The Marauder "Muscle" car:

[BillyGman]

Let's see where our modified Marauders would place on this list:

<TABLE cellPadding=3 border=1><TBODY><TR align=middle><TD colSpan=8>50 FASTEST MUSCLE CARS</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>#</TD><TD>YEAR/MODEL</TD><TD>ET/MPH</TD><TD>ENGINE</TD><TD>HP</TD><TD>TRANS</TD><TD>GEAR</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>1</TD><TD>1997 Viper GTS</TD><TD>12.05@116</TD><TD>V10</TD><TD>450</TD><TD>six-speed</TD><TD>3.07</TD></TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>2</TD><TD>1966 427 Cobra</TD><TD>12.20@118</TD><TD>427 8V</TD><TD>425</TD><TD>four-speed</TD><TD>3.54</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>3</TD><TD>1990 ZR1 Corvette</TD><TD>12.8@113.8</TD><TD>LT5 350</TD><TD>375</TD><TD>six-speed</TD><TD>3.45</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>4</TD><TD>1966 Corvette 427</TD><TD>12.8@112</TD><TD>L72 427</TD><TD>425</TD><TD>four-speed</TD><TD>3.36</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>5</TD><TD>1969 Road Runner</TD><TD>12.91@111.8</TD><TD>440 Six BBL</TD><TD>390</TD><TD>four-speed</TD><TD>4.10</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>6</TD><TD>1997 Hurst/Firebird</TD><TD>12.99@103.11</TD><TD>350</TD><TD>350</TD><TD>automatic</TD><TD>3.42</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>7</TD><TD>1970 Hemi Cuda</TD><TD>13.10@107.12</TD><TD>426 Hemi</TD><TD>425</TD><TD>four-speed</TD><TD>3.54</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>8</TD><TD>1992 Viper RT/10</TD><TD>13.1@108</TD><TD>488 V10</TD><TD>400</TD><TD>six-speed</TD><TD>3.07</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>9</TD><TD>1970 Chevelle SS454</TD><TD>13.12@107.01</TD><TD>454 LS6</TD><TD>450</TD><TD>four-speed</TD><TD>3.55</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>10</TD><TD>1969 Camaro</TD><TD>13.16@110.21</TD><TD>427 ZL1</TD><TD>430</TD><TD>four-speed</TD><TD>4.10</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>11</TD><TD>1997 Corvette</TD><TD>13.20@109.3</TD><TD>350 LS-1</TD><TD>345</TD><TD>six-speed</TD><TD>3.42</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>12</TD><TD>1997 SLP Camaro SS</TD><TD>13.20@108.8</TD><TD>350 LT4</TD><TD>330</TD><TD>six-speed</TD><TD>3.42</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>13</TD><TD>1990 Pontiac Firehawk</TD><TD>13.20@107</TD><TD>350</TD><TD>350</TD><TD>six-speed</TD><TD>3.54</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>14</TD><TD>1968 Corvette</TD><TD>13.30@108</TD><TD>427 6V</TD><TD>435</TD><TD>four-speed</TD><TD>3.70</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>15</TD><TD>1970 Road Runner</TD><TD>13.34@107.5</TD><TD>426 Hemi</TD><TD>425</TD><TD>automatic</TD><TD>4.10</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>16</TD><TD>1970 Buick GS Stage I</TD><TD>13.38@105.5</TD><TD>455 Stage I</TD><TD>360</TD><TD>automatic</TD><TD>3.64</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>17</TD><TD>1996 Camaro Z28 SS</TD><TD>13.46@106.48</TD><TD>350 LT-1</TD><TD>310</TD><TD>six-speed</TD><TD>3.42</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>18</TD><TD>1969 Charger 500</TD><TD>13.48@109</TD><TD>426 Hemi</TD><TD>425</TD><TD>four-speed</TD><TD>4.10</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>19</TD><TD>1973 Trans Am</TD><TD>13.54@104.29</TD><TD>455 SD</TD><TD>310</TD><TD>automatic</TD><TD>3.42</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>20</TD><TD>1969 Corvette</TD><TD>13.56@111.1</TD><TD>427 L88</TD><TD>430</TD><TD>automatic</TD><TD>3.36</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>21</TD><TD>1969 Super Bee</TD><TD>13.56@105.6</TD><TD>440 Six Pack</TD><TD>390</TD><TD>automatic</TD><TD>4.10</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>22</TD><TD>1969 Boss 429 Mustang</TD><TD>13.60@106</TD><TD>Boss 429</TD><TD>375</TD><TD>four-speed</TD><TD>3.91</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>23</TD><TD>1970 Challenger R/T</TD><TD>13.62@104.3</TD><TD>440 Six Pack</TD><TD>390</TD><TD>automatic</TD><TD>3.23</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>24</TD><TD>1970 Torino Cobra</TD><TD>13.63@105.9</TD><TD>429 SCJ</TD><TD>370</TD><TD>automatic</TD><TD>3.91</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>25</TD><TD>1968 