Marauder Sales - Calendar Year to Date

[Mark [N4OGL]]

Sarge asked me to post this - I don't think he has a scanner. Apparently, with the sales numbers this represents, LM has finally gotten into the black on this car.

I'll let others talk about what we learned today about the MM's future in 2004 - and beyond.

What baffles me is . . . . . do they really think the 2005 will sell with that vinyl roof installed? Most of us thought the whitewall tires were too much, but....
:rolleyes:

[TAF]

Very interesting...and I don't know where Sarge got these numbers, but I know he has connections.

My only statement is...if the "Calendar Year To Date" sales of Marauders in Atlanta are 441 Marauders....there are a LOT of collectors that bought and are keeping them under lock and key.
I'm not seeing them on the roads...

[SergntMac]

Originally posted by TAF
Very interesting...and I don't know where Sarge got these numbers, but I know he has connections. My only statement is...if the "Calendar Year To Date" sales of Marauders in Atlanta are 441 Marauders....there are a LOT of collectors that bought and are keeping them under lock and key.
I'm not seeing them on the roads...

Damn it, why couldn't you just go to bed. Just had to post this now, eh? LOL...

TAF...(and others who have asked me via e-mail) it was a very busy day for us. Lots of incoming 411 from Babcock, Trilogy, Lidio, and a number of Detroit MM owners present who apparently do not know much about this web site.

Us three Chicagoland guys who made this trip to Dearborn are just overwhelmed with 411, too much to type up and post it here tonight. Let us get some rest, see y'all tomorrow, K?

Meanwhile, for you overnight guys, the data Mark posts on my behalf is easily misread. "CYTD" means "current year to date," which is from 1 Jun.02 to 31 May 03. One year of sales, not sales for the current year. Oh, I give up...My head hurts.

This data is a summary of sales from the first sale. It's dated "20 Jun. 03" and I received it 27 Jun. 03. Fresh 411, K?

Markets indicated are Ford "zones" or regions.

Numbers include tallys on cars sold, cars in transit to dealers, and cars in production from dealer orders for the '03. No '04 data has been mixed here.

The MM broke the "5000" barrier, sales are in the black now. A product worthy of production and earning it's own keep. Sub-tally the numbers of sales, available on the lot, in transit and in production, and the grand total of 2003 MMs should fall in the area of 7,200 cars.

But, that's before we got e-ticket rides in a roots blown MM today.

More tomorrow...K?

[Glenn]

TAF:

Well, I have never seen even one MM in Atlanta. I live South of the City and work in Stone Mtn. But, I got mine this week and have had some kick-ass fun with it. It may not be a Cobra Mustang, but it does move. MY time from 60 to 100+ is unreal. It has great power and great handling. I kept my foot on the floor through my first tank full of gas and still got 16+ mpg. As I was filling up my tank with 93 octane gas at Sam's, the attendant (an older guy who retired from FORD) immediately came over to me and started to talk in great detail about the car. It a thrill and I got $7,000 off the list plus the spoiler for $200.
Glenn

[RCSignals]

I get it Mac

[SergntMac]

Okay, I cleaned up my last post, sorry. Man-oh-man, was I tired. Maybe it's easier to read now? Here's cliff notes from the talk with Seteve Babcock at the Trilogy presentation, 28 Jun. 03;

The MM will not be produced in '05. It will take a nap for two years, and return in '07. No hints of in what form, but the name Marauder will be back. Ditto for other sports cars from FMC. New specs and deadlines on emissions and CAFE affecting the entire product line.

'04 MM to get more knock sensors, new 11.25 torque converter and updated shift program. Additional sensors will allow for better control and "elbow" room for fine tuning. Torque converter more efficient, and shift program more aggressive, all contributing to boosting low end torque at the rear wheels. 302HP/318TQ specs will not change. Asked about upgrades for '03 owners and backward compatability, and Babcock replied affirmative, if you want to pay for it. The '03 was the best they could do at that time and these changes are not bug fixes.

Some interesting history shared on the design team and the problems they faced. 4:10s were planned, and ruled out after failing to meet CAFE specs. 3:73 failed too. 3:55 squeaked through, but only with changes to shift program.

MM built from in house parts. Engine is from Avaitor and shared with Mach 1. Suspension and rear end is from Town Car limo, except for Mach 1 differential. I forgot where he said the tranny came from.

Induction system is a fresh design, and the best they have ever produced. Lidio added that he tested the induction system with and without air filters, positively no change in performance.

Speed limiter is set at 123 MPH, but he has heard reports of 120 and 117 MPH. Semantics? Speedo error? Drive shaft is CV/PI, has known rotational speed limits due to lenth of shaft. The FMC/PI "fix" is an older design of other composition and may be out of production now. Cure, if needed, is MMC shaft.
Without limiter and with 3:55 gear, MM has potential for 145 MPH, beyond the limits of both CV/PI shafts.

