Tell me about what to consider when buying Marauder in mileage ranges

[Coldsnap]

So I've been daily driving a Crown Vic LX Sport and absolutely love it. I've had some thoughts about doing an exhaust system on it, but I realized any money I put towards that I could instead have a Marauder..

My Vic is at 107k miles and all it's needed is a new idler tension er and master cylinder, it's been reliable and I hope Marauders are too. Please run me through some things I need to consider in the following mileage range. Like when things start to go in the given mileage. Consider it being on a well taken care of car, I'm not buying anything that doesn't have a great service record.

80-100,000 miles(probably out of my price range)
100-125,000 miles(about the sweet spot for my price range $7-8k)
125-150,000 miles(Still low mileage imo)
150-180,000 miles(Getting up there but would still consider a well taken care of one)

[slickster]

Take your time. Download craigslist pro app not the free one. No real problems even with around 150k. Just make sure no ticking or knocking. Take off strong to see if any tranny slip. Most and common problems are electrical stuff that's been posted on the forum with directions to fix. If it's black look at it in the sun if it looks like gravy it's been painted not great. You can find one with 100k for around 7 8k if you find one better and if it checks out hurry up and buy. Also oem bfg tires wear in the center rear and inner front Google carfixer alignment

[slickster]

Also get notifications from cars.com

[MarauderMatt200]

I bought mine 2003 with 88K on the clock. interior 10/10 and exterior 8/10. looked to be in great shape plus. I paid $11K for it. too much if you ask me but i was in a hurry to buy and it was 3 hours away from me so i can go and actually look at it. if you are patient ive seen 70-90K miles for around 8-9K if lucky. Soon as i bought it i bought new axles 4.10 gears and Mo's tune. rear axles in these cars are crap. Check under the rear of the car for gear oil leaks. Also the AC was stuck blowing on high. $25 dollar fix from Fastblackmerc. Rear end is solid now, AC blows nice and cold. car is a ton of fun to drive. i know have 94K on the clock and i bought it about 5 months ago. Zero issues. Sale the Vic get you a Marauder and never look back. I LOVE THIS CAR!!!!!

[Coldsnap]

Ok, cool. Yea, I'm certainly in no rush as I can still drive my Vic around. I'd be a happy camper if I find one for 100k for 7-8k without having to do a fly and drive.

I'm in North Carolina BTW.

[slickster]

The hardest thing when buying is you might have to travel. My 2nd mm was 1300 miles away never seen it in person had it shipped :eek:

[Coldsnap]

Gotcha, well NC and SC seems to be a good location for the from what I see. Especially all the army fellows buying expensive muscle cars then needing to sell on the fast when they get shipped out.

I'd do a fly and drive for something great. Would be fun.

[RubberCtyRauder]

Remember too these cars need 91 octane minimum. Not 87 like the CV can use.

[Coldsnap]

Remember too these cars need 91 octane minimum. Not 87 like the CV can use.

Ah, yes that's something to consider. I bet there's some people out there who wouldn't put that into the car. Or just don't know it needs it.

[chief455]

Ah, yes that's something to consider. I bet there's some people out there who wouldn't put that into the car. Or just don't know it needs it.

right, and those won't last the 150k + miles you might be looking at.

local Craigslist is your friend.
After I found mine, at least 3 more within a 2 hour drive came up.
Even a car on this site 20 minutes away came up! be patient, one will find you.
having the cash, and jumping on the deal is what gets the car.

[Coldsnap]

Anyone know what insurance payoffs is like if you crash a MM? Like the Kelly Blue Book on my Vic is under what I'd value at, just because of its service records, factory options, and condition. Are marauders the same?

[RubberCtyRauder]

Insurance is like gambling, you don't know what you are going to get. Why worry about it..It is a 13+ year old car now..it only holds so much value, because they are limited, you can get decent money for them thru insurance if deemed totaled. All insurance go thru book value, but if yo provide documentation thru the ford certificate of limited production and what is retailing at the time, then chances are you will recouperate more than the first offer..which is the first rule, never accept the first offer. The car is going to depreciate..If you are in fear of owing more than the payout, then you need GAP insurance

[Badass_forever]

Ok, cool. Yea, I'm certainly in no rush as I can still drive my Vic around. I'd be a happy camper if I find one for 100k for 7-8k without having to do a fly and drive.

I'm in North Carolina BTW.

I have seen them on craigslist in detroit for dirt cheap, $2500 cheap. If you are handy, you can get a nice fixer upper like i did. for me, as long as the interior is in good shape then the rest is easy.

[lifespeed]

I would just say remember you are buying a car that is over 10 year old. Keep your expectations realistic. The price will probably be reasonable for as nice of a car as these are, but you will need to factor in the cost of repairs and maintenance on a car that old. Axles, suspension, door hinges, various well-known and minor electrical gremlins, old upholstery and paint. If you keep up on it and dedicate the funds from time to time, a Marauder will serve you well. These cars do wear and hold up well, in general.

But don't think just because the car is new to you it is like a "new car". You'll need to turn a wrench and spend money.

[Corey Raub]

Please be cautious before purchasing your dream car. I bought my '03 Mercury Marauder approx. 2 months ago from the original owner thinking this would mean the car was well maintained. I reasoned that if you keep a car for 12 years, that generally means you like it and therefore take care of it. Such was not the case with the car I purchased. Now that I have the car and realize how poorly it was maintained, the only thing I can figure is the previous owner had it so long that he actually started to hate it. I drove it home from Ohio to Pennsylvania and could barely keep it on the road when I hit a bump or when I went around a corner. It turns out both front coil springs were BROKEN and the right rear shock was completely worn out to the point of being useless. The blend door actuator for the hvac system needed replaced. The "o" rings in the hvac power head needed replaced. The oil was filthy and the engine ticks. And believe it or not there were actually brake light bulbs and turn signal bulbs that needed replaced. The car is twelve years old and does have 140,000 miles on it so parts are going to fail. You just have to wonder why the first owner didn't at least replace the parts that would have made the car safe to drive. Anyway, my point is this. Look at every car carefully, see what it needs and how much you are going to have to spend to bring it up to YOUR standards. Mileage and/or numbers of owners alone should not be the deciding factors. Be patient in your search and good luck!

[Corey Raub]

Oh yeah, and the radio wouldn't pick up any stations. It acted like it had no antenna, so I replaced it with an Audiophile from an Escape. It works fine.

[03Merc]

I bought My 2004 DTR with 78k miles, sunroof, upgraded stereo, and heated seats for $12k. The service record was all thru ford and the car was a 9 out of 10 condition and I couldn't get them any lower on the price. I probably paid $1,500-2,000 too much but the car was lady driven and babied it's whole life, completely original. So far I've had to fix the a/c unit and had the front seat bottoms redone. I bought Mo's tune and JLT Intake right away and swapped the mufflers for MagnaFlow's. My previous car was a 2003 Marquis GS with minor mods done. The Marauder looks n feels about 10x better than the Marquis did, inside n out. http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/07/19/6ba3b96633cd57c12c00cff51fffc0 f6.jpg


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[alec2538]

Like pretty much everyone else has said, take your time and look.

I paid $4,300 for my '03. 174k miles on it. The exterior was a 7/10 but very straight. Some rust needed to be repaired and the bumpers were a little beat up. The interior is an 8/10. The leather needed a few very small repairs and some dye work, but afterwards was a solid 9/10.

The running gear, however, is perfect. NOTHING leaked, the transmission has been rebuilt and upgraded, and the only upgrade done is a cold-air intake. I had to replace the A/C accumulator and that's it. Everything on the interior works, none of the common issues. No HVAC, no exterior light issues, nothing. I did have the LCM replaced under warranty.

I feel like I got a great deal considering I've seen much worse cars for $1,500-$2,000 more.

[1Marauder]

Ok, cool. Yea, I'm certainly in no rush as I can still drive my Vic around. I'd be a happy camper if I find one for 100k for 7-8k without having to do a fly and drive.

I'm in North Carolina BTW.


Also note: the FLY and Drive part of buying a Marauder sometimes ends up being the best part--and the best auto vacation ever :)

If it is the right car--Southwest can get you there!

[Anthony84]

As mentioned; its all in how someone took care of the car before you. I just recently purchased 2 blues within one week; one with 148k that had two owners and one with 178k; original owner that had a long commute every day. The 178k rivals my DTR for condition and everything working; no leaks; etc. aside from a bit more rocks chips on the front end. The 148k one; looks presentable but it actually needs a fair bit more than I thought it would. Just check everything out the best you can...and don't just go off cosmetics.

[RubberCtyRauder]

I'm not sure he is looking at marauders anymore as he is posting on crown Vic.net about what upgrades he can do to his cv sport