Marauder X100 Question

[hitchhiker]

Will someone who knows a lot about these cars: 1969/1970 Marauder X100 let me know what the differences are between the base Marauder and the X100 model?

I am the new owner of a cherry 1969 X100.

Thanks,

David

[Donny Carlson]

Will someone who knows a lot about these cars: 1969/1970 Marauder X100 let me know what the differences are between the base Marauder and the X100 model?

I am the new owner of a cherry 1969 X100.

Thanks,

DavidYou did well on the price, imo. I saw a '69 on Car Domain for $12.3K, though it looked to be a resortation where your's is pretty much original.

Here's some information

from Motor Trend, September, 1968:

Marauder: offered in two models, the Marauder and Marauder X-100 2-door hardtops are L-M's idea of bringing sportiness and high-performance in a new size to the luxury car field. The Marauder is built on a 121-inch wheelbase. The X-100 model is powered by the all-new 429-inch V8 with 4-bbl. carburation. Although slightly smaller than the Marquis, the front end treatment is the same. The hardtop design is distinctive. It has a tunnel-back design with the trailing edges of the rear roof pillars flowing down and extending to the rear. A special 2-tone paint option features the entire tunnel-back area of the car with a matte finish in a color to compliment the main body color...

The Marauder retains all the features from the Marquis but has some changes to convey the 'King of Speed' feeling." The 2-tone paint job on the unique rear roofline is probably the most distinguishing characteristic of the Marauder, Grissinger noted. There is also a slight Coke bottle shape to the rear quarter panels and a hop-up to the rear fenders. While some may feel this looks like recent Pontiac GPs, Grissinger said "this characteristic started with the 1961 Lincoln-Continental and found favor with other companies. That car was a breakthrough for us," he continued, adding, candidly, that "perhaps we were a little negligent in not immediately using the Lincoln-Continental as a benchmark for our other cars. We wanted to keep it on a pedestal. But the fact that others began using it forced us to copy our own design." While the lower series Monterey still has a Lincoln flavor, the styling is more conventional with an even and wide full width grille.
"The upper series (Marquis-Marauder) is more distinctive," Grissinger said, "with a slight emphasis to the center, yet still retaining the breadth of an extended grille." The headlights are out in the open in the lower series and the fact that they are hidden on the Marquis-Marauder "gives stylists more flexibility." Developing a family association in cars is a tricky business.

Motor Trend, October, 1968 "Driving the Hot '69s"





<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" bgColor=#ffffff border=0>



<CENTER>Marauder X-100


</CENTER>

If a trend is beginning in 1969, and we really are entering the era of the "Luxury Sports Car" first offerings are quite impressive - especially Lincoln Mercury's Marauder X-100, which is all new throughout every inch of its 121-inch wheelbase. Base powerplant with the X-100 is Fords booming, big, high-torque, 429 c.i.d. engine with 4-bbl. carburation. Standard transmission coupled to the big mill is a 3-speed SelectShift automatic. A 4-speed, syncromesh is optional. Turning out 360hp @4600rpm, the 429 is their high-performance engine of the future, according to Ford. Already, experimental cylinder heads with "twisted" hemispherical combustion chambers have been tested. For performance-minded X-100 owners, a full assortment of special 429 modification parts are already in the works, both from Ford engineering and from specialty equipment manufacturers. Marauder sits wide on the road, with a 63-inch front, and 64-inch rear tread on the 121-inch wheelbase. Overall length is 219.1 inches. The Marauder features a handling-type suspension with special spring rates and shocks. The independent front suspension with coil springs and the coil-link rear suspension are attached to the car through thick rubber bushings, which eliminates metal-to-metal contact. A new perimeter frame with four torque boxes and five front frame rails contributes to a smooth, quiet ride. For safety, Mercury has applied a new concept of "crush-control" to the specially designed "S" frame. Styling-wise, the X-100 is an all-new car. It shares the Licolnesque front end features of the new luxury Mercs - the Marquis and Marquis Brougham. But the X-100's smaller size, long hood / short deck proportions, shorter wheelbase, and tunnel fastback styling, Mercury has a strong contender in the luxury-sports car oriented market. Standard equipment with the X-100 include cast aluminum wheels, rear fender skirts, a simulated woodgrain dash panel, and the new 3-spoke "rim blow" steering wheel, with which the horn is tooted by squeezing the inside rim of the steering wheel. A special leather with vinyl upholstery decor is also standard as are bench seats. At no extra cost you can get bucket or "twin-comfort" lounge front seats. Ventless side glass gives the roofline an added look of length and elegance, while making the interior appear more spacious. A unique 2-tone paint scheme is offered on the X-100, with a matte finish, dull gloss paint used on the trunk area of the tunnel-back. Optional performance items will include: a heavy-duty battery, a power transfer axle, a high-performance axle. Driving Impressions

