Hi all

[CarolinaPanther]

I am a new Marauder owner joining up here. Long time Mustang and Powerstroke owner and Ford Tech. I was involved in a head on car crash back in Oct that messed up the right side of my body pretty bad and totaled my MINT 1995 Ford Aspire. So now that I can walk again and go back to work I needed a nice, large, safe daily driver. My buddy had bought this Marauder about 7 years ago in Alabama and brought it to NC. He used it for a daily driver until one day out of the blue it started making death noises from the engine. I looked at it for him and determined that cylinder #4 was not happy. He parked it and purchaed a G8 GT. That was almost 4 years, 2 wives and a kid ago. So now that I needed a daily driver and knew he still had the car I hounded him about it until we reached common ground. Finally picked the car up last weekend and brought her home for surgery. Replaced the seized fuel pump and got it to fire off. Death noise is still just as bad as before, so I pulled the engine and oil pan to find parts of #4 piston in the pan. So at this point I'm freshening up a Mark VIII short block, cleaning and rebuilding the Marauder heads and installing Cobra cams with adjustable timing gears. I also have a PI Stallion torque converter and a set of 4.10s from a previous project that are planning to make their way into the Marauder.

Here are a few pics of my Panther project. Sitting has taken its toll the exterior and that will be addressed once it runs and drives again.

I'm sure I'll be on here looking for parts and advise. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180316/fed0563ca4219ec172c894de6607a7 1b.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180316/f0579695dbd62e4b6345c483bcfb25 d0.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180316/6d8290d6d3a993a72ecf04dd696112 a6.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180316/e10890450c94747fba9171895b0d02 0d.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180316/68acf03350ec20eb1b76fcda306fb5 83.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180316/56f47ab513ef115b7cc935918a7ca4 f3.jpg

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[RubberCtyRauder]

welcome, looks like a good save of a marauder, you'll need a tune for the 4.10 gears unless your dealer will let you flash it. but it still won't fix the crappy factory trans shifting. A tune takes care of that.

[Gerry24]

Welcome to the site, you have people in this community that know the MM in, out and in between. Cheers:beer:

[CoreyM75]

Tell me more about the mint 1995 Aspire. Was it that mint color that Ford used around the mid 90’s? What was it like to drive the last Aspire on the road in the U.S.?

Welcome and best of luck on the new to you Marauder.

[crownvic97]

Great to see one being saved! Cool project!

[kirk]

Great first post!

Welcome and good luck with it

[Catfish]

Welcome! Keep us updated on your project.

[CarolinaPanther]

Haha, the Aspire was red just in mint condition. I actually passed one almost every morning up until my wreck. Here are a few pics. Guy crossed and hit me head on. Broke my foot, ankle, knee, knee cap, femur and right wrist. Few surgeries and a lot of physical therapy later and I'm 60%. The Drs doubt I'll ever be 100% but I'm a fighter.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180316/05e8b921f2c6a00fd5d2598cca89ff b3.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180316/f4b36a2ba448c0a04bfe71a8a36ce9 49.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180316/6fc30304e2ca6b312da52b736489fa df.jpg

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[Fastbob]

Welcome to the site. Hope you get near 100% soon.

[fastblackmerc]

Welcome to the site!

I'm in the Triangle area.

[Gryphonzus]

Welcome to the MODNESS! Sorry to hear about your accident but glad you are saving a Marauder and nursing it back to health at the same time you are recuperating.

[CarolinaPanther]

Thanks everyone. I've had a lot of people at work want the car and even a coworker going to buy one this week since I bought mine.

I'm planning to daily mine keeping miles off my truck, saving fuel cost and having a badass daily. Being its already high mile, it doesn't hurt my feelings to rack up more.

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[TrilogyMarauder]

Good luck with the car and your recovery!

[Marauderjack]

Glad you're getting stronger and saving another Marauder but how'd the skirt get knocked off that piston??:eek:

[CarolinaPanther]

I don't see any indications of issues that would have caused it, but I have seen other 4.6/5.4/6.8 with similar miles have the same issue. I would guess RPM and fatigue would contribute.

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[Marauderjack]

Looks like your right foot is pointed the wrong way in the wreck photos.......yikes!!:eek:

[CarolinaPanther]

Yeah broke my right femur above my knee and the bone exited out of my knee cap. Pretty gnarly. I don't do blood or gore at all but for some reason I was calm and cool, until the tourniquet came out anyways....

