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Thread: Big, Black, Bold - Marauder vs Impala in German magazine

  1. #1
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    Post Big, Black, Bold - Marauder vs Impala in German magazine

    Some may have already seen it in the European subforum, my Marauder is featured in the popular German Youngtimer magazine where it is compared to my friends Chevrolet Impala SS.

    As far as we know, this marks the first appearance of the Marauder in a foreign press release.

    I was only there for the photo shoot (300 mile trip for me) and thus couldn't influence the article much whilst the Impala guy lives in close vicinity so you'll notice that the article is more about the Impala than the Marauder which is a bit of a downer for me. We also didn't make the cover but we weren't excepting that although it is a bit of a shame having lost against a red BMW convertible.

    For those whose German is a bit rusty I have provided an English translation. If you are interested to receive a printed copy of the magazine I will set an ordering thread up later and put a bulk order together for everyone.


    Fast as the US cops - V8 power by Chevy & Mercury


    Big, Black, Bold - Mercury Marauder and Chevrolet Impala SS are full size US-Sedans with lots of V8-Power and rear wheel drive. Their strong muscles have been trained in police service.
    Unfortunately my scanner wasn't big enough to capure the whole page but you get the idea. These pages can be turned into a little 18 x 12 inch poster if you order a printed copy.


    Impala Interior -
    All in the style of the 90s the Impala is not stingy with roundly shaped plastic. The LT1-V8 out of the Camaro hides under the intake system
    Marauder Interior -
    Sporty and plain grey also in the Marauder but with fancy white instruments. The Mustang Cobra V8 motor has been retrofitted with an LPG system

    32 valves:
    Unbelievable that Ford built a modern DOHC V8 into their antique body on frame, limited slip Panther-Platform. It happened in the Marauder: 306 horsepower.

    Driving shot -
    The almost ten years younger Marauder appears more conservative than the dynamic Impala SS from 1995.

    Behind the wheel of the black Chevrolet Impala SS, a legendary scene from the Hollywood blockbuster “Blues Brother” where Elwood picks up his brother Jake from prison, comes to mind instantly. Although the rounded, mice-grey Impala-Cockpit with its plastic controls and bulky airbag steering wheel bears no resemblance to the 74’ Dodge Monaco from the movie, there are a few similarities: “It's got a cop motor, it's got cop tires, cop suspensions, cop shocks.” With these famous words, Elwood justifies the purchase of the old police Dodge.
    Our black 95’ Impala SS – SS stands for Super Sport – is no other than a cop car in evening dress. Just like the Mercury Marauder parked next to it which we will talk about later. As a police car, the Impala SS was called Chevrolet Caprice and was in service until 1996. For its tough patrol duties, the last full size Chevy received numerous technical improvements: reinforced suspension and brakes, optimized motor and transmission cooling, solid pickup rear axle with limited slip differential, dual exhaust and a strong 5.7 litre V8 from the Camaro pushing 264 horses. A genuine police Caprice which were also used as subtle undercover cruisers, US-Car enthusiasts identify by the almost magical sounding option code 9C1 in the VIN.
    All the technical improvements as well as a lot more comfort features are also part of our black Impala SS, which unlike its police colleagues takes on the roads with enormous 255/50-ZR-16 wheels. But now we would finally like to experience our well disguised Cop-Chevy in action. We fasten our seatbelts, start the engine with the Chevy typical noise, pull the automatic gear selector to D and gently start to drive.


