considering a marauder

[schultzie]

hello,
i currently own a 2000 mustang gt 5-speed that i love, but the mach 1 really has stirred my interest over the last year. so i stopped by a local ford dealer at lunch to see what they had -- no mach 1's. the salesman insisted that i go over to used cars to look at a flamed 99 cobra and i reluctantly agreed.

(the plot thickens...)
four cars down from the red cobra with a flame job (arrest me please) i caught a glimpse of a large, blacked-out sedan with an agressive stance. i immediatly asked, "how much is the marauder?" the somewhat shoked salesman had to go inside to check on the price. well, its an '03 for $20.9k with 13800 miles, and in great shape except for the dealer installed swirl marks (can be fixed). i thought that this might be a great car for my wife since it has plenty of room for our two daughters and would be fun for me (i'm pretty good at rationalizing my desire for new toys).

yesterday, i went for a test drive expecting a quicker version of the softly sprung, meandering behemoth that i rented for a week in '97. i was shocked by it's handling. although i was only able to get up to about 60mph on the city streets i was able to get a good idea of it's cornering abilities and responsiveness to changing directions (using the steering wheel, not the throttle -- i'm quite sure that a powersliding world of outlaws impersonation would have sent the salesman into cardiac arrest). the <60mph character of this car is the closest thing to a bmw 740i that i have ever driven. and from the looks of this forum, the marauders appear to be very reliable. -- i want one!

unforunately, my wife shares neither my passion for driving nor my desire for a marauder. soooooooo...... the only way i will be able to get one is to trade in the mustang. i am 6'-4" and 265# and i spend a minimum of 1.5 hours a day in my mustang. the fun factor of this car makes up for it's lack of comfort (except for road trips which are now happening about every other week).

(questions)

1) have any of y'all gotten rid of a mustang for a marauder? did you later regret it?

2) what's up with the different front to rear tire sizes? if my shoddy research is correct, all of the wheels are 18x8 but the front tires are 235's and the rears are 255's. what would happen if you ran all 255's?

3) what type of hand held tuner (like diablosport, hypertech, superchips, etc. for mustangs) would you recommend for the marauder? what price range are they?

thanks in advance for any responses

[stevengerard]

At least a few guys on here have done it and don't regret it, but hopefully they will speak up. I almost bought a SVT Cobra last summer it just didn't do enough for me for the lack of practicality - along with the extra dealer mark-up. If I have to suffer practicality I'll go with a used Viper or wait till I can get a used Ford GT. This is a great family/business car that is still a blast to drive. Do a search on your topics and you will find the answers to your other questions. Welcome to the site.

[FiveO]

Just an observation...


I went from a 99 SHO (V8) to a Marauder and absolutely love it. I'm 6'6" and about 240. I fit perfectly into my SHO but it was tight. My MM has more than enough room to expand...hopefully I won't :)

I don't think you'll find anyone thats regreting buying a MM after having a Mustang but you have at least one gent who has a MM (supercharged) who went out and also purchased a Mach 1.

There are several chips and tuners available...and will add power....no doubt. They run about $350-$400 if I recall....anyone have specifics?


Last...remember this: If you purchase a MM....you'll have 1 of about 11,000 cars built. Mustangs are all over the place.....yet with the MM you get the best of both worlds....a rare car with an engine thats not Marauder specific. Also a body thats not ALL Marauder specific. Front ends will be tough to get in a few years but many other parts are similiar to the GM and Crown Victoria.

There are also many upgrades available to the MM right now... Rear control arms, watts link make the MM handle much better. Add in a couple performance upgrades, both performance and handling and you've got a great car.

If you can save a couple thousand on the MM....sink it into upgrades.... A chip from Alternative Auto, 4.10 gears, intake tube....and you'll be running with good Mustangs.

Give the MM its shot. Its a heavy beast...but with the right upgrades...you won't be disappointed...and you may even have a few people going...WTF was that?????