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[Agent2006]

Thank goodness you made it through that experience. Another reason to drive a Marauder is 4200 lbs of Blue Oval protection for the next texter/toker/boozer that comes over into your lane. No more Asia-pacific sardine cans!

[Marauderman]

Welcome aboard and great to read your recovery is going along ---and that your recovering another MM. Am in Charlotte area "fastblackmerc" who posted earlier is in Cary like he said but is a tremendous help for ya --he too was a Ford Tech and does super help for us all--Plus I speak for him as tops!!..Cant go wrong with his pointers..

Was curious where your located--found it -- Julian is an unincorporated community in southern Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It lies along North Carolina Highway 62, just east of U.S. Route 421. and your shop looks great-- was hoping you were a bit closer --

[ByronRACE]

If RPM and Fatigue are contributing factors, my oil pan should be full of piston skirts. 230K, WOT'd daily. Maybe it's time to either commit to a rebuild or move on; something is bound to give up soon.

[CarolinaPanther]

Welcome aboard and great to read your recovery is going along ---and that your recovering another MM. Am in Charlotte area "fastblackmerc" who posted earlier is in Cary like he said but is a tremendous help for ya --he too was a Ford Tech and does super help for us all--Plus I speak for him as tops!!..Cant go wrong with his pointers..

Was curious where your located--found it -- Julian is an unincorporated community in southern Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It lies along North Carolina Highway 62, just east of U.S. Route 421. and your shop looks great-- was hoping you were a bit closer --Yeah, Julian is a little town in SE Guilford County and really contains nothing but houses and Piedmont Dragway. My car is actually at my work right now for the engine swap. I have a garage at home and a larger shop at my parents house but both are full of other projects.

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[CarolinaPanther]

If RPM and Fatigue are contributing factors, my oil pan should be full of piston skirts. 230K, WOT'd daily. Maybe it's time to either commit to a rebuild or move on; something is bound to give up soon.I don't see any other indications that would cause a piston to fail in that fashion. I see these cars have knock sensor failures on my site at work that lists common issues and repairs. Maybe a bad knock sensor combined with 87 octane fuel, restricted fuel filter or a dying pump? Either way all are getting replaced and possibly a wideband added for the first few 1000 miles atleast to make sure she is a happy camper.

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[CarolinaPanther]

Figured I'd update this thread a year later. I've put 30k on it so far. 4.10 gears, converter, gutted the cats, lowered, rebuilt the front end with ball joints, tie rod ends, sway bar links and put a can tune from SCT to fix the speedo and cat codes.

I've bought a 2018 GT since then and swapped the black appearance package from the 18 to the Marauder.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190505/a3647842a2d1f79a1bdba098a40037 00.jpg

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[Agent2006]

Nice! If Darth Vader was a car.......

[gdmjoe]

CarolinaPanther ... I've bought a 2018 GT since then and swapped the black appearance package from the 18 to the Marauder.
< sideways pic' >
http://www.gdmjoe.com/icons/lightbulb.gif
http://www.gdmjoe.com/wheels/svtcentercap.jpg
.

*They're not much $ and readily available on ebaY®
.

[MyBlackBeasts]

That’s a great pic to play with!
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190505/96a54e58c344a149aa1abc64b22d70 32.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190505/2113bf1f516d41deb476cb6c70a157 0d.jpg


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[OEFMARAUDERLOVE]

very nice !

[Roadwarrior]

The Marauder is looking good. I live in Greensboro & on every 3rd Sunday (weather permitting), there's a cruise-in from 2-5 pm in the town of Liberty by the only pharmacy in town. A friend of mine that lives there has a DTR Marauder, as well as a few other Ford & other brands of vehicles.

[CarolinaPanther]

The Marauder is looking good. I live in Greensboro & on every 3rd Sunday (weather permitting), there's a cruise-in from 2-5 pm in the town of Liberty by the only pharmacy in town. A friend of mine that lives there has a DTR Marauder, as well as a few other Ford & other brands of vehicles.Depending on how you get to Liberty from Greensboro you pass my house.

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[BUCKWHEAT]

If RPM and Fatigue are contributing factors, my oil pan should be full of piston skirts. 230K, WOT'd daily. Maybe it's time to either commit to a rebuild or move on; something is bound to give up soon.
In the OP's case it is possible that the fuel pump mentioned, had gone bad first, leading to a run lean condition that took #4 south. In your case, watch the fuel pump, or just replace it. Good luck.