Saw a beautiful black Mark on Hwy 90 - Taylor Co. GA

McMkVIII94

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Is this anyone from LvC? I hope so...

Thursday 2-2-12, right around 12 noon.

I was in my backyard, just came out from under the hood of my '73 C10 stepside. My son and I have just finished a manifold/carb swap from 2bbl. to quadrajet, and I was putting on some finishing touches (tweaking the timing, new chrome breather, etc.).

Walking to the back deck for a smoke break, heard a nice rumble coming down the highway so naturally I looked up, just in time to catch a glimpse of a shiny black Mark, chrome wheels, tint, slight rumble... not loud but definitely not factory exhaust... just the way I'd like to do mine. I'm about 140-150 ft. from the highway, and a bit nearsighted and didn't have my glasses on, so I didn't get a detailed look... but I can tall ya this:

Damn gorgeous car... gorgeous I tell ya!

It had crossed the RR tracks about 1/4 mile from my house and was already doing ~40+, under light-med. acceleration, and was gone in a sec. or two.

For some dumb-damn reason, I thought I could catch it (and for some even dumber reason thought that I should), so I ran to my work van ('03 Chevy full of crap, toolboxes open, some sitting on top of other boxes, tools laying everywhere. Slung it out the driveway, go-petal on the floor, crap flying everywhere. Hugging some serious curves at 90+ in a white shoebox-full-o-junk had me a bit nervous, but I figured I had 7 miles before Hwy 90 hit Hwy 137 and maybe I could catch up... nope... gone.

Oh well, gave it my best shot under the circumstances. And, oh yeah, this is the second time I've seen this same car come by my house (unless I'm badly mistaken). The other time was the end of last March (2011).
 
Oh BTW, I let my son drive my Mark to school today, because we didn't quite finish "his" truck so he could drive it.

Don't know, but I feel like if the Shark had been here, I coulda/woulda/shoulda caught that bad boy. ;)
 
Interesting, Gen 1 or 2, I haven't seen any modified marks except mine in the Warner Robins/Byron/Macon area.

-Alan
 
Thanks man, no I don't have a build thread. I have too many cars that divert my focus from working on just the Mark so i never know how often I will be working on it. Just depends on my mood, but if there is anything you want to know or see pics of just ask. More than willing to share.

-Alan
 
Ha, well in a word no. My partner in the Chumpcar endeavor is finishing his last year of dental school so he has other priorities. Me right now i am trying to balance my time between the Mark, an Aviator, a 1956 Coupe Deville, an 86 T-Type, a 95 GT, and my 92 coupe race car... Yea i get easily distracted. I need to get some cars out of the shop before i can even think about bringing the Thunderchicken in. I am seriously considering putting them on the Mark at this point, but i dont know if my wheels will clear. Only one wat to find out I guess.

-Alan
 
Interesting, Gen 1 or 2,
-Alan

Don't know, didn't get a good enough look at it... just a ~2 sec. glimpse from right-rear-quarter angle, and didn't notice the type of exhaust tips. I know some of you guys here could've nailed it in 2 seconds or less... I'm not that good. ;)

I haven't seen any modified marks except mine in the Warner Robins/Byron/Macon area.

-Alan

This one didn't seem to be too heavily modded really, just real clean with a sweet exhaust... and it was rolling 40-50 so couldn't tell what wheels it had.
 
Ahh cool, maybe you will catch up with him(or her) one day. We should meet up too, I didn't realize there were any other members in the Mid GA area.

-Alan
 
That would be great to meet up sometime, also would love to see your car in person anyways... looks good in your sig. Except for resonator and elephant ear delete, mine hasn't been modded any, yet.

Also: This is waaayyy off-topic, but here goes anyway...

I'm looking for a pickup for my son, he wants a Ranger 4x4. Just received a response to my email inquiry about this truck:

2000 Ranger Supercab 4x4 $3800

Guy still has it, waiting to hear back from him again, and may go look at it today or tomorrow.

Any opinions? Advice? Price OK?

Thanks, Gene
 
That Mark VIII sounds like the black one I had. I miss that car. Mine had that nice rumble like you talk about, but wasn't out-and-out loud.


