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BillyGman
04-18-2004, 05:00 PM
"Save your money" I remember those words that Jerry Barnes posted on this board awhile back, and now I fully understand AND agree w/him on that. I've done Bazillion modifications to my Marauder to try to get it to move the way it should've out of the factory, and even though I shaved 1.5 seconds off of my quartermile ET's at the track w/all of those previous mods that I had performed, the car still lacked some very impressive power and acceleration. Especially down low in the RPM scale.

However, now that I've completed the installation of the Trilogy Supercharger kit on my Marauder, this car is now impressive to drive at ALL RPM's!!! My car now is truly what I would call a "Muscle Car". This thing flies!! I didn't even need all of those mods that I've previously performed to my car. I should've just went w/the Trilogy kit in the first place!!! I've never felt such a significant difference in the way any of my cars have accelerated from just a single modification as I've felt from this S/Cer kit. There is no comparisant.

Even though I have the 4.56 gears, this car still has so much increased available acceleration after 100MPH!!! I hit 115 MPH today, and because I don't usually get into top-end like that on the public roads I backed off, but even w/the 4.56's the car still had much more left!!! And off the line the thing is an animal!! Can you say "BIG BlOCK"??? I left a 120 foot strip of rubber from merely a dead punch, and I could've done more if I shifted manually. It only stopped spinning the tires cause it hit third gear!

So in light of my experience w/the Trilogy Supercharger kit, I want to echo the words of Jerry Barnes to my fellow board members.....Save your money.....get the Trilogy kit FIRST. If you do, you'll be satisfied after the FIRST modification that you do.

lotusstv
04-18-2004, 05:08 PM
Billy,

You sound like i felt after i first installed my S/C( and still feel). The only performance mod i have other than the S/C kit is 4:10's. The Trilogy kit is all you will ever need on a Marauder.

Steve

BillyGman
04-18-2004, 05:32 PM
Yep, agreed. I might have eventually still installed the headers and hi-perf exhaust that I have, since it sounds so impressive. but to mess around w/a higher stall speed, extreme rear end gears, and chips, is a waste of time. I just wasn't satisfied w/the acceleration gain that I obtained w/all of that. And it wasn't a type of scenario where I was satisfied w/all that other stuff at first, and then I wanted more.

Sure, I was somewhat happy w/being able to find a way to make the MM faster w/those other mods, and so I recommended some of those other things to people in the past. But that's simply because I had never experienced a ride nor a drive in a S/Ced car before, let alone in a Marauder. It's like a whole different car!

Some people get price shocked when they hear of the cost of the S/Cer kit. I know that I did. But I had wasted almost 4K on those other mods trying to get the car to move like it had an engine w/more displacement, and it just didn't. It was still lacking torque due to having merely 281 cubic inches under the hood. And I spent almost 4K on trying to make-up for a lack of torque that the car came with from the factory, and it would've been considerably more $$ if I hadn't performed most of the labor myself.

But the Trilogy Supercharger kit has delt w/that issue directly. I'm glad that I finally gave in, and spent the $$. It was well worth it!!!!

Smokie
04-18-2004, 05:34 PM
Billy, I envy your ability to purchase and install your blower. I have driven cars with both type blowers and it is without a doubt a life altering experience. I agree the blower's effect on the car is profound, once installed on a stock MM. with a little practice on the launch, the car becomes a 12 second car.

I hope one day I will be able to purchase and install my own blower. it is my dream. Enjoy yours safely and in good health.:up:

lotusstv
04-18-2004, 05:42 PM
Billy,

I considered exhaust, stall speed etc. But then i drove my brothers S/C Ford truck & knew that the Trilogy kit was the way to go. After installation I sent Jerry a note that the kit was the best 6 grand that i have ever spent. And i still feel that way 4 months later. How did the install go?

Steve

BillyGman
04-18-2004, 05:43 PM
Thanks for your reply Smokie. I know that talk can be cheap, but I really wish that we lived closer to one another, cuz I luv the way this car moves so much that if you lived in my homestate, I'd offer to help you install the supercharger on your car for nothing more than a few meals during breaks while the installation was taking place.

