I found a 73 Maverick that I am very very seriously considering purchasing. The pictures make it appear quite rough. I have seen some amazing looking Mavericks on this board. I already have a Body Shop ready and willing to work on this project for me. I have nothing but time, and it is something he said he would like to do as long as I don't rush it. I am in no rush, so I'm ready to roll with it. Here are my questions: Engine Options: What will fit without serious modfications? I'm thinking 351, or even something meaner. Rear End: What is the stock rear end for a 73 Maverick? Did any of you guys upgrad to a 8.8 or 9" rear? Suspension: Did you keep the rear leaf spring setup, or convert to coil springs? Brakes: How tough is it to convert to 4 wheel discs? Interior: From the looks of this car, the interior is going to need a complete overhaul. How hard is it to find the necessary parts such as knobs, door windows etc... This car has the windshield, rear glass, both quarter glasses and the drivers glass. It is missing the passenger glass. Grabber Spoiler: Is this something difficult to locate? Thanks for all the help and I am going to really enjoy this forum. Thanks! ApexStang
Welcome to the forum If you want something that will just drop in then a small block (289,302) is your choice. These can be stroked for more cubic inches. The 351 will fit but to make things easier you will want to notch the shock towers. Stock the 73 will have an 8" rear in it. A majority of cars still run the stock rear. Depending on what you intend to do with the car the rear suspension is fine. Disc brakes from a later Maverick/Comet swap right in. Rear discs from an Explorer are a fairly simple swap. Many aftermarket options as well. Not many interior items are available unless it is a high demand item or fits another model. Original Grabber Spoilers are out there but get expensive. You can get a really nice reproduction from www.maverickman.com Spend some time and search each of your topics. There is a wealth of information on here. Plenty of used parts are sold through this forum as well. Sources for parts www.autokrafters.com http://www.restorationpartssource.com/store/
302, T5, explorer 8.8 (uncut), 4 wheel, 5lug discs, not too hard if you can plan it. I need to clearance the trans tunnel b/c I left the rear stock width, the pumpkin is about 2" right side biased, but no vibrations or nastyness Shaun
Buy a good car to start with, the less rust the better. You just can't buy everything for a Maverick like you can for that other "M" car (mustang) so your limited to NOS parts ($$$) or used parts most of the time. Anything can be done, if you have deep enough pockets. I totally restored my car with the exception of re-covering the seats, the only thing I didn't do myself was the body and paint (and it was a California car) and some engine machine work,so if you really want to know what it costs, I can tell you...
Mavericks are a fun project. Part of the fun, to me, is finding the parts. 302 stroked to 347 can give you massive power, depending on how much $$$ you want to spend. For a 351W I'd think about a Mustang ll type front end. The 8" rear is good for about 400 or so HP. After that, I'd think about a 9".
Thanks for the advice guys. I really want to run with this project. I'm 32 about to turn 33 years old. My first car at age 16 was a 70 Mav with the 250 cubic inch sixer, auto of course. I really wish I had a way to track that car ha, ha. But the car I found has a 4 speed on the floor. Thanks guys.
to me this is something you don't tell a body man... you will never see it finished...it's just the way they do things. you need a plan with a time frame...if he can't work it to that find someone else. i had one of those...no rush, take your time i'm not in a hurry... well 1 year and 14K later he just up and stopped working on the car. ...it never got finished... ......
No, I'm not worried about it. He striped my current 07 Stang and did a fantastic job. I have done business with him for quite a while. I'm working on some house projects right now, so I don't have the money right now to plop down on the body work right away. So we decided just to make it a long term project. I'm not looking to get it done in 6 months. I see this as a 2 year project. Hell, I don't even have the space to keep the car at my house currently. I have minivan and my 07 mustang in the garage and daily driver in our short driveway. He is going to store the car for me at his shop. I appreciate your concern though! I know there are some shady places out there, but this guy is definitely not one of them.
