383ci TPI into a 70-72 Maverick?

[Error404]

Hi there everybody, I was on this board a year ago when I was looking to purchase a maverick, and I ended up passing on the maverick and getting an 86 Camaro Iroc. Anyway, to make a long story short, ever sense I passed up the maverick I have wanted one.

What I'm wanting to know, is just how much will need to be changed/modified to a 70-72 maverick to fit a chevy crate small block (the engine from my camaro) and a 700r4 tranny, and is there any hope of fitting a TPI intake under a stock hood? or would a cowl be on order?

I'm going to start collecting parts (that is, if the engine swap isn't an absolute pain to do), mainly the maverick minus engine, tranny. The engine from my camaro has to stay where it is untill I graduate, so I'll have about a year and a half to get the maverick, get it ready for the chevy block, GM tranny, and what ever rear end I need.

I assume that the rear end won't be up to the job, and I assume the rearend from my camaro would be way to wide... what would be a good rearend to handle about 350 HP and probably 400 Torque?

and the final kicker question... the only reason I want to swap a chevy motor into a maverick is because I have a decently strong chevy engine in my camaro. Is it going to be AT ALL worth the cost to modify the maverick to accept the chevy combo? or will it be so much money that it would be cheaper to build up a totaly new ford block? (which, I don't have the money to do... and would foil my smallblock maverick plans...)

Thanks for any info on this, I really appreciate it!

[Corbin Johnson]

It would be way cheaper in the long run to do the Ford small block in the Maverick. If displacement is your thing, which is why you are going with the 383??, go with a 351 W and keep it like that or punch it out to 408 or even 427. Even the 302 based 331 and 347 strokers are kick a$$ engines. The money saved from engine/tranny mounts and many other misc items could go into the engine. All the mounts for the V8 Mavs will work with the 351 - just fits a little tight. Basically to answer your question - you could go with the Chevy, but I must ask why? The Mavs were designed for the Ford parts - anything else is a headache to make fit. You can do it, but it would be costly unless you are a skilled fabricator/welder and have the tools and time to do it yourself. Hope I helped a little. Welcome back to the board, even if you did mention Chevy and Maverick in the same sentence....
-Corbin

[Comet-73]

The rear end in maverick will be strong enough those ford 8" rear ends are the some of the strongest i know... i agree with Corbin id go with the 351w even my 302 has blowen away most 350 chevys no problem... its just not worth the time or money to mod everything to fit that 383

[Error404]

ahh, thanks for the replys! Thats not really what I wanted to hear, but it's what I needed to know before I dive in. I guess I'll have to settle for a stock Maverick after I graduate for a while or something till I can somehow get a ford block going.

Thanks!

[madmav74]

sell the chevy!!!.....use the money to buy a sweet little 347 stroker !!

[Error404]

heh... thats the problem, I have already put some good money into the camaro (cam and valvetrain, total coolent system, total ignition upgrade, performance rebuilt 700r4 tranny) and countless hours of my time spent on body work, total interior strip down and redo, and engine part installs.

I would really hate to let all of it go. I think I'm going to just get a maverick (running or not) and start stripping it down (if the appartments will let me do so) and over hauling the interior and body untill I can get some money to start up a ford block. I had no problems with the appartment guards when I was doing body work and interior work to my camaro because they saw me drive it every day. it wasn't a "junker" sitting in the spot "rusting a way" as they say it.

I can't sell the camaro just yet as it's my daily driver. I probalby can't even get $4000 for it

I need to rethink my plans now that my engine isn't fair play anymore. I'll be on the forums when I get the maverick, I just hope I can keep it in the appartments, if not then that will be another blow to my plans

[chandler]

If you feel comfortable putting your chevy motor in the Maverick it would be no different than some of the others on the board that put "foriegn" made products in there car. It is yours and that is what make car building fun. As far as being cheaper to build I question that very much I have numerious friends that run small blocks and they pack some serious bunch with less money then I have in my intial build of my motor, hell just look at a jegs or a summit book and that will be enough said. Now mind you I am a Ford man but to each his own!! The first thing I would do it go with a Mustang II suspension that way you can eliminate the shock towers for the room that is needed for you installation. Fabricating the stands can be done a number of ways 1) use the front mounted plate and weld the perches to the crossmember 2) Fabricate stands out of flat stock and then weld your factory chevy stands to that. This is the way I would go I have seen this many times on some Pintos and a Maverick. And the looked good. If you don't have access to a welder and plazma cutter I would seriosly think of your swap without and good tools your job will be sitting on stands for a while!!! Or another idea is to just "trim" your shock towers so you have room for the replacemnt motor. Either way good luck with your endeaver and I for one would like to see how it comes along. Chandler

[mavman]

the SBC is wider than the 302, longer than the 460, and worst of all, the 2 center exhaust ports are right in the way of the shock towers. Also, the pan on most SBC's is a rear-sump, which will be in the way of the steering linkage. The trans is a lot larger in diameter than a C4, actually, it's about the same size as a C6, but the pan is wider. The trans tunnel will have to be "modified" (read: big hammer ). The water pump has it's inlet on the wrong side (which is workable...early mustangs used a "backwards" set up too), the distributor is in the back, meaning that if you use an HEI distributor, you'll have to notch the firewall and/or cowl depending on where it ends up. The motor mounts are near the front of the Chevy engine, and the mounting point for the 302's and inline-6's are in the middle of the tower, which means you'll have to either use a front motor plate, or fabricate your own mount system. The Mustang II conversion would be easier, but has it's own set of problems. Everything about a SBC is wrong in relation to the Maverick's front chassis design. Selling it and getting a 302, even a 351w would be easier, and less trouble. The 351 is a tight fit, but it does go in, and bolts up with factory stuff. Then you'll have the problem of getting the shift linkage and TV hooked up, which has it's own set of problems considering GM never used a chassis as small as a maverick's to accept their small blocks.

Any motor will fit in any chassis, it just depends on how much time, money, and effort one is willing to put forth into making it fit!

[moms70]

I'll agree with the Mavman all it takes is time and money. With some shopping around you can find small block ford stuff thats almost cheap, try Northern Auto Parts, I've used them before and had good luck. It's yours so do what you wish.

[fastbluetruck]

R U SICK ????? FORD RULES chevy diffently drools