SS VRS. Marauder URL

[mungce]

Go to www.mercuryvehicles.com you can check out the compairsons between the 2 cars. This was put together some time ago, when the Marauder first came out, but all should still be the same. Sure, it's from Mercury, but it's a heads uo test, and I have been aksed to supply this url, from a coule of SS guys and members, too.

Jim Williams
Ft.Worth, Tx

[hd2805]

Here I go again, I'll probably get thrown off this site one of these days...
I have two (2) Impala SS's and a 03 MM.... One SS is bone stock the other has a chip, Borla and a Hennesy Intake.. My MM has Dennis' chip, t-stat, plugs, 4:10 and it woke it up very nicely, the MM is a very nice car but WILL NOT hold a candle to my stock SS, my other SS would blow my MM off any given day.. I'm happy I bought the MM, but it is a very, very overated (in the performance dept) car. When driving the MM with the tinted windows I feel like I should be working for a limo service (maybe I should).. When driving the SS I feel like I'm driving a rear wheel drive performance sedan (AS I should)...So you say why don't you sell it?? as I said I like the car BUT is not a good comparison to the SS!!!!!!!!!!!!

[smith5365]

HD2895: Tend to agree. Over the years it's generally taken more effort ($$$ too, of course) to bring Mercurys up to competitive level with Chevies, etc. Bottom line: What do you pay for the vehicle plus mods to become competitive with anyone? Plus, for me in particular, which car do I like the appearance of the best?

Bill Smith

[Smokie]

"Here I go again, I'll probably get thrown off this site one of these days..." Nothing wrong with prefering the SS over the MM they are both fine cars with their own strenghts and weakness. Out of the box the SS superior low end torque cannot be denied, I believe the MM handling and front end suspension and brakes are superior to the SS. As far as looks they both look damm good; I prefer the MM but admire the SS a great deal. :)

[gja]

Having had quite a lot of time in SS and it's blue-collar brother, the 9C series (of which I still have 1) I will agree to the bone-stock trim being quicker in the SS. But I do not see the SS comparing on ANY level to the MM. It will out-pull it on the skidpad and slalom and feels far less vague at high speed (or so I hear, I NEVER drive that fast occifer!) My friend could not hold his VERY immaculate SS on line with the MM at the right-hand side of the speedo, he complained "it just wasn't comfortable through flat and hard turns. The MM is quite happy to bend the needle at end and there is no float or headshake at all. Kinda freaky for such a large car, I will attribute to the crossmember design and rack&pinion steering as both cars are close to each other in drag coefficient and the COG(center of grav) are not drastically different. I am quite sure with a driveshaft and chip the MM would outpace the SS in a long run, 1st turn and the SS is rearview filler. The MM just feels glued better, and that is with OEM tires, I am guessing Pzeros would exacerbate the difference.

My 2cents

[RCSignals]

gja

That was a very honest assesment.
A Stock SS beats the MM in off the line torque only.

[smith5365]

Twist in the chassis under hard cornering can't be stressed enough. If I remember correctly, that's the major advantage of the MM: its hydroformed main frame members, hence flat cornering so all the suspension parts perform at best angle, etc. Anybody more knowledgeable care to comment? I'm guessing.

Bill Smith

[mungce]

Ain't it geart that we have choices, and that options to use them ! Drive what you choose and drive it as you choose !

Jim Williams
Ft.Worth, Tx

[SSMOKEM]

A Stock SS beats the MM in off the line torque only.
Not too many stock ones left after 7 years.......:)

[mungce]

....as old a cars themselves............who's better ? It's all in the way you look at it, and what your wanting in a car. If you like it, drive it.

Jim Williams

[SergntMac]

Not really a fair comparasion is it? If these two beasts were side by side on the 1320, wouldn't NHRA/UDRA rules require some adjustments on the tree?

Not that I care, the SS is one great car, and the MM is another great car, run what ya brung.

[mungce]

..........if yoy like it, drive it.

Jim Williams

[BISHOPSS95]

I think we need to race. over and over and over.

A two great gentlemans cars. Big and fast.

Gota love it!

:cool:

[tetsu]

I love the SS. It's what got me interested in the Marauder in the first place.

However, all this talk about stock SS's blowing away MMs. Mine ran 14.84 stock. What did your SS run stock? I don't think the numbers support the idea that stock/stock the SS outperforms the MM.

