Speed????

[Marauderjack]

Anybody heard what the top speed is for the '03-'04 MM's??? Is it computer limited like others now??l:confused:

The CV "cop" cars will make it to 140+ MPH with a lot of open road and a tail wind!!!:coolman:

Just curious??:confused:

Cobrajack:cool: aka: "Marauderjack":D

[TAF]

Stockers are limited to 118-122mph (stories vary)

Chipped are limited to the speedo which says 140mph....
after that...you're just guessing

[Marauderjack]

Well TAF....

You are everywhere!!:D

120 is certainly fast enough...Just curious??:confused:

The fun with any of these cars is how fast they get there!!!!;)

Cobrajack:cool:

[TAF]

My car lives between 80 and 110...that's were she's most comfortable...and as the CEO from my "parent company" out of Dublin, Ireland said one day while riding with me....

*insert your best Irish accent here*
"She LIKES it up there, eh?":D

[rumble]

Originally posted by TAF
Stockers are limited to 118-122mph (stories vary)

Chipped are limited to the speedo which says 140mph....
after that...you're just guessing

As the TAF man said, 118-122. Steve Babcock said in Ennis, the reason is the drive shaft is to long and is made of aluminum and
is subject to "whipping" at higher speeds. If you plan to go faster
you really should replace the stock drive shaft.

[Marauderjack]

WHAT?????:confused:

Now I've heard it all...."The drive shaft whips at higher speeds"???:rolleyes:

Tell me you are pulling my leg??:(

Cobrajack:cool:

[TAF]

Yep...

Some more light reading for you...
Driveshaft Vibration (http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5163&highlight=driveshaft+vibration )

We got to teach you how to use the Search Box, man.:D

[Marauderjack]

Ahem.......TAF....

I souldn't have to search for such things!!!
:mad2: What happened to FORD engineering and QC???

I really believe with all the snakes I have found out about I wouldn't have ordered the car had I known about them sooner!!:confused:

Is this a test ground for the damn warranty department!!!!??:(

Drive shaft flex......What the HELL did they have in mind??:confused: What's wrong with a steel drive shaft in a 4 door sedan??

Cobrajack:mad:

[duhtroll]

They probably assumed that a driveshaft which was good up 'til 110 or so was sufficient.

Makes sense, given that speed limits don't go above 75 in 95% of the nation or so.

Anyone who is doing mods and driving that fast is gonna replace it anyway - logic that also makes sense.

Let's face it, they coulda offered bigger gears and a SC too among many other things, but they also had to be realistic for mileage and price.

-A

[TAF]

Originally posted by Cobrajack
Ahem.......TAF....

I souldn't have to search for such things!!!
:mad2:

You do if you want to learn about the car and how to improve it...


I really believe with all the snakes I have found out about I wouldn't have ordered the car had I known about them sooner!!:confused:

I'm sorry to hear that, cause you'd be missing out on the best thing to come out of Detroit in years!


Drive shaft flex......What the HELL did they have in mind??:confused: What's wrong with a steel drive shaft in a 4 door sedan??

Cobrajack:mad:

Uh...no...they (Detroit) just don't regularly make 4-door sedans that can go over 120MPH straight from the line...but if you want it to...it can, easily.

[Dr Caleb]

Dude! Less coffee!

Any production car has it's limitations. Aluminum driveshafts have their advantages, and disadvantages.


Originally posted by Cobrajack

:mad2: What happened to FORD engineering and QC???

Cobrajack:mad:

For the most part *cough*paint*cough* it's pretty good. It's a tried and tested chassis, motor all bundled with tested off-the-shelf parts.


Originally posted by Cobrajack

I really believe with all the snakes I have found out about I wouldn't have ordered the car had I known about them sooner!!:confused:

Is this a test ground for the damn warranty department!!!!??:(


It seems most manufacturers let quite a few cars get out with warranty issues. Nothing new to see. Move along, move along.

Once you drive it for a while, you'll live with some of the car's foibles, like the rest of us have, or mod them away.

[Marauderjack]

I agree....It is a road car and not a race car!!!:rolleyes: As I said before the real fun for us is getting to 100 MPH as fast as we can!!

What is the big deal about an aluminum drive shaft...to save weight??

I will never go to the higer speeds....no drag racing so I guess it doesn't matter about the GREAT BEYOND above 100??

