NEW Marauder /Sport Projects!

[1Marauder]

Write up far below, GTR Ultra2 LED and Lazerfit LED Blinkers in stock OEM CV Housings.

[Mr. Man]

Mag lights taped to the hood work well also. :rolleyes:

[offroadkarter]

PnP bulbs in the stock housings just turn it from crap to bright crap, not the right way to do it. You're better off returning those and getting some actual headlights made.

https://photos.smugmug.com/Cars-I-No-Longer-Own/2003-Mercury-Marauder/Headlight-Foglight-Retrofit/i-srfdRhp/0/73bd1971/X3/DSC_9956-X3.jpg

[burt ragio]

I also found the stock headlights were poor at best. I did find after multiple changes two most effective fixes. One was a direct wire harness that fixed our issue of ample voltage to the source. The other involved a little more work than some prefer were projector headlights by Morimoto.

[FordNut]

The other night, my lights were so poor (headlights) that I honestly checked the switch to make sure they were on (twice), and stopped and got out to verify. Normal look, Nothing wrong except the extreme lack of lumens.

So I finally bought the ULTRA GTR 2 LED bulbs, and new (Blinker) Lazfit LEDs… FBM had shared an older YouTube video of the GTR2 bulbs being tested years back in CV headlamps and with light meter and comparative light distribution. I will try to casually and unprofessionally write up and photo comparison if ya’ll have interest.

I am kind of excited about it!



A write up and comparison would be nice.
A problem I've noticed is that the OEM lights are obsolete and repops have very non-uniform patterns. Very hard to get them adjusted so you can see.

[blazen71]

A write up and comparison would be nice.
A problem I've noticed is that the OEM lights are obsolete and repops have very non-uniform patterns. Very hard to get them adjusted so you can see.

A few years back I had Panther Lights build me a set of projector headlights. At that time Ford sold brand new 03-04 Grand Marquis headlights. I bought a set and had Kevin swap out the chrome surrounds with a black set I had from another pair of headlights. I just looked and unfortunately it looks like those are now discontinued also.

[1Marauder]

This is the old bulbs and light pattern.

I spent an hour writing this up and lost the data attaching the photos :(. Will write it up again tomorrow.

[1Marauder]

This is one drivers side housing, lamp, and blinker replaced.

[1Marauder]

This is both housings, bulbs, and blinkers replaced.

[69Postss]

Dead body in the freezer?

[Mr. Man]

High beams?

[1Marauder]

Unscientific. Not trying to advocate nor sell any products at all.

Just extremely tired of not being able to see when I drive the Marauders or the sport. FBM (Thanks again) sent me a link to an older Pantherlights Youtube video where they tested the GTR Ultra2 LED bulbs explaining that GTR actually did testing on OUR CV Housings to make sure the light pattern was correct. The Pantherlights video was straightforward, plain, simple and I REALLY LIKED IT.

Finally got the bulbs, the Lazerfit Amber blinker LEDs, and new OEM FORD CV Headlamp housings (my old ones were/are near perfect – but I found them super cheap on ebay) and installed them Sunday afternoon before the Cowboys folded hard against the 40 whiners.

Again, Unscientific. Not trying to advocate nor sell any products at all.



My previous headlamps had been professionally aligned (a thing here in CA) and always appeared to be correct alignment (I would have liked the driver’s side a tad higher and a tad left) even with lack of lumens.




Car is approx. 26 feet from garage wall and light pattern appears high as nose of car is up due to grade / slope of driveway.




I used blue tape to mark the wall where center of old bulb light pattern was (which were professionally aligned) and a horizontal line to demark approximately top of light pattern / spray.

After removing the Driver’s side housing, I counted the remaining threads on each of the three alignment screws (out from adjuster) to help match the alignment of new housing AND then measured with a tape measure to ensure the new housing would align the same. It worked perfectly!

I took photo of Original Car (housing and lamp) and market the wall as above.

I replaced one side (Drivers) and took photo of car and of wall… The Driver’s side was nearly perfect and was a tidbit higher at center mass, but not nigher in light wash at sides.

I took photo of car with Drivers side new bulbs, and of wall with drivers side new bulbs vs OLD passenger side. This photo does NOT do justice to the immense difference between both the color and the volume of light. I was GIDDY when I took the photos as it was truly a NIGHT and DAY (light) difference.

I replaced the passenger side bulbs and took photo’s of car and wall – and I wish I had a light gauge because I think I would have bested the Pantherlights lumens difference.

Again, Unscientific. Not trying to advocate nor sell any products at all.

The overall / LIVE difference was amazing. The light “wash” (Sorry I don’t know the correct terminology) and pattern was near exact same as old OEM pattern, just multiplied exponentially (times 10?, 15?). And the horizontal patter was crisp, clear, and defined – Much like the new Cadillac lighting I wrote about years ago where the defined light beam and pattern was so perfect and clear.

I waited until dark to drive it – and drove on a specifically dark and s-curvy type road – as I figured any head-on traffic would definitely “flash me” if my beams were offensive. NONE DID. The light was… hard to put into words… from a modern expensive car. All of the reflective surfaces reflected brilliantly; from the road / stripe paint, to the turtle reflectors, to the road signs –ALL AMAZINGLY RFLECTVELY ALIT as if they were all brand new. [Note: they are not -I drive the road every day and didn’t even know they reflected at all!]. Further, the horizontal pattern was crisply defined, and could clearly be seen extending farther ahead of me. The center spots were broad daylight, and it also looked and seemed like I had LED fog lights on too (which I did not) and the volume of light (low) was fantastic.

I must say this though – the Lazerfit blinkers scared the **** out of me – the first time I used them. I had never seen the light of my blinkers, except when reflected off of another surface (like a car or wall in front)… the Lazer Fit blinkers are so dang bright – they can be seen from the space station! The blinker light fought it way through the LED beams out front to alight the roadway – and every reflective sure FLASHED so bright is seriously scared me at first. I will drive a week or so – but these may honestly be too bright. When turning, the blinker lights the side you are turning into… lol. WOW. The LED headlights lights looked new and normal – but the blinkers may (knock on wood) draw unwanted Constable consideration.

Again, Unscientific. Not trying to advocate nor sell any products at all.

My apologies, I failed to test the high-beams and the high beam light pattern from the OLD OEM – So I don’t have a fair comparative. I did notice that the driver’s side does NOT blind (add more light) into the left oncoming cars – A neat trick – I don’t know how they did this but it is true. There is much more light center and higher, but not nearly as much side to side as I would have expected. They did their research here too- as both sides do this. Next weekend, I will try to take a picture of the OEM Marauder high beams vs. the new sport high beams in same test fashion, to at least give a closest real-world comparison.

Conclusion: I am upset that I waited this long to fix something that was so easy and so impactful. I am sure that these lights will help avoid accidents -- as no one will pull out in front of these, everyone can see you coming, and you can see everything coming. I am still 50/50 on the blinkers. I test drove again last night – they scared me again – lol. Aside from the exponential safety difference -- I figure (for me) if these GTR2 Ultra bulbs last just 3 years -- they are worth every cent… and I would gladly pay again and replace them with their next version, if one is produced. Again, I am upset that I waited this long to fix something that was so easy to do.

Happy to answer any questions ��

[1Marauder]

These are the bulbs used.

[1Marauder]

Two actually!