Biscayne</TD><TD>13.65@105</TD><TD>427 L72</TD><TD>425</TD><TD>four-speed</TD><TD>4.56</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>26</TD><TD>1995 Mustang Cobra R</TD><TD>13.67@102.82</TD><TD>351</TD><TD>300</TD><TD>five-speed</TD><TD>3.27</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>27</TD><TD>1964 Polara 500</TD><TD>13.70@107.37</TD><TD>426 4V</TD><TD>365</TD><TD>four-speed</TD><TD>3.23</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>28</TD><TD>1996 Corvette GS</TD><TD>13.7@105.1</TD><TD>350 LT-4</TD><TD>330</TD><TD>six-speed</TD><TD>3.45</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>29</TD><TD>1969 GTX</TD><TD>13.70@102.8</TD><TD>440 4V</TD><TD>375</TD><TD>automatic</TD><TD>4.10</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>30</TD><TD>1987 Buick GNX</TD><TD>13.70@102</TD><TD>231 Turbo V6</TD><TD>300</TD><TD>automatic</TD><TD>3.42</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>31</TD><TD>1969 Dart 440</TD><TD>13.71@105</TD><TD>440 4V</TD><TD>375</TD><TD>automatic</TD><TD>3.55</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>32</TD><TD>1971 Road Runner</TD><TD>13.71@101.2</TD><TD>440 Six BBL</TD><TD>390</TD><TD>automatic</TD><TD>4.10</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>33</TD><TD>1971 Cuda</TD><TD>13.72@106</TD><TD>440 Six BBL</TD><TD>390</TD><TD>automatic</TD><TD>4.10</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>34</TD><TD>1971 Corvette</TD><TD>13.72@102.04</TD><TD>454 LS6</TD><TD>450</TD><TD>four-speed</TD><TD>3.36</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>35</TD><TD>1971 Super Bee</TD><TD>13.73@104</TD><TD>426 Hemi</TD><TD>425</TD><TD>automatic</TD><TD>4.10</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>36</TD><TD>1968 Hurst/Olds</TD><TD>13.77@103.91</TD><TD>455 W-30</TD><TD>390</TD><TD>automatic</TD><TD>3.91</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>37</TD><TD>1968 Firebird</TD><TD>13.79@106</TD><TD>400 HO</TD><TD>335</TD><TD>four-speed</TD><TD>N/A</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>38</TD><TD>1967 Corvette</TD><TD>13.80@108</TD><TD>427 6V</TD><TD>435</TD><TD>four-speed</TD><TD>3.55</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>39</TD><TD>1971 Boss 351 Mustang</TD><TD>13.80@104</TD><TD>Boss 351</TD><TD>330</TD><TD>four-speed</TD><TD>3.91</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>40</TD><TD>1966 Satellite</TD><TD>13.81@104</TD><TD>426 Hemi</TD><TD>425</TD><TD>four-speed</TD><TD>3.54</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>41</TD><TD>1969 Coronet R/T</TD><TD>13.83@102.27</TD><TD>440 4V</TD><TD>375</TD><TD>four-speed</TD><TD>4.10</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>42</TD><TD>1968 Cyclone GT</TD><TD>13.86@101.69</TD><TD>428 CJ</TD><TD>335</TD><TD>automatic</TD><TD>4.11</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>43</TD><TD>1969 Nova SS 396</TD><TD>13.87@105.1</TD><TD>396 4V</TD><TD>375</TD><TD>automatic</TD><TD>3.55</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>44</TD><TD>1969 Shelby GT-500</TD><TD>13.87@104.52</TD><TD>428 CJ</TD><TD>335</TD><TD>four-speed</TD><TD>3.91</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>45</TD><TD>1970 Olds 4-4-2 W-30</TD><TD>13.88@95.84</TD><TD>455 W-30</TD><TD>370</TD><TD>automatic</TD><TD>3.42</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>46</TD><TD>1962 Corvette</TD><TD>13.89@105.14</TD><TD>327 FI</TD><TD>360</TD><TD>four-speed</TD><TD>4.10</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>47</TD><TD>1969 Barracuda</TD><TD>13.89@103.21</TD><TD>440 4V</TD><TD>375</TD><TD>automatic</TD><TD>4.10</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>48</TD><TD>1969 Mustang Mach I</TD><TD>13.90@103.32</TD><TD>428 CJ</TD><TD>335</TD><TD>automatic</TD><TD>3.50</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>49</TD><TD>1967 GTO</TD><TD>13.90@102.8</TD><TD>400 RA</TD><TD>360</TD><TD>automatic</TD><TD>4.33</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>50</TD><TD>1970 Trans Am</TD><TD>13.90@102</TD><TD>400 RA</TD><TD>345</TD><TD>four-speed</TD><TD>3.91</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD colSpan=8>ET=Elapsed Time, MPH=Miles Per Hour, HP=Horsepower</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

