Ok head is spinning, I look one place and see one thing, look another see yet something else. ARRRHGHGGH!! So good news $3K coming back for taxes, wahoo me!! I'm going to put $2K aside in savings but looking to put $1K into the Mav. I just don't know where to put it So mine is a 72 four door that is all stock apart from what I have done to it recently which is: new starter new master cylinders & slaves (brakes had been replaced before I bought it, they will do another few thousand) new battery I'm thinking to throw some money at a mechanic for a decent tune-up as I have neither the tools or the expertise to do that. This is my first car, ever and although I am learning it is sometimes overwhelming, stick some electronics in my hand and I'll make your head spin. My shocks could definitely do with an overhaul, driving this car is like being in a boat <insert seasick smiley here> and I'm pretty sure the tranny is close to a rebuild, she's got 82,000 original miles on her. Help please
I would turn my attention to the suspension not to mention the brakes.(Hey that rhymed) altough paying somebody to do it depending on what is really needed may not covered by 1000.00. I live in the northern Kentucky area have all the expierence and tools to help you out. I work cheap and a couple of beers.
Heck if I lived in Kentucky I'd bring over a keg and help you drink it Unfortunately I live in sunny Bay Area (hey we had 78 yesterday where I work, hottest in the country) so would need a local to help I'm sure I could do it but I don't have my own garage, only a parking spot and don't have all the right tools. Any jobs in Kentucky?
Hey thanks for the Autozone tip, through their website I found a mechanic two blocks from my work that has a deal for $20.00 for oil change and a complete inspection of the car! Sweet. I'm sure they will find problems but it will help me figure out where to throw money at it.
Dude....do yourself a favor and get a maverick/comet repair manual...read read read...then "have at it"
Got one from Ebay It's the lack of space and tools that is the problem.. I've actually had so much fun doing what I have so far that I'm thinking of getting out of computers and looking at doing this seriously! If I had some workspace and the tools I'd have bought a second car for daily driver and I'd be pulling this apart.
If the tranny is operating fine...I think I would leave it alone. I have personally put 234,000 miles on a tranny without a rebuild...so I think 80,000 is O.K.
I'd take the $1000 buy a basic hand tool set from Sears, along with the Chiltons, and learn how to work on your Mav. These cars are good to learn how cars work, plus you get the satifaction of doing your own work. JMHO. Russ
i paid 11 bucks apiece for shocks at advance auto parts. KYB shocks they ain't but a lot bettter than the ones i had! when you go to change the shocks, i found it real easy if you (talking front shocks for now)take off the wheel making sure you safely support the car first. then i jacked up under the rotor (or drum) just enough to get a socket and extention on the bolts on the bottom of the shocks. the top of the shocks is a no-brainer.
Mavericks are the best car (IMHO) to learn to work on. My mother bought my mave when I was 12 and I worked on it everytime it needed fixed or a tune up. I`m 17 now and there isn`t anything I can think of that I couldn`t do to it in my little carport (aside from machining ) . I think you`r money would be best spent in getting you`r every day tools like a rachet set , wrench set , small jack and jack stands , oil filter wrench ans chanel locks. Yould find that you can do almost anything to a mav with just them cheap tools in a parking lot or back yard or even in the midle of the street if you need to lol. You know that ford called the maverick "the simple machine" when it came out in the '70s and you could even buy tool kits from ford for it.
Ditto, on these cars are the easiest to work on. My daily driver quit on the way to work yesterday. Only a few blocks from work. Went after work & checked it out. The points were closed & not opening. Bought new points, condenser & rotor. Still no start. Went to the basics: is it getting fuel? Yes! Is it getting spark? Nope! Bought a coil & she fired right up. Runs better then it has in a long time. I would replace the shocks, give it a tuneup, & have the trans flushed. That's a good starting point.
Yeah, I live back in San Rafael now although still work in Rosa. I couldn't handle the lack of night life. I'm a Brit so used to going out and having fun in bars
Some of the basic maintenance might be easy on these cars but i've never had an "easy" time changing the spark plugs on a v8 car.