    Being on cloud nine

    At first, typical US-Sedan: At low speeds we experience to float along on cloud nine in the Impala. Steering, braking and accelerating – everything is casual, easy and chilled out. The rev counter needle already drops at 2500 rpm for the gear change – but we’re quickly moving forward. The suspension seemingly is a bit harder than your standard family Caprice which becomes apparent on uneven road surfaces. The almost silent floating, swinging and wallowing in the spacious grey/black plastic ambience remains.
    Time to engage the chase and pursuit mode by bringing our right foot closer to the floor. Flat down at roughly 40 mph – and the Impala SS changes its identity like Clark Kent/Superman. First the V8 roars into life from its half sleep and whips the rev counter needle to a fevered 5000 rpm. Almost instantly the transmission kicks down two gears, tremendously pushing the load forward.
    In the humorous cop movie a cup of hot coffee would now drop from the dashboard. We gladly relinquish that but feel an enormous pressure in our backs and admire the lightly lifted front end.
    The V8 is hammering at the front, the speedometer needle easily swings past the 100 mph mark. And now braking, we turn right off the highway. The four internal ventilated disc brakes are gripping firmly and the Impala – that’s the name of the medium sized African antelopes – throws itself into the corner, more like a grizzly bear with its wide base tires. We improve its balance by accelerating into a little drift.

    Mercury and Chevy are mighty relicts from the past

    After a few more sovereignly mastered corners we return to the starting point. And now we will take a look at what the Mercury Marauder can do. Under its body, like the Impalas SS, you will find optimized technology from a successful, widely recognized police car in the USA: The Ford Crown Victoria. As yellow New York taxis these full size sedans have been shaping the cityscape of Manhattan until about 10 years ago. The widespread police version has been know under the option code P71 or CVPI for Crown Victoria Police Interceptor across all US states since 1998.

    The typical cop car
    Like the Caprice that was built until 1996, the Crown Victoria and its sibling Grand Marquis share the body on frame design, V8 motor, rear wheel drive and sturdy suspension with limited slip differential. Everything that a solid cop car in the USA ever needs. The CVPI version received the same improvements as the Caprice with 9C1 police package. The strong 4.6 litre V8 of the CVPI is derived from the Ford Mustang and pushes 254 horses. Then Ford came up with the glorious idea to turn the CVPI into a big sports sedan – the Mercury Marauder was born.
    With it Ford copied the transformation of the police Caprice into the Impala SS – delayed by 7 years. The similarities between the out of production rivals are unmistakable: The Marauder, like the Impala, was only available in black at first and except from the wheels and brand logos without any chrome decoration. Also the name Marauder derives from a traditional model as it is with the Chevy. Inside both are grey and have electrical leather bucket seats with the floor mounted automatic gear selector between them.
    At least Ford wanted to top the rivals performance and dropped the strongest 306 horsepower Mustang engine into the Marauder. It also received an attractive sports cockpit with a white instrument cluster and three additional round NASCAR style gauges in the centre console. However the rounded highly build Marauder appears less aggressive than the wide almost maliciously lurking Impala SS.
    After entering the numeric code into the keyless entry pad on the driver side door the Marauder lets its driver behind the wheel. The modern DOHC V8 with 32 valves starts impulsively and runs a bit rougher than the smooth dual valve engine in the Chevy. However the Ford V8 powerfully pushes forward right after letting off the brake pedal which makes you want to put a red beacon on the roof.
    The redline of the V8 only starts at 6000 rpm so the dual valve engine pushes the 1.9 tonnes forward with relatively high revs and firm gear changes. A meaty roar accompanies the acceleration process. Leisurely, stress free cruising like the club cars of Queen Victoria is also one of the Mercurys abilities. Now we are just missing the drawbridge where Elwood demonstrated the flight abilities of his Dodge Monaco. Our elegant black cop cars could surely do that too.


  2. #2
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    Conclusion
    In Germany a small scene has formed around authentic cop cars from the USA. The civil versions shown here have convinced us with their differentiated use of proper V8 power and are a lot cleaner than out of duty police cars.
    Chevrolet Impala SS
    The sought after top model in the Caprice range is known to be sophisticated and reliable. With a slightly altered body and trim, the durable B-Body Platform was also sold as a Buick Roadmaster on the US market.