[BillyGman]

This list was comprised in early 1998, so there are such cars as the 03, & 04 Cobras, the 98-2002 Camaro SS, and the Z06 Corvettes that aren't listed in the specs above. But it looks like Lidio's, & Zack's are faster than #1 on this list, with mine and Dave's cars falling somewhere between #'s 2 & 3. And ofcourse several other S/Ced Marauders (ie MAC's,Mark's, Five0's,Mike's, John's,Nathan's) would all be stout competition for the third, fourth, and fifth cars on this list. And let's not forget that the faster modified N/A Marauders (ie Barry's, Sailsman's, Fordnut's, etc., etc....) would all give #'s 20 through 50 a serious run for their money!!! I've left out a number of Marauders represented here, but the list is just too long to remember!!!

So if there was ever any question at all if the Marauder was a "muscle" car right out of the showroom, then it's nice to know that as owners of these interesting, attention getting cars, we've already had enough aftermarket support to transform them into rocketships that would've easily competed successfully w/the true American "Muscle" cars of old. Atleast in their stock configurations. Not bad for cars that are strictly emission controlled, uh? And ofcourse they will also compete w/the strictly emission controlled, but very pricey late model American cars on the list too, such as the ZR1 Vette, and the Dodge Viper. ;)

[FiveO]

Very cool list.

Only problem is that the above list is for cars in their stock condition. Few hundred in bolt ons and take 1/2 second off each time.

Just had a gent here in MN with an 03 Cobra, 2.8 pulley, exhaust, chip and intake pull an 11.8.... :cry:

Oh well. I consider my car a "muscle car" in the truest sense. Large, comfy and very powerful. And I get more "eyes" than an 03 Cobra!!!

[Patrick]

Thanks Billy for the info. I was just a little amazed that the Viper GTS wasnt any faster than that. With a V-10 and 400 HP.... and a 3:07 gear, I guess because not a heavy car. Just thinking. But thanks for the list.

[BillyGman]

Patrick, even the 03 Vipers in their stock configuration run low 12's. I saw one running at Englishtown last year, and it was turning 12.2 ET's.

[Patrick]

Patrick, even the 03 Vipers in their stock configuration run low 12's. I saw one running at Engishtown last year, and it was turning 12.2 ET's.

And your doing 12.2's! Viper still looks cool, but moded MM is even better!!!

[Bigdogjim]

[b][color=#0000ff]So if there was ever any question at all if the Marauder was a "muscle" car right out of the showroom,

Nice list! Your line above sums up the problem with the Marauder. In the begining the car carried a retail of $34000. before rebates and discounts started. The other cars on your list are off the floor.

[BillyGman]

Nice list! Your line above sums up the problem with the Marauder. In the begining the car carried a retail of $3400. before rebates and discounts started. The other cars on your list are off the floor.
yeah, yeah, I know all of that, but it's nice to know that all of us have the options to take care of the performance "deficiencies" of this car. I think that owning a car that was a new model barely two years ago, you shouldn't take it for granted that there are aftermarket performance choices for us already which will take our cars past the performance level of the true American Muscle cars of old hands down. That was my point that you apparently missed.

