2 Fruitful Years - My MM.Net Experience

[woaface]

While I haven't been very active lately, I still have MM.net as part of my homepages (I use the Firefox browser which allows tabs, thus, several home pages.)

Every morning I get up and load it to see what's going on. I still lust for a Marauder even though I don't think I'll be having one anytime in the nearest of futures. One day though, I'll be a proud owner.

This website has been through quite a bit since I've come and quite a bit more since some of the first years have been here. It's been quite the...ride, and I've thoroughly enjoyed all of it. In the words of Tu-pac "Wars come and go, but my soldiers stay eternal." This is still one of the best automotive forums on the internet and one of the best automotive forum families to be a part of.

In celebration of my being here for two years as of Saturday, I wish to post something by a member who is no longer active here, who knows where he is today. It was posted a long ass time ago, who knows when and it's quite some reading, but it evoked a lot of love and compliments.

So here's to nostalgia.

Thanks to all who have committed so much time to make this website. It has been quite a blessing in my life.

Also, today is the 54th birthday of my beloved mother who, for those of you that do not know, past away this summer from terminal cancer. My step-dad, sisters and I will be celebrating her life with a dinner and shared thoughts tonight. For those of you who would like to add anything, I will be sure to share it with my father.

Thanks again, ya'll are the best.

-James<o:p></o:p>

[woaface]

This post is written primarily for people who are considering buying a Marauder and come here for insight about the car, but those of you who already own the car might be interested in my comments.

I've had my 2004 Silver Birch Marauder about 6 weeks now and have some observations about the car.

I'll start by saying that I never expected to enjoy a 4 door sedan as much as I do this one. I've driven every sedan desirable to people like us, foreign or domestic, and can afford anything from a Crown Vic to a Jag XJR. The Marauder is just simply the most interesting 4 door sedan available today short of the Maserati Quattroporte, and there's about $65,000 difference between them. Everything else between them is irrelevant in terms of emotion and exclusivity. I know this is a bold statement, but you have to understand I live in Los Angeles. BMW 7 series and Mercedes AMGs are beside me on the freeways each and every trip to anywhere. Hell, I see test cars and prototypes of coming models more often than I see another Marauder. Audis disappear blandly into the crowd. Infinitis, Acuras, Lexi -- please don't even try to make the case there is anything interesting to own there. The most interesting Infiniti sedan is the one most like the Marauder and least-liked by auto writers -- the M45. The Cadillac CTS-v will be an exception to the bland uniformity of performance sedans prevailing in the $30k - $95K price range. Against this backdrop of luxury sedans bought for poseur purposes, the Marauder offers crisp and serious performance, what-was-that? exclusivity, old-school automotive emotion and classic sedan proportions. Sure we always want more power from the factory, but the only thing I'd really love from the factory is a little more sway bar and a 6 speed manual instead of a slushbox. And I wish it has the Mustang steering wheel because then I could install the FRP FR500 wheel to get a nice thick perf-leather grip. Would I have paid more for an SVT-style supercharger setup? In a hearbeat. But what we have is outstanding in every way.

The Marauder is one of those cars that when you drive it, you have to wonder if auto reviewers -- even those solidly in the domain like staff at Car & Driver or Road & Track -- know anything at all about automobiles. We have a 4100 pound ultra-safe large sedan with hp and torque numbers over 300, that runs in the 14s right out of the box and is an under 7 second car in any competent driver's hands. It won't be too hard to put it in the 6s or even high 5s. Its suspension is so well sorted out that even the old-school solid rear axle can make you forget anyone ever bothered to engineer independent rear suspensions for rear-drive cars. Steering is communicative in its own vocabulary once you understand its feel. With hydroformed frame rails this chassis is stiff. It has rack & pinion steering and a sophisticated front-end and a modern aluminum multi-valve 4 cam motor.