Getting into the Marauder, one gets the impression of an excessive amount of body overhang, of a body that's overly large for the track and wheelbase underneath. However, taking the car on a ride and handling course dispels this feeling immediately, except for a tendency to lean somewhat excessively in tight corners. Handling characteristics are exceptionally good for a car with the length and wheelbase of the Marauder. A slight oversteer can be induced to produce an easily controlled drift in the tough corners. Our test car had bench seats, which promote the tendency to slide a lot when cornering. Bucket seats would probably cut down on that problem considerably. Marauder's new belted bias-ply, wide tread tires give a soft ride and crisp handling feel, with good road adhesion. Marauder power brakes (front disc, rear drum) pull the large car to straight stops in normal situations. In panic stops they lock up quickly and some swerve occurs. Center console automatic shifting has an easy-to-reach horseshoe lever. Shifting the automatic manually helps on a road course, but leaving it in the "D" range is sufficient for most driving situations. The Marauder seems exceptionally roomy inside, with lots of hip room on the front bench seat for three people. Leg room, both front and rear is ample, a seeming contradiction to the hypothesis that rear seat leg room on 2-door models gets proportionally diminished as cars get bigger. The "rim blow" horn-steering wheel combination comes in handy on the X-100 and is convenient to use. </TD></TR>



(this post continued to keep post to 10000 characters or less)



<TBODY></TBODY>
</TABLE>

[Donny Carlson]

Second part of post about X100 -
1969-70 Mercury Marauder: Late Zoomer



Born too late to be a sales success, the last performance Merc combined the sportiness of Cougar with all the style and luxury of the posh Marquis. Today, this big bruiser is an unusual budget collectible that just may go platinum in a very few years.

Mercury's final fling with full-size fire-breathers came at the twilight of the performance age. As such, the 1969-70 Marauder was doomed to a brief, somewhat obscure existence, even though it allegedly possessed "the prowling instincts of Cougar, the elegance of Continental."

In once more extending the Marauder name from engines to cars, Lincoln-Mercury was evidently anticipating a trend back to big, comfort-oriented speedsters and away from bar-bones middleweights like the fast-selling Plymouth Road Runner. In fact, division general manager M.S. McLaughlin observed at the time of the new model's introduction that "an increasing number of sophisticated car buffs, want strong road performance combined with the full measure of luxury that comes with full-size automobiles."

He couldn't have been more wrong. In X-100 form particularly, the revived Marauder was aimed at essentially the same buyers as its semi-fastback forebears of 1963-1964. In 425-horsepower, 427 V-8 racing trim, those hardtops had racked up numerous wins on the NASCAR circuit, spreading a competition aura over the entire big-Merc line to the benefit of sales. But a lot had happened since. The performance action had largely shifted to the mid-size ranks, and Mercury's stock-car standard-bearer was now the intermediate Cyclone fastback - which was cleaning up handsomely, thank you. As a result, the new Marauder never had a prayer of putting tire to race track, let alone stirring much showroom excitement. Moreover, soaring insurance rates and the advent of government-mandated safety and emissions controls were beginning to reduce the hot-car market to a mere shadow of its mid-Sixties self, severely depressing demand while emasculating all of Detroit's once-potent muscle machines. Performance fans know the rest.

There was much less wrong with the product itself. Both Ford and Lincoln-Mercury bowed completely redesigned full-size cars for '69, so the reincarnated Marauder was essentially a twin to this year's big Ford XL [CA January 1986], riding the same 121-inch wheelbase. Unlike its sister division, L-M didn't bother with a convertible, fielding just a hardtop coupe in base and pricier X-100 versions. Frontal styling was borrowed from Mercury's top-shelf Marquis, with a Lincoln-inspired bi-level grille and hidden headlamps, while a "flying buttress" roofline and upright "tunneled" backlight mimicked the SportsRoof Ford. Quad taillamps and simulated rear-fender air extractors were unique to both Marauders, but X-100 added styled aluminum wheels and rear finder skirts (optional on the base model), as well as complementary "sports tone" matte-black paint on the tunneled rear deck area. The last could be deleted for credit or by ordering the extra-cost vinyl roof.

