They made a P71 Marauder?

[Jake]

I knew Florida Highway Patrol had some Marauders but I didn't know they were marketed to LEOs.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/150903809583?ssPageName=STRK:M EWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649#ht_5 22wt_934

[ncmm]

that's gotta be photoshop, the pic without all the cop add ons is from the Marauder brochure

[fastblackmerc]

It's a photoslop..

[Mr. Man]

FHP did have Marauders though. I think they had about 20. Columbus, Ohio had at least one

[cruzer]

They could not buy them from the factory or a dealer---Ford corporate directive. FHP had some Marauders, purchased by an individual , modified by Dennis Reinhart and then LEASED to the FHP. Marauders with Police markings were cars seized during the commiting of a crime. Constables and Sherrifs could purchase them as their personal cars. The reason behind it was, so many police departments were sueing Ford over the CV gas tank fire fiasco that corporate decided to not sell them the Marauder. I hope this clears the "Police Edition of the Marauder"----there never was one. Cruzer

[5ow]

fhp got 30 of them

[Sinister]

I got pulled over by one in Oklahoma, so I am pretty sure they exist.

[Pat]

Our city Marshall went thru three of them before he passed. The last one is now the personal car for a nearby city's patrol officer.

[Panther]

Where they marked or all unmarked. Any pic


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[Granddaddy Marq]

so many police departments were sueing Ford over the CV gas tank fire fiasco


Tell us more. Haven't herd of this.

[jabird56]

Nebraska State Police had at least one,....I used the same tint shop that they used.

[Jake]

Thanks for the info guys!


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[finster101]

Where they marked or all unmarked. Any pic


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All of the FLA cars were unmarked. I used to see three of them on a regular basis. A black, a blue and a dtr. All would hang around our Mid-Point bridge for a while and then just vanished.

[cruzer]

There NEVER WAS A MARAUDER POLICE CAR BUILT BY THE FACTORY FOR THAT PURPOSE......Those you have seen are all either seized by the police and integrated into their fleet, purchased by individuals in law enforcement and marked and used by them in their job, Constable--Sheriff, etc. or the FHP ones leased from an individual. I have been in on the Marauder Program since it's inception thru connections I had in Dearborn and speak from first- hand knowledge---if you doubt me--ask Steve Babcock.
If you are not familiar with the "Fuel Tank Fire" fiasco, here it is in a nutshell------In the early 2000s, a series of CV police cars were involved in rear end collisions which resulted in rupturing of the fuel tank and resultant fire and loss of the LEOs life. They cited 18 accidents and a group of cities sued Ford and made National headlines for years saying what a fire trap the CV police car was. Tests by all the automotive safety groups found that the Ford had a phenominal record of protecting it's occupants and that the number of fatal fires was better than any other police car in use at that time . The exceptionally high speed and weight of the colliding vehicles would have caused fatalities in any other car in service at that time. Summing up----I cannot find any evidence that Ford ever lost a court case involving the safety of the CV. This unfair treatment by the many police departments resulted in a ban on selling the Marauder to police departments .
I hope I have properly presented the facts in this case---if anyone has proof otherwise, please post and correct me--I'm old and my memory isn't what it used to be. :beer:Maury

[ctrlraven]

Yep Ford never made a "Police edition Marauder". They were all adopted so to speak of by individual depts as a bone stock car and then retro fitted with whatever needed equipment.

[RF Overlord]

^^^what Maury and Birdman said^^^

[babbage]

There NEVER WAS A MARAUDER POLICE CAR BUILT BY THE FACTORY FOR THAT PURPOSE......Those you have seen are all either seized by the police and integrated into their fleet, purchased by individuals in law enforcement and marked and used by them in their job, Constable--Sheriff, etc. or the FHP ones leased from an individual. I have been in on the Marauder Program since it's inception thru connections I had in Dearborn and speak from first- hand knowledge---if you doubt me--ask Steve Babcock.
If you are not familiar with the "Fuel Tank Fire" fiasco, here it is in a nutshell------In the early 2000s, a series of CV police cars were involved in rear end collisions which resulted in rupturing of the fuel tank and resultant fire and loss of the LEOs life. They cited 18 accidents and a group of cities sued Ford and made National headlines for years saying what a fire trap the CV police car was. Tests by all the automotive safety groups found that the Ford had a phenominal record of protecting it's occupants and that the number of fatal fires was better than any other police car in use at that time . The exceptionally high speed and weight of the colliding vehicles would have caused fatalities in any other car in service at that time. Summing up----I cannot find any evidence that Ford ever lost a court case involving the safety of the CV. This unfair treatment by the many police departments resulted in a ban on selling the Marauder to police departments .
I hope I have properly presented the facts in this case---if anyone has proof otherwise, please post and correct me--I'm old and my memory isn't what it used to be. :beer:Maury
You are correct, but there was a P71 from the factory with the 4v engine. Personally spoke with a Ford Engineer at the St. Thomas Plant (where all Panthers were made) and there was 1 development P71 vehicle that got the 4v motor. On the test drive the cop guy caught air going over the highway pass near the plant - something of a record.

[Horsepower]

I know they had one here in Philly. Mostly saw it in center city though. Oh and it was unmarked.

[jb513]

so many police departments were sueing Ford over the CV gas tank fire fiasco


Tell us more. Haven't herd of this.

If there was fire envolved evertime a police oficer lost controll of a car and smashed into a telephone poll or someting like that and it was a fatality...The familys would blame ford for the placement of the gas tanks being in a bad position (behind the rear axle in an upright position) and prone to fire. They said Ford knew of this design falt and did nothing about it. So there was a Class action law suit on behalf of several police departments as well as the family of any dead or injured officers. There was also talk that the power stering assemblies were not up to the task of any high speed turning manovers and that contributed to any crash as the power sterring pump was weak and caused hard turning (like when the engine isn't on and you try turning the wheel)

[Chevyguy]

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?t=18389

http://www.flhsmv.gov/fhp/PhotoGallery/2004/images/PG120904.jpg

Straight from the Florida Highway patrol website


The Florida Highway Patrol officially unveiled its newest frontline enforcement tool -- The Mercury Marauder. Eighteen of these unmarked, high-tech performance vehicles have been generously donated to FHP from a private citizen who chooses to remain anonymous. The new fleet of stealth cars will be used to enhance the agency's ability to deter and apprehend aggressive drivers. These new vehicles will play a key role in FHP's campaign against aggressive driving and DUI enforcement, supporting current efforts to keep those drivers who endanger themselves and others off Florida’s roadways!

http://www.flhsmv.gov/fhp/PhotoGallery/2004/PG120904.htm

[MrBluGruv]

On the original brochure posted:

OH MY GOD, that cannot seriously be a Ford-produced leaflet. It seriously looks like someone took an actual Marauder press shot and cobbled together crappy snaps of law enforcement livery and poorly photoshopped it on the car.

[SC Cheesehead]

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?t=18389



Straight from the Florida Highway patrol website



http://www.flhsmv.gov/fhp/PhotoGallery/2004/PG120904.htm


Yes, but these weren't specifically built at St. Thomas as police cruisers; they were purchased by a private party and loaned to the FHP to use. Modifications were done on the cars by Reinhart Engineering to make them application specific.