I am not a stranger to meaty-motored cars. I have chosen to put American iron in my garage for the past decade. Everyone here has to understand that most people are "brand ****ies" when it comes to buying cars. They don't have the personal confidence to consider or own a car that is undeclarative of what they've accomplished or want to accomplish in life. Most people are sheep about this sort of thing and simply want to be perceived as belonging to a group they aspire to join. Lexus did an outstanding job of synthesizing a brand from a standing start. BMW has aligned itself with intellectual arrogance for close to 30 years with its "Ultimate Driving Machine" positioning. Porsche has evolved a flawed and highly idiosyncratic design into a proposition that persuades some people who should know better that it is "the best car on the planet, bar none" as I read again recently. Now some of these cars are bought by an enthusiast core popultion that knows what they are buying, but most Porsche/BMW/AMG/Audi/Lexus owners don't fall in that category. So of course, don't expect to buy a Marauder and have people infer from your choice that you are wealthy, glib, smart, highly educated, or in any other way discriminating just like they perceive themselves to be. But if you have any sense of inner-directedness and imagination about expressing yourself through the major purchases in your life, then the Marauder will do just fine in the 4 door sedan category.
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[I]con't. below
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[woaface]

I have had the Ford aluminum 4V DOHC V8 engine architecture 3 times now -- as the Intech motor in a '97 Lincoln LSC, as the SVT Cobra motor in my '96 I still own, and now in the Marauder. Different configurations of the same 4.6L architecture but easily identifiable as being different grades of the same design. Frankly, I love these motors. No, they don't have the same instant-on creamy torque of my Corvette LT4 but they are quite strong in their own right, and midrange to high rpm performance is free-breathing, smooth and seamless. They sing too, pouring polished music out of the tailpipes. Oh yeah, you can make this motor sound rumbly and intimidating with some aftermarket attention, but I think the the factory has it right on the SVT cars, the Mach 1 and the Marauder. They aren't supposed to sound like pushrod V8s. They have their own distinct note, as different from a Ford 302 or 351 as a Ferrari is from a Ford GT.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
The Marauder wins on all the emotional cues, for anyone paying attention and knowing a little history about the philosophy behind muscle sedans. The interior is correct and serious but not overly luxurious. It shouldn't be. It is designed to deliver performance at a price. The extra gauges in the center send the right cue even if the oil pressure guage is functionally binary. Leather is in the right places, on the touch points -- steering wheel, shifter and seats. Elsewhere, the plastics are touch-pleasing and appropriate. Yes, a Recaro-style seat like the Cobra has now would be appropriate for me, but frankly would likely not please many buyers in the car's psychographic. Once you get them adjusted, the front seats are much better than reviewers commonly describe, especially after you find the lumbar inflation switch. Everything is functional with appropriate luxuries like automatic climate control. The car properly does not have wasteful distractions like navigation or DVD. That's up to you if you want to lux up your muscle machine. What it does have is a fantastically strong chassis driven by a meaty motor through a robust transmission all sprung and damped astutely for crisp performance. The aesthetics of the car are understated and sleek with wheels among the handsomest on any car at any price, and tires that telegraph authority. The car is emotionally enveloping.

Is it quick enough? With the 2004 transmission and the engine management upgrade (dual knock sensors) I am left wondering what people expect. As it is, I drive the car with my toes most of the time and I still seem to incur the resentment of BMW, Lexus, Mercedes and Audi owners who lag behind from a stoplight or who attempt to close a gap in trafic to prevent me from passing. A quick motion to bury my foot in the throttle kicks the 4 cammer into its excitement zone and suddenly there's a look of surprise in the rear-view mirror. Would I like it even quicker? Sure, and it will be in time. Do I want it to be faster? Well, there is something about knowing the limiter won't shut me down at 118 mph, and I'll get the drive shaft and a chip to take care of that, but really....I live in the US and I don't see too many chances to drive at 118mph and neither does anyone else. This is not a serious issue to inhibit a buying decision.

