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Marauderer
11-19-2003, 08:59 PM
The first Trilogy Self Install kit landed on my door step today (#0009)!! Installation coming this weekend!

First Impressions – Wow!!!!! I have never seen a kit or a manual put together so well! The manual is STEP-BY-STEP with pictures and explanations, in fact, even the parts list is complete with a picture of each part!. Every single item is also labeled with an attached green tag! It comes with literally everything you need (except a few trinkets) even a tube of sealant! Looks like the only thing I will have to pick up locally is some antifreeze, loctite, and plugs (I already have tape and WD-40).

So far, so good and hats off to you guys for putting together such a top notch product! Believe me, I have ordered my fair share of car based “kits” before and I have seen everything from NO instructions to a goofball's manual (a picture of the completed product)! This is truly, truly a cut above!

jgc61sr2002
11-19-2003, 09:01 PM
Congrats, Sounds great.:up:

GarageMahal
11-19-2003, 09:46 PM
I can't wait to "help" with the install this weekend. It is getting really hard to resist buying one.

jta

bigslim
11-19-2003, 10:59 PM
Good luck with the install. I will let Lidio do mine. I don't trust myself messing with baby.

studio460
11-20-2003, 01:35 AM
Right on, Marauderer! Can't wait until I can get my kit! (Jerry, how's the CARB certification going?)

martyo
11-20-2003, 05:32 AM
Originally posted by GarageMahal
It is getting really hard....

Hehehehe! He said "hard"!

Hemlock
11-20-2003, 06:48 AM
WHAT WAS THE TURN KEY PRICE OF KIT ?? DROVE THE DEMO. AT ENNIS , WOULD REALLY LIKE TO DO MY MM.!!!

rumble
11-20-2003, 06:54 AM
Is this the same kit that is going to be listed in the Ford Performance catalog?

Jerry Barnes
11-20-2003, 09:05 AM
Hemlock,

Their are two versions of the kit. The stock version is the one that Lidio just posted a picture of with powder coated components for $5,995. The second is the polished version that has been seen on our Marauder with polished coil covers, air inlet peices and new braided hoses for $6,995.

Rumble,

Yes this is the same kit, however it will not occur until the 2005 catalog. Too many attorneys and Ford Corporate policies got in the way to meet the deadline for the 2004 catalog.

Thanks

Jerry Barnes
11-20-2003, 09:08 AM
NBCSHOOTER,

Moving slow for CARB. Our guys have not gotten back to me about their progress. I will keep you posted.

Marauderer,

Thanks for the note. Please give us feedback on any thing you feel would make it better. If you need any assistance please don't hesitate to call. My offer still stands!

Good Luck!

GarageMahal
11-20-2003, 09:28 AM
Originally posted by martyo
Hehehehe! He said "hard"!

And I meant it!

:shot:

gonzo50
11-20-2003, 09:52 AM
Originally posted by Marauderer
The first Trilogy Self Install kit landed on my door step today (#0009)!! Installation coming this weekend!
Keep us posted on your progress, must be a thrill to do the install yourself, :up: I'm starting to get that "Supercharger Fever" thats spreading all over this awesome site. :bounce: :pimp:

Marauderer
11-21-2003, 07:05 AM
So far so good! I got started last night!. I spent about a half hour on prep (car up on jacks, clean-up, getting things laid out). Then I pulled out the book and got started. In three hours flat I made it up to Page 48 out of 140! Essentially a complete tear down including the injectors, upper and lower intake, and changing the plugs. So far the instructions are absolutely perfect. I'm adding socket sizes as I go through, but other than that, perfect!

The funs starts this morning, as it is always easier to tear down than it is to put it back together :) Will update tonight! I just hope there is something left for tomorrow when I have several people scheduled to stop by to check-in!!!!!!!!!

GarageMahal
11-21-2003, 09:08 AM
Ack! Looks like you will be done before I get there! No worries, I can't wait to see the finished product anyway. I guess I may need to get up early (before noon) tomorrow and come take a look. I was planning to stop by in the late afternoon but I can't wait to get a look at some of the insides of this motor.

jta

Marauderer
11-21-2003, 09:12 AM
I'm usually up by no later than 7:00 AM!

GarageMahal
11-21-2003, 10:15 AM
Originally posted by Marauderer
I'm usually up by no later than 7:00 AM!

