Top 10 Sleepers

[Blk Mamba]

The '03-'04 Mercury Marauder was named 2nd. Just a small story in the top 10 list.

[merc]

http://gearpatrol.com/2014/05/05/10-best-sleeper-cars/2/

[Mr. Man]

Awesome.....Actually the MM is #1 on that list. If you look at the pic of the blue BMW under it it says click to begin and the MM is the first pic.

[fastblackmerc]

Awesome.....

See post #2.

[fastblackmerc]

Not bad, Ford has 3 on the list.

[fastblackmerc]

The article says... "and the Marauder badging on the outside." Other than the embossed letters on the bumper cover, there is no other "badging".

[Zack]

Sleeper my arse. A Honda accord can whoop a Marauders butt

[merc]

Sleeper my arse. A Honda accord can whoop a Marauders butt

Not my Marauder Sea Biscuit

[stevengerard]

Its still nice to see recognition. Is it a "real" sleeper — no.... we all know that. Heck the only car on there that really was that quick was the Grand National and I wouldn't call that car a "sleeper." But they all were more powerful than most of their brethren at the time. I had a 93 SHO 5-speed, it was quicker than most, handled well and was a blast to drive (wish it was RWD). It was kind of a sleeper back then, now a Prius could probably out drive it.

All relative

[Bad_S55]

While the subject of sleepers is up, here's something y'all might like:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUrfIW4zQmM

[Joe Walsh]

Sleeper my arse. A Honda accord can whoop a Marauders butt

I gotta agree with that!

A sleeper is a car that looks ordinary, plain....even ratty..... but runs like a rocket.

The Marauder looks aggressive but only runs 15s stock....it is the opposite of a sleeper.

Now a modded Marauder is a sleeper, because the other guy thinks that it is stock, and therefore it is 'easy pickings'.

[WhatsUpDOHC]

The '03-'04 Mercury Marauder was named 2nd. Just a small story in the top 10 list.
Finally, the recognition the Marauder deserves. Can't wait for sale prices to skyrocket.

[Mr. Man]

Sleeper my arse. A Honda accord can whoop a Marauders butt....and a late model Accord could probably waste 1/2 the muscle cars of the 60's. What stock 03-4 Accord could out run a MM?

[massacre]

Heck the only car on there that really was that quick was the Grand National and I wouldn't call that car a "sleeper."

When I was a lot younger, a friend of my Dad's was this doctor. He loved cars, he had like 25 or 30 cars at that time. He would just spend tons of cash on cars he didn't even care lol. I was too young to drive but I got to ride in a lot of his cars and of course was blown away by his collection, which seemed to change weekly. That lucky bastard lol.

Anyways, he bought a Grand National, right when they first came out, and had ordered it with all the options the way he wanted it, except he wanted it painted beige and with a vinyl top. The dealer would not do it. He offered them some ridiculous sum of money to do it, like 10 grand in today's money and they still would not do it.
So he had to take it to a body shop to have it painted, and a vinyl roof put on it. The reason he wanted it painted is because he also at the time had a black, flamed 70s vette with nitrous that he claimed got up to 180mph. Well good old Johhny Law got him and let's just say a very LARGE fine was handed out. So he almost didn't buy the GN because of how it looked, he knew he'd be a sitting duck for LEOs and didn't want any more bad tickets.

So he had that GN painted beige, with a brown roof. It looked just like a regular Regal, it was the pure definition of sleeper and I think he put the bottle on that car too LMAO. To see it launch was just hilarious. I mean the natural reaction was to just burst out laughing at such a spectacle.
The guy is still around, his collection is smaller now, I think he sold off all but the Vipers and maybe a Shelby or 2.

[Joe Walsh]

....and a late model Accord could probably waste 1/2 the muscle cars of the 60's.
What stock 03-4 Accord could out run a MM?

IIRC....When Car & Driver reviewed the Marauder they made the comment/comparison that as mean & nasty as Mercury wanted buyers to view the Marauder....
a stock Honda Accord also ran low to mid 15s.

Unfortunately it was true.....:depress:

Hence my modding began almost immediately after I bought my Marauder in Dec '02.

[Joe Walsh]

When I was a lot younger, a friend of my Dad's was this doctor. He loved cars, he had like 25 or 30 cars at that time. He would just spend tons of cash on cars he didn't even care lol. I was too young to drive but I got to ride in a lot of his cars and of course was blown away by his collection, which seemed to change weekly. That lucky bastard lol.

Anyways, he bought a Grand National, right when they first came out, and had ordered it with all the options the way he wanted it, except he wanted it painted beige and with a vinyl top. The dealer would not do it. He offered them some ridiculous sum of money to do it, like 10 grand in today's money and they still would not do it.
So he had to take it to a body shop to have it painted, and a vinyl roof put on it. The reason he wanted it painted is because he also at the time had a black, flamed 70s vette with nitrous that he claimed got up to 180mph. Well good old Johhny Law got him and let's just say a very LARGE fine was handed out. So he almost didn't buy the GN because of how it looked, he knew he'd be a sitting duck for LEOs and didn't want any more bad tickets.

