Marauder Top Speed?

[MM03]

Hey guys, I’ve heard some people say 4.10 gears reduce the top speed on a Marauder.

Just curious, what do you think top speed on a naturally aspirated Marauder with a tune & 4.10 gears is? At 120 mph, mine still is pulling like a freight train!


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[03Merc]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180220/553ee2113b58041cc500a156344ddb 27.jpg

I burried it b4 but the SCT only showed 127.99mph.


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[Pat]

IIRC there is a speed limiter. Some tunes disabled that feature. It had to do with drive shaft vibration. This was widely discussed back in the day. Maybe some of the older hands can chime in. I instructed my tuner at the time to retain the feature.

[Dragcity]

Mine was past the 140 mark on the speedo n/a with 4.10 and SCT tune, limit removed.

Be aware, slight bends in the road are like 90 degree turns when going over 110 mph.

[sailsmen]

WOW, taking a pic of your speedo at 120mph!

NHTSA - In 2015 alone, 3,477 people were killed, and 391,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers.

[Fastbob]

I'll bet that if the driveshaft came apart at 140 it wouldn't be pretty.

[fastblackmerc]

Top speed is over 140.... if the transmission tail shaft stays in one piece.

[sailsmen]

I'll bet that if the driveshaft came apart at 140 it wouldn't be pretty.

But the pic would be awesome!

[tbone]

Once I went over 140 NA and 2 weeks later I needed a trans rebuild.

Top speed is not a priority of mine and shouldn't be for anybody unless you are on salt. But acceleration is another matter.....

[03Merc]

It was a video by the passenger.


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[Grimrepairman]

I was told by my car's previous owner that it did 150 on the dyno. That's with 4.10s, but also a trilogy kit. Not sure how NA will do vs air resistance and drag. Would need a rather long straight road to find out. Have a printout of rpm and wheel speed with 4.10s in the garage somewhere. If I find it I'll post a pic.

[Lowndex]

WOW, taking a pic of your speedo at 120mph!

NHTSA - In 2015 alone, 3,477 people were killed, and 391,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers.

That was my thought.

[Joe Walsh]

Mine would only do 104.7 mph.. N/A with OEM 3.55s.
OH! That was in the 1/4 mile.....:D

With a carbon fiber driveshaft, 'allegedly' I saw 140+ out on Route 70 one cold night.

She still had some left in her too!
Didn't need it, as the Infinti G3whatever was wayyyy back in my rear view mirror!
(scratching his head wondering why the black taxi had just annihilated him)

And yes....wayyyy too fast to take speedo/tach pictures.

[stevengerard]

I hit just over 150 on a long straightaway at a track, 4.10s and STOCK driveshaft, multiple times.

[MERCMAN]

140+ Charlotte Motor Speedway. Scary as Hell.

[justbob]

I guarantee mine can hit 200 if your dumb enough to pilot the aerodynamic brick.. Let alone finding and affording that kind of a speed rated tire! Hell, I’ve seen 115 in just 3rd at just shy of only 6,000 RPMs multiple times!

But I’m more of an acceleration guy. Speed makes me skeerd.

Of course, nothing on my car is stock.


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[NorthShoreChiMM]

I wouldn't want to drive our sailboats any faster than 150 even if we could. 0-100 in less than 7 seconds would be impressive and fun

[BAD MERC]

My top speed increased with the 4.10 gears. It will pass 140 and stop on the gauge housing. It takes a long time to get there. Not a wise idea since too much can go wrong at those speeds.

[guspech750]

DTR. I’d be lucky to break wind.


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[ChiTownMaraud3r]

I've pegged my car several times... in Mexico. Never had an issue. Way north of 140.

[Chayton]

yes well over 140. But if you are on a stock driveshaft just know that you WILL FRICK ****Z UP!! the longer you stay there.. ESPECIALLY with 4.10s! its been discussed here before many times the critical shaft speed is significantly reduced with 4.10s.. your shaft will start shaking around 120 or so. and at the very least more than likely you will blow out the tailshaft seal doing 140 with a stock driveshaft! very bad if you are far from home.

