Hello everyone, Not new to the site but has been a long time since I have been here. I am from Manitoba, Canada. Years ago (2011) I was looking to buy myself a car, growing up around older mustangs(My father drag races a 68 Mustang) I always wanted a Mustang - however everyone has a mustang, you go to a car show and there is 4-5 the same year as yours. So to be different I found a 1974 Maverick. Its a 74 2 door. Original motor threw a rod so the guy I bought it off took that to the dump and went crazy online with summit ordering lots of new small block ford stuff for the car. He then proceeded to get married and have a kid, so the car had to go - which ended up being a good deal for me! We slowly started stripping it apart and doing little things - but with school the car never got the time it needed. In 2014 I got a new job and bought myself a drag car - Again something odd to stand out at the track (A 1975 Ford Pinto) So the last year and a bit of course it has gotten all the love. Now that I have "finished" some stuff on the Pinto - the maverick has been brought to the front on the shop and it will be time to get some work done on it - so i figured I should get back on here to see what kind of help and Idea's I can get for my Mav. Original plan for the car was to build a Street/strip car. Now that I have a strip car there is no need for the Mav to be a strip car. Now the plan is to just build a cool old school hot rod. We have little bit more rust repair to do to the car - then it will be time for building the engine. Currently I have a 302 on the go - however we do have a spare 390 in the back, which there has been talks about seeing how that would work. Looking forward to talking with everyone here, learning from you all and sharing the progress as this build comes together over the next while.
Seeing as u've stated the car will be a cruiser I wud put the small block based in. Putting the FE block in will dictate some mod's in the engine bay to get it between the towers. Also, weight wud be another factor. If you have the skills, desire and where-w/ all -- put whatever makes you feel gud. JMO
Thats why the we have the smallblock right now - although we are always looking for a challenge and make it different.
Welcome back in the fold! I like your "looking for challenge philosophy", (we like seeing pictures). I for one, wud like to see the FE engine in the car, not many have put one in on the forum to my knowledge. It is out of the realm of possibilities for me but, kudos to those who can pull it off.
Unless you cut back the shock towers a FE won't fit, they are close in a '66-'69 Fairlane, Falcon, Torino etc and those chassis are approx 3" wider between the towers...
Thanks everyone! As for doing the FE - we know how tight and how much work it will be. (Just put a 390 in a 67 Mustang with dual four barrels and a stock flat hood.) Its going to be one of those things that a nice quiet afternoon in the shop we will have to see what we have for the 390 and do some measuring to see if it is a project we want to take on. Always fun looking for a challenge and do something most people wont do. Back in the 80's my father and uncle were reading an article about putting a 460 in a mustang, Just so happened to have a 460 in the shop, next thing you know it was in the car. Just have to be willing to put the work into it.
I'm not saying it can't be done, but a drop in with a dimple here and there it isn't... A '67-'68 Mustang has shallower towers than Maverick, plus frame rails are approx 2.5" wider(I measured a friends '68 a couple years ago)... Also 390 was a factory option beginning in '67, had to fit on assembly line without issue... These cars have same chubby towers as '66-'69 Fairlane/Torino...