It was a tough job, but so was the Kooks header installation, and I don't regret doing that either. To me it's part of the hobby. I love driving this car, but I've also put my blood and sweat into it. It's not only my daily driver, but also one of my hobbies.

let me also add that the Trilogy S/Cer kit came w/an excellent step by step instruction loose leaf book, which included color pics of a Marauder in atleast 70-80% of the pages. This is the best instruction manual I've ever used. it isn't a universal repair manual of any sort. This book is specifically for a Supercharger installation on a Marauder, and nothing else. And w/out that, I wouldn't have even considered doing this myself.

Smokie
04-18-2004, 06:03 PM
Thanks for your reply Smokie. I know that talk can be cheap, but I really wish that we lived closer to one another.
Thanks for a most generous offer, and I know that you mean it. I have to take care of some medical bills first and being patient is sooooooooo hard !!!! But I really believe the blower will be a reality for me. I really do take pleasure in reading when our friends here are able to get that blower and how excited they are to rediscover the pleasure in driving a really special car, the choice of blower is kinda like choosing the color Marauder you like, I really don't think that there are any unhappy S/C Marauder owners.:burnout:

Marauder
04-18-2004, 06:06 PM
STOP IT!!! You guys are a bad influence. :D

Put me down for one!!!...lol.

BillyGman
04-18-2004, 06:09 PM
Billy,

How did the install go?

Steve

It took me a good part of a week. I still had to put 8 hours in at my place of employment for three days out of that week, so ofcourse that delayed things a bit. Also, I'm not one of those who rushes through things while working. I pay close attention to every single detail, and I take my time. For instance, I used blue locktite on every single critical bolt. Even on the ones that the installation book doesn't tell you to. And I also used ARP thread sealant on fasteners and sensors that are exposed to water/coolant. I've heard some guys talking about only taking 16 hours for this job. But I also noticed that they had somebody helping them the whole time too, so you have to consider that as being 32 hours since there were two people working for 16 hours on the job.

I had my brother help me for about 2 hours total through the entire job, and that's it. A friend mine helped me with removing the some of the old parts, and general dissassmbly, but only for a few hours total, and that's the easy part anyway. So the majority of this job I performed alone.

Mounting the electric water pump for the intercooler was challenging since it was tough to get a standard sized drill in there for the mounting holes. I enede up using a dremel tool, and it worked fine. As you know, tools are everything. It was also challenging to hook up some of the vacume lines and brake booster vacume line since it was a tight squeeze. but all of that is common to automotive work anyway(been there, done that). I encountered the same types of things while installing the Kooks headers.

It was a big job, and took some patience and persistence. But that's just how it is to work on cars anyway. During the times I felt myself loosing patience, I looked at that beautiful Supercharger sitting on top of that engine, and thought of how much faster this car would be when I was done. I expected it to be, and I'm not dissapointed.

MARAUDER S/C
04-18-2004, 06:22 PM
Billy,

You sound like i felt after i first installed my S/C( and still feel). The only performance mod i have other than the S/C kit is 4:10's. The Trilogy kit is all you will ever need on a Marauder.

Steve

All I have is the kit, nothing else and thats the way its going to stay! (unless you consider the widened rims a perf. mod.) :P

BillyGman
04-18-2004, 06:41 PM
All I have is the kit, nothing else and thats the way its going to stay! (unless you consider the widened rims a perf. mod.) :P

I don't blame you. that's all you need. You made a good choice. I still luv having a loud V8 growl to my car that the Kooks headers/exhaust package has provided, but that's a matterof preference ofcourse. This Supercharger has provided a MAJOR and instantly noticeable change in the way my car accelerates, and I cannot say that about any other modification that I've performed to this car. Nor have I ever been able to claim that in the past about any of those other mods.

out of all the other mods I've performed, the Stallion torque converter provided the most difference in quartermile ET reduction, but even w/that mod it was prety difficult to tell the difference as far as the seat of the pants, or actual G-force when you hit the gas pedal. But with the Trilogy S/Cer kit installed in my car, it's a major difference, and therefore one that can be noticed immediately as soon as you drive the car on the street for the first time. I don't need to go to the track to know that my car is faster like I had to w/those other mods. I know it is! It's so obvious at any RPM!!!

