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Text by C.
Asaravala. Photography by Roger Papp.
Introduction
The Mercury ad campaign for the 1969 Marauder X-100 read
"In Case  Luxury
isn't Enough." Lincoln Mercury's general manager
at the time boasted, "Our product lineup is the best
in our history." The changes in the full-size Mercurys,
he added "represents the most dramatic product changes
in one year in luxury cars in the history of Ford Motor
Co. These fine automobiles, along with the new 1969 Cougars,
represent the fourth stage in the complete product revamping
of our division, which began in 1967 with the Cougar,
continued last fall with the Montego and this spring with
the Continental Mark III."
Mercury built 5600 Marauder
X-100's in 1969 and 3200 in 1970 |
Clearly Ford and Lee Iacocca
had big expectations for the Mercury line that year. The
Marauder, which was made a distinct model in 1969, was
made the flagship of the Mercury portfolio. The X-100
would consist of traditional full-size Mercury "luxury"
but with the added power of a new power plant, the 360
horsepower 429. Priced in 1969 between $4000 and $5000,
the intention was to contend with Buick Wildcat and Pontiac
Grand Prix sales. However with under 15,000 Marauders
sold in '69 and less than half that in '70, Ford pulled
the plug. It wouldn't be until 2003 that Ford's Mercury
division would re-introduce the Marauder name.
Making the Decision
The X-100 is such an oddity, you have to wonder how
one comes to the decision of making it "their"
car. Ed Zukusky, owner of the gorgeous black X-100 pictured
here, explained to FordMuscle that after a fifteen year
hiatus from muscle cars, raising a family, he longed for
an old car to restore. He consulted in Roger Papp, an
old friend who in fact had spent his last fifteen years
in the envious career of restoring and showing classic
cars. Ed remembers giving Roger a short list of important
rules; the car had to be different (e.g. no Mustangs).
It had to meet his definition of a muscle car -meaning
a big block, floor shift, console and bucket seats. Finally,
it had to fit his tight budget.
What is interesting to note is that Ed never made it a
rule that the car must be a Ford. He kept an open mind
to the vast potential of restorable muscle car projects
available. He looked at cars he thought were interesting,
but didn't stop until there was a connection with the
car. Somehow he came across a 1969 X-100 Marauder. While
he didn't end up buying that one, it did make an impression
on him. The car met his requirements and was "different".
Having decided on a Marauder, Ed went on a full-board
search for the right one. After placing want ads on Mercury
and Ford websites and paying for inspections of out-of-state
candidates, one day he received an email asking if he
still was looking for a Marauder X-100. A few conversations
later, a deal was struck and the car was delivered to
his friend Roger's shop in Georgia. Here it underwent
a careful restoration, with Roger teaching Ed the fundamentals
of bringing a car back to like-new state.
The Black Widow
Ed recalls Roger's reaction when he first saw the car,
"it's huge, it's black, it's a Black Widow".
The other comment was "Your wife will be a Widow
after she shoots you for buying this". So the car
was affectionately dubbed The Widow.
The car arrived with a solid body and no rust. It was
a Colorado and California car most of its' life. The interior
was in very good condition and only needed the carpet
replaced and some considerable cleaning. The engine and
drive train were in excellent condition, requiring a basic
tune-up and detailing. Checking the records that came
with the car, the mileage was a mere 50,000.
Marauder X-100 with
two-tone paint. |
The car however did require
a fresh paint job. The oxidized paint was not in shape
to be buffed or polished out. Roger referred Ed to Thunder
Valley Customs in nearby White, Georgia. The car was
prepped and painted back to its original Black with
"two tone delete". Marauder X-100's were drawn
up by Mercury designers to come standard with a two-tone
paint scheme, whereby the "tunnel" rear deck
is finished matte black. Interestingly, nearly half
of the 1969 models produced were ordered monochromatic.
The Widow is not however an attempt at full "concourse"
restoration. Ed's intention was to enjoy the car and
not fear driving it, as is the end result of many restoration
efforts. Ed made a variety of personalizations to the
car, keeping mindful of period correctness. For example,
he removed the chrome wheel well and fender skirt trim,
and put chrome under the hood. Every original part he
opted not to use has been boxed and saved in case he
chooses to go back.
"I have an original car with 1960’s period
upgrades and had I owned the Marauder in 1969, it would
have looked just like it looks now."
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In
This Article:
We take a look at Edward Zukusky's stunning 1969
Mercury Marauder X-100. |
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Mercury called it a "snug" 121-inch wheelbase.
With room for six and tipping the scales at 4500 lbs.,
the Marauder manages to be svelte with its' Coke bottle
like curves. The X-100 is athletic and elegant at the
same time. |
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Thunder Valley Customs in White, Georgia did the repaint
and body work. |
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Mercury termed this body style as "tunnel fastback
styling." |
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Bucket seats were a desirable
option, along with the "sport console". This
helped add to the aggressiveness of Mercury's otherwise
luxo-barge image. |
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Ed restricted mods to minor period
correct upgrades, such as the steering wheel and column
tach shown here. |
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The X100 had a 429CID 360HP engine
with 10.5:1 compression. Iacocca called it "..
the best damn engine ever built. This basic design will
be the mainstay of the whole Mercury line. " |
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