, a five speed manual. Nice driving car. Harder to find body parts, but the Colgne 2.9 V6 was in a bunch of Fords. Back seats reclined. Between the two cars, I had about 10 years of time in them.

[@philryley7521]

Hello from the UK Yes we know this as a Ford Granada Scorpio, my uncle had one. This is in really great condition. Parts and key fobs available in the UK. I currently have a Ford Sierra, you know this a an Xr4ti. Mine is known as an XR4x4. It has h same engine as you have there,but as the name suggests is actually four wheel drive. I have been following you for a while, especially the boat videos. Please keep the great content coming.

[@bednar23]

I think they were called the "Granada" here in the uk. Always liked them

[@simonpeat2937]

They were until 1994 called Granada and then renamed Scorpio

[@v8ernie702]

Back seat button he's playing with @8:30 or so is seat recline, motors on the pin the seat back secures to. My first car was an 86 with the older 2.8 engine. If you're digging on the web for info it's a mk3 Granada in UK or mk1 Scorpio in europe. Ford Sierra shares a lot of underpinnings. That master cylinder you commented on is from teeves (spelling?) Mk2 abs system. Stop you like a brick wall if it's working properly. On the subject of hitting things I can personally attest they will take a bang🤫

[@eyesurgeon69]

I loved these back in the day. They were and still are cool.

[@robertlee9395]

You're all looking at the car. I'm having fun memories! My friend had one and she loved her car. She knew what it was. When we rode with her we always had a good time in Detroit. She knew how to drive that car with style!

[@TheAdrianMc]

8:36 Tyler looking the Wizard right in the eyes: "Good fart absorption with perforated leather" Wizard COMPLETELY ignoring comment and continuing on! 😂😂😂😂😂

[@ruk2023--]

These things were called Ford Granada's in the UK, Scorpio was the top spec one. Granada's were everywhere here in the UK during the 80's and 90's. Think Lincoln Town Car kinds of ubiquity. Trim levels went from a 1.8 litre L model (windows included) to 2.9 litre Scorpio (every extra you can think of). Only the Scorpio ones had AC. My dad had a Ghia (mid range) and I was always very jealous of a friends dad's Scorpio.

[@begalbrew5572]

I love 85 XR4TI, love seeing these cars get noticed, great vid!

[@AVC-Works]

I had a lot of Ford Scorpio's 2.9... loved them. My parents used to have one back in the days and i loved it, so promised myself one day. Wold love to have a Merkur Scorpio. Or a XR4Ti... I had a Ford Sierra XR4i 2.8

[@tonymontana3742]

I remember my boss bought a white 3 door hatchback Merkur X4TI new in 1985, seems like they were discounted a lot. I think I was driving an 84 Volkswagen Rabbit.

[@christiandindler8562]

Look at those wheels. Back in the 80´s we would only dream of having RS wheels on our old Fords, in my hood in Denmark at least

[@ryantzer]

The switches beside the rear seats are for the power reclining rear seat backs. Bet the switches in the bag in the trunk would fit that location.

[@steinmoller-nilsen4118]

I’ve had the German version of this. An -86 Ford Scorpio 2.8i Ghia. Lovely car, indeed, and way ahead with many details.

[@JoseLuis-ur3ho]

This is known as a Ford Granada in England . Very good car back in the day .

[@benedikt13]

My buddy had the Merkur XR4TI back in the day, the turbo 2.3 and a 5 speed manual, lots of fun. Nice video.

[@pdavio]

I drove one of these, in Granada/Sierra guise, as a motorpool car while I was stationed in Germany. It may not be super quick, but (don't tell my Transportation NCO) it would run at 120mph all day, effortlessly, on the Autobahn. That Cologne V-6, even as weak as it may seem, just didn't care when attached to the (really long throw) 5 speed manual.

[@tmc4689]

Great car Wizard . In the uk we called this a Granada Scorpio. They did this in a cosworth aswell . Top car in it’s day 👌🏾

[@FSX239]

The rear seats have power recline feature. The switch is used to adjust the seat angle.

