Marauder lifespan - estimates

[BigGuyBigCar]

Has any thread gone into expected lifespan of the 11,052 Marauders made in 2003-04?

For all types of cars, I have been able to find estimates that 85% still registed at 10 years, 40% at 15 years and 4% at 20 years. Works to about 4,000 left by 2019.

Anyone care to speculate on Marauders being higher (caring owners) or lower (accident prone) than average?

David

[rayjay]

Interesting question. I'd like to know how many are "out of service".

[Hotrauder]

I suspect that Marauders get better maintenance and more appearance effort than average by far but also have much more enthusiast type or spirited driving than average. Perhaps it will average out? I also suspect that FMC is happy that more and more are passing the 36K threshold or being moded out of coverage. Just a quess. I expect that mine will outlast my ability to safely operate a motor vehicle as it is not a daily driver. We can become classics together. Mine has never seen ice, snow or SALT and I don't plan to again either. Dennis:D

[MarauderMark]

Maybe by then there will be other Marauders of some sort produced .I'm still waiting for the SVT.:up::D

[rayjay]

Maybe by then there will be other Marauders of some sort produced .I'm still waiting for the SVT.:up::D

Sorry, it will be a long wait with SVT disbanded... :mad:

[jgc61sr2002]

Mine is a keeper.:D Rarely used in inclement weather. Actually rarely used.:D

[Black 04]

Mine is a keeper.:D Rarely used in inclement weather. Actually rarely used.:D
My MM don't come out at all in inclement weather.

[jgc61sr2002]

My MM don't come out at all in inclement weather.


How many miles do you have on your Marauder?

[SilverStreak]

Mine will be 2 in May. Just turned 13,000 miles. It gets out about twice a week just for a little exercise now that i'm retired. So at this rate, it oughta last quite a while but it won't be with me.

[ncmm]

Mine is a keeper.:D Rarely used in inclement weather. Actually rarely used.:D

mine's a keeper too, only 8K but I do have to drive mine in bad weather, the Bullitt isn't so hot in the snow. :D

[Marauderman]

Mine is a keeper--for those who know about mine---it went from expensive to cheap to very expensive and fast real quick.........oh yeah..its gonna stay ..........

[mr.continental]

The life span of these cars will probably depend on how many current and future owners realize how rare these cars are. As for myself, I'm not letting it go anytime soon.

[jgc61sr2002]

mine's a keeper too, only 8K but I do have to drive mine in bad weather, the Bullitt isn't so hot in the snow. :D

Mine is three years old and has 4 K on the OD.

[snowbird]

Once in a while, i see an old CV or GM of about 20 years of age. I guess helped with body on frame and very low electronics. I never see ricers that old thought.

I don't want to sound negative but, because of their very high electronic and electric gizmoos; after 7-8 years loose wires and sensors will take away but the most stubborn keeeper.

American cars used to be lost cost keepers but it look like the japanese way : flashy and quickly disposable, is slowly taking ourselves .. .. .

[TripleTransAm]

I'm on my second Marauder now, and my second winter with one.

MM#1 experienced a grand total of 3-4 months of winter salt exposure in the winter of 2004-2005 (not counting the one or two times I had to pull it out of my driveway to allow my snow removal guy to do his job, over at the other house).

MM#2 has experienced 3.5 months of winter with me so far, plus the 2 months or so at the hands of the original owner (tail end of 2003-2004 winter, it was not driven during 2004-2005's winter).

So far it's unanimous: whether it's Ford's cost cutting or short-sightedness, you cannot expect these cars to last long at all when exposed to real winter conditions. I can claim this based on comparisons to every other car I've ever owned as well as those owned by family members. My MM#1 looked far worse under the hood at 60000 kilometers, corrosion-wise, than every other car I've ever driven in the winter... my previous Honda (1998 Civic 4 door) looked far better at 130000 km (and continues to look better, my uncle now owns it).

So if you want to keep these things for any appreciable length of time, park 'em when the snow flies.

