56k-Mile 429 Survivor! 1969 Mercury Marauder X-100
Just about any Mercury that wears the Marauder name is a good prospect to get excited about, as the moniker was associated with high performance in the brand’s full-size lineup during all three generations in which the car was produced. The second generation offerings were only manufactured for two years as 1969 and 1970 models, and stepping up to the X-100 got buyers an even larger engine than the base powerplant. This 1969 Mercury Marauder X-100 here on Craigslist is one of just 5,645 made that year, and in addition to its rarity, nearly all of the car is still original. This one is located in Burlington, Wisconsin, with the seller hoping to gain $35,000 from the sale. Rocco B., thanks a lot for your great tip here!
The seller tells us he acquired his Marauder from the nephew of the first owner, and that there are only a handful of pieces that are not original components of the car. The Cream Ivory paint is said to be the factory finish, and to now be well past the 5-decade mark it still seems to be in very good shape. All of the panels appear to line up properly and I’m not seeing any evidence of rust anywhere on the outside. Even the vinyl top has held up well, and while it’s not specifically stated that the car has always been garaged, it sure doesn’t appear as though the Mercury has spent a great deal of time out in the elements.
The standard engine in these cars was a 390, which was no slouch at 265 horsepower with a 2-Barrel carburetor. Adding the 4-Barrel bumped things up to 320, but also available and standard on the X-100 was a 429 that put out 360 horses and a whopping 480 foot-pounds of torque, which is what can be found under the hood here. A C6 Automatic transmission and 9-inch Ford rear end round out the package nicely. The seller states that his Marauder has only been driven 56k miles and comes with all the receipts and documentation to back it up.
Things inside appear almost as well-preserved as out, with those white seats and door trim panels looking really good overall and I’m really liking that this one has a console and floor shifter, with the seat belt buckles also having their own fun little cranny to rest inside when they’re not in use. We don’t get to see the bottom side, but there’s said to be a new stainless steel exhaust system down below and the springs have been replaced, plus the seller also mentions that he has a new gas tank and sending unit available should the next owner be interested in adding fuel injection. Think I’d just stick with how it is now and drive this one, as everything seems to be to my liking exactly as-is without any changes. What are your thoughts on this 1969 Mercury Marauder, and its asking price of $35k?
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Comments
What a BEAUTY! I would love this one even more, sans the vinyl top, but I’d not evict it from my garage!! GLWTS!! :-)
What a fabulous car!
Oh my – Fabulous is the word.
No Changes please!
Originality is so easily wrecked.
Thank goodness this survived.
$35,000. Might just be the value to the right person that sees and drives this.
Big and Bad. HOPEFULLY a caring Home with zero changes.
Big Kudos to braking … who would have thought?
Faster thank I thought it would be…!
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/vintage-reviews/vintage-comparison-test-1969-buick-riviera-ford-thunderbird-mercury-marauder-x-100-oldsmobile-toronado-pontiac-grand-prix-the-personal-luxury-wars-heat-up/
I think it’s worth it.Beautiful car.I’m no Ford guy either.I wouldn’t FI it. Dial it in tune up wise and maybe a gear and posi depending what it has.glwts. My buddy lives there and is a Ford nut.Lives right across the road from the old AMC testing track.
I am surprised they made that many!
AMC made lot less rebel machines, scramblers, etc.
& Pontiac even made less t/a’s ’69-’73! …
http://www.transamworld.com/bird-prod-numbers.php
The blacked-out deck was a defining feature on these cars, so having it deleted by the vinyl roof is a bit of a let-down. But still, the soft yellow paint/ black vinyl roof looks good too. Then add the white interior with the horseshoe shifter, and the whole package, including the factory wheels with whitewalls, looks great.
Outstanding car. It has so much presence. Gives off that gentleman’s cruiser vibe.
What a beautiful Merc. With the 429, these things would haul. And, at $35k, you’re buying this car to keep, not flip.
That’s ALL the money. I’m in at $20K
I had an X100 maroon with white leather and loved it. Mine was loaded up with power windows and everything. Not all of them had the black trunk deck lid. Mine didn’t. If it had it I would have had it painted to match the car.
I’d love to own this one but I’m out of garage space. INCREDIBLE FIND
Mercury’s answer to the competition’s “deuce & a quarter”. What a luxurious BEAST!
I definitely see shades of 225 in the rear three-quarter shot. 👍
It’s the 429 K-code 2-barrel premium fuel engine that is rated at 320 horsepower. There was no 390 4-barrel for this car in ’69 (the 265-horsepower version is Y-code, the 429 4-barrel is N-code). We had the 429 2-barrel in our ’70 Country Squire and it was a great engine, smooth with seemingly endless torque.
Love the jet handle gear changer. Had a Toronado with one as Chevelles had them a couple years too.
It looks like I’m in the minority here or just the minority. The styling cues of this car is a mishmash. The front end says Lincoln, the faux vents on the quarter panels add nothing, the backlight says Cougar, and the mini-fins are an homage to something. The short lifetime of this iteration of Marauder tells me it didn’t fit into the Mercury lineup.
Moving past all that this car looks especially well cared for. The interior looks quite plush but the lack of power windows/locks is a surprise. The ask seems high but that’s between the seller and buyer.
Really neat car, would be fun to own and drive, with buckets and console, and factory A/C. A nice original low mileage car, I hope it finds a good home where it’ll be enjoyed, preserved and cared for.
I’d definitely give it a good home because I had one and know exactly what it is. I just don’t have the room….. or the money he’s asking.
Dad was an L-M dealer during this period. His bread and butter in our locale were Seafoam Green and Beige 4-door sedan Montereys. Pretty boring. So, the Marauder X-100 brought some excitement to the big Mercs and he sold a handful. IMHO when Merc design entered the shoebox mini-Lincoln look in 1965, much of the “sportiness” disappeared from the big Merc line that was offered in the 64 fastback Marauders. Even Bud Moore continued to race 64 Mercs through the 65 NASCAR season.
With the success of the 68-69 Cyclones in NASCAR, and in sales, it’s not surprising Mercury put forth a full size distinct muscle car in the X-100 to spice up the line. This car is a very nice example, but it’s subdued color scheme and vinyl top pegs it to typical older Mercury buyers of the day who wanted something a bit different while “fitting to their age”.
Nice Marauder. What are the chances the air blows cold? At 35k asking price, it definitely should. Why no undercarriage photos? Has the firewall/heater core been modified? Tire condition/date codes? Old car enthusiasts know rust and rodents can really do a number on a sitting vehicle if not stored correctly. Again at this price point, better photos and a driving video should be mandatory.
I remember working on these when they were new at the Ford, Mercury dealership. When tuning them up, they had so much compression, that when I had the dist. cap off to set the points, I would bump the eng. over w/a screwdriver at the starter relay to get it on the high point. The engine half the time would start and run with the cap off; compression ignition. True story…
The little town I grew up in an older fellow had a ’71 Cyclone Spoiler with a 429 SCJ and a 4 speed. It would do the same thing, the engine would run with the cap and wires pulled. Had to shut off the air to get it to quit. It was the absolute fastest car I’ve ever had the pleasure of riding in, an honest 150 maybe even 160 or more. Commander Cody was right about the “telephone poles looked like a picket fence”. The big Merc in the add, a friend of mine years back, his mom had one of these. It was no quarter mile monster, but it would have give that Cyclone a run for its money on top end.
Had the same car in light blue in the late 1970’s- bought it from a single Mom- beat the livine S**t out of it every night- the frame cracked in the rear and I sold the motor- had no idea how rare it was till years later….VERY nice and powerful car….