thinking of building a drag car

hey guys as you can tell im new here but wanted to get a little info. i have the opportunity to pick up a 73 or 74 maverick that is just a rolling chassis. my question is how big of a block can you squeeze in to these little guys and how much work is it. i currently do a lot of bracket racing with a 2005 dodge ram quad cab that is the fastest naturally aspirated stock block quad cab in the country posting an awesome 12.90 in the 1/4 and a 8.10 in the 1/8. now that is with a 5000lbs pickup but id like to make a small light weight strictly track car and figured the maverick for free might be a great route to go provided i can put the horsepower in it i want without to much trouble. i was looking at sliding either a 351 SB bored and stroked or maybe a bb 429 and do the same thing. any suggestions and pictures would be great to kinda give me an idea of what i am in for with this build. thanks:bananaman

 

BB's dont fit without MAJOR modifications..its easiest to start out with a MII suspension if you want a 429....

now the 351W fits with just a few modifications, like shaving the towers to get access to the plugs. And getting a set of headers that are fairly expensive.

But it basically bolts in with the 302 frame and motor mounts.

I say go for the windsor and stroke it to 427 good luck

 

Depends on how much you want to spend. You can stroke a 302 to 347, or a 351w to 408, or more depending on the block. With a Mustang ll front end just about any motor will fit. How fast do you want to go? My 302, .040 over runs high 11's or low 12's depending on which track I'm at.

 

Welcome to the center of the Maverick/Comet universe.
Plenty of guys/gals here that race mavs/comets. I am certain you will get the answers you seek. The Maverick is a great platform for a drag car. As for engine choices...The sky is the limit if you do a mustang two style front suspension set up.Plenty of those here as well.

 

well like i said i currently run a big truck in the 12's so i would like to take a step up and maybe break into the 10's. the donor car i will be using already has the role cage and ford 9" and i think may have already been backhalfed but not positive on that. hell for all i know ithe shock towers may have already been shaved. i havent looked at the car in about a year and didnt really look that hard then. i will most likely be going to look at it more closely next weekend to see exactly what im in store for.

 

how extensive would it be to put the mustang ll front end on it and where would be the best place to look so i can start getting a budget together. looking on craigslist it appears i can pick up a 351-460 for between $300-$600.

 

this link has alot of info on the m2 swap. http://mmb.maverick.to/showthread.php?t=49815
i would recomend supercharging a 302. if you put a roller 302 short block in, with a good set of aftermarket heads and a supercharger on it you should be able to make an honest 500 hp. as long as you put all the correct support stuff like fuel system, ignition and drive line in you should be able to get into the 10 sec zone.

 

Timeslips...:Handshake

 

Just like Bryant said with a Supercharged 302 roller (suggest stroked to 331 or 347 with descent heads & fuel system it should be easy to get in the 10's. Best part about the 302 is you will not have to do the M-II swap. Good luck.

 

how big of a bore would it take to get it to a 347? and what type od SC would you suggest? i mean i know you can pick up an Eaton pretty cheap but they aren't the best blowers around. Whipple makes a nice one but its kinda pricey.

 

a 347 is a 302 +.030 overbore
with a 3.4 stroke instead of the normal 3.0



347 = 4.030 Bore + 3.40 stroke
331 = 4.030 Bore + 3.25 stroke
302 = 4.002 Bore + 3.00 stroke

 

I recommend Procharger. They are very easy to install & make great power.

http://www.procharger.com

 

im not a procharger fan. like i said im coming from the truck world and alot of guys there are running it simply because its the only one that fits easily into a ram. the problem is they are not making the same kind of power out of them that the lx cars are able to with the lager SC's

 

I have .030 over JE SRP's w/ wrist pins for a 347, Seal Pro rings, the stickers all still in the box!!! I am going to see if my machine shop wants to buy them. But if not I can let them go...

 

Just my two cents on the matter but..............

Hard to beat a decent 331 or 347 with AFR 185 or 205 heads with a small roller cam, good converter, powerglide w/transbrake, Cal-Trac bars, 4.30 or so gear, and a set of slicks. Easy to work on, runs quicker than most people think, uses off-the-shelf parts, and very reliable.