My 12 Second Winter Beater Marauder

[Motorhead350]

Yes I am driving the Marauder in winter. I just got a set of winter tires and wheels for it at Tire Rack and I am very impressed. Recently I put 300lbs of sand in the trunk to keep it on the road when accelerating and it's doing a fine job.

The only issue is I have to drive like an old lady other wise it goes all over the place... drive it well and it's as good as it is on dry land.

So far it has survived two snow storms here in The Windy City and has never had a problem getting out of a parking spot or the driveway.

People, save the money from getting a winter beater and just buy winter tires, wheels and at least 200lbs of sand for the trunk... I put 300 because I'm a real idiot behind the wheel sometimes and I think it's probably better because of the 4:10 gearing. A car is meant to be driven, no matter what! I'm going to drive this thing until it's not even worth two cents, then it will be time for it's restoration... then maybe it can be one of those "weekend/I drive it sometimes" cars.

Also this car is much faster when it's 35 or less outside. :stupid: The only problem is I keep blowing the intake pipe off my throttle body... I don't know why. :confused: It's not like I'm bad at fixing the car or anything. :rolleyes:

Drive it like you rented it!!! ALL YEAR LONG!!! :banana:

[CBT]

Recently I put 300lbs of sand in the trunk

Did you leave it in the bags this time?:P

[SC Cheesehead]

:laugh:


Did you leave it in the bags this time?:P

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[xopher]

People, save the money from getting a winter beater and just buy winter tires, wheels...then maybe it can be one of those "weekend/I drive it sometimes" cars.
People don't store cars they cherish in the winter because they're worried about their performance. They don't want corrosive road salts to eat away at their paint, clear coat, wheels, exhaust, underbody, engine bay, etc.

Your supposed cost savings from buying a winter beater is completely eliminated by the amount of resale and/or collector's value lost due to the vehicle being dissolved from the bottom up by winter conditions.

Also, when you suggested a "restoration", there is a significant cost associated with it and you would be restoring more than just the body. You would be restoring everything eaten away by road salt. And by restoring, I mean replacing. And you would spend as much, if not more, on these replacement parts as many of has done on a winter beater.

[tjg442]

:coolman: Drive it !!! What is wrong with haveing a nice car to drive all year ? Enjoy the Marauder, it's one of the finnest cars I've ever owned, big four door, huge trunk, plenty power, and heated seats for the winter commute for work (50) miles one way, be darn if I will drive a beater just to save somthing I can buy 10 years from now, if I need too. Glad to hear you use sand in the trunk, and not salt like I saw in a Thread a few days ago....

[FormulaMarauder]

Nothing will kill an interior like sand/snow/grime. I'll never drive my MM in the snow.

[Vortech347]

I love finding snow filled parkinglots. :)

[Bradley G]

Why do I have heated seats? Oh Yeah, I drive the Marauder all winter.

[a_d_a_m]

the amount of resale and/or collector's value lost due to the vehicle being dissolved from the bottom up by winter conditions. or, you know, the fact that it's been wrecked 3 times! :D

i'm driving mine here and there this winter, but never when the roads are wet or overly salty. why F a car up you don't have to, right? the marquis is doing just fine in the slick stuff. the marauder hasn't been out in about a week.

[Embassy]

why F a car up you don't have to, right? the marquis is doing just fine in the slick stuff. the marauder hasn't been out in about a week.


Exactly, I have another Panther as a daily driver.

The Marauder doesn't see any moist weather, or even dust if I can help it.

[Motorhead350]

My Marauder sees all weather, from sunny days to 8 inches of snow it does it all. To me a car is meant to be driven, but must be maintained... not cared for. That's just me.

It's off to the gym later to take a shower! I heard we are getting a snow storm here in the next day or so. I'll admit my K5 will be picked up today, but I just cannot believe how good the Marauder is in the snow with tires and sand BAGS in the trunk! :eek:

[BADMERC]

Dom. What tires did you pick up from tire rack? Do you like them?

Matt.