[1Marauder]

DTR. I’d be lucky to break wind.


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Now this a dusty old man's joke... Right outta my ally at full speed! My dad used to power lock the windows on the Olds Delta Royal... W the Olds 455 Rocket Engine... Then floor it on the highway to distract us that he had just broken wind... Filling the car with his patented noxious putrid poisonous smell. We'd reach for the the window switch... Only to be denied. One time I opened the five foot 100lb door to get some fresh air (on Freeway) and got a spanking too!

Oh sorry... Back to topic. 137 in Honda Prelude I5 South toward LA.
130 somth'n near 140 in my Black MM 'bout 10 miles from exiting Texas. I recieved a warning, a strong threat, and a personal escort out of the State of Texas by the local constable (who loved and had owned a Marauder) at exactly 1 mile below the speed limit under threat of severe prosecution (or perhaps execution).

[TrilogyMarauder]

yes well over 140. But if you are on a stock driveshaft just know that you WILL FRICK ****Z UP!! the longer you stay there.. ESPECIALLY with 4.10s! its been discussed here before many times the critical shaft speed is significantly reduced with 4.10s.. your shaft will start shaking around 120 or so. and at the very least more than likely you will blow out the tailshaft seal doing 140 with a stock driveshaft! very bad if you are far from home.

Or close to home!

[TrilogyMarauder]

Oh sorry... Back to topic. 137 in Honda Prelude I5 South toward LA.
130 somth'n near 140 in my Black MM 'bout 10 miles from exiting Texas. I recieved a warning, a strong threat, and a personal escort out of the State of Texas by the local constable (who loved and had owned a Marauder) at exactly 1 mile below the speed limit under threat of severe prosecution (or perhaps execution).

Should have been executed for driving that fast on public roads and then bragging about it on the internet. :shake:

[justbob]

You have approximately a second and a half of warning before you explode a shaft. Just enough time to ask yourself “what is that?” then BOOM.

I blew one clean in half at the 1000’ mark one night 1 1/2 hours from home.


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[crouse]

I have 4.10's and my pinion bearing failed on a 120 mph run probably due to the drive shaft needing to be balanced better.

[Joe Walsh]

yes well over 140. But if you are on a stock driveshaft just know that you WILL FRICK ****Z UP!! the longer you stay there.. ESPECIALLY with 4.10s!
its been discussed here before many times the critical shaft speed is significantly reduced with 4.10s..
your shaft will start shaking around 120 or so. and at the very least more than likely you will blow out the tailshaft seal doing 140 with a stock driveshaft! very bad if you are far from home.

The lonnnnng (non 2 piece) driveshaft on the Panthers results in shaft flex/whip that will eventually wipe out your tailshaft seal & bushing and can even crack the tailshaft housing. It's not nice to the pinion bushing either.
Doesn't matter how well balanced it is....a long driveshaft has to be lighter and stiffer to avoid flex/whip at high rpms associated with steep rear gears.
That's why the 'Police' MMX driveshafts are sought after.

[PonyGuy]

Just a bit to add to this conversation...
I don't have Marauder... mine's a GMQ LS with the HPP option. It has the 11.25" torque converter, air suspension, 3.27 gears and the driveshaft is sparkling clean, even with 125k miles. The shaft is stamped "POLICE" and I don't believe it's steel... looks like aluminum or maybe a composite.

Anyway, I once (I think the statute of limitations has passed now) opened the car up on a lonely, straight Interstate, and the car pulled steadily to 106 MPH, when the engine began to sputter. (Limiter in action.) Since then, I've had the "MZT" modification done, along with a tune. (MZT= Marauder airbox & MAF, Police Zip tube, and a Superchip tune) The car exceeded the limiter's restraints. I hesitate to think of what might happen to that car at that speed with the tires presently on it. :(

[2,4shofast]

There is a member on here that has taken his Marauder to Bonneville Salt Flats but I'm not aware of what his top speed was, maybe he will chime in.