I put the coffee down and will calm down now!!:D

A little medicinal scotch and I'll be OK....:)

Thanks,
Cobrajack:cool:

PS: Part of the problem is I'm driving a Mitsubishi Gallant while waiting for my MM.......what a bummer!!!:(

[TAF]

Originally posted by Cobrajack
PS: Part of the problem is I'm driving a Mitsubishi Gallant while waiting for my MM.......what a bummer!!!:(

Yep...that'll do it everytime.:D Bet that thing is a "monster" :lol:

[Marauderjack]

Ya Know...TAF...

I'll bet they sell these "Ricers" for about what our MM's go for.....Go figure!!:confused:

Hope the Marauder gets here quickly....The CV was a race car compared to this thing!!!:D

Cobrajack:cool:

[Hemlock]

MY MM WITH JUST A FEW MODS , GETS 140 MPH REAL EASY . I LIKE THOSE BIG NUMBERS !!! CHEERS .

[sailsmen]

The only large 4 door cars I am aware of that go over 120mph cost a lot more than the mid 20's we are paying for our Marauder.

Just take a look at the price for a Mercedes or BMW and for a $4-6K in mods to a Marauder we will out run most of their models.

[Paul T. Casey]

To add a thought to sailsmen, BMW and Merecdes are usually in the mirror. I'm in full agreement with Todd, this IS the best thing out of Detroit since the early 70's (sorry all you SSmen, we're the best!!)

[sailsmen]

Not to bash BMW I have owned a bunch and they are fun to drive.

But their V12 750 had serious electrical shorts contained with in the wiring harness that could not be fixed!

Their 4.0 V8 linerless aluminum blocks were only good for 25,000 miles.

Their 3.0 straigth 6 aluminum heads cracked every 10,000 miles due to excessive heat from the thermal reactors.

Both BMW and Mercedes clear coat metallics completly hazed in less than 2 years.

Some Mercedes in tank fuel pumps made so much noise people thought the cars were about to blow up!

Believe me it's not limited to Ford!

[chapel1]

First of all I love my Marauder.And I realize the Marauder is a niche car.But when Ford builds a car like the Marauder and has to put a limiter on it because they won't make it safe enough to handle the power there advertising that's wrong!The Marauder should have come with a shaft as good as the Police C/V's.Which have 70 fewer horses.And sell for a heck of a lot less.The Marauder competes with world class cars in America,but probably couldn't sustain prolonged driving on the Autobahn?

[rumble]

[i]

What is the big deal about an aluminum drive shaft...to save weight??

]

The reason we have an aluminum drive shaft, once again as per
Master Steve Babcock, is that the company that made the metal matrix drive shaft quit making them for Ford so the Marauder ended up with the Panther platform aluminum one.
Always remember this, the Marauder is a platform unlike anything on the street. For $27,000 you can have a one kick arse
dynamite stock car or if so inclined you can take the "nuclear option," spend another $10,000 (notice the total of $37,000) and
have a 12 second 1/4 mile car. 12 second as in Corvette Z06, Mega dollars Porsches and Car and Driver Accords. You also will have a car that will run zero to 60 in about 4 1/2 seconds. All you have to do is drive either to Florida or Detroit, leave it for a week or so and then your ready to stun the world with high performance antics.

[TAF]

Originally posted by rumble
12 second as in Corvette Z06, Mega dollars Porsches and Car and Driver Accords.

"Car & Driver Accords"...now THAT'S funny :lol:

[rumble]

TAF, you sir, are a gentleman!

[chapel1]

Originally posted by rumble
The reason we have an aluminum drive shaft, once again as per
Master Steve Babcock, is that the company that made the metal matrix drive shaft quit making them for Ford so the Marauder ended up with the Panther platform aluminum one.
That maybe what he said and it maybe true,but this is America.Someone has to make them,unless some company won't pay the costs it takes to manufacture such product.And I don't think companies stop making things for Ford unless theres no profit or they can't afford to because of some kind of liability?

[ik04]

Considering all of this technical information, I believe I would like to have a driveshaft custom built out of.....

CHEESE!

[sailsmen]

I agree with you there are several things they should have done with the Marauder.

You have to remember the Marauder is a modified Grand Marquis. It is my understanding there was a very limited development budget. The Marauder is basically a parts bin car, like many of the muscle cars of yore.

It is not a car that was developed for a certain target of performance parameters.

The good news is for what I believe a very modest amount of money there are numerous mods available that improve most performance areas.

