Hoovies 2003 Mercury Marauder comes back to the CAR WIZARD 3 years later. New owner = New problems

[@DragPakMerc]

Love the Marauders. Ford made a mistake killing off the Panther platform. Imagine a blacked-out 2021 Crown Vic with IRS, Brembos, and a factory Coyote motor. I'd buy one in a heartbeat. Bet lots of law enforcement agencies would too.

[@ji3194]

They should have replaced them with the FG X Aussie Falcon.

[@Mac_DNH]

@@ji3194 many don't know about that car.

[@ESPLTD322]

Ford is getting outright pathetic with their electric crossover “Mustangs” and having twin turbo 4 and 6 cylinders rather than a good old fashioned reliable satisfying NA V8

[@casualsuede]

You can keep the brembo's. Everyone love them til it's time to replace them.

[@Mac_DNH]

@@casualsuede FACTS!!! I just replaced mine on my SS... over a $1k

[@RedLP5000S]

The Marauder and Impala SS are LEGENDARY cars. As soon as you saw one, you knew they were something special.🤘🏻

[@MrFmccarty]

No doubt! Almost bought one but the dealer seemed to want my car. Talked it down bad. 92 Acura vigor. Kept Acura and people offer to buy it all the time! I wanted that jacket BASAAAD!

[@mil2k11]

Agree. What were the chevy SS' - 96 or so? Love the simple look of both. They sort of remind of when you could get a 5.0 LX for nearly half the price of a GT 'stang in the late 80s with the same performance. Hidden gems that weren't so hidden - just not all that publicized.

[@paulhardman2515]

I just bought a clean 2003 Marauder with only 66,000 miles on it back in February. Love the car!

[@ChicanoOne760]

The wizard prefers cars with a lil bit more miles. 66,000 signifies it will leak cause it wasn't driven.

[@joshp2542]

I guarantee it was driven by an old lady to church on Sundays. That's a good score with the way the used market is right now.

[@R.J.1]

Nice. These low production # cars are likely to be the new classics years down the line. I have a 90 454ss truck with 55k and it's nearly quadrupled in price since 07.

[@badopinionsrighthere]

Awesome! I'm jealous, make sure you get your leather jacket!

[@circuitsandcigars1278]

I was looking at a 2004 with 40,000 miles but not at $29,000 they are asking

[@rickb6694]

You know you're getting old when you have to learn what a new generation of cop cars look like in your rearview mirror :(

[@ivanf4023]

You have to realize that the Ford Panther vehicles didn't change much from 1992 to 2012. It's a rare occurrence for vehicles to basically remain unchanged for 20 years. It's not necessarily that the Ford Panther was all that great as much as there was no acceptable alternative from Chevy/Dodge until the new Charger/Challenger came along.

[@ourlifeinwashington4114]

I'm 46, when I was a teenager in Reno the Nevada highway patrol had just started using the Mustang and Camaro both were new gen and are classic cars now. So many gens ago.

[@rickb6694]

@@ivanf4023 In my area people crap themselves when a white Ford Explorer shows up. So many soccer moms driving them. Way worse than the crown vic's, it was either a cop or some old fart lol

[@bikeman1x11]

been through several generations

[@Nonamenever557]

@@ivanf4023 I don’t think the Charger is especially suitable, it’s just that they stopped making the crown vic

[@BilalHussain-gc2sf]

His devotion to his profession is so remarkable. True professional.

[@TheNiteNinja19]

As a 2005 Town car owner, this is actually a very educational video for me. Especially with the suspension switch in the trunk, I've seen it back there and I know what it does, but I didn't know it actually had a practical use when it comes to lifting it up. Small tips like that, definitely are helpful, thank you.

[@KevinFields777]

Wizard: "It's not a cop car!" Elwood Blues: "It's got a cop motor, it's got cop tires, cop suspensions, cop shocks."

[@jedidethfreak]

Catalytic converters, so it runs great on regular gas.

[@TheColosiss]

We're on a mission... FROM GOD

[@Boredoutofmywits]

@@TheColosiss actually it doesn't have a cop motor. It's a 32 valves.