MikesMerc
04-18-2004, 07:42 PM
Congrats again Billy! Isn't it great!!!

I agree that the Trilogy Kit is simply the #1 mod for the MM. And, as you pointed out, you can easily spend the $6k on other multiple mods that even combined don't hold a candle to the power provided by the roots blower.

The Trilogy was my first and only performance mod and I may not make any others aside from widened rims. Yes...the blower is that good.

I'll further echo what you've said...save up for the blower! (or you can do like I did and just finance it:) )

One caution though, you better budget for some new tires:D :burnout: :burnout:

MI2QWK4U
04-18-2004, 08:04 PM
I said months ago that all you need is the Trilogy supercharger for bone jarring results. To this day, in fact even tonight at Wild Woody's, when people ask how I got over 500 horsepower at the from the motor, 440+ horsepower at the rear wheels, 0 to 60 mph time of 4.4 seconds, a 1/4 mile time of 12.23 seconds, they cant believe my answer. One guy tonight insisted there is no way possible that the supercharger, Pro-M MAF, and some exhaust work yielded those results. But it's the truth. I think now some people are beginning to realize that it is really true. With the increasing number of Trilogy cars out there, people are seeing that people like myself were telling the truth about the results of the blower only mod months ago. Mike and I were talking about that very topic tonight. Do the math: before any mods whatsoever-bone stock I had 243 RWHP, now after the Eaton, MAF, and cats back exhaust I am at 440 RWHP with a huge percentage of my torque coming on immediately, and maintaining a nice curve untill redline. It's just now becoming very very evident with more people getting the blower, like Mike, Steve, and Bill. Listening to you guys go on about it is like Deja Vue!
I hope to see you guys at the Trilogy Open House and Drag Strip Reunion event this summer!

hitchhiker
04-18-2004, 08:51 PM
Adding up all the goodles...

$30,000 for:

1 2004 MM with all of the available options, 4 years of extra warranty excluding TTL.

$10,000 for:

Trilogy S/C, installation of all mods at FLM SVT dealer, Zacs Xtrl Arms, MMX driveshaft, Lidio's Chip, Headers and X-Pipe, 4:10 gears, Misc. Rearend parts and SVT Stud Gurdle, Driveshaft Loop, and extra gauges.

Not bad for $40,000 turn key ride!

Best Regards,

David

BillyGman
04-18-2004, 11:15 PM
I dunno if you'll get an exteneded warantee for a S/Ced car. I guess it can't hurt to ask though.

BillyGman
05-30-2004, 05:37 AM
there's some good info in this thread because of different members' posts included. So I think that I should add some facts about the Trilogy S/Cer that I had uncovered during my extensive research on street supercharging, which was ofcourse BEFORE I made the decision to choose Trilogy.

I just posted this stuff in another thread, but because that was merely in response to another member's post which was located in the storyboard section, perhaps there will be many people who will never see it unless I post it here also.......

it was nice that I didn't have to tap into the oil pan nor anywhere else for lubrication of the S/Cer when I installed my Trilogy/Eaton S/Cer. I don't think that's neccessarily a bottom line selling point for the Eaton S/Cer, but it IS a nice fringe benefit though.

I also like the fact that Eaton is the only company in the last 15 years, who has been the choice of a number of car manufactures for factory stock S/Cing. Therefore there are no durability issues w/the Eaton S/Cers as a result of their self-lubricating sealed design. That's been proven in a number of factory cars w/Eaton S/Cers, such as in Ford, Buick, Mercedes, Aston Martin, and Jaguar cars, all of which have had Eaton S/Cers from the factory as OEM equippment. According to my studies, no other S/Cer company has secured long-term manufacturing contracts w/five major car companies like Eaton has done be they roots type, twin-screw type, or centrifugal type S/Cer companies.

