A little Marauder history to start 2010 - 1958

[jerrym3]

This is heresay, but a friend of mine (a MoPar fanatic) was in the military in San Diego back in the 60's..

Fastest street car around? A 58 430 Merc.

[kirk]

Found this on ebay, the rare 1958 400hp mercury, cool find, was doing some research and wound up finding this post, cool stuff, figured id share.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1958-...16d37dd8#v4-38

That's one super rare Super Marauder!

[kirk]

This is heresay, but a friend of mine (a MoPar fanatic) was in the military in San Diego back in the 60's..

Fastest street car around? A 58 430 Merc.

Capable of low 14s in stock trim. It's not heresay, it's fact.

[BUCKWHEAT]

Isn't the factory engine & aircleaner alone worth $3800?

[secretservice]

Auto Trader Classics had a story on that car last month. Got mine. I posted about it.
http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forum...rader+classics

[TFB]

Capable of low 14s in stock trim. It's not heresay, it's fact.

Do you have a drag test that will substantiate that claim???

The only way I'd believe it is if the car had 4.11 gears(I'm fairly sure stock was 2.69) and the track was down hill, then maybe a 14.999...

Almost none of the pre-1972 HP figures were as installed in the car, but were on a dyno with open headers and no accessories(prior to the early '60s Ford exhaust manifolds flowed like soda straws) ... That means in the real world true HP figures were maybe 25% of advertised or in this case 300Hp...

Sooo A 300Hp car(more like 250 at the rear tires) with a 2-something rear, in a 4400 lb car is going to run a LOW 14???

Don't forget, you said stock trim...

[kirk]

Do you have a drag test that will substantiate that claim???

The only way I'd believe it is if the car had 4.11 gears(I'm fairly sure stock was 2.69) and the track was down hill, then maybe a 14.999...

Almost none of the pre-1972 HP figures were as installed in the car, but were on a dyno with open headers and no accessories(prior to the early '60s Ford exhaust manifolds flowed like soda straws) ... That means in the real world true HP figures were maybe 25% of advertised or in this case 300Hp...

Sooo A 300Hp car(more like 250 at the rear tires) with a 2-something rear, in a 4400 lb car is going to run a LOW 14???

Don't forget, you said stock trim...

From page one of this thread, Brian Stafina's 1958 Monterey has turned a 14.019 in the pure stock drags. This was not with a 2-something rear end, but keep in mind that in the 1950s and 1960s you could get virtually any rear gear you wanted from the factory. I think he was running a 4.56 rear.

When I say it was capable it does mean you had to fill out the order sheet correctly. Not every one that left the factory could do it, but it was possible to buy one that fast.

[TFB]

From page one of this thread, Brian Stafina's 1958 Monterey has turned a 14.019 in the pure stock drags. This was not with a 2-something rear end, but keep in mind that in the 1950s and 1960s you could get virtually any rear gear you wanted from the factory. I think he was running a 4.56 rear.

When I say it was capable it does mean you had to fill out the order sheet correctly. Not every one that left the factory could do it, but it was possible to buy one that fast.

Yes back in the day some different rear ratios were avail from the factory but as far as a 4.56 in a '58 Merc, I'll have to see it on a order form to believe it...

Brian is running the base 2dr sedan body which is a lot lighter than the top of the line hardtops, plus he's running a three speed not the slush-o-matic that probably 99% of the 400Hp cars received... Pure stock drag also allows a full 2.5" exhaust system which no doubt frees up HP...

As far as any stock '58 Merc automatic running a 14, it never happened and I doubt a assembly line three speed version could either...

[kirk]

Yes back in the day some different rear ratios were avail from the factory but as far as a 4.56 in a '58 Merc, I'll have to see it on a order form to believe it...

Brian is running the base 2dr sedan body which is a lot lighter than the top of the line hardtops, plus he's running a three speed not the slush-o-matic that probably 99% of the 400Hp cars received... Pure stock drag also allows a full 2.5" exhaust system which no doubt frees up HP...