[@russelljacob7955]

Pro tip for air suspension, (and any fluid). Have a set of hi viz ribbons, like neon pink ribbon, etc! Turn off air suspension, close a pink tail in the trunk itself! Draining oil or fluid? Put one on seat or under cap, or hook it to the key! Give yourself a visible reminder. Grab a permanent marker and write "OIL" on it. The mechanic version of a lockout tag!

[@j.t.cooper2963]

My 2006 crown Vic has never seen a garage and the dash is still perfect.

[@darkiee69]

Wizard, there haven't been another mechanic working on that car, it was a parts changer.

[@davidtryon1205]

Exactly, working at Napa I talked to so many parts changers. Then they call and say they have a defective part. No it's because you didn't diagnose it, u just went off the scan tool, or even a guess. It's crazy the way that people are taught to basically just throw parts at it today.

[@balkanca]

When the MAF sensor failed on mine, I had trouble sourcing an OE replacement. Turns out the OE supplier was Hitachi, so I got that with the Ford oval scratched out. It was made in the U.S. and been working well for the last 4 years, no problem.

[@surferdude4487]

Great tip! How did you track down the source like that?

[@balkanca]

It was a while back, I don't remember exactly. But I recall the Hitachi stood out as the only U.S. made sensor, which was also the country of origin for the OE part. Everything else was made in China or Taiwan. With Hitachi being a manufacturer, not a reboxer, I took a gamble and it paid off. It was exactly the same part. The only other aftermarket brand I'd consider is WVE.

[@ChopFooey]

My 05 P71 started shutting off at stoplights for no reason and running rough but it would start right back up. The OE MAF is made by Hitachi which has FoMoCo stamped on some of them. The first lasted almost a year and the replacement maybe a month. The third one seems to be OK but they seem to be hit or miss. If your's fails and it won't run at all you can unplug the MAF sensor and it will go into "limp mode" but it is driveable.

[@rci-tf2zc]

yep and there 64 bucks. so dont know where the 300 price came from. its a couple screws and a plug.

[@surferdude4487]

@@rci-tf2zc The thing is that you found the actual fabricator. You did not pay the insane OEM rebranding and mark-up. I did the same thing when it came to sourcing a new SODIMM for my computer.

[@AndrewKarpyszyn]

The gift of Hoovie keeps on giving....to the Wizard's yacht fund!

[@scottfirman]

The old saying, pay me now or pay me later still applies after 45 years when that commercial came out.

[@GTVAlfaMan]

What commercial?

[@scottfirman]

@@GTVAlfaMan It was an oil filter commercial I believe.

[@shawnrenaud2252]

Ironic that it was a Fram oil filter ad. Among the worst oil filters in the industry.

[@Cghv-88]

The Florida State troopers used these models as unmarked vehicles, along with 4th Gen camaro SS.

[@Ascotman]

Maine State Police had about a dozen of these Mercury Marauders unmarked that they used on the Maine Turnpike.

[@balkanca]

The FHP Marauders were very special; there was only 20 or so of them, and they were modified and tuned by Dennis Reinhart. They looked complete stock, with the exception of a Shelby Cobra badge on the front fenders. They were also donated on the conditon that they be returned at 75,000 miles, if I remember correctly.

[@cmcrisp42]

That's the equivalent of assigning a 40yo to be a undercover high school student.

[@johnhull6363]

Yeah I lived there when they got them, was tough to get away

[@JaySlow7]

Occasionally every one makes a mistake. Car wizard is so humble. Must be a great work environment. Hope miss wizard has a good school year.

[@artlife6210]

definitely go factory, great advice..I put anything on my 5.3 swapped 98TA , I always use AC Delco and everytime Ive tried to settle for cheap it has failed exactly as you say....the new crank sensor from Autozone was even bad out of the box, got a factory one and it started instantly...lesson learned

[@406Steven]

I always get a kick out of the "it's made in the same factory" BS. Even if it is factories build things to varying specifications and the rejects are the ones that get sold cheap. There are parts where it doesn't make sense to spend the extra money on OEM but sensors, head gaskets, water pumps, and control modules are some things worth spending the extra money for.

