So I have had my 70 maverick for a decade now. It has a 200ci with 3 on the tree. Runs and drives great. The 3 speed has always been finicky but it is manageable if you know how to drive it. I want to give the car to my wife as she has always loved it (and I have several other cars). She can’t manage the 3 speed . I bought a floor shift conversion when I got the car and never installed it . She is not a great std driver if I am being honest so thinking an automatic conversion would be best. I have done this type of swap before on other models and I normally would not attempt it unless I had a donor car with all the parts. This is not likely with a 70 maverick. So, I know I would need the c4, the linkage and carb, maybe a driveshaft . Had any one done this or have advice? I don’t have an enormous budget on this so looking for achieveable ideas. It may or may not happen, but she loves the car and I don’t drive it much anymore.
a few notes: a C4 with associated parts for the 200 from any 60's/70's Falcon, Mustang, Maverick, Comet, Ranchero, etc is what you need to keep swap simple... ,, the 200 with typical C4 Ford automatic uses a unique bellhouse to the later 200 (and 170) . The 70's 200/C4 bellhouse uses original 1960 2 speed C2 bolt pattern on the block . the Maverick standard 3 speed uses the larger "Toploader" bellhouse and larger bolt pattern on the "dual-Drilled" blocks (dual drilled with both bellhouse patterns after @ 1966). Along with unique BH, the 200/C4 also uses unique Flywheel with starter ring gear welded to a unique Torque Converter for the small six.. . Should not be too difficult to install the C4 , DS may even fit as Mav' toploader is close to C4 length. . additional parts for the swap is the 'kickdown linkage' arrangement for the accelerator to carb linkage. . here's a 1976 Comet GT 200 with C4 on my run stand, note the smallish bellhouse and exposed 'dual drilled' larger Toploader bellhouse bolt holes on top of C4 bellhouse. . . . " I never learned to drive them automatic things' " . Have fun
Trying to find these parts around here is getting difficult . thankfully for archaic parts with the internet, 'around here' can be is as big as you want ... .also if you hang around Car cruises, shows. c's and coffees, swaps or join a local car club some poor guy trying to make a V8 work in a Mav/Com/Fal/Stang/Chero may sell or give you a complete eng/tranny setup - it's happened ... . have fun