7am is a bed time :rock:

HookedOnCV
11-21-2003, 10:50 AM
I stopped by to take a look at Marauderer's kit before he got started, and it is very impressive. The manual is very detailed. Trilogy did a top notch job putting the kit together. There are a couple of details such as moving the knock sensor (Marauderer can elaborate on that job after he finishes) that I would be a little nervous about.

If I can make a comparison to my AED kit (http://www.allenengine.com/cvinstall3.html) I installed earlier this year, it would be that there is a lot more assembly required with the Trilogy kit, but as I mentioned, the instructions beat the AED instructions hands down. There are a lot of little extra's that are included with Trilogy's kit that are worth the extra price.

I will be stopping by tomorrow as well to see how things are progressing. We are supossed to get 5-10 inches of snow here in MN on Sunday, so Marauderer may not be able to do much of a test drive...traction is key!

Todd

Jerry Barnes
11-22-2003, 03:42 PM
Well, Marauderer is done and the install went very well. I will let him tell you his thoughts, but it was very satisfying to see a self install go so well. He did mentioned he had a problem. His first full throttle test resulted in the car coming off the line slowly, then he told me he realized that the car felt like it was standing still. He said, he realized that he was smoking the tires so bad he was not hooking up. He mentioned that words could not describe the sensation of power from a dead stop. I guess I have created another MM speed junky. Don't you love it!!!!

GarageMahal
11-22-2003, 04:01 PM
Looks like I missed the install. Hopefully he will be around for a bit tonight so I can still stop by.

I expect the snow does not help the traction problem hehe.

jta

bigslim
11-22-2003, 08:44 PM
Way to go Marauderer. Glad to hear everything went well. Next thing you need is the wider wheels and Nitto tires to help hook up. Maybe you can become the offical installer there in the Twin Cities. Congrats to you.

HookedOnCV
11-22-2003, 09:19 PM
I had a chance to drive Marauderer's car today before the snow came, and it was pretty amazing. You can smoke the tires sooooo easily with all of that power. I experienced the same feeling he had with the throttle down, and no real movement...just a lot of smoke.

Keep in mind the pavement here is just above freezing as are the tires, so its no wonder you can't hook in those conditions, no matter how good the tires are.

The Trilogy kit is really his first true bolt on, and it is a work of art. I can compare it to my AED Eaton M90S kit installed on my car in terms of quality...not power. This car has well over 100 HP over stock, and is totally amazing for the money. Jerry Barnes has done a great job in putting together a high quality kit with no sacrifices in the quality of parts used. That, and I hear he has great business sense as well. I'm sure Trilogy is off to a great start with a long future of kits going out the doors for many Marauders to come.

Congratulations Bill on your install. You did a great job.

Todd

Marauderer
11-23-2003, 08:16 PM
:)

Check it Out! - http://www.twincitiesmarauders.com/Gallery4.cfm

Guys, words can just not describe the feeling you get with this thing. I have to tell you, I have looked and looked and looked, pondered, wondered, imagined, even dreamed and I am here to tell you that absolutely nothing can replace the actual experience of pressing the pedal to the floor for the first time in a Trilogy equipped car! I don't care if you waited for 20 years for something like this to come along, there is no way you can be disappointed with the results that you get out of this product!!!!!!

We have all talked about the need for torque, the need for performance, the need to make this car feel as good as it looks and I am telling you, it is without a doubt, HERE!

Now let me tell you how it went. Well, Thursday night I spent about 3 hours tearing it down. The next morning I got started about 9:00 AM and worked until about 6:30 AM to get it done. The heat was on because we were due for a ton of snow and I wanted to take it for a drive on dry roads before the weather gave. What's that, about 24.5 hours from beginning to end? You then have to take into account a lunch break and trip to Target to pick up some cut-off blades for my dremel tool (1.5 hrs), a late night excursion to change a pulley on the Alternator (2 hrs), a fishing trip with a coat hangar and magnet when I dropped a bolt in between the lower intake and the block (1 hr). Now that brings it down to about 20 hours of work for myself and an occasional assistant.

The install went very, very smooth. Everything was as described, everything I needed was there, and EVERYTHING looks and/or was OEM. Not just in a nice neat way, but in a quality and fit and finish way as well. I have to say, it was downright impressive that out of the umpteen million hoses that I had, I only had to trim one by a few inches and the instructions even said I might have to do so, so you know it was by design.

I spent 60.00 total over what the kit cost for incidentals (plugs, antifreeze, loctite, etc). There was nothing that was truly hard, only a few things that were a little time consuming, and I think I caused myself the most stress with the occasional dropped bolt that magically never hits the floor!