So he had that GN painted beige, with a brown roof. It looked just like a regular Regal, it was the pure definition of sleeper and I think he put the bottle on that car too LMAO. To see it launch was just hilarious. I mean the natural reaction was to just burst out laughing at such a spectacle.
The guy is still around, his collection is smaller now, I think he sold off all but the Vipers and maybe a Shelby or 2.

He could've saved himself a TON of money, as Buick offered a Regal T-Type which was a plain wrapper GN.
You could get any regular Buick color and the only clue was the hood bulge with the 3.8SFI badge on it.

[jerrym3]

The best I could turn back in 1962 with a stock 57 BelAir 283/220, 4:11 rear was 15.6. Very competitive in it's class at the time.

My 68 Cyclone GT, 302/230, 3:50 rear, 4 sp ran 15.8.

My 04 LS and 03 retro TBird are pretty quick, but they'll probably run even with, or get beat by, many of today's daily driver sedans.

Time marches on.

[MOTOWN]

A Garndnational which i had 4 of , and built each one was never a sleeper , in 87 it was GMs fastest production car , and a very well known power house! A Marauder is a nice looking car that has never been known for speed or hp.

[chief455]

1966 Cevy Biscayne 4 door sedan, 427/425hp, 4 speed Muncie, 4.11 12 bolt rear.
taxi cab bench seats, dog dish caps and flat grey color. sounds like a 283 that needs a new muffler.
mid 12's, on that era tires. Nobody ever saw that coming.

[chief455]

He could've saved himself a TON of money, as Buick offered a Regal T-Type which was a plain wrapper GN.
You could get any regular Buick color and the only clue was the hood bulge with the 3.8SFI badge on it.
I agree. I love these in that bronze color.

[massacre]

He could've saved himself a TON of money, as Buick offered a Regal T-Type which was a plain wrapper GN.
You could get any regular Buick color and the only clue was the hood bulge with the 3.8SFI badge on it.

He was a wicked rich doctor, a little eccentric guy. Money was literally no object.

[Bad_S55]

I think it was sometime back in the late 80s, Road & Track, Hot Rod, one of those big magazines did a test between a '67 Shelby & a new Goes-Like-Hell , & the Omni trashed the Mustang in handling, acceleration, 1/4 mile, and dang near every other test they threw out. It's wild how these killer muscle cars everyone thinks of could be taken down by today's daily drivers.

[Joe Walsh]

A Garndnational which i had 4 of , and built each one was never a sleeper , in 87 it was GMs fastest production car , and a very well known power house! A Marauder is a nice looking car that has never been known for speed or hp.

My college roommate traded in his '78 350 TA for an '86 GN...(the first year with the intercooler)....after I repeatedly whooped his butt with my '85 5.0L GT.
He then repeatedly whooped my butt in my '85 GT with his wicked fast '86 GN.
NOBODY knew how fast they were back in '86. Everybody wanted to know what he had done to his 'Chevy Monte Carlo SS'....:dunno:
They couldn't believe that a V6 Buick had just walked them!!......:bows:
I remember a hot Corvette that we raced....errrr......paced while in Ocean City Md.
The Vette driver kept scratching his head and wondering why he kept getting killed by a black Buick at every traffic light!

LOL!


I agree. I love these in that bronze color.


He was a wicked rich doctor, a little eccentric guy. Money was literally no object.

I remember seeing, and messing with a white '87 Buick T-Type.......
and then looking at taillights!

What a sleeper.... and good looking too!

[MERCULES]

My Volvo XC70 all wheel drive wagon full of groceries is more of a sleeper then my Marauder.

[Mr. Man]

My college roommate traded in his '78 350 TA for an '86 GN...(the first year with the intercooler)....after I repeatedly whooped his butt with my '85 5.0L GT.
He then repeatedly whooped my butt in my '85 GT with his wicked fast '86 GN.
NOBODY knew how fast they were back in '86. Everybody wanted to know what he has done to his 'Chevy Monte Carlo SS'....:dunno:
They couldn't believe that a V6 Buick had just walked them!!......:bows:
I remember a hot Corvette that we raced....errrr......paced while in Ocean City Md.
The Vette driver kept scratching his head and wondering why he kept getting killed by a black Buick at every traffic light!

LOL!





I remember seeing, and messing with a white '87 Buick T-Type.......
and then looking at taillights!

What a sleeper.... and good looking too!Did your friends GN pull you on the start then sort of even out Joe? I remember playing with one in my '88 GT. Blew me off the line then kind of petered out quickly.

[Joe Walsh]

Did your friends GN pull you on the start then sort of even out Joe? I remember playing with one in my '88 GT. Blew me off the line then kind of petered out quickly.

Actually it was the opposite....with my 5 speed, I would get him out of the hole and hold the lead through most of second gear, then he would pull by me and walk away while I was in 3rd gear.
I guess it was his automatic transmission....It would take a little time for the GN to get full boost up..... then he was gone!

[88CuttyClassic]

If anyone thought the Grand National Experimental (GNX) was a sleeper they would infact probably be asleep themselves...maybe even a dirt nap. As far as someone painting a GN beige and adding a brown top...thats not really logical but it is believeable that they instead bought a turbo regal limited. 87 had the LC2 equipped regals in several flavors. You had the GN, we4, d84, base turbo regal, turbo regal limited, turbo regal with t package. And of course the GNX