marauder307
05-11-2003, 11:23 AM
Hello all...marauder307 here. With some spare time on my hands for the first time in a couple of months, I thought I'd take a blowy Sun. afternoon here in STL to muse randomly on the phenom we call Marauder.
Got mine at the Daytona Beach dealership on 02-18-03. Build date on the door reads 06/02, VIN 2MEHM75V83X617008. One of two that they had, the second one's still there. Ironic for Daytona...the home of speed. Traded away two Mustangs for it, one True Blue V-6 2001 coupe, Premium package with the nicer rims and tires, 5 spd, MACH460 system, etc. The other was my soul mate. 1993 LX 5.0 hatchback, red, restored after REALLY horrifying accident in 2000. Jagoff in a '68 F-bird torpedoed the driver's quarter...got the summary judgement against him in court, 'cause he skipped town.:uzi: Sun uva beehatch still owes about 3300$, with 10% interest every year. Never did pay up.
Anyhoo,...the LX. Restored to its original Bright Red, with retroreflective tape stripes, a la Boss 302 style, only reading "5.0" at the top of the stripe. More decals on the hood, strobe stripes that ended in the words "High Output". Exhaust opened out with a new h-pipe with 2 brick-type cats as opposed to the stock 4 ball-type ones. Midas Gold turbo mufflers, Michelin XGTZ4 Pilot 225/55ZR16s on all the corners. KYB struts/quad shocks and poly suspension isolators. Combo of Steeda/Motorsport SVO clutch parts. New carpet from Ford, Pioneer am/fm/CD with OrganicEL detach face stereo.
And a partridge in a pear freakin' tree......Vanity plate read WAR HRS, 'cause I'm a reservist...USCG.
Figured I'd never give that car up...then I discovered the Marauder. First intro to one in the sheetmetal was at the F-L-M dealer in my hometown of Montgomery, AL. They had a demo they were looking to ditch quick. Already had 2800 miles on it, in Dec. 2002. The test drive was interesting.:banana2: Salesman told me that he'd had his brother-in-law out to drive it...got it up to 110 on the Troy highway before he decided to lay off of it.
All the while, I'm thinkin', "this is supposed to induce a sale? Yer bro-in-law took it out and dogged it, and now you wanna sell it to me?" I just smiled and lifted off the gas. At the time, the weather was cold and clear out...that 4.6 enjoys cool dry air. I dread the coming of the STL summer. All hot and muggy as he11.
Decided after that drive that I had to have one. It was getting tough driving all over the SE US in Mustangs...great on looks and speed, and the V6 one was good on gas (actually the 5.0 was too, @28-30mpg on the long stretches---I only drive about 72 with the cruise on), but I would feel almost paralyzed after driving all day, and not a lotta storage space. Didn't really want to give 'em up though,....until Marauder posed a viable alternative. Got my speed and good looks, with some actual room to put schtuff in, and don't feel like I need an expert chiropractor after long hauls.
Drove the V-6 back down to Daytona to pick the household goods for the move to STL. Drove straight in to the dealer, did the deal that night. Next day after the movers left, went back with the 5.0 and a check in hand. Still got a little shanked on the deal because the V-6 was $8000 upside down. I've probably got the only $43000 Marauder around....@#$@@#!!! :mad2:
Since then, the MM has ridden from Daytona to Montgomery and up to St. Louis...home of the esteemed LincMercLover, who I've yet to encounter, but I know he's out there sumwherz...:confused: Has been retrofitted with the SIRIUS satradio that was in the blue car. It's the silver faced Kenwood FM modulated unit. Velcro-taped to the faux carbon-fiber strip along the dash, sits to the immediate left of the standalone clock. Pretty much a necessity these days...STL radio stations suck. 107.7 is probably the best of 'em, and the DJs still talk too doggone much. A pox on 'em all...
Weather up here in STL has proven....interesting. Whom I kidding? IT STINKS!!! Wish I were back in Daytona:depress:. It's either cold...or raining...or cold and raining...or dropping big-a$$ hail everywhere. Almost wiped my car out one afternoon diving off I-55 to get under a overpass and escape the !@#$ hail. The semi I jumped in front of probably still remembers the big black shadow in the rain that almost became his new grill ornament. The tornadoes seem to come with maddening frequency as well. Throw in a couple of low-grade earthquakes in the last few weeks (New Madrid faultline) and we've just got all kinds of fun up here. The quakes weren't big enough to be noticeable though...3.0-4.0 Richter scale.
Define irony. Irony is a MM with Florida plates that have become obscured due to ice buildup. That was my MM in the first weeks I was here (got here the first week of March).:(
Have still had fun and games here though. Last week of March, I was finally able to get the DARKHRS (MMs FL vanity plate, taken off the blue V-6 car) into a carwash. Later that afternoon, cruising on the south I-270/255 bypass, a late-model dark blue T/A pulls up on the passenger door. Hops at me once. Wasn't really looking for a race...MM only had ~2250 miles on it at the time, wasn't really broken in yet. The T/A hopped at me again.
When are these Pontiac guys gonna learn? The gas pedal went to the mat; after kickdown, saw 5500 rpm on the tach, and heard the rears bark once. Wish I had a Polaroid of Mr. T/A's face when the MM left him in the middle of the interstate.:burnout: :lol: Last saw smoke pouring from the back of his car as he tried, from a mile back, to catch up. If yer gonna race...make sure you ACTUALLY GOT A CAR!!!
The gate guards at the installation where I work up here have gotten to know the car pretty well. As soon as I park it, they come over, ask a bunch of questions, slobber shamelessly on the fenders...I don't mind. To quote the immortal Tom Petty, "It's good to be king..."