[Bigdogjim]

yeah, yeah, I know all of that, but it's nice to know that all of us have the options to take care of the performance "deficiencies" of this car. I think that owning a car that was a new model barely two years ago, you shouldn't take it for granted that there are aftermarket performance choices for us already which will take our cars past the performance level of the true American Muscle cars of old hands down. That was my point that you apparently missed.

No Billy I did not "miss" your point! I understood what you typed. I take nothing for granted in the preformance department. It has been 28 months sinced it was first put on sale.

[BillyGman]

the main problem with the stock Marauder from a performance standpoint is the fact that it has a powerplant of merely 281 cubic inches. If you look at the cars on that list, they all have much bigger engines, w/most of them having big block engines that exceed the displacement of the Marauder engine by well over 100 cubic inches!!! That's why the car should've been S/Ced from the factory like the Cobra is. But again, it's nice for us hi-perf car nuts to know that we DO have that option through the aftermarket. And besides that, look at the guys who have N/A Marauders who also would present some serious competition for much of this list of 50 cars w/their cars.

[FiveO]

Very true Billy...very true.

:up:

[David Morton]

To answer your implied query, your car is running a tie for second with the '66 427 Cobra, which if adjusted for inflation, is quite a bargain! I wonder how they would stack up against each other in the handling department.

Uh, oh. I'm starting to get a craving, for 'Bullit'.

If sombody were to give me either a Marauder or a Viper, I'd take the Viper of course...

...and sell it to buy another Marauder and make mods to both of my cars! :banana:

[Patrick]

To answer your implied query, your car is running a tie for second with the '66 427 Cobra, which if adjusted for inflation, is quite a bargain! I wonder how they would stack up against each other in the handling department.

Uh, oh. I'm starting to get a craving, for 'Bullit'.

If sombody were to give me either a Marauder or a Viper, I'd take the Viper of course...

...and sell it to buy another Marauder and make mods to both of my cars! :banana:

Owning 2 Moded MM..............
:cool: :cool:

[rayjay]

I consider my MM more of a Blvd crusier than a muscle car. Ford could have done it right by putting a 32V 4 cam 5.4L high compression engine under a fiberglass power dome hood in the Marauder. Then it would have been a true factory muscle car. Maybe the rumored 07MM will be something along these lines. Are you listening Mr. B ?

[SergntMac]

All this stuff about "it should have come that way from the factory" makes me chuckle. Regardless of what L/M designers and engineers decided to offer us, our endearing MM is what it is.

This is good. It allows us to make what we want of it, build it to our own taste and heart's content. Truth is, no matter how the MM came to us, we would have modified it, because we are the "Two Percenters" who mod cars because we want to. IMHO, L/M built this car just for us.

I think the MM is perfect in it's original trim and I'm not disappointed. My only complaint is about the high cost of admission early in the show. In performance terms, it's a blank canvass, get out your crayons and add your own personal pastels.

When the MM was released back in June of '02, we didn't even have oil filters on service department shelves. Now look at us, gluttons at the performance buffet. Literally hundreds of mods to choose from, including two professionally produced supercharger kits, and vendors who will build you a whole race car! Where else in time have you seen this? So much growth in so short a time...Never. And, so much to pick from that we argue over our own qualifications to make such choices.

Maybe it's got a 15.0 ET out of the box, but in terms of how an MM impacts and accelerates your life...Hold on, there's nothing faster.

Wow...What a ride!

[Patrick]

This is good. It allows us to make what we want of it, build it to our own taste and heart's content. Truth is, no matter how the MM came to us, we would have modified it, because we are the "Two Percenters" who mod cars because we want to. IMHO, L/M built this car just for us.

I think the MM is perfect in it's original trim and I'm not disappointed. My only complaint is about the high cost of admission early in the show. In performance terms, it's a blank canvass, get out your crayons and add your own personal pastels.


Could not have said it any better Mac!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :nworthy: :nworthy:

[BillyGman]

some very interesting commentary from MAC on this one........some of what he stated, IS how I view my Marauder. However, I have a slightly different twist on my philosophy of the ownership of this car......


When I first bought this car, I had absolutely NO intention whatsoever of modifying it. Yes, I wished that it was faster from day one, and I was also disappointed that despite the advertisement in the beginning of the CD owners' manual that the dealer had given me before I picked up the car, where they have a Marauder doing burnouts, the car didn't even have the low-end torque to do that from a dead punch if I so choose.