[Motorhead350]

Michelin Tires and whatever wheels they had. They only have one set up for a Mercury Marauder and you will have to buy new lug nuts and a socket to get these on the car. My tire iron wouldn't work, nor would the factory tool with the jack.

In the end it was around $850 for everything.

Just say winter package for The Mercury Marauder or GM and they will have it. I wish I knew more about the tires for ya. :o

[ctrlraven]

Mine has been daily driven for over 3 years now. I love driving in the snow with my huge 4x4 tires. After salt has been laid down I just double up on the undercarriage wash and regular car wash. I didn't buy mine to be a garage queen, it's plenty of battle scares and when the time is ready I'll buy another V8 4dr rear wheel drive car and then give my MM the minor TLC it needs with some new paint and dents pulled.

[Vortech347]

My stang, yea, daily driving that ALL the time would be annoying after a while. Harsh ride, loud as hell, small, 5-points on/off...

My MM Love dailying that car. I regret driving it in the winter but ya know what thats what I got it for. When time comes to let her go. I'll buy one of the garage queens someone else has preserved so I can once again hit the road in style!!

Also these cars are alot tougher than people make em sound, they arn't POS unibody's.

[Leadfoot281]

My friend Eric was given his Dads old '64 Nova a few years ago. Aside from some faded paint, it was in excellent shape. His Dad bought it new and never drove it during bad weather. Then he started driving in the winter. Everyone told him not to.

"It's simple to work on, I can fix it myself, It's better on gas...blah, blah, blah."

After three Wisconsin winters I finally went for a ride with him in it the other day.

The rockers were gone, 30% of the trunk floor was gone, the carpet was falling through the floor and he wanted to know if I could fix it. Other than the firewall and roof, the rest of the car was shot. The trim and glass was salvagable, but that was about it.

He turned a $5,000 car into an $800 parts car in just three winters.

I have heated seats in my Marauder too. Those buttons are very, very lonely.

[Motorhead350]

Well John that car was from 1964 and even the CVs and GM I see on the road currently are not shot after three years. The Panthers are a very common car here in Chicago and I have yet to see one with shot rockers or anything close to being ruined due to the winter. Ours are built way different than anything from the mid 60s. I do however see you point and that kinda scared me. I don't want my car to turn into a rust bucket in 3 years. :depress:

[cvpiftw]

My luxobarge is my dd and the copcar is the driveway queen, so don't feel bad. Dom, hit the carwashes very often, like daily a least and get a undercarriage wash.

[Leadfoot281]

It's simple Dom. A car that was never rusty is still much better than a rusty car that was fixed. Period.

Besides that, winter beaters are just plain fun! Find an $800 Jeep Cherokee and sell it in the spring for $600.

Heck, one year I bought a '78 Wagoneer with an AMC 401 in it for just $300. I'd drive it up on huge piles of snow outside convienance stores and malls and just park it there. I always had a place to park! I could stomp on it and do 4 wheel burn-outs (on ice) which was huge fun.

The whole drive train sounded like it was gonna fall out any minute! Lol!!!

After two winters without an oil change I sold it for $1,000. (AMC 401's have forged cranks and are worth good money).

[Motorhead350]

Oh ya I remember that story.

You guys really have me thinking now... I think this will be the first and only winter for My Marauder. :depress:

[ChiTownMaraud3r]

My MM hasn't been driven since thanksgiving(way before it started snowing). It is unfortunately sitting outside under some snow as we speak though :depress:

But just a look at the undercarriage of my lincoln and I bet you will change your mind about driving anything in the winter.

If you must, I would spray it with a treatment coating to battle the salt under there.

[460mudsports]

All you really have to do is move south of the salt belt and you don't have to worry about not driving your MM in the winter because of rust!!! :lol:

[Motorhead350]

In the words of Fear "I love livin' in the city"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYye59dstRY&feature=related

[Black_Noise]

mine gets the snow on it, but I dont drive it around, like it was said I dont want the salt and crap on/under it.

[MeadeRaudeR]

thats a sweet a$$ sig you got there black noise.....

[J D]

thats a sweet a$$ sig you got there black noise.....

Ditto Black Noise, I have to say you are a shoe in for smartest sig of the year!