I was wondering how many speed the manual transmissons were offered were on the 71-74. The automatic it came with was a C-4 I believe? What should I look for when buying a maverick. Defiantely want a v-8. What are some popular things to do to get some power out of the motors. What kinda cam is in it? i.e roller ectt. Did they come with trac-loc? any of them Are the internals forged or cast?
The only manual trans offered from the factory was a 3 speed. The 302 wasn't offered until 1971 although it can be swapped into all of them. Exhaust, intake/carb and cam upgrades for more power. Factory 302's in a Maverick / Comet had hydraulic lifter cams. They were not offered with a Traction Lok although it is a popular upgrade. Cast internals
I believe the 70 Mavericks had a 7.5 inch rear, and 71-77's all had 8 inches. With either 2:79 or 3:00 gear ratios.
i thought it was only thr 69.5's with the 7.5? i could be wrong though. when buying one i'd say body condition is the most important thing to look at. anything mechanical is pretty simple to fix. stay away from vinal top cars since most of those will have a rusty roof that will mostlikley need to be swapped out(the entire roof) check that the cowl vents arent rusted out(the vents between the hood and windshield) pour some water down there and see if it comes out on the inside carpet. the front of the hoods seem to have a serious rust issue. check the floor pans for rot, bottom of the doors and fenders, all the usuall places old cars rot out. 69.5-72 mavericks are usually the most desierable with the small bumpers but i'd rather have a clean big bumper car then a rotted out 71. the bumpers are an easy swap. i see your right in my neck of the woods and i know finding even a car half the age of a maverick thats not rusted away can be a problem most mavericks really didnt have much performance to brag about out of the factory but all that can be upgraded easily so dont get too hung up over the lack of "go-fast" goodies good luck in your search
Although I've only seen 7.5's in the 69.5 version, I have been told by reliable sources that they have seen them throughout the 70 production run.
Is there any particular year easier to do engine mods on? What do they run in the quarter? What would have to be done to get it down to like a 13.5 quarter time? Did they have power steering? A/C?
power steering and a/c were options fo most years if not all. if you have the 302, the mods are all the same. unless you have a later 5.0. a cam, intake, 4 barrel carb, headers and sticky tires should get you in the 13's. i have a 302 with cam, forged pistons, intake, headers, and it is a track only car the runs high 12's or low 13's. it has gone as quick as 11.81 with my other motor with aluminum heads. they can go as fast as you can afford. also remember the 302 can be stroked to 331 or 347 cu. in.
Of course a V8 is going to be easier and cheaper to mod over a I-6. Year doesn't matter, although the earlier Maverick 302's horse power numbers were somewhat higher than that of the later ones. I'd estimate that a stock 302 Maverick would run about 16.5-17.5 in the 1/4. Yes some did have power steering. Yes some did have A/C.
just out of curiosity how much were you willing to spend? i know someone in wilmington DE with a really nice '70 mav, 351w running 11's but its definatly on the expensive side