But the car was always real cool looking from day one, and after all, it does have a V8, and is a RWD vehicle. But modifying a car that I just spent close to $30K for, was the furthest thing from my mind. Believe me, if the car had come with a S/Ced 5.4L engine like the Ford Lightning does, or even an engine of bigger displacement like the LS1 5.7L of the Z06 vette, I would've been satisfied w/the performance enough to keep the warantee intact, and leave the car as it is (or I should say, as it WAS :D ).

I'm not one of those guys who has to change and modify a car. Infact, I would rather not have to do so. That's why, everything you see in my modifications list, is all geared for better acceleration, and nothing else. You don't see bumper inserts, painted wheels, headlights that are as bright as the sun, modified grills, or different tire valve caps nor anything of that sort in my mods list, because I was, and still am very satisfied w/the way the Marauder looks. If I wasn't, then I wouldn't have bought it. In a certain way, choosing a car is like choosing a woman to me......the initial attraction when I first lay eyes on her isn't the only thing that matters, but it is a neccessary element that has to be there. If it isn't, then forget about it.

It's for that reason why I wouldn't even think about buying one of the new GTO's. I simply LUV that LS1 engine they have under the hood, much better than I do a factory stock Marauder engine. But the new GTO is the ugliest performance car that I've ever seen. So I am NOT one of those people who simply will not be happy unless they're modifying their car in one way or another, right down to even the headlights that the car has. I really wish that I never had to touch this car to modify it, in order to make it move real good.but the marauder out of the showrrom was just lacking too much in the performance department, and it was NOT what I would consider a true "Muscle" car. When it comes to "Muscle" the best thing I can say about the factory stock Marauder is that if anything, it's the "Lady" among Muscle cars. but Supercharge this thing, and it becomes the other gender of the species. That's the most polite way that I can put it.

[Smokie]

Excellent post Billy, actually when I see the top 50 entries and notice that 13.9 is the slowest of the fastest, makes me very happy and proud of the car I own. Why?

Because the top 50 cars weigh between 1000 and 400 pounds less then my car and offer less as a total package and my car with no bolt-ons* can run within .5 seconds of the last entry.

I believe my car could join the TOP 50 ET's with a modest investment....and still be the beautiful car it already is.:D


* Used phrase in the utmost literal sense.

[BillyGman]

another thing too Smokie, is that they also handle better than many of those old cars did that are on that list, and the majority of them on the list also had carbureted engines, which ofcourse meant occasional driveability issues, especially in the cold whether, and also made them much more inefficient on fuel consumption. I usually am not one who's all that concerned about gas mileage with a performance car, but when the gas mileage of a car dips below 10 MPG, then it does get difficult to drive it every day. And many of us Marauder owners do drive our cars daily. I'm sure that many of those older cars on that list didn't even get 10 MPG. Perhaps in the late 60's, that wasn't a big deal, but paying for today's gasoline while driving a car that's getting 8 MPG every day would be close to impossible for me.

BTW, so you're running 14.4 second ET's w/out having any "bolt-ons"??? How's that? The only mod available for our cars that I can think of which adds to the performance, and also isn't a "bolt-on" would be a computer re-flash, or a chip. And having only that wouldn't get your car to run a 14.4 ET unless it was run in 40 degree whether. If you have gears, then sure you would accomplish that perhaps, but having gears other than the 3.55's aren't exactly stock either. Another point of interest here is look at how many of those old muscle cars accomplished ET's in the 13's and even in the 12's w/merely 307, or 355 gears in the rear. That's a direct result of the torque of those big block engines. And some of them were heavy cars too.

[TripleTransAm]

I usually am not one who's all that concerned about gas mileage with a performance car, but when the gas mileage of a car dips below 10 MPG, then it does get difficult to drive it every day. And many of us Marauder owners do drive our cars daily. I'm sure that many of those older cars on that list didn't even get 10 MPG. Perhaps in the late 60's, that wasn't a big deal, but paying for today's gasoline while driving a car that's getting 8 MPG every day would be close to impossible for me.


Totally agree. Sure it was painful to get here, having to resort to stricter and stricter CAFE regulations to force manufacturers to start putting efforts into efficiency rather than just brute force approaches, but look at where we are now, and where we might be in a few years! Think of how it looked in 1971, with some interviews with Ford management hinting at "bigger than 1971-1973" versions of the Mustang coming up, and displacements approaching the 500 cu.in. mark just to get half-decent acceleration. We only have to look at today's SUVs to see where our cars would have ended up... 6000 lbs of weight to move with straining inefficient engines. (which is why I eagerly await the application of equal CAFE and emissions regulations to those behemoths).

