Hopefully going to buy my first Mav!!

I haven't had a chance to look at it close yet, but I was so excited I just had to post! I'm not entirely sure of the year. It looked like a '73 maybe at first glance. It's a 2 door. I found it out in Ladoga Indiana (about an hour west of Indianapolis), when I was dropping off my wife's car to be fixed. It looks like it still has the original avacado green paint on it!! The quarters will have to be replaced, but that wasn't too unexpected. I'm not really concerned if it has an engine or tranny right now, since this will be a ground up resto-rod. I have been looking for a decent shell for about 3 years, and I finally have a garage too, so it's all coming together. I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much. This is as close as I've been to having my Mav since I was 17!!

My maverick background. My dad and uncle used to race a grabber with a shoe-horned Boss 302 back in the '70s. I love it when he tells stories about beating big block chevelles and other over powered machines. I also love the fact that there aren't too may Mavs running around any more. I did have my eye on a '66 mustang coupe, but the Mav is just too unique to pass up.

My plans for the car are a 5.0 EFI cammer from ford motorsports backed by a 5 speed richmond 4 + 1. I'm thinking of leaving in the leaf springs, but I'll probably have to put in a dual A arm coil over mustang II or similar K member to squeeze in the giant DOHC. I'm going for the cammer because it's kind of like a modern era Boss. Plus, my wife is really into it and I need it to be turn key in any weather for her.

I'm a GM convert. My previous hot-rod is an '89 firebird. I rescued it from the JY with pretty bad front end damage. It already had frame connectors, koni yellows, and edelbrock LCAs attached to the 9 bolt BW rear. So, it was a pretty solid frame to start with. My small block started out life as a '74 4 bolt high nickle block. It was bored .060" over to clean up the scuff. The I filled it with forged slugs and crank and a hydro cam with a ton on duration and a short centerline, but not much lift. It's bark is worse than it's bite! Then I ported a set of vortec heads and topped it off with a 750 double pumper. It ran in front of 700R4 tranny that I blew up in about 2 months and rebuilt that with BW guts. My best time in that car is in the mid 13s at about 105 mph. I plan to go deep into the 12s with the MAV!!! I've also messed around with a 2.3 turbo t-bird and was helping my dad turn his '72 pinto into a 2.3 turbo pinto!!

I can't wait to get back into a Ford!!!

 

so you were converted to GM for a while huh? back!

 

Thanks! I took a look at that 5.0 crate motor and I've changed my mind! I thought it was $6,000. More like $15,000. hhhmmmm.... The 5.4 iron blocks and 4.6 aluminum blocks are less than or right at $5,000. I'll get one of those and throw some nasty cams in there. As long as I don't start detonating those PM rods and hyper pistons should be ok. Hell, that's what the new Power Stroke has in it. The bottom end of the mod motors are VERY beefy. So, no worries there. The 4V and new 3V heads flow more air than those peanut cams can suck up, so I'm thinking I can take that 300 HP crate motor and turn it into a 350-375 motor pretty easy. I really like the way my 5.4 in my truck runs. I think that engine in a little mav would move pretty good.

 

Howdy and

Good luck with the project.

 

Most of my family is from Indianapolis. My grandma, a couple of uncles, and a few cousins still live up there. Sounds like a cool plan you got there, keep us updated!

 

to the board. Good luck on your quest...

 

Ford's rock!

 

to the board

 

UPDATE! I found out today some more particulars. It's a 6 cyl car with no drive shaft, but the guy only wants $100 for it! I wasn't worried about the DS since I was going to get new one anyway, so knowing that he's only asking $100 makes it all the better. I've got some interest in my firebird too, so it's out with the old and in whith the new (well, new to me anyway!).

 

sounds like a good deal I paid 250.00 for my 71 mav good luck

 

sweet deal, more money for the motor

 

Ok, I sold my firebird for $900 last night. Kind of hated to see it go. It was a pain, but once it fired up I remebered why it was so fun. Oh well, no looking back now.

Took a closer look at the Mav the other day. It has the usual rust behind all 4 wheels and the front floor boards are flintstone style. The front seats are MIA along with all of the carpet. The rear floor boards still look to be in excellent condition. I banged around on the roof and doors and pillars, and they are all very solid. The rocker sills look to be in good condition too. The 8" was still there and didn't show signs of excessive leakage. I don't know what size the 6 is yet, but it runs very well and has a full exhaust on it. If anyone wants these parts, they will be for free to who ever picks them up. One man's trash is another's treasure, so if you have any misc parts I'd trade for them as I'm sure all of the peripheral stuff needs to be gone over in detail and probably replaced. So far, my shopping list is as follows:

2 fenders
2 quarter skins
1 hood
1 set of floor tin.
carpet
2 seats

From here I plan on putting in frame connectors, and I'm waffling as to weather a cage is needed to stiffen it up more. It will be a custom 10 point since I don't plan on putting in door bars or running any bars through the rear seats. Basically just a halo and the tubes to hold it up. My hp goals for this car are in the 400 range eventually, so I'd like to build a strong platform while I've got it torn apart. While I'm talking about this. Does anyone know a shop in Indy that welds cages? This will be a street car, so NHRA rules are more like guidelines. I'm also in the market for a '98 or older Mark VIII/cobra DOHC mod motor. I think I might have found one in Anderson. Who knows... The goal is to get the car into my garage this weekend. We'll see how that goes.

 

Just an update. I picked up the car on Saturday and it's everything you'd expect from a $100 car. I found out it's a '73 auto. The owner didn't know much about the car at all. He bought it for a project and never got around to it. The windshield has some small cracks in it. The floor pans front and back are completely gone. It looks like the car sat with water in it for a while. The tunnel is in very good shape and so are the side sills. That's what made me think the pans rusted out from sitting rather than driving. It didn't come with keys and the ignition switch and some of the dash is missing. So, it's going to need to be rekeyed. I have yet to open the trunk. The gas tank is shot, along with the bottoms of the quarters and fenders. The hood is in pretty bad shape too. The doors however are in pretty good shape! The passenger side door latch isn't connected to anything, so it won't open right now. Hopefully santa brings us a digital camera and I can get some pictures of the heap up for you. Step one is going to be removing everything that's not the frame or the body.

 

Another update:

I bought a '97 Lincoln Mark VIII 4.6 all aluminum DOHC this week. I should have the engine in my garage next week some time. $550 purchase and $187 to ship it to Indy from up-state New York. The only "weak" spots on the engine are the intake and cast crank. My first goal is to just get it in and running. Next up, getting the I6 and C4 out of the car. I'll try to use this thread to document everything.
http://mmb.maverick.to/showthread.php?t=19958

 

FYI: the cast crank isn't weak by any means. I've built more than one supercharged and turbocharged 4.6 with cast cranks. Never seen one break and these things are making over 800 hp to the tires.

That intake, on the other hand.........POS. Get a Cobra unit. The early intakes are going pretty cheap on the boards.