[@abteentajdin8877]

This is why we love you wizard he could have changed the owner a lot of money but he knows how to be great person and a wonderful mechanic , you are awesome man

[@_BAD_MERC_]

I have had my silver 2004 Marauder for nearly 17 years. It's got the light flint seats, sunroof, heated seats, and rear spoiler. It's been meticulously maintained and detailed as it is used for shows, cruise-ins, and benefit drives. With only 54K miles she still appears new. Along with the nearly $20K in mods I've done it's getting an Eaton M112 supercharger here in a few months. Build numbers: 2003; 7838 built available in silver, black and 328 in dark pearl blue. 2004; 3214 built available in black, silver, and 980 in dark toreador red. There are spreadsheets that break down every car with every option and color. Sunroofs are the rarest. They are geared and tuned for comfort and economy and have the worst transmission mapping on the planet. A tune from Marty Ochs, 4.10 gears, billet rear control arms, and cold air intake will make it a completely different vehicle.

[@jeffjackson9679]

Issue may not have been a cheap MAF sensor. Noticed the vehicle has a K&N air filter. If you over oil or spray oil on the wrong side on those, you can easily have the oil mess up your sensor, no matter what brand you have.

[@onlyhereonce7290]

He will have an amazing Marauder when he gets that car back. Good job.

[@elisabethkolling6697]

Couple of notes on this car. My sister had one back in the day. I noticed that the oil pressure gauge never changed or move up or down from idle or revving. I saw somewhere that it’s not a true gauge. It basically has a “yes/no” sending unit like an oil pressure light. Also, she had problems getting a good front end alignment - it would chew up those expensive tires like crazy. Her husband (who owns a differential shop) did some research and long story short, told his mechanic to just use the specs for the Crown Vic Police Interceptor. That took care of the problem.

[@skipbreakfast]

Ford really had a lot of issues with window regulators during that era. I had a 2001 in which both window regulators fell apart inside the doors for no reason. I had a 2004 where the driver's door window barely worked.

[@LCdic09]

I got a 2005 and same thing. Wonder if they ever fixed that but I guess they didn't.

[@mikekovacs8981]

Nice! These were built a short distance from me at the St Thomas Ontario Canada assembly plant. The plant is gone and now being built into an Amazon facility.

[@Epro95]

I love seeing your thought process on diagnosing issues like the radio. Clear answers, not shotgunning parts.

[@joshp2542]

There are mechanics like the Wizard... Then there are parts changers.

[@dragoonTT]

@@joshp2542 I used to be a parts changer at the beginning of me starting the hobby. Recently had to diagnose and re-wire my fuse box and headlight switch. Changed my attitude completely and now I only want data before fixing.

[@joshp2542]

@@dragoonTT For me at least i have a blast when I can troubleshoot a problem. Narrowing down an issue to the root cause is pretty rewarding. Growing up working a crap job and having motorcycles i had to know what part i spent money on was the right one to fix the issue. I'm glad to hear you are becoming a better mechanic.

[@donricolife1861]

The guy who bought Hoovie‘s car is smart he took it to the wizard

[@situated4]

I feel that this particular vehicle began the modern-day comeback for muscle cars in the early to mid 2000s. Followed by the Pontiac GTO from '04 - '06. Some may argue that it was the Ford Taurus SHO in the early 90s, but I peg it to the Marauder.

[@jeffzekas]

Sad that so many mechanics are “parts changers” instead of diagnostic detectives.

[@Brendan656]

I have an 04 grand marquis with 297k! And still rides like new. These are amazing vehicles. I wish ford put out great quality like they did with the panther platforms.

[@richardgalindo1364]

OEM sensors is the only way to go. That includes the ones that control your cooling fans on the radiator. LISTEN TO THE WIZARD! He really is right about this.

[@vinniecorleone62]

I have always wanted one of these as someone who has had a lot of 60's, 70's & 80's Ford, Mercury & Lincoln land yachts but I always have had several other vehicles in my driveway I wanted more. Nice to see a fairly original one here, thanks for sharing this, it was quite enjoyable!

[@nukedathlonman]

I'm not much of a large barge car person, but something about the Mercury Marauders and the older 94-96 Chevy Impala SS I do like and appreciate a lot. Man this car is in nice shape overall. Oh no, someone hacked up the radio wire harness - never understood why people do that with the factory harness kits available these days. Anyways, hope once these problems are taken care of it treats the new owner well for years.

