Which way western man?

Hey folks, first post but long time Maverick appreciator.

After a long hiatus in the Mav world I recently picked up a very clean original condition 69.5 Maverick. The interior is in boxes and there's not motor or trans. It has slowly been worked on/taken apart since it was last insured in 2001.

My question to the group is what should I do with it?

I have a 1999 miata donor car that I could take the whole suspension/drive train out of for a ifs/irs conversion, but after much deliberation I am not fussy on the 1.8 torque capabilities.

One the other hand the car came with a refreshed D0OE 351w and full rebuilt 3.03 with a new hurst shifter, but I'm on the fence about a full tilt build thats just another Maverick V8 build.

A 1UZ-FE Toyota seems unique enough but a toy/ford hybrid doesn't roll off the tongue very well. The I6's seem fun enough but for power I might as well have an 8...

Decisions decisions and I'm spoiled for choice, but not quite sure which way to go...

 

Put a V-8 in it. Front disc brakes, At least a 8-inch rear end. Rebuild stock suspension...

 

Assuming your car is a two door, no disrespect for 4 door owners; build yourself a pretty Maverick with the 351w or 5.0L and a traction-loc differential that can handle the power. It won't matter where you go, unless it is a Maverick/Comet get-together, more than likely yours will be the only Maverick at the event and will get far more attention than the cookie-cutter cars!

 

" on the fence about a full tilt build - - L6's seem fun enough but for power I might as well have an 8...Decisions decisions ,,, not quite sure which way to go... "
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depends on what you want on the street , nice early Maverick geared for the anvil strong 200/250's and optimized for 'modern' speeds with simple power add-ons or "full tilt build" can be more than " just another Maverick V8 build ".
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'74 Maverick 250 and Maverick 250 in '61 Comet run out of road too fast anyway ...
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have fun
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PS Maverick - Miata swap is not viable , how about a 2CV' ...

 

The Inline six is an absolute waste of time & money...

 

Welcome, Ryan! I love the fact that you're thinking about different ways to approach the car. Mavs are uncommon enough I don't think you need to worry about doing "just another." I like the idea of putting the Miata suspension in, but the stock 3rd member is pretty limited in terms of strength. The Miata engine, though...just not a lot of power. An Ecoboost 4 would make a really fun, well-balanced car. For me, I'd build the 351W as I think it's a great motor.

 

It's your car and you can certainly do whatever you want with it. But your on a Ford Maverick message board and the majority will think putting anything other than Ford power in it is just sacrilegious. Lots of unique ecoboost engines out there if you want to be different.. JMO

 

Well after much deliberation I settled on having a crack at trying to get a Mercruiser motor to fit. In simple terms its 1/2 a 460 and this one is 180 hp and 260 ftlbs or there abouts. It flows through a GM bellhousing into a mustang T5. A fresh grind in the cam and an aluminum head have me hoping for 225 hp or so which is going to be a fine mill that tips the scales at 325 lbs. Thanks for everyone's suggestions.

 

One of the major benefits of the motor is that it uses 460 pistons and connecting rods, 351C mains and a big block Ford head so there a lot of aftermarket capability there. If you're wondering wtf here's one all raced out.

 

That little engine would defiantly get you some attention, I like it!

 

Sweet idea. I love it, and it remains Ford-based.

 

That is a really interesting combo. Definitely out of the box thinking.
Just eyeballing it as a bare block, I would rather see the starter and exhaust be on the passenger side. Without knowing hard measurements, I feel like the exhaust and the stock steering box are going to argue for space. Maybe change to rack and pinion steering?
What are you planning on using for a carb/fuel injection? If those need to be conventional with a horizontal base, that will take up more room by the time you work out a manifold, etc. Probably neither is going to take up all the available space, but the shock tower is likely right in the middle, crowding things.

I like that it uses a big block Ford head. I have a 351W in my 72 Comet, and I am kind of glad you are not attempting that. I am looking to get back to a 302 based engine. The exhaust on mine is so tight, it is a bottleneck in mine. If keeping the basic front suspension, there is a couple inches of width to be gained by cutting back the upper shock towers.

 

Funny enough I just picked up a rack and pinion from the scrapper today which I'll detail in another thread. Mercruiser has two options for a carb and intake on the platform; a 500 cfm 2 barrel and a 750 quadrajet. I have both but the 4bbl is squeaky tight but I'll see what I can free up without cutting the car.

Not cutting the car is one of my goals. Its a pretty well rust free original 69.5 so in my mind I'll try to leave it as intact as possible.

I picked up a nice 3.73 lsd 8.8 from the wrecker today too... with two short axels to boot ;-)

 

Make sure you get the right cam. These also came in left handed rotation for use in dual engine applications. I have to wonder if a BBF camshaft wouldn't work. You just wouldn't have lifters on half the lobes.

 

Yeah I have 3 cams in hand and one in a parts engine. They are unique to the engine as well and no other cam will work without modification. Also the profile is pretty important. The few who have experimented and come forward with their findings were pretty adamant that a higher LSA was crucial; 115 and up. I have to find a cam grinder to talk to and sort out a plan eventually.