If you think the cost of the mods is high p/u the latest copy of Auto Week and see what these "tuners" are charging, about 3-4 times the price.

[RCSignals]

CobraJack, the aluminum driveshaft is an upgrade from the standard steel shaft in CVs and GMs.
It's the same aluminum shaft, essentially, as used in the CVPI.
As i said before, things posted tend to get magnified, and "whipping" of the driveshaft is really not a problem, unless you have major mods, as some here do. As with pretty much everything for this car, there is a solution, if you get to the point of needing one.
How fast to you plan on driving?

[Marauderjack]

RC.....

It is not that I'm gonna drive fast but I personally expect a 300+ HP muscle car to be happy pushing any of the performance limits it was designed for!!??:( I guess it is why we want and have these cars rather than 90 HP "Ricers"??:D

The mental factors of "Strength In Reserve" and "Sleeper" are what it's all about to me. ;)

I'm not buying the car to race or run 140 MPH on the highway but it takes some of the "Mystique" out of it when I hear about a "whipping drive shaft"!! :(

Cobrajack :cool:

[rumble]

Originally posted by chapel1
That maybe what he said and it maybe true,but this is America.Someone has to make them,unless some company won't pay the costs it takes to manufacture such product.And I don't think companies stop making things for Ford unless theres no profit or they can't afford to because of some kind of liability?

That is exactly what happened. Steve Babcock said that the company that made the MMD was not only losing money on them
but did not want to continue production because of the difficulty in making them. This is a well known issue but is easily remedied with a credit card number and a phone call to DR.

[Dr Caleb]

Originally posted by Cobrajack
RC.....

It is not that I'm gonna drive fast but I personally expect a 300+ HP muscle car to be happy pushing any of the performance limits it was designed for!!??:(

I'm not buying the car to race or run 140 MPH on the highway but it takes some of the "Mystique" out of it when I hear about a "whipping drive shaft"!! :(

Cobrajack :cool:

Not to worry bud! Everything has a 'Resonance Frequency'. Even a steel driveshaft will do this, it just does it at a higher speed than most cars are capable of.

The trade off is accelleration. Or you can get the aftermarket shaft, and have the best of both :)

[glassman99]

While driving to Atlanta the other day on I-85 a car behind me began to flash his lights. Imagine that? I refused to pull over since I was doing 85+ MPH. Eventually he got in the right lane and came beside be and gave me the "finger" then took off. OBVIOUSLY I TOOK OFF TOO. He was in a Lexus 430. I pulled up beside him while he was still accelerating at about 100 MPH and played with him to about 130 MPH before my wife and two kids convinced me to slow down. The driver of the Lexus had a very surprised look on his face as this "old man's car" was next to him at that speed. I noticed driveline vibration at about 120 MPH and will soon be sending for Dennis's driveshaft to correct that. That's the first time that I have noticed driveline vibration.

[Dr Caleb]

Good kill!

[deerejoe]

Hyperbole and Mystique:

Out of the box performance issues are generally the things of a
buyer's fertile imagination aided substantially by the designed marketing intent of a manufacturer's packaging of the product.

For example: Ford Motor Company needs to create an 'economical' product to enhance sales at their Mercury division...a manager (with vision and ability) is selected and the parts bins are assessed for available components to assemble this proposed product. Costs are factored and the project proceeds with the continued emphasis on overall cost control.

The guts of the package consist of a particularly derived and tuned engine, true dual exhaust, enhanced chassis/suspension features and fancy OEM wheels with odd tire size pairings.
Drop a minimally chromed coach on this platform embracing such thought provoking trinkets as AutoMeter guages and a proprietary 140 MPH (wow!!) speedometer and you begin to see the marketing mystique of the overall assembly.
Try not to spend too much on hype in the market place to further conserve costs...let the 'package' sell itself to those prospective buyer's with a measure of nostalgia.

Joe Public perceives a new fashion/old style muscle car at a reasonably affordable price.

What the buyer discovers after the purchase is the real life (behind the scenes) limitations imposed by budgets, material properties and government regulations.

Well, with a "few mods" (and additional money) I can make her run as my imagination thought!!

Hyperbole and Mystique...what a pair to draw to. They suck me in every time.

[chapel1]

deerejoe what you said is true that's what Detroit has been doing for ever.The foreign car manufactures build cars to sell world wide.And can't afford to not make a car that can't handle it's own power.I guess American cars will only ever be American cars?Never world class cars?