[@Thewickedjon]

I wish I had mechanics like you in my area. this, is one of the best videos I've seen in a long time. THese marauders are really cool cars

[@deanwinchester7179]

Customer: "It's using too much gas" Other shop: "Let's replace the fuel pump" lol smh

[@stevesmith3033]

I bought a used Mercedes. Check engine light came on shortly after. Car had detailed service records from a specialty Mercedes shop. Records showed they were charged $480 for a Bosch OEM mass air flow sensor. In it however was a $60 aftermarket brand. I replaced it with a $32 brand off eBay and it's been working flawlessly for 6 years now.

[@goaliejay1]

The FoMoCo clusters from that era are notorious for failure. Bad solder joints where the various boards are joined are usually the culprit. Pretty easy fix with a soldering iron once you wrestle it from the dash.

[@malcolmschenot6352]

My 2001 Grand Marquis air bags in the back went flat and I had them replaced with a spring kit. $450 and it works great; I can't even tell the difference in the ride. I love love love my Marquis. If I had to (which I don't) I would buy another one in a heartbeat.

[@jackspears8368]

I look forward to these videos, so much! This one did not disappoint. Thanks Mr. & Mrs. Wizard.

[@Daermos]

The marauder is a car I've always been wanting

[@johnbereza7782]

I want one to do a 6 speed Tremec swap

[@C.dieslevonankwek7]

I'm not a ford fan but I've always liked these cars, I've also loved 94-96 Impala SS as well

[@ji3194]

Same here

[@braxtonnelson7422]

Wow... I'm gonna miss Mrs. Wizard appearing in these videos! Hopefully, she will be able to put in some appearances between grading papers!

[@seaglider844]

Had an '04 silver one....loved that car. I got used to having people pull over to let me by on the highway because they thought I was an unmarked cruiser....it was great! 😁 The engine was aluminum and the tires were designed specifically for the car so it was pretty well handled pretty well for such a large car. You know if they'd kept making them I might get another....practical and fun car.

[@99thpeanut59]

Are you located in Philly?

[@seaglider844]

@@99thpeanut59 Canada, near Toronto

[@99thpeanut59]

Damn I’m trying to hunt down one of the 6 previous owners to my 04 silver

[@seendabeen1740]

The silver ones are rare man I’ve got an 03 in black the most common ones

[@gregmayled]

These videos are honestly fantastic. Never change your presenting technique or your editing! It’s brilliant just the way it is. Very informing and very entertaining.

[@minutemanproductions8029]

Marauder is a unicorn of panther platform cars. That one is still in good shape too

[@RD-km4yi]

Thanks Mrs. Wizard - for editing out the vacuous "very nice" commentary at 22:30! ;-)

[@Thebadbeaver9]

I bought a one owner 50k mile 2000 Town Car from a 97 year old man about a week ago! These are really amazing cars, very solid. I like the front end on this more I think...

[@thetinpin]

They are fantastic cars! I used to own a 2000 Town Car... A 1987, 1988, and a 1994 too. 😁 I have a customer at my parts store that had 420,000mi on his 94 the last time I saw him. Original engine and 2nd transmission (the first one lasted 300k) for that milage too

[@jordancapps9521]

I always love Wiiizard's guess the fault game. I was betting on fouled O2 sensors, right up until he said it was running lean...yup MAF. The computers are not evil, they are your friend if you use them, rather than cursing them.

[@hellkitty1014]

Ford had a special moment for a few years with the Marauder, and the Crown Vic LX/Sport as well. I wish they would've went the route that Chrysler did in modernizing the Panther and adding even more V8 power on a RWD platform vs the Taurus SHO/Lincoln MKS. Nice care, but no match for Hemi Chryslers and GM LS2s of the 2010s. But the Marauder remains highly coveted and still looks bad-ass!

[@SGTJDerek]

Ford has a bad habit of slapping Lipstick Upgrades on stuff. Panther and Ranger come to mind.

[@atx-cvpi_99]

In the 2010’s they were LS3s. The LS2s were in the mid to late 2000’s. Ford could have used the Australian Falcon and Territory platform as a replacement and build it in North America but they decided to do the Taurus platform instead which was originally a Volvo P2 platform and it was really really bad and they had a lot of problems with the water pumps literally destroying the engine because of a very bad design flaw that is driven by the timing chains, the PTUs would fail if you have an AWD model, and they have the dreaded electronic power steering racks built by TRW that had a lot of problems. Those Fords sucked and there’s a reason why Ford didn’t continue using the D3/D4 platform for another ten to twenty years. It’s because it didn’t have the durability nor reliability of the Panther platform. The Chrysler LX platform is still in use today.

