Hello all!
Where to start... I've always been to into Ford cars, I inherited this trait from my dad. I've been the owner of 3 Thunderbirds, of which I absolutely love! Being a bigger guy (6'4" 230lbs), the smaller cars just never did anything for me. I've always been a sucker for a 2 door, so the TBird was right up my alley.
Just shy of a year ago, I sold my 3rd TBird when I joined the US Navy as a Nuclear Reactor Operator, and I have been training for that since. It's been coming up time for me to get another car because at my next command, I will have to live out in town and commute to work.
I had been looking for another Thunderbird, but they are getting hard to find considering the newest MN12 is 13 years old now (I don't count the retro Bird that came out). I started looking at bigger, yet more contemporary cars, such as the Crown Vic and Dodge Magnum. However, ever since the Marauder came out, I have always wanted one! The problem is that in 2003 when they hit the streets, I was a mere 18 years old and would, of course, not be able to afford such a vehicle.
Even recently when I was passively looking for a Marauder they still seemed out of my price range. So many people are asking outrageous prices for them, so I just figured that I'd have to settle for something else.
My luck changed when I spotted what appeared to be a bank repo at a little mom n pop dealership, who only deals with specialty/high end vehicles. So a few friends and I made the 200 mile drive out to see it, and a couple hours later, I found myself slightly in shock because I was the new owner of a 2004 black Marauder!
I love this car. Period. It's sexy, it's quick, it's loud (Flowmaster mufflers out to the factory tips), it's huge! The 32v makes the 4.6 SOHV in my TBird look like a lawn mower engine. Now, I do know a bit about the workings of this car, as there are many similarities between it and my other Fords, but I am no expert by any means. That means I will probably be harassing you guys about all kinds of crazy things.
There are a few things I would like to address about the car right off the bat that I hope someone can point in me in the right direction for:
1. The driver's side front corner light is cracked and needs to be replaced. It looks like any CV/GM corner will fit there with the exception of the blacked out portion exclusive to the MM. I would like to keep the car as factory as possible, so I suppose an MM corner is my option. So a place to look for parts would be helpful, I haven't looked yet.
2. The pod gauges are gone. The housing they go in was gone too, but luckily, the dealership had ordered one and it had gotten there right before I did. (Good thing too, that part is expensive!) So, I need the pods (Coolant temp and oil pressure I believe?) Ebay? Again, haven't checked yet.
3. The front passenger speaker isn't working. I haven't looked at it, but it looks like I have to remove the door panel to get to it? Advice? Ford likes to put easily broken tabs all over the place, and I don't want to break any!
4. Speaking of easily broken tabs, one of the tab things that holds the grille on is broken. While there doesn't seem to be any issue with the grille staying on, it is something I would like to address eventually.
5. Car cover. Yes, I know... Outside. Unfortunately, that is my only option for the next few months. There is no covered parking here on base, so I want to get a cover for when I'm not driving it. I've never owned a car cover, so I'm not sure about what type to get, etc. It seems like any CV/GM one would do, and I don't foresee those being hard to find, but any info of the top of your head is helpful.
I think that's all for now, sorry for the novella, but I really love this car, so I see myself hanging around here a lot. Oh, just a little more about me. I'm 24, originally from Sacramento, CA. I'm currently an E4 in the Navy and stationed in Charleston, SC. Anything else, just ask.
Here's a picture of the car. I'm also getting into photography a bit, so you can expect many pictures in the future (especially after I get the chance to properly detail her!)