[@jamescox1806]

Had one of these and loved it because it was unique, rare and had a feel of quality about it that made driving it a pleasure! Had two XR4TI's as well!

[@jameswhitehead6758]

@8:14 That switch is for the power reclining rear seats.

[@darrens3]

This was basically a premium Taurus for the UK. Developed using the same principles and aerodynamics. Ironically if they were sold as Fords in the US they would have sold well. Making them a quasi sub brand was such a stupid idea.

[@mitchmarkota8814]

I owned a 1988 Scorpio. It was a great road car though I had to get rid of it because Ford of Europe stopped selling parts. The ABS brakes were the best ever designed. I also had issues with the driveshaft balance and transmission failure.

[@Hissmannen]

The sadness in Tylers eyes when he realized it wasn’t a weedbag..

[@K0okyKats]

I had a MINT ‘88 XR4Ti. Babied that thing. I heard that parts were scarce so I sold it 👎🏻. 23,000 miles. Best headrest in the biz!

[@pumpswilliams4559]

We had the Cossie Scorpio........lush brown motorway basher ....rusted faster than it went in a straight line hahah still love one now tho 😘

[@BerraLJ]

Leg room in the backseat was legendary

[@ricky850r]

Called a Ford Granada here in the UK. The Granada Scorpio was the range topping model. There was a model after this called the Ford Scorpio in the UK. It looked like a widemouth frog from the front and didn't sell well !

[@stephenwestin7350]

The 2.9 V6 was pretty common in the U.S., being used in Rangers, Aerostars, and Explorers.

[@240glevolvo]

Nice Scorpio :O i have a 1994 european Ford Scorpio saloon with a 2.0 dohc engine. Love it, it's getting rare in Norway to see them on the road

[@eppenga]

I know that car from my youth, it's a Ford Scorpio! It was considered pretty chique and high end in The Netherlands, Europe.

[@BlackLines]

These were Granada's when I was a kid here in the UK..... Ford Fiesta > Escort > Sierra > Granada ... Scorpio was the top-end Granada. The headlights were all one unit as well which looked great compared to this version with the split covers. A bit more aggressive.

[@scrossman8991]

Very few left here in the UK as they were very popular for banger racing, especially for the destruction derby.

[@SirTrinculo]

merkurs are awesome cars, i have the XR4Ti, use to have a scorpio but the electric was toast on it as they are a nightmare for that.

[@markemanuele1929]

I used to own an XR4Ti. I made the mistake of trading mine in. I LOVED to drive it!

[@MrBillsfishin]

I didn't want a Scorpio but I did want an XR4Ti back then. They were just to expensive.

[@jenX100]

Bloody ell, that’s a clean mk3 Granada

[@KA_Sammler]

This video proves that not a single American can pronounce Merkur correctly. Greetings from Germany, where almost all Ford Scorpio have already been scrapped.

[@Pillowbiter84]

That's a good ride. High output V6 and rear wheel drive, I would buy one.

[@1XSTEALTHTWINTURBOX1]

LoL Hoovie did the Old Car Wizard stare into your Soul/ Camera when he first had him on Camera. Classic

[@thomasstrickland0]

I guess they did put the 2.9 in something other than a Ford Ranger. Looks like a really nice Ford Tempo/ or Mercury Topaz with a lot of Jaguar influences.

[@keno77]

It's kind of strange,even in Sweden this was a unicorn, after the successful predecessor Ford Granada which sold well for years,Ford came out with the Ford Scorpio and in the beginning it was received well but they had a LOT of problems in the beginning and the popularity dropped like a rock. I think it's a good looking car though, and I believe it's quite comfortable for that period of time.

[@tony_25or6to4]

It's in remarkable condition for a Michigan car

[@treeskier802]

I owned a 89 Scorpio. Loved that car.