I find many things amusing about perceptions people have about cars. For instance, Audi went to the trouble of building the A8 in aluminum. Cool. I like the idea of an aluminum car. The new Jaguar XJ8 is aluminum too. Aluminum is light and stiff. So how come the A8 is a few hundred pounds HEAVIER than my Marauder? Because it's overengineered for its purpose, like many German cars. I've driven one. It is fast and competent, but it still feels like a pig. It "drives heavier & bigger" than it is. The Marauder, however, like all really good cars "drives smaller" than it really is, and is a vastly more appropriately engineered device. A friend of mine bought a new Jag XJ8 and boasted how light his doors feel. Then he opened the rear door of my Marauder and asked, "oh wow, is this aluminum too?" Of course it isn't, but it is a platform that has been sorted out and optimized over many years of development. I have had friends have to follow me on mountain roads, who had difficulty keeping up with me in my Marauder while they were driving some of the vaunted sedans cited in the Atlanta JC article. Am I just a better driver? Maybe. But personally I didn't find myself able to drive the same roads faster in higher-cost big sedans when I've tried.

con't. below

[woaface]

Everyday driving in real world conditions tells me the Marauder has unusually high competence in handling and load management, stopping ability, traction, acceleration, accessibility of its power, interior room, comfort, structural integrity, and reliability for a performance machine. It is a big dog in the cut and thrust of driving, not a whelp.

I've seen criticism of Marauder factory paint here and elsewhere. I don't doubt those problems were authentic. However, the silver paint on my 2004 is among the best I've seen on cars under $50K and I really can't find any noteworthy flaws in it. Inside, I have high confidence in the durability of materials, born out by my experiences with Ford products in general over the last decade.

Worried about street cred in the car you buy? Who cares what the luxury car set thinks. It's the valet staff and the other performance car jockeys you want respect from, and they love this car. Even the ricers give it a measure of respect for old-school presence and disguised punch. It gets parked up front with the Jags and Astons at restaurants and hotels here in L.A. and when the 4 cammer bursts to life, more than a few heads turn toward the combustion music burbling from the horns out back. Leave them wondering.

This issue of whether the Marauder is a muscle car is moot to any buying decision. Back in the day when you could get a 500 cubic inch Caddy for $10,000 in a $3500 sedan market it wasn't considered a muscle car. So the fact that there are 400+ hp AMGs and M series sedans is irrelevant to judging the Marauder's value. Muscle cars were historically hi-po platforms that were an affordable starting point for many of their owners to build on from there. Just like Mustangs the same is true for the Marauder. This is a car that people pay $30 - $34K for new, that can be modded to 450hp while remaining well under $50K total investment. Unlike a pony car, chassis refinements to handle the power are minimal and cheap. Driveline refinements needed from the engine output to the tires are a driveshaft, a diff cap, plus a Torsen would be beneficial.

I've driven an Impala SS and considered buying one back in '96. Compared to a Marauder it feels dated and crude, but nevertheless is an immensely fun 4 door. It has all the grunt advantages of the pushrod Vette motor. But in the upper midrange and in the chassis quaking, it shows its age. I'd much rather have the Marauder in 2003 as my starting platform.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
For all their cachet, the Euro hi-po cars also have to get spinning to feel fast. They are multi-valve, multi-cam mills too. Can Ford build a supercharged Marauder with a proper driveshaft? Sure. We know they can because they do it with the SVT Cobra, SVT Lightning and the Harley pickup. The howling about $40K being too much for a Mercury will be deafening. Back to the brand thing again and the limitations imposed by perception. Sure it's Ford's fault for allowing to Mercury brand to be diluted over the decades. But there's a cultural problem too, with buyers valuing vanity and cultural elitism over everything else and the concomitant brand-****ification that inhibits too many people from having the courage to buy something different.

That's not us. So if you're reading here because you're considering a Marauder and have the independent mindset to buy something different that's also more exclusive in numbers than the vast majority of cars people buy for their "exclusivity", then join us. One thing I have learned in buying specialty Fords (SVTs, Harley pickup, Lincoln LSC, Marauder) is that they invariably deliver immense value, package emotion missing from mainstream cars, combine power and handling in their class and are reliable, highly maintainable machines. More important, each of these cars have strong communities organized around them. The Marauder is a car understood only by People Who Know. We still grasp the essential emotion of the Blues Brothers' formula for automotive cool, with a little Steve McGarrett thrown in. For all the rest who don't get it, we perfectly understand your bafflement. We'll see you in our rear view mirrors. Be sure to catch a glimpse of our God's Head wheels as we flash by.<o:p></o:p>

[Sully008]

QUOTE: The Marauder is a car understood only by People Who Know

Excellent post! The original author of this put into print exactly how I thought and felt when I first lusted after the Marauder. I kept a copy of this.

