Marauder Road Trip

[Invective]

Making multiple trips from NC to FL and back in recent months to handle elder issues. Rotating vehicles each trip, it was Marauder's turn this trip. This is the first lengthy trip since leaving MartyO's shop back in August and getting fully sorted sometime afterwards.

Nothing but superlatives. 3k tc 4:10 diff is spot on, transmission behaves as if it reads my mind - desired firmness shift quality at the desired shift points. Great thrust from the retuned motor. Excellent fuel mileage I might add. Filled up with 93 E0 in Augusta, GA - 263 miles to hotel in the Southpoint area of Jax. 'Low Fuel' lamp comes on at 343 miles the following day - 16.4 gallons of Shell 93 E10 tops Marauder off. 20.1 average mpg - very good considering there was little interstate highway - expressway driving.

Found a detail shop that was open yesterday - Marauder was cleaned up quite nicely. My goal of imitating full size car - big block performance similar to late '60s full size cars was achieved. Next? Marauder needs better brakes. Will be my daily driver while I'm here in FL.

Downsides? I'm lamenting the lack of 93 E0. Marauder lost its 'sharp edge' and the idle quality immediately deteriorated. Marauder isn't running poorly but definitely not as 'sharp' as before. Thinking the only 93 E0 available in FL is mostly in the panhandle according to pure-gas.org. Gasoline blended with 'moonshine' is an abomination IMO.

MartyO and crew get my nod for their knowledge and competent work upgrading my car.

https://i.imgur.com/qIR6LCy.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/2PzPpOg.jpg

[Greg]

Looks like you are in Australia or the Upside Down from Stranger Things:) Loving my daily driver stock Marauder with 4.10 gears. Thanks to Marty as well.

[Invective]

Looks like you are in Australia or the Upside Down from Stranger Things:) Loving my daily driver stock Marauder with 4.10 gears. Thanks to Marty as well.

Must be a 'bug' in the MM board. Posted the same images to FB and they oriented correctly.

[Granddaddy Marq]

You may be bragging on Marty a little too soon. It looks like he put the tires on the wrong side of the vehicle. I though they supposed to on the bottom of the car.

[Invective]

You may be bragging on Marty a little too soon. It looks like he put the tires on the wrong side of the vehicle. I though they supposed to on the bottom of the car.

When I selected the 'Manage Attachments' function the window opened and depicted 'virus detected' instead of the normal window that allows one to select images off of their HD. Unusual. I closed the window, reselected 'Manage Attachments' and the correct window opened. Selected images, loaded them and Presto! They're inverted.

[Invective]

Update: Fixed. Uploaded images to Imgur.:cool:

[Invective]

Update: Refueled yesterday for the second time since coming back to Florida on 12/30. 'Low Fuel' lamp came on at 261 mi and refueled with Shell 93 E10 at 277 mi. 16.76 gal for and avg mpg of 16.5. 80% 'stop and go' - I'm pleased.

Question: Which door switches are supposed to illuminate and which ones don't? Seat heater, window and lock switch lamps on the starboard side front door started flickering last night. Port side front door seat heater buttons have never illuminated since I've owned the car and the window switch illumination for the same door comes and goes. Are the seat controls supposed to illuminate? Trunk Release button icon?

Thanks.

(stock image)

http://carsot.com/images/mercury-marauder-2002-2004-cabriolet-interior.jpg

[fastblackmerc]

Update: Refueled yesterday for the second time since coming back to Florida on 12/30. 'Low Fuel' lamp came on at 261 mi and refueled with Shell 93 E10 at 277 mi. 16.76 gal for and avg mpg of 16.5. 80% 'stop and go' - I'm pleased.

Question: Which door switches are supposed to illuminate and which ones don't? Seat heater, window and lock switch lamps on the starboard side front door started flickering last night. Port side front door seat heater buttons have never illuminated since I've owned the car and the window switch illumination for the same door comes and goes. Are the seat controls supposed to illuminate? Trunk Release button icon?

Thanks.

(stock image)

http://carsot.com/images/mercury-marauder-2002-2004-cabriolet-interior.jpg

Answered your question(s) on facebook.

[martyo]

I missed this thread.

Awesome!!!