[MGDriver]

Feels quite happy to do more at that point but I'm a bit of a wussy when it comes to my Marauders, won't go over 125 MPH with them.

https://scontent-frt3-2.cdninstagram.com/vp/191341a34fa61165117d71534aefe7 96/5B0E6CEB/t51.2885-15/e35/26864820_247269339146912_72433 05101656326144_n.jpg

[2,4shofast]

I wish road etiquette was the same in the states as it is in Europe. It was always pleasant to drive there.

[crownvic97]

I don’t understand the fascination with top speed runs, I don’t see the fun in it vs the risk. If I want to be dumb and reckless I’d rather smash the gas and see how long of a burnout I can do and how quick I can get to 60.

[Joe Walsh]

I don’t understand the fascination with top speed runs, I don’t see the fun in it vs the risk. If I want to be dumb and reckless I’d rather smash the gas and see how long of a burnout I can do and how quick I can get to 60.

Out on a long straight lonely highway....I'm only risking my own butt.
Nothing like the prolonged howl of a V8 straining to push your car faster through the air at triple digit speeds.....'allegedly'
I would never do such an unlawful thing on a public road....:eek: ... :D

[sailsmen]

I have close to 300 runs down the 1320.

Still get a charge out of each run.

[Cosgrandmarquis]

Over 140 mph with my Black Marauder with 4.10s. I didn't even notice how fast I was going, a GT500 was right next to me trying to pass me though.

[MGDriver]

Don't get me wrong, it's not like I'm doing top speed runs all the time. I'm usually sitting at 85 MPH with cruise control on and rarely go into the tripple digits, fuel is too expensive for that over here and the Autobahn is usually too congested to allow for it.

[MM03]

My main reason for starting this thread was out of curiosity what the top end limit on my car is. I live in Metro Atlanta where traffic is brutal, so unless I do a road trip to Bonneville, (not likely) I’ll probably never know. Thanks to everyone who replied, you all got some great stories!


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[Spectragod]

My main reason for starting this thread was out of curiosity what the top end limit on my car is. I live in Metro Atlanta where traffic is brutal, so unless I do a road trip to Bonneville, (not likely) I’ll probably never know. Thanks to everyone who replied, you all got some great stories!


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Riding in the high speed lane through Atlanta is like Bonneville, just without the salt.

[MM03]

Riding in the high speed lane through Atlanta is like Bonneville, just without the salt.



I think of it more like a Nascar race, going three wide in the corners, with plenty of wrecks and cautions!


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[Svashtar]

I read somewhere here in 2004 that the speed limiter on our cars was set to 127. (?) The first thing I did when I got the original 1725 tuner (and MMX drive shaft, DS loop and tail shaft lube) was remove the limiter and take it south of here to an old runway. At _exactly_ 127 I lost all feeling in the front of the car. The front end does not stay down. If I felt any control in front I would have kept going, as I had a good bit of pedal left. That told me that whoever did the wind tunnel test with it was spot on.

If I moved the steering wheel slightly right or left, I wasn’t feeling any response. I just didn’t feel comfortable at that speed, because I felt I could move the wheels accidentally, and when I slowed to 120 they would bite and I’d be heading off road.

As soon as I took my foot off and slowed just 4-5 mph I felt control in the front end again. I’m wondering how others with stock front coils managed higher speeds. (?)

A couple years later I took it to Arizona and set the cruise control at 110 and let it run for well over an hour, with no issues at all. Felt super stable.

BTW, that was before the rear engine cooling mod, and at that speed in 80 degree temps the temp gauge never moved.

If I had the opportunity to drive it on a banked track I suppose you get more out of it than that.


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