FASTER PASTOR

Meeting Father Shuley and His Marauder

When we first met Father Shuley, he was driving this ’03 Mercury Marauder, and he knows enough about the car to fill volumes. We were impressed. So, we’ll let him tell the bulk of his car’s story.

The Resurrection of the Marauder Nameplate

“Mercury’s Marauder nameplate was revived in 2002 as a 2003 model and then discontinued after the 2004 model year. The last new-generation Marauders were built in June 2004. Poor marketing and no significant advertising set this model up for failure from the start. The car had no clear identity or sense of purpose at the retail level. Project Manager Steve Babcock of Ford envisioned the MM as a four-door Mustang, and it was a great characterization.”

Shuley’s Initial Interest in the Marauder

“When I signed my contract in April 2002, I had never seen, only read about, the Marauder. I was interested in a performance car with the comfort and roominess of the Town Car, Crown Victoria and Grand Marquis, which are my favorite rental car choices. Around the same time I decided to buy the MM, I discovered a website devoted to the new car, mercurymarauder.net. I was interested in the types of modifications that many of the Mustang tuners provide—upgrades to the motor, transmission, brakes and suspension.”

Challenges in the Modification Process

“I didn’t realize how much work this project was going to be, or how much fabrication, research and development it would involve, since there aren’t many interchangeable parts between Mustangs and Panther-platform cars. Almost every company I contacted answered my e-mails, but just about all the replies wished me luck and told me there were not any plans to work on Marauder projects.”

Collaboration with Dennis Reinhart

“One person expressed interest in helping me on my project. Dennis Reinhart, who is retired U.S. Navy, understood the forward deployed and underway lifestyle. We became committed to the MM project over the course of my assignment to Okinawa, and we continued on the project during my assignment on the ship. We struck an agreement, and he picked up my brand-new car at a local dealer that delivered cars for military sales.”

Turning the Marauder into a Shelby-Inspired Beast

“We decided to forgo the manual-transmission conversion due to fabrication and tunnel issues, along with the many extensive modifications required. The rest of the project grew one modification at a time. I always liked the Shelby Cobras and Shelby Mustangs, and the idea of a tribute to the ’60s Shelby cars, with the performance of a modern tuner Mustang, started growing on me. The end state of the project was to build a car that Carroll Shelby would be proud of, one he’d be happy to put his autograph on the dash.”

Community Involvement and Testing

“It was in many ways a community project. Many of the longtime members of mercurymarauder.net exchanged ideas, came up with solutions and shared their successes and failures. Throughout the buildup, my car went to several dragstrips and shows. Many folks took test drives, made suggestions and gave feedback to build the best possible Marauder for performance, handling and comfort.”

Engine Upgrades and Performance Tuning

One of the first modifications was the Vortech S-trim supercharger. Aside from the supercharger itself, Reinhart had to build much of the system, including the piping and air-to-water aftercooler. Once burned, the gases exit through Ford Racing shorty headers and a custom X-pipe. He also installed a Meziere electric water pump, a 90mm mass airflow meter and dual in-tank fuel pumps to prevent starvation at WOT. Among the more interesting updates to the engine is the addition of auxiliary coolant and oil lines for the number 3, 4, 7 and 8 cylinders. Reinhart provided the basic engine tuning, with final tuning performed by Jerry Wrobleski of SCTflash.com. On the rollers, the big sedan forced 467 hp and 401 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels.

Driveline Enhancements

Other driveline improvements make the most of the engine’s power. Precision Industries supplied the new 3,000-rpm stall torque converter, bands and springs. The transmission also has a lubed tailshaft for extra durability, and Wrobleski added some electronic transmission upgrades. A Metal Matrix Composite driveshaft replaces the factory steel unit, and it’s kept in place with a race-legal driveshaft loop. The rearend turns 4.30 gears to help get the large Mercury out of the hole.

Suspension and Handling Improvements

Handling was also one of Shuley’s priorities, but getting a 4,300-lb sedan to handle is no easy task. To that end, he and Reinhart added improvements such as Mack & Zac control arms, custom pieces commissioned by mercurymarauder.net. This Merc also wears thick Addco sway bars to minimize body roll, and a METCO billet aluminum Watts link. The rearend sits 1 inch lower than stock, and the Marauder’s next upgrade will be custom QA1 coilover shocks. The front wheels are the stockers, measuring 18×8 inches and wrapped in 245/45VR18 Toyo Proxes S/T tires. Shuley wanted more tire on the rear without changing wheel styles, so he ordered a replacement set of rear wheels and had them widened to 9.5 inches for 295/45VR18 Toyos.

Subtle Exterior and Interior Changes

Alterations to the body are minimal. The dealer installed the sunroof, and Reinhart added the Shelby-style stripes. The stripe kit was the whole reason for ordering a blue car, to replicate the classic Shelby look. Custom decals embolden the Marauder text in the rear bumper. The decklid wears a few special badges, and a custom mercurymarauder.net bib protects the paint against gas spillage. The interior remains mostly stock, with new Auto Meter gauges measuring boost, oil and fuel pressure.

Racing Success and Final Thoughts

“In July 2003 my car ran 12.39 in the quarter mile at 114-plus mph, with Dennis Reinhart at the wheel. I didn’t actually see the car until March 2004, due to my schedule requirements.” When Shuley did finally get the car, he took his brother Brian on a trip to the national Marauder meet in Indy, where he met Steve Babcock, who autographed his glovebox.

A Project Fueled by Passion and Gratitude

Shuley’s list of thanks is too long for our article. But to give credit where it’s due, he thanks his brothers, everyone who worked on the car, everyone at mercurymarauder.net, and the entire crew of the U.S.S. Peleliu. But his long list of thanks doesn’t surprise us, as all it takes is one meeting with him to realize that’s just how he is.