James - My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family in this difficult time. It's tough to get through the day sometimes, but things will get better.

[woaface]

Thanks Sully.

It has actually been 3 and a half months since, she past away this summer.

In some ways it seems like forever, in others it seems like just yesterday.

[Marauderman]

Thanks for the memories..of the post stuff..and it has been nice knowing and meeting with you ...and giving you that first S/C ride----which I might add is a bit more powerful than then----alot --so congrats for being around for two years--...you are a nice young man-- of which they're not many around your age today---.....and hope to meet up with you again in the future.

......and your MOM---..tonight , when together , think of and discuss the memories you had and she brought to your life--for we all are here to bring memories to one another --for they cannot be taken away--for that , she will always be in your memory and you will enjoy thinking about them all the time--I do about my MOM----14 yrs passed--..............Tom

[Sully008]

Thanks Sully.

It has actually been 3 and a half months since, she past away this summer.

In some ways it seems like forever, in others it seems like just yesterday.


Sorry James, I was reading too quick. I edited my post.

[Bluerauder]

The Marauder is a car understood only by People Who Know. We still grasp the essential emotion of the Blues Brothers' formula for automotive cool, with a little Steve McGarrett thrown in. For all the rest who don't get it, we perfectly understand your bafflement. We'll see you in our rear view mirrors. Be sure to catch a glimpse of our God's Head wheels as we flash by.<o:p></o:p>
I couldn't have said it better myself .... great post !!! Thanks James for digging this one out of the vault !! :up:

Again, condolences on the loss of your Mom. :( Here's hoping that the birthday celebration brings back many of the family's memories of her and helps you all to remember her as she would have liked to be remembered. :D

[Marauder2005]

. So if you're reading here because you're considering a Marauder and have the independent mindset to buy something different that's also more exclusive in numbers than the vast majority of cars people buy for their "exclusivity", then join us. One thing I have learned in buying specialty Fords (SVTs, Harley pickup, Lincoln LSC, Marauder) is that they invariably deliver immense value, package emotion missing from mainstream cars, combine power and handling in their class and are reliable, highly maintainable machines. More important, each of these cars have strong communities organized around them. The Marauder is a car understood only by People Who Know. We still grasp the essential emotion of the Blues Brothers' formula for automotive cool, with a little Steve McGarrett thrown in. For all the rest who don't get it, we perfectly understand your bafflement. We'll see you in our rear view mirrors. Be sure to catch a glimpse of our God's Head wheels as we flash by.<?xml:namespace prefix = o /><o:p></o:p>


That is one of the best reads in a long time. Thank you for sharing that

with me. I hope your dinner is good as well, god bless your mothers spirit

I am sure she smiles down on you.

PS. This is one of my favorit paragraphs, Metroplex read it and you might

understand for once!

[jimlam56]

Great Post!
As the new owner of a 2004 the same thoughts have been running through MY peabrain for the last three weeks!
What a great car!
My condolences on your Mom:
Just be the best guy you can be in her memory.
Jim

[jgc61sr2002]

James - It was very nice meeting you this summer.
You are everything a mother would want her son to be.
God Bless you and your family.

John

[Smokie]

James it's been a pleasure, you certainly made this club better, your innocence mirrors how this club first began, I always found it refreshing. I hope one day you get that Marauder you always wanted. God Bless you and your family, Javier.

[DEFYANT]

That was a good read. It is another one of those posts that should be a sticky in a NooB forum.

Saaay... there is an idea... a Noob Forum. Sorta like a FAQ section. The question would be:

Should I buy a Marauder? The story above would be the answer.

[JMan]

Excellent re-post. Very well thought out and written with great conviction.

My most sincere condolences - Having said that . . .
Celebrate your mother's birthday with the solace she's looking down, smiling at y'all from a better place!
God Bless,
J

[CRUZTAKER]

We love ya James.