LML, where are you?
Got mine at the Daytona Beach dealership on 02-18-03. Build date on the door reads 06/02, VIN 2MEHM75V83X617008. One of two that they had, the second one's still there. Ironic for Daytona...the home of speed. Traded away two Mustangs for it, one True Blue V-6 2001 coupe, Premium package with the nicer rims and tires, 5 spd, MACH460 system, etc. The other was my soul mate. 1993 LX 5.0 hatchback, red, restored after REALLY horrifying accident in 2000. Jagoff in a '68 F-bird torpedoed the driver's quarter...got the summary judgement against him in court, 'cause he skipped town.:uzi: Sun uva beehatch still owes about 3300$, with 10% interest every year. Never did pay up.
Anyhoo,...the LX. Restored to its original Bright Red, with retroreflective tape stripes, a la Boss 302 style, only reading "5.0" at the top of the stripe. More decals on the hood, strobe stripes that ended in the words "High Output". Exhaust opened out with a new h-pipe with 2 brick-type cats as opposed to the stock 4 ball-type ones. Midas Gold turbo mufflers, Michelin XGTZ4 Pilot 225/55ZR16s on all the corners. KYB struts/quad shocks and poly suspension isolators. Combo of Steeda/Motorsport SVO clutch parts. New carpet from Ford, Pioneer am/fm/CD with OrganicEL detach face stereo.
And a partridge in a pear freakin' tree......Vanity plate read WAR HRS, 'cause I'm a reservist...USCG.
Figured I'd never give that car up...then I discovered the Marauder. First intro to one in the sheetmetal was at the F-L-M dealer in my hometown of Montgomery, AL. They had a demo they were looking to ditch quick. Already had 2800 miles on it, in Dec. 2002. The test drive was interesting.:banana2: Salesman told me that he'd had his brother-in-law out to drive it...got it up to 110 on the Troy highway before he decided to lay off of it.
All the while, I'm thinkin', "this is supposed to induce a sale? Yer bro-in-law took it out and dogged it, and now you wanna sell it to me?" I just smiled and lifted off the gas. At the time, the weather was cold and clear out...that 4.6 enjoys cool dry air. I dread the coming of the STL summer. All hot and muggy as he11.
Decided after that drive that I had to have one. It was getting tough driving all over the SE US in Mustangs...great on looks and speed, and the V6 one was good on gas (actually the 5.0 was too, @28-30mpg on the long stretches---I only drive about 72 with the cruise on), but I would feel almost paralyzed after driving all day, and not a lotta storage space. Didn't really want to give 'em up though,....until Marauder posed a viable alternative. Got my speed and good looks, with some actual room to put schtuff in, and don't feel like I need an expert chiropractor after long hauls.
Drove the V-6 back down to Daytona to pick the household goods for the move to STL. Drove straight in to the dealer, did the deal that night. Next day after the movers left, went back with the 5.0 and a check in hand. Still got a little shanked on the deal because the V-6 was $8000 upside down. I've probably got the only $43000 Marauder around....@#$@@#!!! :mad2:
Since then, the MM has ridden from Daytona to Montgomery and up to St. Louis...home of the esteemed LincMercLover, who I've yet to encounter, but I know he's out there sumwherz...:confused: Has been retrofitted with the SIRIUS satradio that was in the blue car. It's the silver faced Kenwood FM modulated unit. Velcro-taped to the faux carbon-fiber strip along the dash, sits to the immediate left of the standalone clock. Pretty much a necessity these days...STL radio stations suck. 107.7 is probably the best of 'em, and the DJs still talk too doggone much. A pox on 'em all...
Weather up here in STL has proven....interesting. Whom I kidding? IT STINKS!!! Wish I were back in Daytona:depress:. It's either cold...or raining...or cold and raining...or dropping big-a$$ hail everywhere. Almost wiped my car out one afternoon diving off I-55 to get under a overpass and escape the !@#$ hail. The semi I jumped in front of probably still remembers the big black shadow in the rain that almost became his new grill ornament. The tornadoes seem to come with maddening frequency as well. Throw in a couple of low-grade earthquakes in the last few weeks (New Madrid faultline) and we've just got all kinds of fun up here. The quakes weren't big enough to be noticeable though...3.0-4.0 Richter scale.
Define irony. Irony is a MM with Florida plates that have become obscured due to ice buildup. That was my MM in the first weeks I was here (got here the first week of March).:(
Have still had fun and games here though. Last week of March, I was finally able to get the DARKHRS (MMs FL vanity plate, taken off the blue V-6 car) into a carwash. Later that afternoon, cruising on the south I-270/255 bypass, a late-model dark blue T/A pulls up on the passenger door. Hops at me once. Wasn't really looking for a race...MM only had ~2250 miles on it at the time, wasn't really broken in yet. The T/A hopped at me again.
When are these Pontiac guys gonna learn? The gas pedal went to the mat; after kickdown, saw 5500 rpm on the tach, and heard the rears bark once. Wish I had a Polaroid of Mr. T/A's face when the MM left him in the middle of the interstate.:burnout: :lol: Last saw smoke pouring from the back of his car as he tried, from a mile back, to catch up. If yer gonna race...make sure you ACTUALLY GOT A CAR!!!
The gate guards at the installation where I work up here have gotten to know the car pretty well. As soon as I park it, they come over, ask a bunch of questions, slobber shamelessly on the fenders...I don't mind. To quote the immortal Tom Petty, "It's good to be king..."
LML, where are you?