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If you’re going to make the change from Chevy to Mercury, the 1965 Marauder is a good choice at any rate, but when you meet one for the right price, it makes it an even easier choice. Mike Richardi of Menifee, California, found this gem for only $500 and bought it site unseen from where it sat under pallets and weeds. “It was a rust bucket,” Mike explained, “but it had great lines.” The 390 cubic-inch FE big-block under the hood also didn’t hurt.
This is just a glimpse at what the car looked like around the time that Mike bought it. Clearly a little different from how it looks today.
“Because it is so hard to find parts I had to fabricate and fix a lot of my parts to make it work,” Mike continued. He bored the engine .040 over and put a larger Edelbrock intake manifold on. With the larger intake and a nice, new Holley carburetor, he had to cut a hole in the hood to make room. “I found a ‘70s Mach 1 hood scoop for it,” Mike said.
The gray really does complete the look of the car.
Originally Mike painted it a solid blue color across the whole car, and that paint job was done out of his garage. Not happy with the way it turned out, he stripped it back down a few years later and took it to a paint booth where he put the two-tone color on it with the blue on top and the gun metal gray on bottom. The gray tone really finishes out the look.
That is a good looking motor. You can see why the carburetor and the larger intake require the extra space under the hood.
The Marauder is a rare full-sized muscle car with only 9,645 having been made, so it really pulls attention at a car show. The electric cutouts on the exhaust really make it roar when they are opened. “At shows, a lot of people have good memories of being in a Marauder,” Mike explained. “It’s great to hear their stories and see them smile.”
“The interior was reupholstered from floor to top,” Mike detailed. He also added a tilt-steering column that he was able to locate on eBay and finished out the interior look with all new Auto Meter gauges. Next step going forward is to do a disc brake conversion on the front.
Putting this car was more than just a solo effort, it was a family deal. Mike received a lot of help from his three sons and wanted to make sure that people knew they helped him put it together. Restoring a car like this is a big undertaking, having help like that, especially when it is family, makes the project roll on a lot quicker and it really means something special in the end when all is said and done. It is more than just a car, it’s a sort of marker that represents the time spent together as a family.
If you want to see a little more of Mike’s car, you can check out this video titled: Temecula Rod Run 2017. The Marauder appears around 1 minute and 18 seconds in and it’s definitely worth a peak. It’s also just cool to see the the Marauder in the context of a car show with the other classics around.
We always love to see a good car and hear a good story. If you want your car or truck to appear as one of our Street Features like Mike’s Marauder, all you have to do is send us an email and we’ll make it happen.