As far as any stock '58 Merc automatic running a 14, it never happened and I doubt a assembly line three speed version could either...

I've documented 23 406 & 427 Mercs. 9 of these had optional 4.11 rear ends and 3 of them had blank axle codes indicating a special gear sets not on the standard option list. Typically this meant a ratio higher than 4.11. My point being that many people buying these cars wanted them to be quick, and just because it wasn't on the standard order form didn't mean you couldn't get it. Times were different then.

"As far as any stock '58 Merc automatic running a 14, it never happened and I doubt a assembly line three speed version could either"
You "could not" get an automatic behind a 406 or 427 either, but a Galaxie site has one documented complete with build sheet.
"It never happened" and you have proof of this?

I agree completely that Brian's car is exceptionally fast for a '58. And I concede that not every '58 Super Marauder would run 14s, but I disagree that it was impossible for a stock '58 to run 14s. We can agree to disagree.

And I still say that the Super Marauder was likely the quickest new car you could buy in 1958 with the exception of the Corvette. My 2 cents.

[TFB]

I've documented 23 406 & 427 Mercs. 9 of these had optional 4.11 rear ends and 3 of them had blank axle codes indicating a special gear sets not on the standard option list. Typically this meant a ratio higher than 4.11. My point being that many people buying these cars wanted them to be quick, and just because it wasn't on the standard order form didn't mean you couldn't get it. Times were different then.

"As far as any stock '58 Merc automatic running a 14, it never happened and I doubt a assembly line three speed version could either"
You "could not" get an automatic behind a 406 or 427 either, but a Galaxie site has one documented complete with build sheet.
"It never happened" and you have proof of this?

I agree completely that Brian's car is exceptionally fast for a '58. And I concede that not every '58 Super Marauder would run 14s, but I disagree that it was impossible for a stock '58 to run 14s. We can agree to disagree.

And I still say that the Super Marauder was likely the quickest new car you could buy in 1958 with the exception of the Corvette. My 2 cents.

Agreed...

But one last thought on those gear ratios.... What was happening in '63 when Ford was back into racing and was advertising "Total Performance" is long way from '58 when they were honoring AMAs ban on factory involvement in racing... If these Hot Rod Merc's were so fast, seems there would have been a slew of them running NASCAR... Maybe I missed them???

[kirk]

I have an update on page 2, 1962.

[Marauda]

hey, im kinda new to the forum but can somebody get pictures from the interior of the marauder, not the x100 but the only difference is the bigger engine and the automatic transmission. But what im interested in is the normal manual transmitted marauder, so if somebody please post some images it would be totally awesome

gr ruben

[SC Cheesehead]

hey, im kinda new to the forum but can somebody get pictures from the interior of the marauder, not the x100 but the only difference is the bigger engine and the automatic transmission. But what im interested in is the normal manual transmitted marauder, so if somebody please post some images it would be totally awesome

gr ruben

What years (63-65), (69-70) or ('03-04)?

[kirk]

hey, im kinda new to the forum but can somebody get pictures from the interior of the marauder, not the x100 but the only difference is the bigger engine and the automatic transmission. But what im interested in is the normal manual transmitted marauder, so if somebody please post some images it would be totally awesome

gr ruben

Hey Marauda, welcome to the forum. This http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/stati.../dirindex.html is the best I can do for pictures of a 1970 Marauder. The '69-70 Marauder (non X100) came standard with a 3-speed manual transmission, though I'm sure very few were built that way. Parts to convert one from an automatic to a manual should be available somewhere, but I can't say where specifically. The clutch and column shifter parts are likely the same as other full size Fords and Mercs of those years, but I can't say possitively. Those are the years I know the least about. Hope this helps.

[Black Cloud]

For anyone interested the concept convertible is on Ebay at a dealer outside of Philadelphia PA asking $75k. I had gone to check out a Red '04. Did not buy b/c there was too many inconsistencies with the car not being pristine. Then a few months later he comes up w/the concept car.