:)

[RCSignals]

The popular pre-programmed hand held tuner for the Marauder is the Superchips Micro tuner.
However, there is also a hand held tuner from Superchips Custom Tuning.
Both are available from vendors here.

You are in the right place to reseach the Marauder

[schultzie]

thanks for the responses

i am going to drive the marauder again this weekend. the first test drive really impressed me -- the handling was very close to if not better than my former car ('94 firebird formula, lt1, auto) and not vey far behind the mustang. if i get the marauder, i would like to make a tuner my first mod because: it can easily be converted to the stock program for warranty work, it can remove the top speed governer, and adjust shift points.

so far, after a quick search, the staggered tire size still confuses me. it seems that running a 255 width on the front would cut down on the understeer and allow the tires to be rotated.

[BillyGman]

There has been more than one member on here who has went w/the P255 tires on all four corners w/out any problems.

[Silver_04]

Welcome to the sight.

I had a 2002 Mustang GT 5 speed that I traded for the Marauder last year. I have not missed the Mustang once. My dad has an '03 Mach 1 - and the car hauls - but I'd much rather have my Marauder because it is a lot more pratical, insurance is a ton cheaper and the most important thing...it is a nice sleeper car.

[Bluerauder]

hello,

2) what's up with the different front to rear tire sizes? if my shoddy research is correct, all of the wheels are 18x8 but the front tires are 235's and the rears are 255's. what would happen if you ran all 255's?

thanks in advance for any responses
schultzie,

So, what's holding you up??? I thought about the Marauder for a year before I took the plunge. Now, I wonder why I waited so long !!!!

My '03 MM has 235/50s on the front and 245/55s on the rear. Higher aspect ratio on the rear give the Marauder a more rakish stance. I think Murader03 is running 235/50s all around and says that there is about a 2-3 mph difference in his speedometer reading at about 60 mph. Other than that, he seems to like it -- plus it allows him to do normal tire rotations.

[2005Marauder]

I owned more than 30 auto's not counting company cars, and the hundreds of cars I drove and rented when putting computers in auto dealers. I still test drive many cars. Always looking for a better ride--for a better price.
I drove a Mustang GT for a year and can say that, FOR THE PRICE, the MM is the better ride. I'm now on my second Marauder and was dreaming to soon be riding in a 2005 Marauder. Alas, that will not happen.

However, if you dont' get the MM, and since you like the Mustang. You could consider this option: Purchase a good used '96 or '97 Tbird sport model. Put in a good reman engine, such as a Grooms with forged pistions, bolt on an Allen Engine supercharger along with other mods for handling, transmission, etc. and you'll have a excellent ride for a big man with the performance of the Mustang and room in the back for the kids.

P.S. On the Tbird, I run 225/60 on the front and 255/50 on the rears.

[Sactown]

thanks for the responses

i am going to drive the marauder again this weekend. the first test drive really impressed me -- the handling was very close to if not better than my former car ('94 firebird formula, lt1, auto) and not vey far behind the mustang. if i get the marauder, i would like to make a tuner my first mod because: it can easily be converted to the stock program for warranty work, it can remove the top speed governer, and adjust shift points.

so far, after a quick search, the staggered tire size still confuses me. it seems that running a 255 width on the front would cut down on the understeer and allow the tires to be rotated.
The tires can be rotated side to side. Also, I recall previous discussions about switching tire size and its impact on both the Traction Control and the ABS. Perhaps someone with more knowledge can shed some light on this issue.

As a current owner of both a 03 GT and an 04 MM, I can say that I mostly choose the MM. At 6'2" it is more comfy, plus it packs the golf clubs better. If I had to sell one of the cars, the GT would definitely be the first to go. A Mach 1 or a Cobra would make the decision more difficult though, but I think the MM would win out in the end.

[Rob1559]

I was under the impression taht running the 255s up front caused the ABS to send a warning. I read here that running 235s all around is exceptable. Am I correct?