[@SGTJDerek]

@@atx-cvpi_99 do you know why, short the GTO,G8, PPV & SS, Ford and GM didn't use more Platforms from Australia and Europe? It never made sense why Europe got the BA Escort while we got the throwaway FWD Version. They came close with the small Capri in the '70's but it was imported from Germany at a tremendous mark-up. Same with the XR-4ti in the '80's Was it Politics or just pi$$ poor management?

[@TheGhost2612000]

I had a Vic LX Sport. Absolutely beautiful car, all black with leather seats and the shifter was on the ground not on the steering column. I think I bought it for around 10-12k back in 2012. Unfortunately a hail storm totaled it. Now I am thinking hard about getting a Marauder but some have so many miles on them and I am worried they might become a money pit.

[@jimbusmaximus4624]

They should have done what Cleetus did with his "Stock Marauder." Bigger engine, turbo and exhaust that dumps at high RPM! That's a bad ass car!

[@user-gn6oq2to4f]

Good evening from Athens Greece, I wish a successful teaching season for Mss Wizard, my wife Lucy she's also a mathematician, she is struggling ending this season helping her students with their final exams, thanks for all those interesting car video's guys, I really appreciate your time to inform us !.

[@unstablebobgable]

The Car Wizards has the coolest walk on KZbin! I'd love to see a continuous loop video of him just walking around!

[@highrzr]

I suspected an issue with the MAF when I saw the air filter of fail sticker on the air box lid. Aftermarket ollied and "high flow" air filters should never be used in vehicles with a MAF. They deposit too much oil and dirt on the MAF as well as the throttle body. Seriously, they cause more problems then they're worth especially considering that they only outperform the OEM air filter at or near WOT where most people spend very little time at.

[@carminealiffi9738]

I have had my Red 2004 Marauder for 20 years now, it's going to turn 50,000 soon and looks and runs like a new car and is just awesome. I hate seeing them torn apart and modified like just about all of them seem to be lately :( Right out of the showroom it is just one awesome car, I can't understand why anyone would want to change anything about the Marauder. In this car that is not the factory radio which I can't understand why anyone would want to change it as the factory radio was a AM-FM cassette with a 6 CD In the trunk that sounds awesome.

[@4LaneBlacktop]

Your mindset to making repairs and your integrity to running your shop are the same as mine, thats why Im subbed. Great video as always.

[@JobyJoby-iw2wr]

I owned a 2004 Marauder for a few years I still miss. Toreador Red with the gray-silver interior. Moonroof - everything worked. Under 50k miles when sold, just as the market started rising for these cars back in 2020. Wasted alot of money on low value mods. If I could re-own the car, I would have performed the cylinder head crossover cooling modification and nothing else. Would have left Marauder completely stock otherwise. I rarely drove Marauder as it was anyway. My Marauder also had stalling issues - replacing both valves in the fuel vapor control system (1 at firewall, another on the fuel tank) corrected the issue. The Marauder needed more power and better brakes from the factory for sure. Love the styling. Who knows? I may buy another in the future, preferably stock? A modified Marauder would have to be well done by someone who knows what they're doing.

[@_A.K_]

Wow, so much room for activity inside almost all parts of that car.

[@chubbysumo2230]

This motor is the one that should have been in the bar for the p71 patrol cars, the only issue was reliability. This was the same motor that came out of the similar year Mustang, and they did have some issues with overheating and Longevity because they did not like idling for long periods of time. It's the reason that Ford kept the pushrod V8 in there for the longest time, was because of the reliability and simplicity, kept repair costs down. Doesn't matter now, the only thing Ford makes now is trucks and transits.

[@99thpeanut59]

All untrue because it has the same short block (just aluminum so it runs even cooler than a 2v vic motor). The heads are dohc and all hotroded but that doesn’t effect idle heat. U sound like u just watched a mister random video.

