new to Marauders and new to CA

[03calitejas]

New member in Van Nuys CA that is also new to CA and its weirdo emissions testing issues. Bought a one owner Maruader from my current employer driven by a good friend of mine for about 3 years as a company car...has over 114K miles on it and in pretty decent shape. Stock except for p255 Nitto's on the back. Think its an 03A from what I've read on your site.

I love the car...great for tearing up the canyons and occasionally letting it loose on the street...

Got trounced by a new Escalade the other night and not wanting that to happen again...looking for advice on adding maybe 70-80HP in the most economical and reliable way...have been looking at the FMPP superchargers and talking about that on www.carjunkietv.com (http://www.carjunkietv.com/). This is Dave Freiburgers new project website (he was editor at Hot Rod and Car Craft and etc etc...).... pretty cool people over there if you get a chance to pop over... I am the "03maruader" there and new to their site too

I left my tools and my garage behind in Texas last year which kills me...arrgh...first time without a garage in like 30 years...

so any suggestions are welcome along with any known socal garages that allow tinkering like the auto hobby shops back in the military would be awesome.:help:

[Svashtar]

Hi, and welcome! There are several CA guys on this list. I never considered an S/C out here, although I know there are 50-state legal ones, but I've never checked into them, and probably won't while I live here.

The easiest way to add a bunch of horses is to get Dennis' Cobra exhaust package, but of course that's illegal out here too. I hate this damned state! :mad2:

So, I've settled for Dennis' SCT tune, UD pullies, cooler plugs and stat, an electric WP, 4:10's, Granatelli coil connectors, a PI 3000 stall TC, beefed up tranny, PHP cold air kit, and a few other things. Personally, as far as bang for the buck, I would start with just changing the gears to 4:10's and getting a good tune. I think you will be surprised at how it wakes up the car. Folks here gave me that advice, and they were exactly right. Good jumping off point.

I don't know anything about the SC'd cars, but the guys here who have that can tell you about those options. I think they would agree on the gears and tune though as good starting points.

BTW, as soon as I can leave this politically correct ******** I'm buying the full blown bolt on exhaust anyway, and maybe an S/C, depending on how much of the engine work has to be redone. (I know I have to switch back to the std. pullies anyway, and maybe a bit more.)

Norm

[RoyLPita]

:congrats: on getting an MM. Enjoy.

[03calitejas]

Hey Norm...thanks for the reply...from what I've read on the carjunkietv.com website (ran be a fromer editor of Hot Rod and Car Craft), the Ford Motor Perfomance Parts (FMPP?) supercharger that is built specifically for the 4.6 modular ford motors is supposed to be a direct bolt on kit that adds about 60-80 HP (depending on who you talk to) and its CARB (californicated) approved so its legal here. I know that one of the two K&N cold air intakes is CARB appvd too but Im learning more about it every day...there was a complete ford kit that sold for about 1250 on Ebay about 4 months ago. Not really sure how "complete" the kits really are but an extra 70 horses would be more than enough for me (for now at least)...If I get more info I'll post it here...where the heck is Salinas at anyways?

[03calitejas]

cool cool Rapid Roy :)

ok so what is an Oasis report?

I agree about this website being awesome and very welcoming so far

[dohc324ci]

Welcome! I have heard there are NO CA approved SC for the MM so I would be interested in what you find. There are kits from FIT and Trilogy (preferred) but not CA approved. And yes your first mod that I would recommend is a tune from either Dennis or Lidio; do a search. The tune along with 4.10s is what most owners recommend first. Then JLT CAI, pullies, WP etc.. I did the X3 tune (Lidio) just a week or so and love the way the car responds.

[MACFORD88]

Welcome Im In Southern Cali Too.

[03calitejas]

Hey Mac,
Thanks for the reply... :)
I've only ran across a few other Marauders in the valley (up in Van Nuys) so far here and haven't talked with anyone that has aftermarket mods on them. Can you shed some light on the S/C issue? It's not like I have cash in hand right now but I'd rather ponder adders that are legal here. I mentioned the website from carjunkies and the honcho over there seems pretty certain that the FMPP S/C is CARB appvd. any insights? And -I am stuck here at the moment without a garage but I have decent enough hand tools and covered parking so simpler is better for the time being...Thanks!