    Body-Check
    The bodies of the Impala SS and the Caprice are galvanized and thus do not have a lot of rust problems. However there are two known weak points: The painted sealing compound is known to crack just over the C-pillar which causes rainwater to leak into the trunk and cause corrosion. Underneath the B-pillar is also a well known rust spot. Due to the box type frame it becomes relatively easy to carry out body repairs. The interior consists of a lot of plastic parts that are prone to cracking. Replacing those can be difficult.

    Tech-Check
    With the correct care and regular oil changes which should be carried out after every 6.000 miles for the motor and every 60.000 miles for the transmission there are no problems with the low revving V8. Only some plastic components from the cooling system and worn steering levers as well as neglected maintenance could be causing trouble with the latter also being the case with many collectors vehicle that suffer in long storage periods.

    Spare-Parts
    Except from the large plastic interior parts as well as some electrical components, supply from the GM parts shelf is no problem through some renowned specialists. Helpful is also the fact that the Impala enjoys a huge following in the US car scene.


    Mercury Marauder
    The Mercury Marauder and its base model, the Mercury Grand Marquis (shown below) and Ford Crown Victoria are known to be very reliable and without many technical difficulties. They are the last remaining American full size sedans that were built until 2011.

    Body-Check
    Due to its young age of just 14 years there are not many rust problems, its rust proving however cannot be compared to European standards which should be said for the entire Panther-Platform range including the Lincoln Town Car. The interior is of higher quality than the Impalas but can cause trouble due to its numerous electronical components that come with the comfortable trim – especially the keyless entry pad which is exposed to all kinds of weather.

    Tech-Check
    The modern quad valve V8 is free of technical problems as long as it receives fresh oil and filters every 6000 miles. Replacement of the spark plugs can be quite difficult and is therefore being neglected by many. Known problems are caused by the heating system, the ABS electronics and the levelling of the rear air ride suspension.

    Spare Parts
    The relatively young Marauder shares a lot of parts with other Ford models so there is so shortage of parts supply although the Mercury brand became extinct in 2011. Mercury Marauder and Grand Marquis were the last big Mercurys.
    Click here for high res scans of the article and some pictures from the photo shoot.

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  3. #3
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    Nice!

    I'm a little surprised that the author was so lavish in his praise of these big sedans, especially being in the homeland of BMW and Mercedes AMG.

    One minor point...he said the spark plugs in the Marauder are "quite difficult" to change...I can't think of a car where they are much easier. Pop off the coil cover, and they're right there. Maybe he thought you needed to remove the whole cam cover?
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    Quote Originally Posted by RF Overlord View Post
    Nice!

    I'm a little surprised that the author was so lavish in his praise of these big sedans, especially being in the homeland of BMW and Mercedes AMG.

    One minor point...he said the spark plugs in the Marauder are "quite difficult" to change...I can't think of a car where they are much easier. Pop off the coil cover, and they're right there. Maybe he thought you needed to remove the whole cam cover?
    same thought I had. Also the part about changing the oil every 6 thousand miles...


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  5. #5
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    I don't know where he got his info from, he asked me some questions at the photo shoot and he called me once when he was writing the article but never mentioned the spark plugs.

    I change my oil twice every year and I usually do 10-12 thousand miles between changes, many say that is too much and I should change my oil more frequently but I don't drive my car hard, I baby it way too much and usually won't go over 85 mph. My car won't see a lot of hard acceleration either, my friends always tell me I should have gotten a Grand Marquis because I mostly don't use the Marauders abilities.