[BigGuyBigCar]

A search on "automobile longevity" turns up a very complex analysis by Hamilton and Macauley. I THINK what it says is that with the breaking of the Big Three monopoly in the mid-seventies the longevity of cars started to go up, not because of improvements in quality, but because the cost of repairing a used car went down. Too soon to know if the newer complex electronics will counter the longevity trend.

[Shora]

Mine is three years old and has 4 K on the OD.

And I feel bad that "I" don't drive mine enough. How can you possibly be enjoying it if you are driving it so little?

[TripleTransAm]

I never see ricers that old thought.

I disagree. Around here, it's very common to have a performance-oriented guy park his 'nice car' and whip out the beater Honda for the winter months.

My first 'official' winter car was a 1984 Civic 4 door (with engine and tranny from the 3 door 'S' version). Looked like crap, but I couldn't kill it. I tried. 7000 RPM upshifts on 35000 km oil. The car was eventually scrapped when the suspension mount rusted through but at last word, the powertrain still lived on in some 1986 or 1987 Civic Wagon, also a winter car for a family friend's son who parks his riced-out Civic for the winter (now there's irony).

I only replaced my last 'beater' Honda (a 1985 4 door) with my 1998 Civic 4 door because we were deciding on having kids, and I felt it was time to graduate to a 'nice' winter car for once.

The latest 'in' winter Honda around here is the early 90s 4 door Accord. You can see them come out in flocks around the 1st of the month of December or November, as the owners pull the plates for the winter on their nice cars.


Anyway, I can honestly say that I would not have had any worry about working on any part of my old '98 Civic, whereas I'm afraid most of the underhood bolts on my MM#1 are totally unrecognizeable now. MM#2 is fast on its way there (it was so so so spotless when I bought it in December :cry: )

Beautiful cars, these Marauders... too bad I can't enjoy them for any good length of time.

[Master]

Have to say I agree with you about resistance to corrosion under the hood. Both my 94 Tempo V-6 and my 89 F-350 look far better with quadrouple the miles and 10 time the years in the snow. (No comment on the 95 Contour winter beater - its on its third engine). I just wonder if there isn't a lot more galvanic reaction going on here beacuse of the extra mass of aluminum - block, heads, front subframe, etc. Just a really wild, and uneducated guess, which anyone may feel free to shoot down with science. Cathodic protection would have been a good investment, though.

[94_302]

Anyone care to speculate on Marauders being higher (caring owners) or lower (accident prone) than average?


I think for a limited production car it seems there are a high number of salvage/theft. But it can't be worse than the Bullitt mustangs, some say there is a "curse" I think somone at one point on their board calculated out of the 6,xxx built 1,xxx no longer had clean titles.

[fastblackmerc]

Mine's a keeper also. I may buy another car(s) but I'll NEVER get rid of my MM.

[jaywish]

Well I know we have different drivetrains but I can throw this in.

My old 93 Marquis LS Sport is still on the road. It has about 150K on it. I sold it to a family that has NEVER sold a car because they run them to ground or wreck them or overheat etc. It's hot swaped. 3 or more drivers, 1 car.

Aside from the side that looks like it was attacked by a giant can opener the car looks and runs great.

There were a few problems. Needed rear air shocks , one window motor went, turn signal stalk gave up, the fender lips started to rot. That's about it. 13 yrs old. Corporate fleet service before me and brutal service after me. About 60K on the plugs. No significant problems. The body and frame should last 200K+ no problem. Remember they are cabs and cop cars first & foremost.

That said we do have more power & all aluminum motors in the Marauders so there lies the rub.

Jay

[LVMarauder]

You can pry my MM from my cold dead fingers.

[rayjay]

Well I know we have different drivetrains but I can throw this in.

My old 93 Marquis LS Sport is still on the road. It has about 150K on it. I sold it to a family that has NEVER sold a car because they run them to ground or wreck them or overheat etc. It's hot swaped. 3 or more drivers, 1 car.

Aside from the side that looks like it was attacked by a giant can opener the car looks and runs great.