I tanked up my WS6 on Friday morning and found myself calculating yet another 21mpg tankful.... this on a car that puts down 310 rwhp (4 years ago... it feels faster now) and on a tankful that saw lots of runs up and down the RPM scale in lower gears. How cool is that? Similarly my MM pulled off a 25 mpg run to and from Montpelier VT with 4 steel wheels and close-to-new Arctic Alpins stuffed into the car for half the trip. How cool is that?




BTW, so you're running 14.4 second ET's w/out having any "bolt-ons"??? How's that?


I ran a bunch of 14.6s and one very fun 14.56 on a bone stock (original air filter and all) '03 MM last fall. I might hit the track one more time this year to get another baseline in case I decide to go with a new tune, although I'm extremely hesitant to sacrifice my warranty for it. I totally gel with the whole 'canvas of modifications' idea, but I might have appreciated having the choice of getting some warranty money back because I bought a 'canvas' instead of a fully-integrated muscle car. (ie. sign off on the warranty cancellation, receive a couple of thousand bucks back, and then modify to your heart's content). 'Cause right now I sometimes feel I got a half-completed muscle-car and to complete it, I'd have to sacrifice the factory warranty. Doesn't sound right...

In that respect, I feel I got a better deal with the LS1. My WS6 has been an absolute trooper, taking abuse upon abuse without missing a beat. Not even a handful of warranty visits (fuel level sender, headlamp motor, etc.) and still ripping off mid 13s without effort with 33 mpg on the highway. The Eastern Canadian SLP sales manager put it best sometime in 2000, as he wrapped up a day of running 175 mph laps in his stock (162 mph limiter removed) 1999 Formula Firehawk for a local enthusiast TV program: "See you guys later, I have to go pick up this week's groceries before going home".

Try doing THAT with one of those classic musclecars. We really are living in interesting times...


(I did look at the GTO with great interest, until realizing they were not to be made available in Canada. And now, having waited long enough, I still have to agree that they are UG... UGL.... UGL.... um, aesthetically-challenged, shall we say?)

[Smokie]

Billy you are correct about flash and that would be it, the temp was in the 60's and I have several 14.5's in the low 80's. I also have always been very conservative about the launch so I humbly believe that the car could do a little better....but in order to prove it; I would have to heat up tires, lower air pressure by a lot and increase rpm's prior to launch....maybe I will one day.

[BillyGman]

Billy you are correct about flash and that would be it, the temp was in the 60's and I have several 14.5's in the low 80's. I also have always been very conservative about the launch so I humbly believe that the car could do a little better....but in order to prove it; I would have to heat up tires, lower air pressure by a lot and increase rpm's prior to launch....maybe I will one day.Pretty good for just a re-flash of the EEC. I don't know what your secret is, but apparently it's working for ya. I know what you mean about a "conservative" launch, since that's the same thing I did to accomplish both of the two 12.2 second ET's that my car ran in the low 70's back in June of this year. I didn't load-up the torque converter at all. Instead, I just let it idle at the usual 700 RPM's, and then hit the go pedal when the tree changed. Everybody says that this is the wrong way to launch, but with the two 1.6 second 60' times I achieved for those runs, I figured that I couldn't do any better than that w/a 4,200 LB car. I haven't even seen any Cobras that are getting in the 10 second brackets do better 60' times than that. So why mess w/it?

[BillyGman]

Okay, I know this a real old thread, but I have a question for everyone that is somewhat related to this old topic......


In addition to the quartermile ET list that I've posted 9in the first post of this thread) I also used to have a link to another ET list which was much more in depth and was a much longer list that included both street cars and race cars as well as both modern and old ones too. However, I lost the loink to that website where thatlist was located. Does anyone know the web address? I did a search and couldn't find it anywhere. I think it was called "Dynamic ET's" or something like that, but I just cannot find it. It also included foreign as well as domestic cars. Can anyone supply a link to it?

[prchrman]

We do not have true muscle car...true muscle will burn the tires right off the rims from the show room floor...no tire smoke no muscle car...willie

[Marauder2005]

All this stuff about "it should have come that way from the factory" makes me chuckle. Regardless of what L/M designers and engineers decided to offer us, our endearing MM is what it is.