As for the Ranger, I know a couple guys who have 91 and 92 Rangers with the 4.0, and they are stout engines in a little Ranger. I haven't done any first-hand research on them, but from what my friends tell me, their Rangers are OHV 4.0's, and at some point in the 90's, Ford changed the 4.0 to a OHC design, which would probably be what's in the truck you're looking at. With the 4.0, that truck should be able to easily haul anything you can throw in the bed or even a reasonably sized trailer, should have good get-up-and-go to it, and should be a decent truck to play in the mud with. As far as the truck itself, I've always heard good things about Rangers of all years. I personally have a 91 Ranger 4-cylinder that's been through hell and back with over 200k miles and the only thing wrong with it now is it needs a clutch.
 
i like 4.0 rangers, i like them even more with a manual trans.
4.0 is a solid motor. ranger is a solid truck.
 
i like 4.0 rangers, i like them even more with a manual trans.
4.0 is a solid motor. ranger is a solid truck.

My buddies I mentioned above both have manuals and both are 2wd, and they actually race their trucks on the street. Of course, I waxed them both in my old Mark VIII, but for a truck that's not "supposed" to be fast, those 4.0's are pretty torquey. I've seen them take down alot of cars you wouldn't expect to see lose to basically stock Rangers. My '91 is just a little 8-plug 2.3 5-speed 2wd. It's got some pep to it in such a light truck, but nothing like those 4.0's.
 
Thanks much for the replies...

I've heard nothing but positive on the Rangers with the 4.0 from everyone I've talked to. lobird PM'd me and said a well maintained 4.0 with 180k no problem but pay special attention to the trans... good tip, Thanks! This truck is sounding more and more like a "go".

Talked to the owner Fri. morning and he sounded like a real straight-arrow... kind of unusual for CL right? He said he had a folder literally stuffed with receipts for everything done to the truck since '03 when he got it. Regular oil changes, maint. contract with a local Ford dealer, etc. Son and I are going to look at it later today, wish us luck.

Oh... when I told the owner we'd be coming in a black Mark VIII, he said "Wow, those are great cars, haven't seen a really nice one in a while tho" so he must be a Ford guy from way back. Sounds like my kind of guy. :D
 
Hey Maverick, I know you're in NC, but have you checked the Atlanta craigslist lately? Also know you like black, but there are two nice Gen I's on there now for 1900, one red, and this one:

He describes it as Gray over Charcoal

Man, if I had the dough I'd be a Mark VIII hoarder!
 
Hey Maverick, I know you're in NC, but have you checked the Atlanta craigslist lately? Also know you like black, but there are two nice Gen I's on there now for 1900, one red, and this one:

He describes it as Gray over Charcoal

Man, if I had the dough I'd be a Mark VIII hoarder!


Man, that is one nice looking Mark, especially for that money! Up here, it's hard to find a nice one that's not got some outrageous price on it. If I had a little more cash on hand right now, I'd probably consider taking a trip to check that one out. I've been watching the CL ads from most of NC, but there's not been much to go on up here (at least not for OBD-I Gen-I's).

As far as the Ranger transmission, I don't know anything about the autos (I noticed in the pics of the truck it was auto), but IF something were to happen to it, if you'd be replacing the trans with a junkyard/used transmission, it might be a good thing it's auto. I know one of my friends had to replace his 5-speed in his Ranger, and because what most of the 4.0's were used in were Explorers and most Explorers were automatics, the 5-speeds for the 4.0's are apparently pretty rare (around here at least) and the junkyards know it. I think he ended up paying about $700 for a used 5-speed from a local junkyard.
 
Well dang, I know exactly where both Taylor County and Warner Robins are as I am in Perry. Our 98 Mark is white however.
 
Cool, we will all have to try and meet up one day. More members here in Mid GA than I knew of lol.

-Alan
 
A mid-GA meet-n-greet sounds good to me... I'm in... y'all decide when and where. Think we should start a thread on it and see if there are others?

I'd still like to find that "mystery Mark", so this thread is officially btt'd ;)

OT again: We bought the Ranger, picking it up Wed. at 5pm. I only found one issue (well, two if you count the dent just in front of the RR bumper), but we can deal with both.

I drove first: good acceleration, tracks straight at cruising speed, rides good, tracks straight under hard braking, trans. shifts fine up and down, passing gear downshifts firm but not too hard, frontend feels tight, suspension could use some help, from a standstill in D it pulls hard against the brakes w/ no slipping.

Son drove back while I paid closer attention to the sounds, shifting during normal driving, the ride, etc.

Back at the parking lot where we met, I checked the trans. fluid. It doesn't smell burnt, but it's not as red as it should be, kinda more brownish w/ slight red tint... it'll need changing. Motor oil on my finger had nice color, and slightly transparent, no smut in tailpipe, no bad leaks underneath.

Overall, I liked it. My son loved it. I offered the guy 32, he took it, we bought it. :D
 

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