I need your opinion

Ok so here's the deal 5 months ago my dad bought me a '74 maverick and I love it. But here's the problem it's just been sitting in our garage since then because of lack of funds to fix it. It's not in terrible condition it has some surface rust and some very few spots where it's rusted all the way through it needs a new radiator and new hoses I don't know which hoses it needs since I'm still new to this car fixing thing. So the other day my dad finds an 80's mustang gt 5.0 that needs alot less work he said that it was like new of course I jumped down his neck that he even suggested the idea of trading my mav but now I'm considering it because there won't be any repair cost or if there is then they hopefully won't be expensive and it's a 5.0 it would take me like 5 years to get a 5.0 in my mavy. the thing of it is i'm trying to not be too selfish and do what will help my family out I'm trying to compromise because I still want a cool car but not if it's gonna drain my family's funds and if that means trading my beloved Valerie for a less cool mustang then I will I just wanted some other people's opinions.

 

Owning a Maverick is like falling in Love.

When its right its right.

You don't second guess it.

 

Overall, the difference between a 30 year old car and a 36 year old car mechanically is not much given the same overall condition of the car. Low mileage isn't as much of a factor after a car gets flat out old, but it does help a bit in that, while you are repairing "almost everything" (especially anything that holds fluids) because the car is the age it is, the parts usually are in better shape.

Sounds like the Mustang doesn't seem to have any rust? Might make it worth switching if you are unskilled in body repair ... that is an art.

Overall, it is a tough call ... if you are going to own an old car, it needs to match the skills that you have at your disposal, either your own or friends that can guide you. Expect that as you progress with it, you will find it needs twice as much work as it does on first blush. Anytime I start something new on mine there are always distractions along the way that need attention too.

Hard to vote in a poll, overall that needs to be your call as far as what you can tackle and/or are willing to learn. This board and the internet in general can be a big help.

Good Luck with it!

 

once you have used up the Stang, then you will wish you had the Mav. back...

...:Handshake...

 

what year mustang. if its a 87 and newer and in the condition that your dad said then i would do the swap. you should be able to sell the mustang for enough to buy a maverick in much beter condition. if its a 86 or older then i would not trade.

 

I voted to go for the Mustang (for now). It says good things about you that you've got the family's funds in mind. If transportation is the key here, you'll be cruisin on your own sooner.

Turn the Mustang into something totally your own with a little cosmetic work for now, and sell her down the road----it won't be long till you'll have the time and resources for a Maverick based on your obvious rational way of thinking.

 

Mavericks are fun but they are not good daily drivers IMO. Too many things can go wrong if your car is fresh from no mans land.

 

a maverick is a maverick not a whole lot of people have them and the attention is awesome imo maverick is the way to go i will say that mustangs are nice and there is a reason they have been made every year since 1964 and still very popular. its up to you in how much money you have to restore the maverick and how much is needed for the mustang

and just to say from the above post mavericks are great daily drivers i drive mine almost 100miles every day and have a hick up every now and then but shes awesome

 

Yours isnt fresh from the garage after 35 years, is it:16suspect

 

Nice to see a kid with his family in mind. however, if you let valerie go, (and there was just a thread the other day about "regreets") you'll never get her back. Mustangs? everyone has them. when you drive up in your mav, the people will say WOW, cant remember last time i seen one. yes it needs work, thats called father and son time. your dad will love it, and in the long run your mom will too. take your treasure and make it something special, that you and your parents can say WOW!

 

engine is a factory 302 just re gasketed and a new timing chain and carb and new front suspension everything else is factory 38 years old. and the last 15plus years she sat in a garage so id say thats pretty good for a daily driver

 

I, and perhaps Jamie Miles and some others might disagree... Once you get them straight they're pretty reliable.


Back on topic...

If the only thing keeping your Maverick off the road is a radiator and some hoses, let us help you fix that thing. A novice can make those repairs with just a little guidance, and it's not very expensive to do either. I'll bet you can replace the radiator, all hoses and the thermostat for around $200 or less, and just a couple of hours' work.

How many foxbody Mustangs have you seen in the past couple of weeks? How many Mavericks? Which one got your attention and made you smile?

Mustangs are good cars but a Maverick will turn heads wherever you go.

 

and while im nothing more than a shade tree mech. if you pm me ill send you my number and talk you through what ever i can. KEEP THE MAV!

 

Im not saying that they can't be reliable cars but if the car hasnt been touched in a while, i wouldnt want to drive it as a daily driver till i went through almost everything on the car.

 

I don't have any set amount of time to fix up my mav since I won't be driving legally for at least another six months probably longer though, and I think I can fix her up in six months if my friends all help like they said they would. I guess I just shouldn't rush it and finish it whenever it gets finished and if it's not finished when I get my license then I can always drive my grampa's old truck I guess I was just feeling lazy and unacomplished last night since I haven't touched her in 5 months and my only goal this summer was to have her rust free at least. Well I'm keeping the Mav thanks for all your opinions.