The Eaton S/Cer has been around for awhile, so that company has spent many years to perfect and design their product, and since Ford has used their S/Cers since 1989 to the present, Buick from 92-95, Mercedes, and Jaguar from 95 to present, Eaton has had their research and development phases fully funded for decades now, unlike many other companies that manufacture S/Cers. So nobody can say that Eaton is by any means a fly-by-night company, nor even a run-of-the-mill manufacture in the way of Supercharging. During my research on Supercharging for the street, before I decided on the Trilogy/Eaton set-up, I was thoroughly impressed in a positive way w/everything that I read about Eaton's Superchargers. And what I read not only included info from Magnuson/Eaton, but also from several other sources that have no financial ties to that company, nor business links to them.

So all of these are just some of the reasons why I decided to choose the Trilogy set-up. While I'm on the subject, here's a link to the Magnuson/Eaton site where you can get a look at the "M112" model Supercharger model that the Trilogy kit includes.......Magnuson is the distribution company for all non-OEM aftermarket Eaton blowers, as well as also being a rebuilder of them too. There are presently about 550,000 Eaton S/Cers in the field today world wide. That includes factory stock set-ups as well as aftermarket. Again, I find that to be quite impressive. No other supercharger manufacture has come close to that accomplishment......

http://www.magnusonproducts.com/models.htm


(hey, whata ya know? I learned how to "copy & paste"):D

...never said I was anything but a mechanic anyway.....<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->
__________________

MARAUDER S/C #5
05-31-2004, 05:57 PM
Nice research Billy:up: I also checked out the Magnuson/ Eaton site before my S/C purchase. Very informative.

MI2QWK4U
05-31-2004, 06:30 PM
Way to go Billy...very impressive numbers! Its a great setup, but more importantly, it was a very intensively thought out idea on Trilogy's part.

BillyGman
05-31-2004, 11:28 PM
Way to go Billy...very impressive numbers! Its a great setup, but more importantly, it was a very intensively thought out idea on Trilogy's part.Let me point out here, that as much as I've raved about the Magnuson/Eaton Supercharger, you cannot purchase a complete kit (nor any kit) from them for a Marauder. You can buy an Eaton Supercharger directly from Magnuson, yes, but you won't even be able to come close to installing it on your car w/out a complete kit. And the only complete Supercharger kit for the 03, and 04 Marauder that includes the biggest Eaton Supercharger (model M112) is available ONLY from Trilogy Motorsports. Infact you won't find any roots type Supercharger kits for the Marauder anywhere else than from Trilogy. they're the only ones who have stepped up to the plate to design, engineer, and produce a complete Supercharger kit that Includes the Eaton Supercharger (or any roots Supercharger for that matter) for the Marauder. And being a Trilogy customer myself, and having performed the installation myself to my car, I must say that it's an excellent and well designed kit, and one that's complete.

I just didn't want to mislead people into thinking that they can find a Kit for their Marauders that includes the Eaton Supercharger anywhere else. because you can't. And don't think that you can use a kit for an 03 or 04 Mustang Cobra, simply because it also has a 4.6L engine because you cannot. You'll have an enginnering nightmare on your hands if you tried that since there are different things on a Cobra as are on a Marauder.

I just wanted to make that clear since I didn't in my last post. I hope I didn't cause any confusion.

David Morton
05-31-2004, 11:49 PM
I'm sold. Do you think if I'm a good boy I can have one for Christmas? I promise to help with the dishes.

BillyGman
05-31-2004, 11:54 PM
I'm sold. Do you think if I'm a good boy I can have one for Christmas? I promise to help with the dishes.Only if you clean the rubber off of the rear fenders of my car after I do burnouts!!!

wesman
09-01-2004, 10:11 AM
Only if you clean the rubber off of the rear fenders of my car after I do burnouts!!!

http://www.afterthoughtsauto.com/burnoutguard.html

FiveO
09-01-2004, 10:24 AM
http://www.afterthoughtsauto.com/burnoutguard.html


Billy's gonna need a case ;) :D

:drive:

TAF
09-01-2004, 10:30 AM
Billy's a "case" ;) :D

:drive:
I'm glad YOU said that^^^^ :P

wesman
09-01-2004, 11:03 AM
Billy's gonna need a case ;) :D

:drive:
That's a good problem to have.:rock: