Long time gearhead with new (to me) Marauder

[v3n0m]

New to the group and to a Marauder. That by no means I'm ignorant of American muscle...... luxury? Maybe, lol. I'm no stranger to a wrench, and still kinda bitter about how *****y Craftsman got, but I digress. I purchased an '03 Marauder in Friday from an auction, I'm driving 3 hours tomorrow to go pick it up, I know nothing more than the VIN and 4 exterior pictures. So.... that being said, I don't know what to say, or ask. I guess I'm looking for what to expect? Common issues? Best upgrades? Cheapest/quickest upgrades? Any advice or constructive opinions welcome, the more specific and technical the better. Slowy finishing the Grand Marquis service manual on pdf and ill be happy to share or post to any who are mechanically inclined, or at least interested. Thanks and (Roman)godspeed.

[SilverPhoenix]

Common issues: LCM, BCM, EATC (o-rings), blend door actuator, radio tuner.

Depending on mileage and/or how previous owners drove the car (conservative vs hammer it 24/7), cylinder head #8 can be a weak point and produce ticking. Timing chain/guides if car has 150K+ miles needs to be monitored. Air compressor for the rear suspension air bags can crap out early due to water collection where it sits...drill a few drainage holes to mitigate. Also, physically check air bags to ensure they aren't rotting. Make sure wiper cowl is relatively clean; junk likes to collect where the wiper motor sits, causing it to crap out.

Best/cheapest/quickest upgrades are subjective, but swapping out the 3.55 gear for a 4.10 and having it tuned will wake it up for less than $1K (I hope...I had this done to mine 10 years ago and it cost around $600...don't know what prices would be like nowadays)

Lots of 'tips/tricks' for being a MM owner on this site...