The SS has better low end torque. The MM has better handling.

The SS is beautiful. The MM is gorgeous.

We're all going to be jealous of the new Hemi Chryslers very soon. If I had seen the Hemi Vista station wagon before I bought my MM I would've waited for the Vista. (Note: I wouldve bought a station wagon Marauder.)

Johnny

[SSMOKEM]

Hey tetsu,

Mine ran 15.58 bone stock (2.38 60' and 3.08 gear).

It ran a 14.84 (2.19 60') with K&N intake, Flowmaster mufflers (stock pipes) and a 3.73 gear.

[Macon Marauder]

I think it makes sense to compare the SS and the MM in a way: the MM has no direct competitor in the marketplace today, so we have to look back several years to find a "benchmark." And everybody knows Mercury studied the SS as part of the MMs development. And of course Mercury's comparision is gonna be a little skewed. It's marketing after all.

On a side note, I remember when the first gen of that Caprice came out. We were big into used police cars. When they started showing up at the auctions people ran away! The cars were simply unattractive and you could get them dirt cheap.

I don't know how many SS Impalas were built - but we sure saw (still see) a lot of them around here.

The last year of production (96?) there was a dark red (cherry?) SS that sat on a Chevy dealer's lot near Columbus, GA that I would drive by on business trips. It was beautiful. Sat there for months with steadily decreasing sale prices soaped on the windshield.

I never drove one (at the time I couldn't get over my anti-chevy bias, sorry) but now I wonder what I missed. If the SS influenced the MM in any way, or helped the Ford people make the decision to build it (and I'm sure it did) then we owe a toast to the SS and SS owners.

Cheers!

[RCSignals]

Originally posted by tetsu
I love the SS. It's what got me interested in the Marauder in the first place.

However, all this talk about stock SS's blowing away MMs. Mine ran 14.84 stock. What did your SS run stock? I don't think the numbers support the idea that stock/stock the SS outperforms the MM.

The SS has better low end torque. The MM has better handling.

The SS is beautiful. The MM is gorgeous.

We're all going to be jealous of the new Hemi Chryslers very soon. If I had seen the Hemi Vista station wagon before I bought my MM I would've waited for the Vista. (Note: I wouldve bought a station wagon Marauder.)

Johnny

Another good post.

When you mention waiting if you'd seen the Hemi Station wagon first, it's exactly General Motors game plan in having started mentioning the currently non-existent RWD GTO, and DCX trying the same with talk of a new RWD sedan, especially for Police market. Both are hoping buyers will delay purchases until they see other offerings. It's an old trick, but sometimes in the end there is no follow through.

All the manufacturers are too caught up in SUVs and now "crosstrainers" ti realise there is a market for a large RWD sedan based Station Wagon. Maybe Chrysler Will be the first to market with one. Is Ford listening?

[Geo]

Macon Marauder:

regarding your post:

"I don't know how many SS Impalas were built - but we sure saw (still see) a lot of them around here.

The last year of production (96?) there was a dark red (cherry?) SS that sat on a Chevy dealer's lot near Columbus, GA that I would drive by on business trips. It was beautiful. Sat there for months with steadily decreasing sale prices soaped on the windshield."

GM made approx. 6000 in 94 (starting late: Feb14 1994), about 20,000 in 95 and an extended run of about 40,000 in 96. Usually cars would have stopped production for 1996 around Summer time at the lastest, however, Arlington continued pumping out Impalas until December 1996! In effect they, half of these could have been called 1997s but GM wanted 1996 to be the last. To compare, the G-body in the 80's ended similarly. The 1988 Monte Carlos and 1988 Cutlasses (Supreme Classic) were all built in the last 6 months of 1987. However the 1987 Buick Grand National was also extended to the end of 1987 (December aswell) but the GNs were all labeled 1987s (in fact, the last G-body to come out of the plant (Pontiac, MI) was a 1987 GN).

My 94 SS, which is bone-stock, stays quite true to Car and Driver's 6.5s 0-60. However my best 0-60mph test was 6.0s (I filmed this while driving so I could prove it). It was a cold evening though, so I imagine my air-fuel ratio was ideal.

GEO

[SSlammed9C1]

I have only seen 2 in Ventura...raced only 1. There are multiple in LA i always see a few in the oncoming of the 101. They ARE nice and I am always excited to see one. Would I trade my Caprice for one...Nah.