I think that about covers conversations with Babcock, I remember hearing more, but can't be sure who said it, so, why bother misquoting. The 411 on the Trilogy roots blower development will be another thread.

Zack? Mark? I miss anything important or mess this up?

It was a very worthwhile trip.

[Menace]

How about the ones purchased before June 02? I bought mine in May 02.

[Marauder57]

Great info Mac!!! Good to hear about the 2 year on 2 year off deal....nice stuff......I just hope that when the MM resurfaces it is still a 4 door sedan or large RWD muscle....not the a "shell" of the former car like GM did with the Impala Wannabee.....

Looks like Ford might have actually listened and has some dedication to muscle dudes.....could be a nice niche for them over time...other than the dedicated Mustang crowd......

[Billatpro]

Great 411 Mac, hurry with the blower thread!

[TripleTransAm]

:up: Wow, thanks for the great info, Sarge. On one hand I'm kind of sad to see the current iteration of the MM disappear after 2004... one of the reasons I was hoping the line would continue as is (or with improvements) is that I'd love to trade-up one day, as this current MM will see the wear-and-tear of a daily driver. On the other hand, I'll light a candle in the hopes that the new generation will be as exciting looking as this one.

The other historical tidbits were also great to learn about. I'm glad to finally see some Ford enthusiasm showing through... I was beginning to think I was driving the black sheep (no pun intended) of the Ford/Merc line-up!:(

[Bigdogjim]

Some of the early articles on the Marauder hinted at the fact that is would be produced for a short time, go away, then come back. No offical timetable was mentioned at the time just hints. All in all good news. Lots of questions answered. Now on to Texas and more questions.

[Mark [N4OGL]]

I took notes as well on the Palm, but I'm very impressed with Mac's ability to recall everything, more so after a 600 mile drive to and from Detroit.

Here are my notes, which were written sort of stream of consciousness (well, 'puddle of consciousness', actually):

• MY2004 will feature revised transmission programming for quicker up and downshifts, including allowing downshifts to 1st as high as 42MPH (currently, only below about 34MPH).
• Transmission programming for MY 2004 "softened" torque converter lockup.
• Both fixes will be backward-compatible between 2003+2004 cars
• new for MY2004: second knock sensor and transmission modifications. will retrofit 2003 cars. TSB coming to reflect this for dealers.
• Tires Steve Babcock likes: Michelin Pilot Sport LP or BFGoodrich RSAs; Pirelli Asymetriccos (sp?)
• Animated discussion about putting steel billet gears in oil-pump. Some of us have seen oil pump failure. Lidio (Trilogy's tech) has not in any of his cars. Oil pump is driven off the crankshaft and takes all the abuse the crankshaft does; not driven off the distributor as in a more traditional design.
• What about gauges on the A-pillar? Ford had a full A-Pillar with gauge pods (<b>not</b> a pod mounted on the existing pillar) on the S-55 Marauder concept at the SEMA show in '98, built by a company called DST@Detroit Airport (Tim Moloney was the engineer). Since DST has already done the tooling, Ford, or Trilogy, or both, will contact them to explore putting it into production.
• Additional animated discussion about reinforcing positraction + rear end with an Auburn. Some of us have experienced gear 'slop' after running higher-than-stock horespower through the rear end. Steve and Lidio haven't seen slop in their test cars but didn't dispute the suggestion.
• Steve Babcock likes 5W30 Mobil One in this car. I asked about Red Line (having used it in the past for my SHO, when I lived out in the Bay Area) but didn't get much of either an endorsement or a dissent.
• A lot of questions made it onto the White Board to be answered separately and later by Jerry from Trilogy (including my cell-phone-wiring question).

One more thing: the 2002 Marauder convertible will be auctioned soon to a lucky owner. It features lots of power upgrades for an extremely high output engine. It also features no top, and speed limit governor that limits the car to 25MPH. The engineers didn't add any reinforcement to the floor pan when it was built, and are worried that if it hits any bumps it'll bend in the middle and jam the doors.

But it's zero-to-25MPH times are reportedly astounding!!


Yr. Obt. Svt.
Mark

:bows:

[MI2QWK4U]

Trans is from the Police Interceptor. Some gauges from the Tarus SHO. Brakes from the Police Interceptor. Axel from a towncar. Radio from Towncar. Rear air suspension from Limo. Diff from Mach one.

[RCSignals]

Originally posted by SergntMac

'04 MM to get more knock sensors, new 11.25 torque converter and updated shift program. Additional sensors will allow for better control and "elbow" room for fine tuning. Torque converter more efficient, and shift program more aggressive, all contributing to boosting low end torque at the rear wheels. 302HP/318TQ specs will not change. Asked about upgrades for '03 owners and backward compatability, and Babcock replied affirmative, if you want to pay for it. The '03 was the best they could do at that time and these changes are not bug fixes.


It will be interesting to see just how the '04 upgrades to '03s are made available, and if dealers will know anything about them