This is good. It allows us to make what we want of it, build it to our own taste and heart's content. Truth is, no matter how the MM came to us, we would have modified it, because we are the "Two Percenters" who mod cars because we want to. IMHO, L/M built this car just for us.

I think the MM is perfect in it's original trim and I'm not disappointed. My only complaint is about the high cost of admission early in the show. In performance terms, it's a blank canvass, get out your crayons and add your own personal pastels.

When the MM was released back in June of '02, we didn't even have oil filters on service department shelves. Now look at us, gluttons at the performance buffet. Literally hundreds of mods to choose from, including two professionally produced supercharger kits, and vendors who will build you a whole race car! Where else in time have you seen this? So much growth in so short a time...Never. And, so much to pick from that we argue over our own qualifications to make such choices.

Maybe it's got a 15.0 ET out of the box, but in terms of how an MM impacts and accelerates your life...Hold on, there's nothing faster.

Wow...What a ride!

VERY well said IMO :2thumbs:

[ckadiddle]

I was tickled spitless when I found mm.net and discovered there were already oodles of mods that could be done, including superchargers. I don't know if it will ever be feasible for me to do them, but I like knowing it is available to me.

[Smokie]

Okay, I know this a real old thread, but I have a question for everyone that is somewhat related to this old topic......


In addition to the quartermile ET list that I've posted 9in the first post of this thread) I also used to have a link to another ET list which was much more in depth and was a much longer list that included both street cars and race cars as well as both modern and old ones too. However, I lost the loink to that website where thatlist was located. Does anyone know the web address? I did a search and couldn't find it anywhere. I think it was called "Dynamic ET's" or something like that, but I just cannot find it. It also included foreign as well as domestic cars. Can anyone supply a link to it?I hope this is what you are looking for:http://www.autofacts.ca/classics/fast.htm

[1stMerc]

All this stuff about "it should have come that way from the factory" makes me chuckle. Regardless of what L/M designers and engineers decided to offer us, our endearing MM is what it is.

This is good. It allows us to make what we want of it, build it to our own taste and heart's content. Truth is, no matter how the MM came to us, we would have modified it, because we are the "Two Percenters" who mod cars because we want to. IMHO, L/M built this car just for us.

I think the MM is perfect in it's original trim and I'm not disappointed. My only complaint is about the high cost of admission early in the show. In performance terms, it's a blank canvass, get out your crayons and add your own personal pastels.

When the MM was released back in June of '02, we didn't even have oil filters on service department shelves. Now look at us, gluttons at the performance buffet. Literally hundreds of mods to choose from, including two professionally produced supercharger kits, and vendors who will build you a whole race car! Where else in time have you seen this? So much growth in so short a time...Never. And, so much to pick from that we argue over our own qualifications to make such choices.

Maybe it's got a 15.0 ET out of the box, but in terms of how an MM impacts and accelerates your life...Hold on, there's nothing faster.

Wow...What a ride!
Mac,
Spoken like a true gear head. Even if Mercury had given us more in the way of an engine, there are always those among us who would always say hmmm i want more. Especially us old mod heads. The question always comes, up "what if i did this or added that". It's just not as easy to tweak this or that as it was in the past.
Thanks to folks like Dennis, Lidio, Wes, and others and Logan for providing this forum, fried ice cream is a reality.
We can pick and choose what suits us to make our cars truly our own pleasure boat, whether it be for race track, daily driver, or weekend special.
This car has something for all of us.

Plus we can look d**n good coming or going. It's amazing with all of the higher dollar vehicles out there and even the Mustang being around as long as it has this car still commands more attention.

Smiles for miles:D or miles of smiles:) u decide how u want to flavor your ride>>>;)

[Rider90]

I don't know...but when I hear the word muscle car, I think of a tire shredding Chevelle, A Hemi Cuda, A GTO? The cars that aren't made anymore. I'd have a difficult time looking at my Marauder and thinking Muscle Car. The title belongs to those that originated the name, not those trying to recreate it after they stopped coming off the production lines.

