Good evening. My husband finally agreed to let me buy a Maverick as I had 1 as a teenager and regret ever selling it. Now that I have an empty shell the debate is on. I want to do a 302 and he wants a 351w. I have no motor or trans. To even start with so I need everything. Which would you go with??? Its a 75 Grabber
73stryker I'm confident you did not intend to write "my husband finally agreed to let me buy a Maverick". I'm sure the two of you came to an agreement that now was the right time to purchase a Maverick to replace the one that was so important in your life as a young woman. My Comet has been powered by a stock `72 302, a mildly modified 351W and now a roller 5.0L Unless you are going to heavily modify the 351W (i.e. CHI); a 5.0L roller cam engine would be my choice. There will be a lot fewer installation issues with the 5.0L roller engine and in stock form you will not find much difference in performance between that and the 351W. Piratesteve your point is well taken and good advice. However, changing plugs on my 5.0L with modern Boss 302 valve covers is a lot worse than changing plugs on my 351W when it was installed. It is an ugly task!!!! Best advise 73stryker is to install electronic ignition in whichever engine you and your husband decide to purchase. Spark plug changes will be far fewer. I also suggest leaving exterior paint as is; I like the patina and original graphics. Just clean it up and wax it. Have fun with your Maverick!
Thanks Hotrock, yes my choice of wording was not the best. It was an agreement. Lol. Piratesteve I've been told if I shave the towers the plugs are not much problem with a 351. I appreciate any and all input. Thanks
"I've been told if I shave the towers the plugs are not much problem with a 351." ever who told you this I'm guessing never had a maverick with a 351 in it. will this be a drag car or a street driver with A/c power steering. with a 5,0 you can walk into any parts store and get a part if it stops in the road.
You might think about installing a 302-based mild 331 or 347 in it and mate it to an AOD. I really like my Blueprint Engines 347 and TKP 5-speed manual. Bruce
Hello from east Virginia. With towers cut, plugs on a 351 are fairly easy, are above point control arms are mounted. Headers still a major bitch.
"This will be a street car. But a little extra power for fun is always a plus." I agree wholeheartedly. Mine is strictly a street car... that happens to be tubbed. Due to the disappearance of quality machine shops in my area I chose to go with a crate engine and decided on the Blue Print 3474CT. It is very tractable, has awesome throttle response and rocks the car just a little bit at idle. Make sure your drvetrain (transmission, gear gear, etc.) is compatable with your intentions for the car
If money is tight, an explorer 5.0 with gt40 heads will perform nicely. Find one with less than 150K on it and you will be cruisin. Welcome to the forum!
Welcome back to the Maverick world. But....you are a few months too late and you missed it. The Maverick Nationals were in Kingsport, Tennessee last July.
Thanks everyone, yes I do plan on leaving the exterior paint as is, just need to freshen it up I believe we are going with a 302 roller and AOD.