[Granddaddy Marq]

My previous post is not near as funny now that you fixed the pictures. Can you change it back so that Marty won't think dissing him?





Love Marty, Mean It.

[Invective]

Update:

Slightly better fuel mileage this cycle, probably due to less driving in congested shopping areas. 'Low Fuel' lamp came on at 283 mi. and refueled with 17.2 gal of Shell 93 E10 at 296 mi., bringing the average mpg this cycle to 17.2 - pretty good for being a 'daily driver' at present in an urban-suburban environment. Proof that a 4:10 rear, 3k stall TC, tune, etc. won't kill your fuel mileage. On-going issue that cropped up on this trip is a sticky hood latch.

stock image
http://www.autonetlocator.com/PHOTOS/14/0618/1534/1024x768/14061815344334613807015.JPG

[Invective]

Florida Trip with Marauder is coming to a close. Subject to return to FL at any time - nothing scheduled at the moment. Mustang is next on the trip detail. Departed Jax this morning - Aiken County, SC tonight - home tomorrow.


Highlights of the trip:

Marauder ran well up until the last week. Was in the shop for hood latch (stuck closed), Trans fluid leak and driveability issue(s) that triggered CEL. Trans was temporarily ‘repaired’ with MartyO performing final repairs.

Same with the driveability issue(s). Runs well for one or two driving cycles, then get a crap idle the next driving cycle. CEL has not re-illuminated. MartyO taking a look at this too. Recently purchased dead pedal is waiting for me at home - taking it with me to MartyO’s shop and ask them to install same.

Image below taken today on Gordon Hwy in Augusta, GA. Just refueled with 93 E0, first since going back to FL at the end of December. Final average mpg this trip: 17+ mpg city and 20+ mpg mixed city-hwy. No strictly interstate hwy legs this trip.

https://i.imgur.com/9J4hbOt.jpg

[a_d_a_m]

Jealous that you get to drive yours year round without fear of salt killing it. Sorry to hear about the elder issues. Put some miles on the road for me, will ya? I'm two months away (at least) from pulling mine out of storage.

[FW_Linc/Merc]

Making multiple trips from NC to FL and back in recent months to handle elder issues. Rotating vehicles each trip, it was Marauder's turn this trip. This is the first lengthy trip since leaving MartyO's shop back in August and getting fully sorted sometime afterwards.

Nothing but superlatives. 3k tc 4:10 diff is spot on, transmission behaves as if it reads my mind - desired firmness shift quality at the desired shift points. Great thrust from the retuned motor. Excellent fuel mileage I might add. Filled up with 93 E0 in Augusta, GA - 263 miles to hotel in the Southpoint area of Jax. 'Low Fuel' lamp comes on at 343 miles the following day - 16.4 gallons of Shell 93 E10 tops Marauder off. 20.1 average mpg - very good considering there was little interstate highway - expressway driving.

Found a detail shop that was open yesterday - Marauder was cleaned up quite nicely. My goal of imitating full size car - big block performance similar to late '60s full size cars was achieved. Next? Marauder needs better brakes. Will be my daily driver while I'm here in FL.

Downsides? I'm lamenting the lack of 93 E0. Marauder lost its 'sharp edge' and the idle quality immediately deteriorated. Marauder isn't running poorly but definitely not as 'sharp' as before. Thinking the only 93 E0 available in FL is mostly in the panhandle according to pure-gas.org. Gasoline blended with 'moonshine' is an abomination IMO.

MartyO and crew get my nod for their knowledge and competent work upgrading my car.

https://i.imgur.com/qIR6LCy.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/2PzPpOg.jpg

I run Hawk race pads all the time. They are still low/no dusting and the breaking performance is an improvement. Cheap method till you want to spend alot more money.

[Invective]

I run Hawk race pads all the time. They are still low/no dusting and the breaking performance is an improvement. Cheap method till you want to spend alot more money.

Thanks for the tip!:cool:

[Mr. Man]

I run Hawk race pads all the time. They are still low/no dusting and the breaking performance is an improvement. Cheap method till you want to spend alot more money.Perhaps the racing pads are different, how do you get enough heat in them to work? I tried the street pads and hated them. Dusty, noisy and didn't stop any better than OEM. Went with Wagner ThermoQuiets , so far so good.