    However keep in mind that driving in Germany means the cars are under more stress than they are back "home". We have higher speed limits over here so when we say cruising it means driving on the Autobahn at 100 mph and because traffic is mess here it involves a lot of hard braking and accelerating at high speeds. American cars are not designed for this kind of driving so everybody who owns an American car over here will tell you how important it is to change your oil frequently and many will do it even more often than the manufacturers recommendation

    2003 Black 300A Dark Charcoal, #499 of 6978 built 06/04/02
    3.88 gears, dual fuel propane conversion.
    2003 Silver 300B Light Flint, #166 of 417 built 04/22/03
    TCE/Wilwood big brake kit, SW headers and cats, Flowmaster mufflers
    1999 Lincoln Town Car Signature Series Touring Sedan
    Dual exhaust, dual fuel propane conversion
    2009 Pontiac G8 GT Sport Package
    Holden HSV GTS body kit, dual fuel propane conversion
    Previously: 2003 Audi A6 Avant | 1999 Ford Fairlane AU

  6. #6
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    on getting your car in a magazine. Not sure where the author got his info, but most Europeans won't know the difference.

    Nice to see one of those rare BMW's on the cover.

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    Big, Black, Bold - Marauder vs Impala in German magazine

    The 306 horsepower mentioned in the article is actually PS or metric horsepower. The equivalent US brake horsepower (BHP) is 302. The conversion is 1 US Horsepower = 1.014 metric horsepower (PS = Pferdestarke).
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  8. #8
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    Oil change intervals in most European countries are considerably longer than in the US, partly because they don't have companies like Jiffy Lube brainwashing people into thinking their cars will disintegrate if they don't change it at 3000 miles. Also, in Germany you can't call an oil "synthetic" unless it's a Group IV or V, unlike here where synthetic has become a marketing term.

    Marvin, may I inquire what oil and filter you use?
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    Super cool and I'm definitely in for a copy of two of the article
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  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by RF Overlord View Post
    Marvin, may I inquire what oil and filter you use?
    I changed my oil last month and I used Total Quartz Ineo LongLife 5W30 with a Purolator PremiumPlus L24651 filter. I know 5W20 is recommended but for some reason that oil is quite difficult to come by over here and usually quite pricy so I've been told I could also go with the more common 5W30 as well.

    2003 Black 300A Dark Charcoal, #499 of 6978 built 06/04/02
    3.88 gears, dual fuel propane conversion.
    2003 Silver 300B Light Flint, #166 of 417 built 04/22/03
    TCE/Wilwood big brake kit, SW headers and cats, Flowmaster mufflers
    1999 Lincoln Town Car Signature Series Touring Sedan
    Dual exhaust, dual fuel propane conversion
    2009 Pontiac G8 GT Sport Package
    Holden HSV GTS body kit, dual fuel propane conversion
    Previously: 2003 Audi A6 Avant | 1999 Ford Fairlane AU

  11. #11
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    That's a good oil and don't worry about using 5W-30...it will be just fine. I would, however, see if you can source a better filter. Perhaps a Ford dealer can get you the Motorcraft FL820S...if not, a MANN W 920/45 would be equivalent.
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  12. #12
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    Thanks for the info, will keep that in mind for my next oil change. Motorcraft might be difficult but I can definitely source that MANN filter. Purolator was recommended to be by a local friend who has a Crown Vic so I thought what's good for that can't be too bad for the Marauder.

    2003 Black 300A Dark Charcoal, #499 of 6978 built 06/04/02
    3.88 gears, dual fuel propane conversion.
    2003 Silver 300B Light Flint, #166 of 417 built 04/22/03
    TCE/Wilwood big brake kit, SW headers and cats, Flowmaster mufflers
    1999 Lincoln Town Car Signature Series Touring Sedan
    Dual exhaust, dual fuel propane conversion
    2009 Pontiac G8 GT Sport Package
    Holden HSV GTS body kit, dual fuel propane conversion
    Previously: 2003 Audi A6 Avant | 1999 Ford Fairlane AU

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    Awesome.

    I saw this on facebook, but thanks for posting here too.
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    Co0L!!!!

    Definitely interested in a magazine for collection, thanks for representing!
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    Big, Black, Bold - Marauder vs Impala in German magazine

    Neat article. The writer mentions 3 gauges in the central cluster, but the photo shows the stock 2.

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