[@veeeight5286]

As a Briton hearing Hoovie go "it's BLOO" made me chuckle a little

[@danielhindley8]

When Hoovie calls the key an old Jaguar Key... thats what all Ford Keys used to look like in Europe, surely the Ford Contour had similar keys? That was a shared platform with Europe.

[@richardmence755]

Hi in the uk this car was called a ford Granada. Parts are very easy to come by

[@watershed44]

@Car Wizard *The US spec headlamps are totally different specs and the EU lights were lower profile and glass* Indeed the US lamps came off of the Taurus or Mustang of the same era.

[@stephenwestin7350]

The DE1 platform was basically a stretch of the Sierra, both in length and width (see how wide the door sills are?) The engine was also imported for use in contemporary Rangers and Aerostars, and is NOT common with the Vulcan 3.0 used in the Taurus. The Scorpio was a flop in Europe, as well, until a wagon was introduced and eventually a notchback 4-door. I had a couple of these when I lived in Germany: a 2.5 4-cylider Diesel and a 2.9. Both had manual transmissions. I'm not sure that stereo is the original, or perhaps the U.S. versions had a different one. Driving it felt a bit like driving a bus, as the driver sits pretty far forward (a true cab-forward design) and the view backward keeps going all the way to that fastback hatch. The rear seat had wonderful leg room. I once hit the rev limiter in the 2.9 on the Autobahn in top gear, with the speedo indicating over 130 MPH. It was a downhill stretch.

[@airbus220]

Even the light in the key works, nice!

[@ZacAttackAtl]

Pretty sure that key format is extremely common in European ford's and some other cars. LPL did a video on his KZbin channel.

[@robertmay1760]

Went to school with a girl whose dad had one of these. Same color but with a 5 speed. It was a hodge podge of different looking Fords. Now the Merkur XR4Ti was as ugly as homemade sin but a god send for engine parts needed to repair the Turbo 2.3 on my first wifes 85 Turbo Mercury Capri RS. The XR4Ti Merkurs were abundant at the U-Pull It on the MS Gulf Coast in the Early to Mid 90s. Ford was short on parts and wanted a premium for manifolds and turbos.$15 vs $400 SCORE!!!

[@Justin-Hill-1987]

The Scorpio is the only car released in the North American market under Ford's Merkur import car brand that resembles a 4-door family sedan...

[@taelorwatson9822]

This is the car that started the movement of luxury branding before Acura there was Merkur They canceled this car right before the new engine came out which would have given it another 70 horsepower. There were about 29 k in the States, which was more than a Mark 7 which was about 24K

[@magnaman1963]

Pronounced Mare Coor, not merker. the switch on the rear seats is for the power reclining rear seats....and I cant believe you all missed one of the most unique features of the Scorpio... That replacement driveshaft? probably not OE spec as the driveshaft going from the rear of the transmission case to the front of the diff was a 2 piece unit with a "guibo" between the two pieces to ensure balance was maintained at high speeds

[@davidjames2910]

'Good fart absorbtion' - thanks for that, Hoovie!

[@Shaun-1969]

This was the last car Ford produced in Europe to take on the Germans. It sold well I think, you saw a lot of them in the UK. Ford bought Jaguar after this as it had been deemed that the Ford name wasn’t high end enough to complete with them German marks. Jaguar became Fords top of the range after that and that didn’t really go well either

[@bobsboltonstuff4212]

Hi the switch on the back seats is for electric controlled recline steve

[@jimbobjimbob8275]

That switch on the rear seat is for the rear seat recliner

[@ivanoffw]

9:15 Tyler's homage to the first video with the Wizard.

[@JimmyMakingitwork]

It looks like a fox body mustang and an Escort had a chubby baby that required a large bill to bring home, even though nobody wanted it but them.

[@Narendra--Modi]

Thats a Granada I grew up seeing those all around London, was a rich man's daily driver. It was the Cosworth Engine that was appealing to young ones.

[@clonetrooper576]

Hoovie is always such a crackhead when hes on car wizards channel 😂