But you knew that.;)

[dwasson]

James, I've enjoyed having you as part of the community. You will do well in life and maybe something you heard here will help.

[DeepSea117]

I love this stuff and two things strike me as what I thought important: First was brand not being important (I went from a 93 honda civic coupe to this car), and secondly, the emotions it can stir up. I just did my first road trip this past weekend from San Francisco to LA and I let those socal AMG and M-series drivers have a peek at why I have so much more fun hehe.

Well-written article that pretty much sums-up how I feel about the car.

[ckadiddle]

Thanks for the repost James. I had not seen it before. It explains what I have not been able to put into my own words. I am extremely fortunate that I have a spouse that "gets it". She recently had occaision to chauffeur some young college age men around in it a couple months ago. They wouldn't ride in anything else on the trip back - insisted on riding in the Marauder again. She has even memorized some of the specs so she can spout them off when people ask her about it.

[ridinclean]

That was a great post, good job digging that one up. Most people dont "get it" but I guess its good for it to be that way. Marauder spells rarity and uniqueness, it wouldnt be the same if our car was common or if everyone knew what it was. There is a certain mistique about a Marauder, as we stalk the streets we leave many pointing or doing a double-take wondering what it was that they just saw.

I do try to school my family and friends about what a Marauder is. Especially my 13 year old brother, he goes to school with Marauder written all over his notebook and laughs at the other kids (knowing they have no clue) who say their brother has a cooler car. :cool:

[bigslim]

James, I think that you are one classy guy. It was such a pleasure meeting you at MVII. I remember when you got your MM jacket. I know that one day you will get a MM. Whenever that time comes give me a call so we can RIIIIIDE!!!

[Mike Poore]

[quote=bigslim]....... I remember when you got your MM jacket. I know that one day you will get a MM. quote]


Well, y'know Darryl, if you're using you and me as examples, that jacket ain't gonna fit him by the time he gets the MM.;)

BTW, James, that was a great read, and could have been published in any auto magazine. Thanks for digging it out.

[Haggis]

James I share tears with you this week. It was eleven years ago this Thursday that my mother passed away from cancer and I know our mothers are smiling down on us. Just remember that they are now in a better place.

It was great meeting you and Doug at Indy and one day I will make it down to SC to visit. Give Doug mine and Chris' regards and let him know we will say a little prayer for you and your family this week.

I do miss the stories that you use to write about your day to day travels and experiences. You gave us something to smile and laugh at and helped us to reflect on our daily lives.

Thank you for being a member of our family.

[twolow]

James,

As you know we have spoke a few times concerning my own father coming down with cancer around the end of August. I am sad to say he passed away in October at the too soon to pass age of 58.The courage you embody helped and continues to help me carry on.

My dad was my best friend and I will miss him greatly :alone:

God bless you and your family.

[woaface]

Thanks for all of the kind words fellas...

I'll be posting a few of my stories soon, been working on lots of photography lately! Visit my photography (http://www.axisonatiltimages.blogspot .com) site! My mom says hello and such:)

School is going well and so is life in general. Thanks again for all of the support, you guys are an A+ crowd and truely great friends and family.

-James

[TAF]

*cough* *cough* and....from the 1st person to ever throw you the keys to a Marauder to drive....*cough* *cough*

It's good to know you James......

[Bigdogjim]

*cough* *cough* and....from the 1st person to ever throw you the keys to a Marauder to drive....*cough* *cough*

It's good to know you James......

Same here from the guy who stop a drag race and send you down the 1/4 track for the first time:)

All the best:cool:

[woaface]

MUCH THANKS to Marauderman, TAF and BDJ who all have MADE the Marauder experience for me.

As for stories, TAF was the first person to let me drive a Marauder, and while my mom thought I was 15 minutes away at the mall, I was actually 60 minutes away driving Todd's car. She was not pleased when she discovered such.

Also, she at first scolded my dad for letting BDJ let me drive his car down the 1/4...but let it go knowing I was in good safe hands and having fun...

Then, after finding out that I was utterly obsessed with Marauders and Marauderman made it worse, she sighed and rolled her eyes.

Thanks again guys:)