There were a few problems. Needed rear air shocks , one window motor went, turn signal stalk gave up, the fender lips started to rot. That's about it. 13 yrs old. Corporate fleet service before me and brutal service after me. About 60K on the plugs. No significant problems. The body and frame should last 200K+ no problem. Remember they are cabs and cop cars first & foremost.

That said we do have more power & all aluminum motors in the Marauders so there lies the rub.

Jay

Some of our CVPI did 150k before being surplused. The POS Impalas we are now driving won't see 75k.

[jerrym3]

My 94 TBird is about to click 130,000 miles (North Jersey car), has never spent much time in my garage, and shows no rust/rot/leaks etc. When it's cleaned up, except for hood stone chips and some SOB that keyed the hood at a Newark Airport parking lot, the car looks great.

If I weren't planning to sell it next year, I'd have the hood repainted.

Except for a rebuilt trans, no major issues. (Other stuff did go, like the MAF and one window motor.)

My 58 TBird with less than half the miles (61,000) cannot compare to the 94 TBird, but then again, back then, cars died pretty early from mechanical problems or rust/rot.

[Bruce Wayne]

I think a lot has to do with the alluminum's compatability with the cheap foreign steel being used today, combine this with road salt and spray, and it becomes a lethal mix .

[Marawder]

Just passed 84,000km's on my '03 and had it since November '05. My customers' lease came up and I took it over as my own now. It's a daily driver about 500km's a week (that works out to just over 50,000 miles and 300 miles to work for our friends south of the border). I've got Dunlop snows on 17" and it's great! Never had to worry this winter at all. I'll just need to replace the summer tires in the spring. Any recommendations on one-up tire size/brand? I've heard a couple of you going to 255's on the rear, but have any of you experienced any problems with the T/C ABS sensors acting up due to the difference in circumference vs. stock?

[mercmatt]

my marauder was pronounced dead on feb 3, 2006 at 3:37 am.

[BigGuyBigCar]

mercatt -

I see from your signature photo that you had it cremated.

[sfsv]

I wouldn't drive my MM in those conditions. I would go down south every three years and buy myself a winter beater (CVPI), because I don't care who builds the vehicle the road salt is lethal to all. The MM is special and you should preserve yours as long as you could.
I'm on my second Marauder now, and my second winter with one.

MM#1 experienced a grand total of 3-4 months of winter salt exposure in the winter of 2004-2005 (not counting the one or two times I had to pull it out of my driveway to allow my snow removal guy to do his job, over at the other house).

MM#2 has experienced 3.5 months of winter with me so far, plus the 2 months or so at the hands of the original owner (tail end of 2003-2004 winter, it was not driven during 2004-2005's winter).

So far it's unanimous: whether it's Ford's cost cutting or short-sightedness, you cannot expect these cars to last long at all when exposed to real winter conditions. I can claim this based on comparisons to every other car I've ever owned as well as those owned by family members. My MM#1 looked far worse under the hood at 60000 kilometers, corrosion-wise, than every other car I've ever driven in the winter... my previous Honda (1998 Civic 4 door) looked far better at 130000 km (and continues to look better, my uncle now owns it).

So if you want to keep these things for any appreciable length of time, park 'em when the snow flies.

[jimlam56]

my marauder was pronounced dead on feb 3, 2006 at 3:37 am.
What happened to the cadaver?

[bryanthomas]

And I feel bad that "I" don't drive mine enough. How can you possibly be enjoying it if you are driving it so little?

I agree Shora. Granted my MArauder is my daily driver, but even if it weren't it would still have 16,XXX on the odo. To quote a hot rod builder I met at a Concourse show, "It's a car, not a couch!" :burnout:

[bryanthomas]

I wouldn't drive my MM in those conditions. I would go down south every three years and buy myself a winter beater (CVPI), because I don't care who builds the vehicle the road salt is lethal to all. The MM is special and you should preserve yours as long as you could.

I agree with this too, and I am so thankful I do not live ina frozen tundra like that!