Hi all! Just grabbed a 72 Maverick with a 302 from Iowa last week, haven't had much of a chance to dig in other than getting it started to roll into the garage, but should be a fun project. On the way home. Gave up on charging shortly after. Bought a battery, cable, and she starts right up. Also a rad cap (was pissing all over after idling high for a minute or so and figured what the heck, haven't had a chance to dig into that yet. Brakes are a thing of the past, but jammed they'll stop it enough to roll off the ramp . Vac'd it out a bit, but interior will need some doing! Anywho, glad to be here! What an amazing resource this place has been already.
Welcome to forum from northeast Illinois! What is the plan for it? Interior is sun baked, but a 50 year old car may have spent some time in sunbelt.
Thanks all!. Valid and a point I forgot to mention. It sat in a warehouse for 15 years or so in Georgia so the story goes. Who knows before that. I actually began on the forum in my search for one. The saga started here: http://mmb.maverick.to/threads/1972-maverick-small-bumper-v8-car.123534/ The main plan is to get it at minimum in running order. (Wow, so insightful) But honestly, I've read up so much on potentials, but my goal is to just be able to hop in and go for a spin with the soon-to-be misses on date night, or a few hours up north or what have you. While also being able to get-up and go as needed. Not a racer or anything, but sometimes you just gotta make sure they know, you know? I'm 29, I plan on having it a long time. I hate to say a "lifelong project" as I want to be able to drive it, and not have it sit for years neglected as many stories go, or because I've got it in my head I just had to have something added on. That being said, obviously problems and projects will inevitably arise (see photos haha). But first things first will be tires, brake overhaul with a disc conversion. After that, installing gauges to troubleshoot overheating and what I believe is a super high idle, which I now know could be a simple vacuum leak or something else. Replaced OEM lever cap but haven't started it long enough since then to really know if it was that easy) and at some point, overhauling the interior after figuring out if it'll roll okay. I've owned an 84 coachman leprechaun for about 6 months a long while back when I knew far less than I know now (and what a plugged up mess it already was). Aside from that, I've never owned anything I'd want to work on. So this is my first official foray into proper work among the many other facets of owning a 50yr old vehicle.
Welcome and best of luck. Good starting point for sure. A couple of words of advice from someone who got a 21 year sitting Mav back to life. Don't skimp on things. After cars sit for many years, seriously consider replacing things like water pump, radiator (or take it out and have it recored), vacuum hoses, etc. Yours was in a warehouse, mine in a garage. Those areas still suffer after long term storage. Also, seriously consider rebuilding or replacing the carb. No way there's not some gumming up and if it's the original one, it's old. Those things and a few more may seem ok now, but believe me, soon they won't.
All good advice! Since posting, I've done a bit of work on it already. I plan on making a dedicated thread to it to document the process, ask questions I couldn't find otherwise here (or probably stupid simple questions I just don't know and couldn't find easily online). I've already done a carb rebuild as well, although we'll see how I did upon reinstall. Also mid-interior gutting and I've already pulled hoses as well and plan to replace. I've also done a semi-decent job taking video/pictures which I plan to share as well soon. Thanks again!
Welcome, and I like where your head is at. Avoid taking the whole car apart unless you find yourself one day with enough money to pay someone to do most/all of the work or you develop a lot of skill and love for the work and enjoy doing that at least as much as you enjoy driving the car. Otherwise you're just asking to spend years staring at an undrivable project in the garage before someone comes along to take it off your hands for less than you've got in it.