[BillyGman]

I don't know...but when I hear the word muscle car, I think of a tire shredding Chevelle, A Hemi Cuda, A GTO? The cars that aren't made anymore. I'd have a difficult time looking at my Marauder and thinking Muscle Car. . You must not have ever driven a Trilogy S/Cer equipped Marauder. ;) I know it didn't come from the factory like that, but it was once considered by Mercury to offer it like that from what I've heard, but the idea was trashed. Anyway, I'm a big block engine fan myself, and I hate that there aren't any factory cars that come with big block 400+ cube engines anymore, but all is I know is that with about 480 HP at the crank of my S/Ced Marauder engine, the car sure feels like it has a big block under the hood when I stomp on the gas pedal. And "tire shredding" you say???? It can shred em up up with the best of them short of 9 second 700 HP drag cars.

[BillyGman]

I hope this is what you are looking for:http://www.autofacts.ca/classics/fast.htmJavier, that isn't the list I was talking about, but that's another one that I forgot all about, and is almost as inclusive!!! Very good!! Thanks very much. The website won't let you copy and paste it, so I put it in my "favorite places". :up:

[Rider90]

You must not have ever driven a Trilogy S/Cer equipped Marauder. ;) I know it didn't come from the factory like that, but it was once considered by Mercury to offer it like that from what I've heard, but the idea was trashed. Anyway, I'm a big block engine fan myself, and I hate that there aren't any factory cars that come with big block 400+ cube engines anymore, but all is I know is that with about 480 HP at the crank of my S/Ced Marauder engine, the car sure feels like it has a big block under the hood when I stomp on the gas pedal. And "tire shredding" you say???? It can shred em up up with the best of them short of 9 second 700 HP drag cars.
Billy, I was raised to respect other people's property. Especially their car. I have been in a Procharger Marauder and a Trilogy Marauder. Both blew me away, but I turned down the offering of the keys. So you're right, I've never driven a Trilogy equipped Marauder. I'm not arguing, so don't reply on the defensive, but when I hear those words "Muscle Car" my head gets filled with thoughts of old promo pictures and old drag racing videos but not of the newer breed. I guess those words carry on to the newer performance line, but not so much from this guy. If I were to imagine a newer muscle car, it'd be a MARAUDER you know that :D

[BillyGman]

Billy, I was raised to respect other people's property. Especially their car. I have been in a Procharger Marauder and a Trilogy Marauder. Both blew me away, but I turned down the offering of the keys. So you're right, I've never driven a Trilogy equipped Marauder. I'm not arguing, so don't reply on the defensive, but when I hear those words "Muscle Car" my head gets filled with thoughts of old promo pictures and old drag racing videos but not of the newer breed. I guess those words carry on to the newer performance line, but not so much from this guy. If I were to imagine a newer muscle car, it'd be a MARAUDER you know that :DYeah, I know what you're saying. I'm not being defensive. just sharing a veiwpoint, and I fully respect yours too. I think it would be tough to get a real taste of how these Marauders move once they're S/ced just by driving someone else's since you wouldn't be able to tool around in it behind the wheel for any length of time.

I tend to think of "Muscle cars" as big displacement fire breathers too. Ones that have big torque down low in the RPM scale. And I also LUV the sound of big displacement 16 valve V8 pushrod engines when you hit the go pedal. I think they sound the best!! Most of the muscle cars of old turned 14, and 13 second ET's out of the showrooms, and some of the most potent ones got into the 12 second bracket in stock form. Sure, there were some lofty and hard to get rare breeds like the ZL-1 Vette that turned 11's and even 10's, but those were rare racing cars that nobody owned even back then. Atleast not your everyday Joe hot rodder since there were very few of them made. So if you saw even one of them in your entire lifetime, you would be among a minority.

I had a 69 Plymouth Roadrunner with a 440 cubic inch engine, dual exhaust, big camshaft, posi, gears (4.10's if I remember right) and a four speed. And my S/Ced Marauder moves better than that car ever did from 0-120 MPH. It does better burnouts than that car did too. I'm just sharing some of my own experience here. That's okay if you don't fully agree. But all I can say is that once I completed the installation of the Trilogy roots supercharger in my Marauder (which was at 3:00 am), I went out romping around town and up on the empty highway with it. And by 10:00 am that same morning, I realized that this car is faster at any speed than any of the old "muscle" cars that I've had in the past. So I understand why you don't consider even a S/ced Marauder a "muscle" car, and that's okay. But because of the reasons I've stated above^ I DO consider it a "Muscle" car. To each his own. ;)

[Bradley G]

"I turned down the offering of the keys" [QUOTE]

And here, I thought it was to avoid infection :D