When I was done and ready for the first start, I checked and double checked everything. One turn of the key and it came right up without a hitch. I hooked up the ole AutoTap and checked things out and saw that my water temp was 360 degrees (not really but that was the indication), I looked and realized that in the crossover tube there are two sensors and I had put them back in, reversed. It was a bear to get them switched, but I did it and started it back up and everything was fine. Then I went for a few test drives and checked things in between before I went WOT. The first time I did, the car died, the second time I did the car died. Now since it was with the onset of boost that this was happening, I suspected the Boost-a Pump as that is when it activates. I pulled into the garage and removed the ground wire from where I had it tapped and grounded it to the chassis. Now the latter was as the instruction indicated, I had decided to use the other wire in the harness that I thought was a ground, guess I thought wrong.

I took it back out and decided to tap it once to floor for a second and then let go!!!!!!

Now imagine this, one hard, quick press to the floor, and instantaneously the wheels spun right up AS the pedal was in motion! Instant is just not the word for it. I cruised around for a while watching my temp and other stats to make sure everything was ok, went back to the garage and checked again. Then I went out and decided to open her up a couple of times!!

WOWWWWWWWWWWW! This things ripped them up, then ripped them up again when it shifted into 2nd! And not just a little, it went swissssssssh. It was insane!

A buddy of mine was over (assisted all through the night) with his 11.9 second Fiero. He wanted to run them to see what it would do so we went to a safe spot and decided to race to 60 or so. Well, we lined them up and rolled down our windows so I could count out loud (1-2-3-Go) to start us off. I do the count and slam the pedal down, his car is ungodly loud and was droning through my ear drums and straight into my bones! To my dismay he was just plain pulling away from me like I was sitting still. 1-2-3 maybe even 4 seconds go by and he is just getting further and further away from me!!! That's when I noticed the tail end of my car starting to come sideways! The guy was pulling away from me because I had been just plain roasting my tires off the whole time and couldn't tell because I was about death from his street monster! I must have lost a good 5,000 miles of tread on that one!!

So we line them up again. This I am prepared to not hit the pedal like an idiot and feather it until I get moving. We take off and I get the jump on him good while he is spinning a little. I'm thinking woooohoooo then right as we shift into second he jumps ahead of me and starts pulling away, EVER, EVER so slightly. He got me but it was by no means a spanking :) and let's be real, his car IS faster :) At least I put on one hell of a show and had absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about!!!!!

After that it was just plain pure fun. I have been waiting and waiting, and thinking and thinking about all the stuff I was going to do to this kit once I got it. But I am here to tell you, that 9 out of 10 people that get in this thing are going to say "You're ??????? crazy if you think you need to go any faster!¡¨ It is that incredible, that much fun, and that much worth the money.

Last note: I was a little worried about getting a "kit" version and not an "install and tune" by Lidio. I was thinking that if I did, they would have to sacrifice power for safety without the benefit of a dyno tune and man was I wrong. I took it to the dyno yesterday and while my numbers were a little off what the ¡§installed¡¨ kits have been getting, it was an incredibly miniscule amount considering it is a ¡§mail order¡¨ product. The DynoJet saw 383 HP on my first run, but we think the little peak was from where I let off the gas to avoid hitting the rev limiter (My 3rd gear run took the speedo up to 140 mph). On my second run I made 375 HP and 355 TQ, now those are the numbers I like to see, especially considering my base run before the install was 229 HP 255 TQ! That's an increase of 146 HP and 100 TQ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!

The really cool part that makes this kit so damn responsive and so powerful feeling under your foot is how these numbers are produced. The HP and TQ curves are as flat as a pancake and that means more power sooner with no build up what so ever. This thing just plain moves and it moves at the drop of a hat!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm telling you, if you bought the Marauder because you love the muscle car of old, this is the way to go! Because if it weren't for the sound of the S/C you'd swear it had a big block under the hood and a "built" one at that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

martyo
11-23-2003, 08:22 PM
Nice job Marauderererer!!!!!!

bigslim
11-23-2003, 08:25 PM
Kit looks good. I'm glad to hear of someone that did their own installation. Congrats on your new baby.

TAF
11-23-2003, 08:29 PM
Way to go Marauderer!!!! Congrats!!!:up:

Marauderer
11-23-2003, 08:32 PM
I forgot to comment on how it drives under normal conditions! Well the boost gauge shows a ton of vacuum under normal driving, which means you are not under boost (the S/C is bypassed). Therefore you are essentially driving a stock Marauder until you are at say, about 30% – 35% throttle position! I’ll prove this out shortly as soon as the weather clears up and I can run it again with the Autotap and nail down some accurate numbers. But think about it, normal car, under normal conditions, press a little harder, to unleash the beast!!!!!!!!