[@TwentytenS4B8]

"Only issue is reliability" and right there is why it was never used in P71's. There is a reason that police departments would sell them off after they hit about 120K then taxi companies would snatch them up and put on another 300K. They run forever, are cheap to buy parts for, and easy to work on. A 2V 4.6 is a good engine.

[@howard81]

I always raid a set of sensors from low mileage cars at the scrapyard. I’d have original secondhand over aftermarket any day!

[@scottfirman]

Thats what I do. Especially on my Subrau outback. There are tons of wrecked ones here in the North from others crashing into them.

[@Kavi4GP]

Or just buy OEM brands

[@danielwhetzel8436]

6mo to a year for an aftermarket MAF? From my experience it take 3-4 to get one that even works. I don't even bother with certain aftermarket parts.

[@matthijs.tieleman]

Fantastic Marauder and should be kept on the roads. The Panther platform in general is amazing. I love my Ford Crown Victoria LX and will own it for a looong time. Driving that car, I always wonder why people drive new Corolla's when they can drive such a comfortable, reliable, and affordable sedan like a Panther vehicle. They just keep chugging! The window regulator thing is common on these, one of the few real weaknesses these cars have. Funnily, my driver side one broke just last week. Both the motor and the regulator just went bust. Cost me $400, let's hope it holds up for another 15 years.

[@waveriderz2687]

Honest, reliable, knowledgeable, and capable of thinking outside of the box. Difficult to find mechanics that possess all these qualities around here If ya' find one in your area..... hang on to 'em! ..Thanks for sharing!

[@EnthusiastCarHangar]

Very nice! Love my Town Car but would buy a Marauder also. But no it doesn’t look like a P71 when it shows up in your rear view mirror.

[@InsaneBimmer]

Correct Wizard. That is the Intech. The good ol' Teksid 4.6 32v. Fun fact. Teksid is the company who makes the aluminum alloy blocks for Ferrari. SAE 319 Alloy. Sure, it isn't quite as strong as the iron musket we know as the Terminator iron block but these are awesome. Yes people, this is the SAME engine in the 01-02 Cobras before the Terminators. It also lived in the Mk8 and the Lincoln Aviator.

[@denniswoods2707]

if you look on the ac accumulator there looks like some oil on bottom,they were common to rust out and leak.replace it and orifice tube for proper ac repair.also panel is missing under front under condensor to direct airflow and protect condensor,radiator.many mechanics leave them off they are important for airflow,esp with r134a.check cooling fan speeds, and ball joints.not trying to preach but i have alot time fixing these.they are a awesome car

[@1905934]

I like watching your show.. very fascinated.. it is like going to a museum. I have a Modelx with 445,000km.. only a ball joint so far... that was 2yrs ago. I show my brother in-law who is a mechanic this channel and we love watching the various cars going thru your shop.. and all the engineering involved to get the complexities of the gas car working is always amazing.

[@R.J.1]

Had a 96 Impala SS in 2000. Not a Ford fan, but I very much wanted one of these cars when they came out. The little hidden down low gauge pod was super cool.

[@joshuamartin6841]

I love the Marauder and have owned and worked on many panther platform vehicle… I wish I only installed oem parts… but it is what it is…

[@mattslatts5464]

I love the simplicity of these cars

[@Dakiraun]

Love those things. I just saw one last week on the way to Rondeau Bay - when it passed, I couldn't help but laugh because behind the wheel was a little old lady who had to be at least 75. Coolest grandma ever. The car looked brand new.

[@ImTheJoker4u]

I love, love, LOVE, Panthers. Especially TownCars, and Mauraders. Best cars ever made.

[@donaldhollums3278]

I’m glad you brought up the issue about the MAF sensor, Wiz. I have potential side job on a 2003 Ford Mustang GT. The owner is having the same problem. I was told the car sat up for a while at the sister’s house, but the car has been driven since November and the problem started a couple of weeks ago. If I get to work on the car I’ll plug my scan tool in and see what happens.

[@phoghat]

When I was a kid in high school I wanted to be a mechanic like you . We had a family friend who was a great mechanic. I went to high school dreaming of it but when I got into University I wanted to be something with medicine so now I'm a doctor but just a mechanic for humans

[@Boredoutofmywits]

Both your clients will end in the junkyard, but in the meantime, the two of you'll give them a better life.

[@otisdriftwood3829]

I drove (and still own) an old 02 Grand Marquis, I think it was built on a Monday or Friday because I have had to replace nearly every major component on it at least once (only 131,000 mi). I leave this comment to attest to what the Wizard said about cheap aftermarket MAF sensors, I replaced mine with a DL and sure enough a couple of years later I had to hillbilly my Cats, they were clogged and I didn't have the money to replace them. Luckily I did have a cutting wheel and a welder. I cut them, gutted them, bent the steel back into place (easier said than done, had to use a floor jack) and welded the cuts back together thoroughly in order to avoid the V8 destroying everyone's ear drums. That's why I avoided just straight piping the exhaust and amazingly it worked better than I could have hoped, the Cats still muffle the engine noise at about 90% of what they did fully intact. Anyways listen to the Wizard and buy OEM parts, you will spend less in the long run and your car will last a lot longer (also it will help if you decide to sell it, "All OEM parts" looks good in a listing). Anyways I love this platform, they have plenty of power and are very comfortable, perfect for long road trips.

[@TakuroSpirit77]

I bet over-oiling the K&N air filter killed the original MAF, and the replacement. Get that junk filter out of there.

[@captainvector]

I was kinda surprised that he didn't mention that.

[@PeteJacksonPapasVlogs]

The venerable Panther platform. I’m currently repairing an ‘04 CVPI for a friend of mine. Good cars these are.

[@allthingsadventurous6568]

I wish we had such honest mechanics in the UK. Wizard indeed. Top man!!!

[@ImTheJoker4u]

I know a wizard in the UK. You'll have to find him on lincolnsonline.com one of the very few limeys driving a Towncar😁 He also runs a shop (somewhere) in the UK.

[@greathornedowl3644]

Thanks, Wizard and Mrs. Loved these cars. A friend owned a former police car, developed a rear engine leak (between engine and transmission) but great for towing fishing boat

[@kclefthanded427]

Mercury Mauraders come with a 32 valve 4.6 liter V-8 Aluminum engine from a Mustang Cobra (even Lincoln Aviator)

[@LabCat]

Absolutely love Panthers, and especially the Marauder and V10 Crown Victorias. I absolutely HATE Ford window and mirror regulators, though. Nice job, Wiiiiizard!

[@ianmayer2951]

Best Car Ever Built. I'm a proud owner of a 2003 Mercury Marauder with not even 50 000 miles. I'm never gonna sell it.

[@billkruse5383]

Mines only got 36000 mile on it

[@Emgt302]

Yes this is the Intech 4.6 motor. The same motor that was in the Mach 1 and the Aviator.

[@bunnyhall116]

Been a fan of your vids for a few years now, because of your honesty and detailed coverage of vehicles....i have an 01 crown vic that is my favorite car ever....also like how you thoroughly check everything out like a good mechanic should...all i do is work on vehicles too in my spare time, i work in a factory making ford and toyota valve covers and intake manifolds...keep up the great vids bud, have a good one....

[@jo6520]

Those are actually called map pockets on the front chairs

[@tylercook7739]

Na that's my glock pocket

[@rsvp9146]

My grandpa was a Ford mechanic. Every couple years, he'd buy a new Mercury Grand Marquis. SOLID cars.

[@TheColosiss]

There are 2 marauders here in town. I love my 04 Lincoln town car, but those marauders are a whole different panther car. Very cool. I dont think I'll own one though. The prices on panther cars are getting ridiculous...

[@lencac7952]

As a ASE and Ford certified tech for 30 years at the dealer I rarely saw original MAF sensors actually fail. What I did see quite a bit is aftermarket cold air intake systems causing the MAF hot wire becoming contaminated causing the fuel trims to go all out of whack. Clean the MAF and reset the ECM and they were good to go.

[@sreilly]

Wizard I don’t think that’s a charcoal canister on the fuel tank. I believe that is some sort of extinguisher if the car is ever rear ended. Apparently at some point, there were a few old Crown Vic cop cars that would get rear ended so hard that the fuel would spark, ignite and possibly explode. So Ford added that extinguisher to explode to extinguish any fuel that could spill from a rear collision. I could be wrong but if memory serves me right, it ended up being a recall where Ford put these devices on all their Panther platforms starting in 1990 with the Town Car, eventually becoming standard on the later mode Vics, Marquis’ and Town Cars. On the other hand, I love how thorough you are with your work. An honest mechanic is hard to come by these days, and you’re definitely top notch. Keep up the great work!!!

[@matthewholzinger1042]

So many people ran after the Chevy Impala Super Sport. But the Marauder was a such a cool platform. Never had the bucks for one but did get to enjoy my 97 Crown Vic Interceptor a few years.

[@mikebigelow561]

The door inserts for the inside of the car will have leather and other materials.. when you stack them ugly out it puts crease lines and indents in and will look horrible apone reinstall. One thing you can try to get out most indents and soft creases. To make sure this never happens always stack the inside door skins stacked pretty side up and they will look great without risking having to buy the customer new ones..

[@saleendriver]

Loved the Marauder. Wish I had picked one up. That car, and most Marauders, scream for an upgraded exhaust. The 4-valve 4.6, a version of the engine found in the 1999/2001 Cobra and the 03/04 Mach 1, is a fantastic motor. They take to minor mods very well.

[@garylowry2606]

Also a 97 cobra mustang I had one for 17 years bought new

[@queensapphire7717]

Yep, first thing you look at are parts bought from Auto parts stores, for electronic related parts, always go OEM, or an aftermarket company that supplies OEM.

[@LunaErosStudios]

The problem on the MAF, Wizard is many people cannot afford a $300+ part on a repair. I get your logic and agree with it but I've been in that position more than once and have had no other option than the cheaper Duralast part.

[@MTBScotland]

I'm often asked what is great about being a teacher my answer is "Three things. Easter, summer and Christmas" lol

[@asmith515151]

Had an ‘03 Crown Vic LS Sport. I loved that car

[@planetwisconsin9901]

Now we look for New Explorers in our rear view mirrors! And Chargers!

[@Fusionawdecoboost2016]

Car wizard is a fair and. Excellent mechanic. I hate when shops take advantage of customers with the parts cannon without looking at data and taking your time to diagnose the problem correctly. I was taught that when I was in automotive school.

[@scottkapuscinski6413]

Hi Car Wizard, I noticed that you mentioned swapping in a new compressor when you pointed to the leaking refrigerant under the front end. I have an 04 Marauder- it’s been my daily for 12 years (now 150k miles)- and in my experience this was an AC accumulator issue. Maybe you know this and misspoke in the video but the leak looks just like a problem I had, which applies to CV/GMs with the steel accumulator bottle. Condensation rusts out the steel bottle and will on the replacement if you go OEM. I found an all-aluminum replacement instead. FordTech Makuloco has a good video on this. Love your channel!!

[@md2k8]

I am hoping for an all-new video from the Car Wizard later this morning, for the six used vehicles that you should not buy for any reason, whether the vehicles are getting too old or about to reach the conclusion of its lifecycle. It should be interesting for used vehicular buyers.

[@MMMX38]

If that was an original Red car, someone made a huge mistake. They were super rare as well as blue and silver.

[@JohnDoe-zr6bk]

I think he said only the writing was red.

[@LaLaLand.Germany]

Wizard, I love Your style- Your vids are full of wisdom and things to pick up. I wish I had an audio buddy like Yours- I´m wrapping my brain around an old power amp, a Radford TT-100. It´s got a transistor pre stage and four big KT88 valves for Your listening pleasure. It is so hard to get help on that, I could throw 2000 Euros at it and get it fixed but wealth is not on my side. So I try to learn how to fix tube stuff, have found actual problems but could really use a guy like You. I just love how You explain things, You don´t make it hard on people. And like You I like clear questions and answers as much as reliable data. The schematic i have is partially wrong and misses alot of values to check if I´m in spec. But that anger I use to want even more knowledge to get the darn thing fixed. That would give me a real hard on. I know this is off topic but I had to get it off my chest. The relation might be that this car is as rare as my amp. Thanks for the time, I don´t mind longer, in depth vids. You got such beauties to work on, I´d feel lucky if I just wipe the floor in Your shop. Greetings from Germany

[@TheFloridaStig]

I always enjoy Mrs.Wizard's interior monologue

[@TD05SSLegacy]

‘Glock pocket’ on front seats. True ‘hood car’

[@joeybaez1745]

I am so happy you made this video on the panther platform, was waiting for this video,thanks