Executive summary and Thanks!
I am back home.... What a trip... I do not know where to start...
Maybe, starting with the most important! Thank-you to everyone who posted and helped...
Also specifically, special Thanks for the local St. Louis Area help. I was really feeling a bit helpless until you contacted me.
* A HUGE thank you to John and his wife... I was still able to get my Marauder fix along with a Trilogy experience.
Man, I got to get one of those.

Both John and his wife are WONDERFUL people. And his Marauder is SOLID!.
* A HUGE Thank-you to Todd. I know that you were a big help in getting that car done quickly.
* A HUGE Thank-You to Dale... at Pundmann Ford... The fix worked great... and I was on the highway by 1PM. The whole experience with the team at the dealer was indeed excellent!!
* A HUGE Thank-You to Kevin at Plaza Tier for the initial look see!
I know Dale and Kevin are not on this list. I will be contact them directly offline.
Here is the executive summary...
- I was driving East on I-70 at about 65 mph.... and I hear pop-pop-pop-pop that was variable with speed. Loss of power is evident.

- I drive about 3 miles to the hotel. I listen to the engine and here a "marble in a coke bottle sound at idle.
- I drive (yes, I know... maybe a mistake) the car 1.5 miles to Plaza... they confirmed... The plug definitely stripped out of the hole taking all the threads. It was the Cylinder 7.
- The car is towed under 1 mile to Pundmann....
- They suggest the helicoil... a miracle occurs (Todd) and I get in the queue to get fixed on Tuesday.
- After repair, the cylinder started out about 18% low in compression... but slowly got better... To this end, an "air induction decarbonization" was performed that also helped further. Compression is back where it should be.
- The service tech took the car for a test drive... and all was going well... until it over heated. The thought was that the thermostat coincidentally went bad. At 72k miles on the clock and the orginal thermostat.. and the recent -14 degree days in Chicago could have something to do with this. Result... new thermostat and added anti-freeze.
- Just a note, the team at Pundmann kept me in the loop at every step... This was very helpful for that have some level of OCD.

The service dept. call me and I pick up the car. The engine is running as smooth as silk and the engine compartment is as clean (maybe cleaner) than how it was when they started.:coolman:
I basically drove the speed limit all the way back to home. I want to be careful with the last "Cylinder 7" modification. There were no Cylinder 7 issues...
When I stopped for gas... I look down at the driver side rear tire... and it was probably only 25% of where it should have been.

Sigh... I fill the tire up with air... and as luck would have it.. there was a tire shope about 100 yards down the street. The tire is pretty beat up internally... but they were able to patch up the puncture enough to get me home. However, I will be buying new rear tires in the next 24 hours.
In any case, I am home now...
Cost
* "Cylinder 7 Mod"
* Two new tires
* Extra day of hotel bills
BUT...
* My son's hockey team did win the Championship game... he got one of the shoot out goals and he made it home safe and on time for school
* I met GREAT St. Louis area Marauder owners.
* Receiving help from people I did not know in a city away from home.
PRICELESS!!... And if I had to do it over again I would.
:banana:
Best Regards,
Gus