If the Marauder's long-hood/short-deck exterior were Cougar sporty, as the brochure said, its interior was Lincoln lush. The base model was furnished with deep-loop nylon carpeting and simulated burl-walnut inserts on doors and instrument panel, plus cloth-and-vinyl upholstery and a conventional front bench seat. X-100 customers got extra wood graining, a three-spoke "Rim-Blow" steering wheel, electric clock, and a choice of three seat/trim packages: leather-and-vinyl upholstery and front bench with dual center armrests; the split "Twin Comfort" lounge version with optional reclining rights backrest; and an all-vinyl cockpit with front buckets and a half-length center console housing a horseshoe-shaped transmission selector and lidded glovebox.

Though three inches shorter than Marquis between wheel centers, the Marauder was still dimensionally impressive, measuring 219.1 inches long overall and 79.6 inches wide. Curb weight started at two tons, escalating to 4500 pounds with a full option load. To move this considerable mass, L-M specified the venerable two-barrel, 390-cubic inch Ford Motor Company V-8 as base power, packing 265 bhp at 4400 rpm and 390 pounds-feet peak torque at 2600 rpm on 9.5:1 compression. Standard for X-100 and optional on the base model was Dearborn's new 429-cid V-8 in four-barrel form, with 10.5:1 compression: a 390 "P" (280 bhp at 4400 rpm/403 lbs/ft torque at 2600 rpm) and a 429 (320 bhp at 4400/460 lbs/ft at 2200).

Despite its considerable heft and a loping 2.80:1 rear axle ratio, the X-100 could dash from 0 to 60 mph in eight seconds flat according to contemporary road tests. The standing quarter-mile came up in a shade under 16 seconds at 86-88 mph - not adrenaline-pumping by adequate - while top speed nudged 125 mph. Clearly, this was a car born to cover endless Interstate miles in long, easy strides.

What made it clear was the handling, which was either so-so or unexpectedly good, depending on equipment. All Marauders came with heavy-duty Autolite shock absorbers, and X-100s rode on wide-tread fiberglass-belted tires. Steering was slow, however, requiring about four turns lock-to-lock even with optional power assist. Combined with the massive size, it made for ponderous parking and cumbersome city traffic maneuvers.

On the other hand, a "competition" suspension was optional at $31.10, and a real bargain in the eyes of Car and Driver magazine: "The Marauder's handling was a happy surprise .... The shock absorber control is such that you hit a bump and feel it just once, rather than going through the diminishing oscillations for half a block. You know there's a road under you because you can feel it, and that's very reassuring. You feel that if some object suddenly came into your path, you might even have the courage to try evasive maneuvering rather than just slamming on the brakes and hoping for the best." Understeer was prominent, of course, as it was in most Detroit cars of the day, but it was easily managed in all but the most extreme situations. Motor Trend reported that "the rear end can be broken loose at will, a tendency that can be unnerving in such a wide, long machine," though that was hardly a surprise in view of the 429's towering torque. Less desirable was the "definite amount of roll and sway" that MT noted in hard cornering.

Even with the upgraded suspension bits, the Marauder was as much an easy rider as any L-M product. Credit Mercury's new-for-'69 perimeter frame with four torque boxes, as well as suspension bushings that eliminated metal-to-metal contact. Unfortunately, few buyers likely knew about the chassis package (it wasn't mentioned in the brochure), so most Marauders had an even softer ride - and more plow through the turns.

For all its performance pretensions, the Marauder was amazingly devoid of instrumentation even for a late-Sixties domestic, carrying only a speedometer and fuel gauge. C/D wryly commented that "the instrument panel, also common to the Marquis, has been equipped in the great Detroit tradition - what you don't know won't hurt you .... The careful observer may detect a row of unobtrusive warning lights below the speedometer which are meant to give you a split-second's notice of impending doom, but that hardly qualifies as enthusiast's material." As one, would hope for in a car so large, the Marauder offered a cavernous, 18-cubic-foot trunk and a spacious front cabin with plenty of leg-stretching space and ample width for three-abreast seating. The rear would also accommodate three with decent, if not spectacular legroom, but the stylish roofline forced taller passengers to crouch or slump for head clearance.

Needless to say, the high compression Marauders dined on nothing but premium fuel - and in copious amounts. Motor Trend's X-100 managed only 10.8 mpg in hard but varied driving, and even gentle highway cruising would take you no further than about 300 miles despite the huge, 24-gallon fuel tank.