MI2QWK4U
11-23-2003, 09:00 PM
Hey....congrats. Welcome to the exclusive, however growing, club of Trilogy owners. Now do you understand how I felt 7 months ago in March when I turned the key to Trilogy #1 for the first time and was shocked and jealous in the same instant! I got a taste, but was patient and got the first kit sold, and I will tell you this, I dont regret it a damn bit!! I still smile ear to ear when I hear the blower whine, and my boost gauge hit boost in a heartbeat. Here is to many happy miles my Trilogy Brother.
Big Slim will feel that feeling shortly.... I am happy for you guys... you have no idea untill you get it.

So...for those on the fence, DO IT!

jgc61sr2002
11-23-2003, 09:04 PM
Looks great. Nice install. Congrats.:D :up:

Lidio
11-23-2003, 09:08 PM
Congratulations marauderer on your over all experience and purchase of what we here in Detroit feel is the only bolt on for the MM. I’m very relieved and pleased to hear your car is running like it should with the Trilogy package.

I’ve been sweating it for a while worrying about how things would go with the calibration work I did and worked so hard for on the MM’s with the trilogy parts that went out of state and were self installs. I wanted nothing more then to make sure what I thought was a conservative and responsible tune would repeat in many different parts of the country, weather and altitude conditions.

I’m sure you noticed that the chip you got has the wires on it that need to be jumped together if the car didn’t start when the chip was plugged in the first time around. We are to the point now with the Trilogy calibration that all we need to know is weather or not you have the stock 3.55 gears or 4.10s, that’s it as long as its an ’03 only.

We really don’t even need to know the computer code any longer… we’ve boiled it down to two possible calibrations that will work on all ’03 MM’s as long as Ford or Mercury doesn't come out with some other reflash or update we’re all set for now. The Chip Trilogy includes now has two programs on it for the two possible cals it could be. The car simply wont even crank over if the wrong one is used at first. Its as simple as jumping the two wires coming out of the chip or not for now as long as its an ’03 MM.

It looks like you’ve already experienced the reason that we’ve gone out of our way to widen the stock rear MM rims and go with that 305 drag radial. Cold temps on both the tires and the ground will make them spin much easier, but I assure you it will be just as traction limited when you get back into 80+ degree temps and humidity with the stock rear rubber!


Marauderer… please call me at my shop at your earliest convenience if you don’t mind. I just wanted to go over some minor things and some thoughts/ input.


Thanks

sailsmen
11-23-2003, 11:38 PM
Congratulations!

Having assembled a few modded motors in my day I know the personal joy and satisfaction when it comes out right.

darebren
11-24-2003, 09:09 AM
Question: If the traction control is left in the default "on" position, does the car still spin the tires? Can the trac control stop that kind of power... or is it useless in your case now? Snow is coming!?

Lidio
11-24-2003, 04:04 PM
The traction control on the MM doesn’t seem to have a problem with the added power and low end grunt of the Trilogy blower. We’ve already installed the kit on a couple of MM’s with traction control here and in some what wet conditions and dusty slippery roads I intentionally tried it out and it seemed to have not to much trouble at all.

On the Mustangs that started coming with traction control in ’99 we found that the with the Vortech type blower… when the power started to come on and they would break loose from a role on dry pavement, the traction control was very abrupt in its effort to try to stop the tire spin. And would even make the engine seem to go real lean at WOT when this happened (I never verified if the MM’s and the Mustangs traction control uses the brakes or pulls power from the engine to try to not spin the tires, but either way I’ve seen them go very lean at WOT when it kicks in).

On the MM it doesn’t seem as violent when it kicks in. Although just like the Mustangs we advise the customer get used to turning the traction control off all the time. So that it didn’t cause potential engine failure. So far it’s been very good out there over all. Personally I wish that traction control didn’t come on performance type vehicles but every one has to get with the times I guess. For soccer moms and A to B people I’m sure it has many benefits.

In the Mustang seen there are people starting to make little $50 to $75.00 gadgets that simply plug into the harness near the traction control shut-off switch and make the traction control default to off when the vehicle is first started and then the switch will re-enable it when the driver wants it. We’ve seen cars come here with it already installed and the seem to work as promised. I think “Pony Express.com” is one of the dealers for these.