[QWK SVT]

[QUOTE=2005Marauder]However, if you dont' get the MM, and since you like the Mustang. You could consider this option: Purchase a good used '96 or '97 Tbird sport model. Put in a good reman engine, such as a Grooms with forged pistions, bolt on an Allen Engine supercharger along with other mods for handling, transmission, etc. and you'll have a excellent ride for a big man with the performance of the Mustang and room in the back for the kids.
QUOTE]

Having previously driven a 95 Cougar XR7 (same MN12 platform), which was traded against my Marauder, there really is no comparing the two.

At my size (6'6" and 270ish), the Cougar was as tight as I would want, and was effectively a three seater, as the just wasn't room behind me, for anyone over 3-feet tall. There were squeaks, and rattles to contend with, and the worst stereo I have ever heard - putting the Premium sticker on it, does not make it so.

Power is obviously much better in the MM, so I won't detail it. Without a power adder, or major work to the engine, breaking into the 14's would not be very easy.

Handling was bad when stock, and just wouldn't make me smile, until after I put in Eibach springs, Koni adjustable shocks and 235-55/17's on all corners. Having said that, I'd give the nod to the Cougar's breaking ability, over the MM.

Don't get me wrong, I really did like the car, it's just an apple to the Marauder's orange. Perhaps that's why I like the Marauder so much - it does everything the Cougar did for me, only better. To level the field, the T-Bird/Cougar would need thousands in upgrades, reducing the impact of the purchase price difference.

[BillyGman]

I was under the impression taht running the 255s up front caused the ABS to send a warning. I read here that running 235s all around is exceptable. Am I correct?
I believe that MAC has run P255's all around w/out ABS problems. There's atleast one other member here who has done that too, but I honestly don't remember who it was.

[schultzie]

for some strange reason my wife seems to be against me buying a more mature car. i'd rate my chances at 20% for getting the marauder. i can't think of another vehicle anywhere near $20k (or $30k for that matter) that compares.

even if i don't get the marauder, i'm still left with a pretty cool car.

as automotive enthusiasts, isn't this an awsome time that we live in where a middle class citizen can purchase one of several sub 15 second quarter mile vehicles (that actually handle well) for the same amount as a modestly equipped pick-up truck. i remember all-too-well the cars of the mid/late 70's and early/mid 80's. 165hp corvettes, the mustang 2, trans am's and z28's that could be humiliated by a present-day stock v6 mustang. the "old-timers" would talk longingly about the "glory days" of the 60's and early 70's. while those were truly great cars for their time, stock, they don't compare to today's performance cars. i recently aquired some '68 and '69 motor trends that verify this, and i've been priveledged enough to drive a friend's '65 and '71 corvettes. according to muscle mustangs and fast fords, the stock '03 marauder ran 14.77 in the quarter mile and performed admirably on the road-course track with three passengers on board!

let's face it, we are now living in the glory days of automotive performance. and we're fortunate enough to be part of it. i hope that we don't have a fuel crisis or legislation that ends this era. even if i don't get the marauder, i still consider myself fortunate.

thanks for all fo the replies,
schultzie

[Bluerauder]

for some strange reason my wife seems to be against me buying a more mature car. i'd rate my chances at 20% for getting the marauder. i can't think of another vehicle anywhere near $20k (or $30k for that matter) that compares.

thanks for all fo the replies,
schultzie
Make sure you take her along for the test drive and let her get behind the wheel, too. After 10 minutes on her own, she was a believer !!!
:cheerlead

[Slowpoke]

my wife loves driving the MM - I've got a chip that records driving habits; whenever I download the data I can see that she in fact drives it harder than I do!

[woaface]

Welcome welcome! It doesn't take much modification wise to make it handle better...yeah, we've got that!:D

[MM03MOK]

she in fact drives it harder than I do!GO MRS. POKE!! :cheerlead