[03calitejas]

I really appreciate your advice! I will definitely share anything I can dig up on the S/C issue in Cali.

I know this beast could likely use a good solid tune but I put a LOT of miles on my car (roadtrips up and down cali a lot lately) so a gear change in back would be low on my list at the moment...I like getting 20+ mpg and think I would lower that a lot changing to lower gearing.

Can you explain the JLT CAI?

I like a good launch but some of the comments I've read are more geared for 1/4 mile times than just more overall brute force.

Lastly, which K&N did you go with?

[03calitejas]

interesting info I've got so far

Check out carjunkietv.com

go to the forums, garage, and scroll to a thread "superchargers vs nitrous vs ??? "

some good information there about the smog legal issues in cali and superchargers in general...

I'll post more here as I uncover it if thats cool with the moderators here...

[dohc324ci]

I really appreciate your advice! I will definitely share anything I can dig up on the S/C issue in Cali.

I know this beast could likely use a good solid tune but I put a LOT of miles on my car (roadtrips up and down cali a lot lately) so a gear change in back would be low on my list at the moment...I like getting 20+ mpg and think I would lower that a lot changing to lower gearing.

Can you explain the JLT CAI?

I like a good launch but some of the comments I've read are more geared for 1/4 mile times than just more overall brute force.

Lastly, which K&N did you go with?

JLT makes a Cold air intake kit for mustangs and also has one for the Marauder. I have a drop in K&N that came with the car. From what I have read on this forum the JLT ($159) is generally preferred as well as the one from DR - PHP (a little to steep for me). Should net 8-10HP. As far as the 4.10s they are recommended for our 4V motor, to extract the most performance down low this mod with tune is generally the one to alleviate that problem. I use my MM as a daily driver so I dont think I will be installing the 4.10s anytime soon (1-2mpg). :beer:

[Herco23]

Welcome to California, Don't forget to sign up for fabulous Fords car chow on April 20. Last Day to sign in is April 7. I own a MM, so far I've done several upgrades, 4.10 gears, K&N, supechip programmer, UD Pullies, Borla 2 1/2 Cat back exhaust with deleted Meg Tips, Addco Sway bars F&R, Baer Brakes upgrade F&R, HID fog lights and headlights and I hope to get headers and a TC preety soon.

[FordNut]

I mentioned the website from carjunkies and the honcho over there seems pretty certain that the FMPP S/C is CARB appvd. any insights?

I think you'll find that it is approved for a Mustang. Not the same as approved for a Marauder. I don't believe there are any S/C kits approved for the Marauder.

I'd go with 4.10's and a tune first.
Then maybe a 2800-3000 stall torque converter.
Underdrive pulleys and an electric water pump.

You MIGHT be able to switch to high flow cats, but you'll probably have to stick with 4 of them like the factory setup.

Or put on a non-intercooled Novi s/c and pull it off for inspection time.

[MACFORD88]

For Th S/c In California Its Because Of The State Smog Rules.

[MACFORD88]

Welcome to California, Don't forget to sign up for fabulous Fords car chow on April 20. Last Day to sign in is April 7. I own a MM, so far I've done several upgrades, 4.10 gears, K&N, supechip programmer, UD Pullies, Borla 2 1/2 Cat back exhaust with deleted Meg Tips, Addco Sway bars F&R, Baer Brakes upgrade F&R, HID fog lights and headlights and I hope to get headers and a TC preety soon.
CAN ALL THE MM BE TOGATHER AT THE FABULOUS FORDS?

[DOOM]

welcome home

[Herco23]

All the Mercury Owners have their own section last year their was 5 MM, we hope to have more this year.

[DOOM]

Welcome to the site.

[03calitejas]

just got the JLT CAI and its all ready to install in the morning :) took some wise advice and sprayed a couple cans of citrus cleaners in the engine bay and man does she sparkle now...feeling a whole bunch better about the fabulous fords meet now
:beatnik:

is it far from Herco Knotts Berry? maybe we could all meet up there and cruise as a group?

not volunteering anyone or anything but...