Thanks

Agent M79
11-24-2003, 04:08 PM
It's http://www.ponyexpressperformance.com

Bigdogjim
11-24-2003, 05:21 PM
Good work! You make it sound easy:)

Enjoy your new found power.................:):):)

bigslim
11-24-2003, 10:11 PM
Hey Dave, you are right. I will be feeling that shortly. I will be picking up mine this week. Lidio, I will call you this week to set up a date for install.

Jerry Barnes
11-26-2003, 08:34 PM
Bill,

I can't tell you how enjoyable it was to read about your progress and your reaction once you were done. Congratulations!!!!!! I could not have done a self install myself and you made it sound so easy. I am please that you finished before the snow fell.

Just like my comments to John, please be careful in these weather conditions.

I wanted to thank you for all of your patience over the last several months. But, I hope you feel the wait was worth it. I also have some good news, but I will give you a call and tell you about it.

Our staff and Lidio were so excited to hear that you had made it look so easy, that's just great!!!!! I lost a few nights sleep after shipping you your kit, since you were the very first customer install.

Remember my advice, wider wheels and Nitto's, it works wonders!!!!

Have a great Holiday!!!!

Marauderer
11-27-2003, 07:50 AM
I'm out of town for Thanksgiving, but I will have my cell phone with me at all times.

This car is just amazing. I traveled from Minneapolis to Cincinnati and the last tank I checked I averaged 21 MPG with a ton of stop and go in the Chicago nightmare of traffic!

I also got to see a Marauder from Laredo that had a Vortech and Borla exhaust on it. The guy was not a member here, but I told him about it. He had some local speed shop do the install. It was not even near being in the same league as the Trilogy or Reinhart kits. He should have looked here first!!!!!

Another comment on the drivability of this setup. Except for a little pulley noise, you wouldn't know the S/C is on the car during normal driving. On snow, the traction control works as normal as it can for a rear wheel drive car. Something I noticed, if you start to spin a little it is better to keep on the gas slightly and the traction control retards the motor and hits the brakes to straighten out the car, if you let off completely it has a lot harder time trying to make corrections.

So again, just cruising around, this is a perfectly well behaved machine, it is only when you get aggressive with the throttle position that you unleash the beast!!!!!!!!!!

ModMech
12-20-2003, 07:06 PM
Bill,

I think you are in for a BIG suprise when Todd gets his car back! Let's just say he'll NEED gummies :D

SergntMac
12-21-2003, 03:25 AM
rut row...

chrish
02-13-2007, 09:01 PM
Hemlock,

Their are two versions of the kit. The stock version is the one that Lidio just posted a picture of with powder coated components for $5,995. The second is the polished version that has been seen on our Marauder with polished coil covers, air inlet peices and new braided hoses for $6,995.

Rumble,

Yes this is the same kit, however it will not occur until the 2005 catalog. Too many attorneys and Ford Corporate policies got in the way to meet the deadline for the 2004 catalog.

Thanks
did this kit EVER make the FORD "book"?
What has become of old #009?

MM03MOK
02-13-2007, 09:09 PM
#009 is on another car but I don't remember whose.

chrish
02-13-2007, 09:19 PM
why another car? Was the original blown up or totled?
thanks

MM03MOK
02-13-2007, 09:42 PM
why another car? Was the original blown up or totled?
thanks
He removed the kit and sold it.

jdando
02-13-2007, 10:17 PM
#009 is on another car but I don't remember whose.

The kit was taken of the original car to return it to stock. It was installed on another Twin Cities Marauder.

That kit is now on MROGERC 2004 DTR Marauder. That is the car that sold me on a Trilogy. Running great the last time I saw it. I believe it is in storage for the winter here in MN.

jeremy

KillJoy
02-14-2007, 08:19 AM
Wow....A blast from the past......WAYYYYYYY before MY time!

KillJoy

Haggis
02-14-2007, 08:48 AM
Wow....A blast from the past......WAYYYYYYY before MY time!
KillJoy

Noobie....

magindat
02-14-2007, 12:17 PM
Noobie....

Hey, that rhymes with BOOBIE!

KillJoy
02-14-2007, 12:20 PM
Noobie....


I am not a NOOB.

YOU are just an OLD FART!!!:banned:

KillJoy

jdando
02-14-2007, 02:48 PM
I am not a NOOB.


KillJoy

yes you are, now respect your elders or you get :banned:

jeremy

Haggis
02-14-2007, 06:50 PM
yes you are, now respect your elders or you get :banned:

jeremy

YEA, Stevo...:razz: