At $19,000, Could This 2004 Mercury Marauder Make Your Day?

Beloved by many, bought by excessively few, today's Nice Price aliases No Dice Mercury Marauder is simply a Ford Crown Vic Police Interceptor successful civilian clothes. Let's spot if its value intends this Mercury's rising.

When Chris Farley, beloved comedian and cuddly large guy, first introduced america to nan conception of "living successful a van, down by nan river" successful a Saturday Night Live sketch successful 1993, nary 1 could person predicted it would go an aspirational lifestyle. The thought of overlanding, aliases moreover conscionable sleeping retired successful quality connected an inflatable mattress successful nan backmost of a Tesla, has gone from niche cuckooballs' behaviour to a premier societal media lifestyle-influencer occupation.

The 1959 Lincoln Continental Mark IV Chinook camper we looked astatine yesterday added an other furniture of people and quirk to nan full "getting retired successful nature" vibe. Well restored and seemingly fully-equipped prevention for a spot to poop, it would arguably beryllium nan talk of nan KOA campground for immoderate adventurous owner. Most of you felt little than adventurous astir paying nan $50,000 asking value for nan camper, considering it excessively rich | for thing truthful niche. The extremity consequence was a 73% 'No Dice' nonaccomplishment and a batch of comments on nan lines of "Well, would you look astatine that!"

Speaking of looks, erstwhile was nan past clip you saw a bull driving a Crown Vic? In my cervix of nan woods, astir constabulary departments person transitioned to Explorers aliases Tesla Model Ys. Heck, conscionable this past weekend, I saw a Dodge Durango patrol car. I had wholly forgotten that nan Durango was moreover still successful production, seeing arsenic nan first 1 came complete connected nan Mayflower. The fewer Crown Vics I spot person been relegated to backstage information services, but spotting moreover those is becoming ever little frequent.

With conscionable a small complete 11,000 sold crossed nan 2003 to 2004 exemplary years, nan Mercury balanced of nan Crown Vic Police Intercepter package, nan Marauder, is an moreover rarer show connected nan road. Today's 2004 Marauder is much typical than that, arsenic it is painted successful nan little communal Silver Birch Metallic alternatively than nan expected two-stage black.

The Marauder took its sanction from an motor statement of nan precocious 1950s, and served arsenic a capacity version of Mercury's large sedans—the Monterey and Marquis, respectively—in nan early and precocious 1960s. Ford revived nan nameplate for a capacity version of nan Grand Marquis successful 2003, but dropped nan action package aft nan 2004 exemplary erstwhile income grounded to meet expectations.

Today, these guidelines retired arsenic absorbing and arguably cheap-to-maintain collectibles. The basal car is nan Panther level Grand Marquis that has been fixed nan cop-car curen pinch a heavy-duty suspension-and-brakes combo, typical interior and exterior treatments, and, astir importantly, a 302-horsepower version of Ford's DOHC 32-valve 4.6-liter Modular V8 nether nan hood. That motor was shared pinch nan modern Mustang, arsenic good arsenic Lincoln's Mark VIII and Aviator.

There's plentifulness of room successful nan Marauder's motor bay for that mill, moreover though it's substantially wider and taller than nan pushrod engines astir which nan Panther level was primitively designed. Transmission duties are handled by Ford's 4R75W four-speed overdrive automatic, which is mated pinch an aluminum driveshaft and a limited-slip rear end, some from nan Crown Vic's P71 constabulary package.

According to nan seller, each of those parts are moving arsenic they should, pinch nary leaks, nary lights, and nary funny noises. As acold arsenic servicing goes, nan coil packs and serpentine loop person been precocious replaced. On nan flip broadside of nan coin, nan tires are said to person astir 80% of their tread left, but are date-stamped arsenic 2019 vintage. Those mightiness request a alteration of scenery soon.

With a humble 107,150 miles nether its belt, this Marauder looks beautiful good, too, pinch 1 exception. Per nan seller, location are a fewer insignificant dings and chips successful nan paint, signs of a life connected nan road, not cloistered successful a garage. The astir egregious problem, however, is simply a large ace successful nan backmost bumper, correct successful nan M of nan embossed Marauder script, owed to a "moving cart" interaction. That's going to beryllium difficult to repair, and a replacement mightiness beryllium moreover harder, fixed really fewer of these cars were built and that it's 1 of nan car's fewer bespoke parts.

Another Marauder exclusive is nan five-spoke alloy wheels pinch throwback Mercury caput connected nan halfway caps. Happily, those are still connected nan car and look to beryllium successful coagulated shape. One much positive connected nan exterior of these cars is nan SecuriCode keypad that allows introduction to nan car pinch a fewer pushes of nan buttons connected nan driver's door, 1 of nan astir underrated features successful nan industry.

The interior looks to beryllium successful fantabulous shape, showcasing nan Marauder-unique metallic instrumentality sheet dials and an add-on tach that required moving nan voltage and lipid unit gauges to nan console up of nan shifter. This is simply a afloat loaded car, featuring automatic ambiance control, a CD stereo, cruise control, and powerfulness seats operated by mini seat-shaped controls connected nan doorway panels, conscionable for illustration successful a overmuch much upscale Mercedes-Benz. Fancy!

The existent proprietor explains nan impetus for nan waste is that they person bought a Miata, which has apparently stolen their heart, arsenic Miatas often do. As a result, nan Marauder has been near to beryllium retired nan dance. That seems perfectly fair, but we now request to determine conscionable really adjacent we see nan $19,000 nan seller is demanding for a caller proprietor to fto nan Marauder footwear up its heels.

What's your return connected this decently uncommon Mercury sedan and that $19,000 price? Does that look reasonable for nan car arsenic it's presented, insignificant warts and all? Or for that much, would it request to beryllium darn-near perfect?

You decide!

Portland, Oregon, Craigslist, aliases spell here if nan advertisement disappears.

H/T to Don R. for nan hookup!

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