[mungce]

I have no idea about how many SS were made, and don't care. Is this a Marauder forum or an SS one ? How about you SS guys, who must have " some " reason that your hanging out in a Maruder net site, hop on over to your SS site and do you thing there. I have learned an enormous amount about my Marauder by this net, and have no desire to learn about the SS. If I wanted an SS I would get one....I don't.
Jim Williams

[SergntMac]

Bravo, Mungce. Well said, my sentiments exactly.

[03 Merc]

Instead of just concentrating on drag racing, only one of many motor sports, are any of you SS guys interested in meeting up for a little road course action??? And I don't mean any NASCAR round the circle stuff either...

Check out www.tailofthedragon.com ... Some of us in Atlanta are planning to "run the dragon" if / when the weather cooperates :rolleyes: Now all those fancy "power adders" are nice but they won't mean much on the Dragon...and some of them just might work against you....

[MAD-3R]

Give it a rest.

The SS guys have been very helpful, curtious and always polite. I feel we should be the same to them. I for one, like them being here. The info and light rivalry is fun. I do not want this to degrade into some of the Male Bovine Fecal Matter that gets spewed on the Mustang/Trans-Camaro side.

Beside, they're just jelouse :p

[Logan]

I agree, the SS folks are a great bunch of guys who share the same interests in big rwd cars, so as far as I'm concerned they're a welcome addition to the discussions here...

Alot of the guys are thinking about getting marauders or are just plain excited about them. Anyone considering giving them lip for hanging out here should realize that that won't be the popular sentiment and is not in the spirit of this site.

That being said, carry on with this great thread and leave the BS out of it if you don't want me to start nuking posts and closing threads...

[BISHOPSS95]

Mad-3R you are correct. I am jelouse. I would like to have a new 4 door car and the next one will be a Marauder hopefully. Mercury is targeting the SS people and most of us fit the buyer profile. It's like watching a baby's first step. The new feeling will fade with time but the unique relation of the big car crowd should last much longer.

Wayne I will cross post and see if we get any hits. It sounds like a lot of fun.

:cool:

[TAF]

The MAN has SPOKEN...

I agree Logan. I just click on and read the "threads" that are of interest to me and avoid the ones that don't...(like Wayne's "trailer hitch"...just joking my friend!...) If I don't want to read/participate in the "SS vs. Marauder" threads...so be it.

I have enjoyed having enthusiats of ALL types here, though. "Can't we all just get along"...sorry...HAD to use that famous, profound quote.

[hd2805]

I hope that I did not contribute to a lot of finger pointing over this SS vs MM, as I've said I am fortunte enought to have 2 - 96 SS's and a MM and I love all three cars, some pros and cons with both but try and buy one from me and as Heston said "only when you pry my dead, cold fingers off it" I admit I was quite unhappy with the performance of the MM when I got it, but with Dennis's help and goodies I am quite satisfied now and will probably do more in the spring...
Ed

[tetsu]

I love the Caprice platform. The LT1 is a great motor.

In fact, I'm considering doing a Olds Custom Cruiser project as my first
major car project.

I want a car that can drive to the track with my wife, 3 kids and large dog and then run a respectable time. :D

I have this vision of a Custom Cruiser lowered and tubbed. I could
see it completely blacked out (including blackeded wheels) with red or grey interior and vista roof. (replace the vinyl with leather)

I'm looking at the market for CCs and they are very reasonably priced. :)

The LT1 is modern and has a terrific aftermarket and large used parts base.

[mungce]

In reply to this paticular thread..................I was asked to supply the URL of a compairson that I mentioned, and did so. Perhaps I shoud have used a different subject title, as it's NOT a SS. Vrs. Marauder thing, its simply a compairson that the seller did, so that prospective buyers could have an idea of what was " for sale " from Mercury. The Chevy Vrs. Ford, Vrs. MoPar, Vrs. whatever has been going since the 1st cars rolled out of the plant. As I have said before, it's great to have a choice......... drive what you like, the way you like, or as we say here in Texas........" Drive Friendly "

Jim Williams
Ft. Worth, Tx

[Logan]

This portion of the thread has run it's course.

Visit the new thread, called "SS & Marauder Love-in" at:

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=790