With its maladroit timing, the Marauder was something of an also-ran in the sales race. In a year when Mercury retailed over 398,000 units, its new sumo-class performer saw just 14,666 deliveries, 5635 of the X-100s. Changes were predictably minor for 1970. Vertical grille bars, new parking light lenses, and Marauder lettering adorned the front, and the X-100's matte rear deck finish became and option. Inside, there was no more hide upholstery, but high-back vinyl buckets and the plush Twin-Comfort split bench were still available. After watching model year sales plummet to 6043 units, including a mere 2646 X-100s, Mercury cut the rope. Born in a changing USA, the Marauder found plenty of competition in its intended $3500-$5000 market niche. Though starting prices were attractive - $3368 for the base model, $4091 for X-100 - stickers finished at $5000 or more with air conditioning and the ususal power options. This put the sporting Merc head-to-head with such heavy-hitters as the Buick Wildcat, Chrysler 300, and Pontiac's quicker new downsized Grand Prix [Cheap Wheels, April 1986]. And for only a grand more than the well equipped




Last but not least, take a look at this link, which will take you to an article about an extremely nice 1969 X100 that looks a lot like yours...
http://fordmuscle.com/archives/2004/02/marauder/index.shtml

[FiveO]

:stupid:

What he said ;) ;)


:D

Great deal....enjoy it!

[hitchhiker]

Second part of post about X100 -
1969-70 Mercury Marauder: Late Zoomer ...




http://fordmuscle.com/archives/2004/02/marauder/index.shtml

Donny,

Thanks for taking the time to respond in such a complete way!

Great information.

I am going to add beefy sway bars, heavy-duty shocks, and 60 series rubber to this beast to improve its handling characteristics.

Should make a nice occasional cruiser.

I wonder if our modern MM wheels and tires would fit on it?

Best Regards,

David

[TAF]

Donny,

Thanks for taking the time to respond in such a complete way!

Great information.
"The Donster"...is TRULY...THE MAN!!!!:rock:

[Tallboy]

Will someone who knows a lot about these cars: 1969/1970 Marauder X100 let me know what the differences are between the base Marauder and the X100 model?

I am the new owner of a cherry 1969 X100.

Thanks,

David
congratulations!! how about a couple pics? i just love those cars!!:cool:

[TheDealer]

Here's a Marauder that was at my Cruise Night. This was NOT a x-100. X-100 had a black deck lid.

[hitchhiker]

congratulations!! how about a couple pics? i just love those cars!!:cool:

Check out my post which announced this itemon ebay.

It has several pictures:

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?t=11501&highlight=X100

Best Regards,

David

[chrish]

There was a sweet red with black rear on e-bay a few months ago...is this your new car? Those cars & the cyclones rule the years in question. Red, like the one in the original brochure , are RAAAAD. I had a1971 2-door Marquie , that car hauled boot. You should widen those wheels & shorten the rear end , make that baby a jewel........ :up:

[hitchhiker]

There was a sweet red with black rear on e-bay a few months ago...is this your new car? Those cars & the cyclones rule the years in question. Red, like the one in the original brochure , are RAAAAD. I had a1971 2-door Marquie , that car hauled boot. You should widen those wheels & shorten the rear end , make that baby a jewel........ :up:
I just bought it off ebay.

I like the all black look, like our newer ones!

It has a rebuilt engine and new stainless 2 1/2 in exhaust all the way back.

Nice shape as you can see from the pics.

Best Regards,

David

[chrish]

I just bought it off ebay.

I like the all black look, like our newer ones!

It has a rebuilt engine and new stainless 2 1/2 in exhaust all the way back.

Nice shape as you can see from the pics.

Best Regards,

David
When you said cherry :stupid: :stupid: I was thinking red not condition.. There was a PERFECT red with all options a few months ago ,,,, NICE. like the black you got though. Would of you bought this car if it wasn't for the new platform?

[hitchhiker]

When you said cherry :stupid: :stupid: I was thinking red not condition.. There was a PERFECT red with all options a few months ago ,,,, NICE. like the black you got though. Would of you bought this car if it wasn't for the new platform?
Yes I would. I have always liked the style of the 1969 / 1970 MM's. I also want a 1963 and 1/2 MM too. Preferably an R-Code 427. Someday... :rock:

For those handy with body, paint and interior work, there are quite of few of these in rough shape that would look great restored. I sure hope somebody saves them from the crusher. Remember, they come back as Hondas! :puke:

Does anyone know if the wheels and tires from one of our new MM's will fit on my 1969. I think the look would be great!

Best Regards,

Davd