Craigslist showdown: the sleeper or the keeper. 

Kinja'd!!! "Honeybunchesofgoats" (honeybunche0fgoats)
05/24/2017 at 10:22 • Filed to: None

Kinja'd!!!2 Kinja'd!!! 16

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This 100,000 mile Marauder that’s slightly overpriced at $9500

Or

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Grandpa’s old Grand Marquis with a ridiculously low 46k on the clock (i.e, 1/6 of its life assuming you never change the oil) for $5000.

Before I even post this, I’m going to preemptively say it was kinja’d.


DISCUSSION (16)


Kinja'd!!! Honeybunchesofgoats > Honeybunchesofgoats
05/24/2017 at 10:29

Kinja'd!!!3

My vote is to buy the Grand Marquis, drive it until it dies sometime after my unborn children have graduated from college, then do an engine and a manual swap.


Kinja'd!!! Your boy, BJR > Honeybunchesofgoats
05/24/2017 at 10:33

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The winner is whoever doesn’t spend money on a panther


Kinja'd!!! Honeybunchesofgoats > Your boy, BJR
05/24/2017 at 10:37

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They’re mindnumbingly boring cars, but they’re made for one function and they do that very, very well.


Kinja'd!!! Tristan > Honeybunchesofgoats
05/24/2017 at 10:40

Kinja'd!!!1

Where are the correct wheels for that Marauder?


Kinja'd!!! V8Demon - Prefers Autos for drag racing. Fite me! > Honeybunchesofgoats
05/24/2017 at 10:43

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The Grand Marq is an LS. Should be a dual exhaust car which means the extra 15 horsepower for a rated 239. It might have the rear air suspension like the Marauder does as well.

I love the way the Marauder looks, but an extra 57k on the odo and a $4500 markup are way too much to justify it over the Marq.
I’d pull the grille off the Marq, paint it body color, reinstall it, and put a better flowing exhaust on the car with a used Marauder airbox. Then I’d drive the snot out of it.


Kinja'd!!! Chuckles > Honeybunchesofgoats
05/24/2017 at 10:52

Kinja'd!!!1

This is a really good question. My coworker drives a Marauder that looks damn good, and I find myself looking at it longingly in a way that I’d never look at a Grand Marquis. That being said, the owner of this Marauder replaced the fantastic stock wheels with something you’d buy in my old town at a shop called “Rimtyme” and I can’t support that decision. It makes me question the life that this car has lived.

It would still be a good debate if they were more similar in price, but at about half the price of the Marauder, I’m leaning towards the Grand Marquis. I suppose it depends on what you intend to use this car for.


Kinja'd!!! WilliamsSW > Honeybunchesofgoats
05/24/2017 at 10:53

Kinja'd!!!1

I wouldn’t wait that long to do the swap, but otherwise this is the correct answer-


Kinja'd!!! facw > Honeybunchesofgoats
05/24/2017 at 10:54

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Which is why you’re better off with the Grand Marquis, the Marauder is trying to be something its not, and if you are going in thinking you’re getting a high-performance car, you will be disappointed (if you are just looking for a comfortable barge that will go really fast on long straight empty roads in the American Southwest, you may do ok). 


Kinja'd!!! CobraJoe > V8Demon - Prefers Autos for drag racing. Fite me!
05/24/2017 at 10:56

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Add some stiffer springs and better shocks too, maybe even PI roll bars.

Switching to KYB Gas-A-Just shocks on my ‘96 CVPI made for a noticable difference, and it certainly wasn’t an expensive upgrade.  


Kinja'd!!! facw > Tristan
05/24/2017 at 10:57

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Not black enough for the owner apparently. Though honestly the stock wheels don’t look great either:

Kinja'd!!!


Kinja'd!!! V8Demon - Prefers Autos for drag racing. Fite me! > CobraJoe
05/24/2017 at 11:12

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The Watts link on the 98-up cars is a setup above the earlier ones as well. I’ve never run the KYBs in anything. I’ve always been a fan of Bilstein HDs. Seems they aren’t available for a Panther though :/


Kinja'd!!! CobraJoe > Chuckles
05/24/2017 at 11:14

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I’ve learned to question the owner’s other mods when they replace stock wheels with cheapo wheels.


Kinja'd!!! CobraJoe > V8Demon - Prefers Autos for drag racing. Fite me!
05/24/2017 at 11:34

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I can’t really say how they compared to any other upgraded shocks, or even how they compared to a good set of stock shocks, but they really helped reduce the “imminent understeer” feel it had.

But KYB’s aren’t the only option for an ‘03+ Panther... You can go full coilover if you want to spend the cash. (Angry Duck Tofu Racing is one of the few places that sell Panther performance parts.)


Kinja'd!!! Hammerdown > V8Demon - Prefers Autos for drag racing. Fite me!
05/24/2017 at 12:39

Kinja'd!!!0

Should have air suspension. I believe all CIV cars 2003+ do.


Kinja'd!!! Your boy, BJR > Honeybunchesofgoats
05/24/2017 at 12:44

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I mean, if that one function is be terrible, then yeah.


Kinja'd!!! Tristan > facw
05/24/2017 at 14:23

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I happen to like them... I’d rock a Marauder with a tune, exhaust and 4.10 gears.