so i got my maverick a few weeks ago and i was very displeased...

i bought my maverick for 300 dollars about 3 weeks ago and the body and everything is in immaculate condition for 300 dollars that is. we towed it home and i took it for a drive the next day...the performance was very displeasing. there was no get up and go to it. but we had a mechanic come over and check it out and he knew right away that it wasn't firing on all cylinders...it was only running on 3-4 of the 6. so we did a basic tune up(rotor, cap, wires and plugs) and i just took it out today and it's not FAST, but it's quicker than it was b4. it has a little get up and go. this is my first car(i'm 18 and love the old school muscle look...especially fastbacks) this is pretty much the perfect car for me. it's not fast enough for me to get carried away, but it's quick. and it's easy to work on and i can do most of the work myself. i plan to build up the 3.3l to hopefully 200 hp...thats my goal. what upgrades have the most bang for there buck.

 

dont mess with the 6.....go v8 its an easy swap, nice lil cam intake your will much happier with a 302

 

One of the boards you can visit is http://www.fordsix.com/tech/index.php.

 

Are you talking about a 3.3 or a 200 cu.in? There is a 3.3L motor that is a metric motor (1979 I think and later). It is not the same as a 200. Mounts and bell housing pattern are not the same and not interchangable.

If you are going to do an engine swap, go V8 or at least the 250cu.in. 6.

On a side note, the ford 6 message board is great. I built a 200 inch 6 for my Ranchero with info on this site and it puts out about 175-200hp and will give a small V8 a good run.

 

you paid $300 for a car.. its not gonna run 15.0 seconds in a quarter mile.

if you paid $3000 for a car, then i would expect it to run a little better.

buy beware, you get what you pay for

with a little work, and a little money, you will get it to perform the way you want it

 

i understand that i get what i pay for. this thread was not about me complaining that the car isn't fast enough for me. i was very pleased with the car for the price, i was displeased with the performance on a different level. now i am very happy with my car

 

I will have to agree with STMANSER...and was going to say it if he didn't first...

You paid $300 for a car, and were lucky that you were even able to drive it.

A 35 year-old car, at that...

And, you typically don't buy a 6 cylinder for the "performance".

and a 35 year-old 6-cylinder, at that...

 

oh. i am sorry. i thought you were saying that all the things that were wrong with it made you think twice about getting it.

i am glad you are happy with it.

to add to that.. i bought my car as a 170 cid. i have replaced that with a mild 302 and added a c-4 tranny. and a lot of other upgrades.. and more to come.

the good thing about these cars, they are relatively easy to work on, parts are becoming more and more available, and the biggest reason i love it.... ITS NOT A CHEVY... lol


the best thing you can do to it to get some power, is find a 302 in a junkyard, or for sale, 5.0 roller motors are good to find from 90's ford cars.... drop it in with a c-4 or a 5 speed, and have some fun... you could rebuild a 302 and make 300+ horsepower pretty easy, and then you are talking whip lash performance and a whole lot of trouble at 18 years of age.

 

lol thanx 4 the advice, i was debating on finding a 302 from a junkyard, but i have no clue how mcuh it would cost, or how long my car would be off the road, b/c it is going to be my daily driver. i rebuilt the carb last night(the super bowl didn't interest me too much after the first half) it took me a good 2 hours b/c i had never done it b4, i was expecting it to not work when i put it on, but it actually runs mcuh better, and i replaced the thermostat this morning(the old one was broke) i took it out today and it has a little more get up and go than it did after the rotor, plugs, wires and cap. now i'm gonna start on the rotted and rusted quarters sometime soon. i plan to use some fiberglass cloth to patch the holes(i bought the cloth, resin, abrasive wheels, rust converter, naval jelly, and filler primer) and i hope to have it done within a week or 2 depending on how cold it is(is it bad for the resin to be used in sub freezing tempatures...lol) thanx 4 the advice

 

Sounds like the running problems are getting sorted out. Good going.

My experiance with fiberglass patches is that they wont last. Weld in patch panels it will save you from having to do the job twice.

 

sounds like the running problems are in the past after his last post, hes already onto bodywork and naval jelly! whoaaa there tiger. j/k. have fun and enjoy your car. sounds like your elbow deep into your first serious relationship.

 

Yeah...I can see the weld-in patches in your AVATAR will not need to be worked out TWICE!!!

 

well i dont plan to cut out the quarter, just use the abrasive wheel to get down to mostly bare metal and finish it off with the naval jelly than the converter and gring it smooth. the wholes aren't to, big. i'm not gonna lie, i'm kinda stubborn and i'm most likely oging to use the fiberglass cloth still. the quarter isn't really bad, the right side has a whole into the trunk about the size of a very small fist, the left side is about a 3-4 x 8-10 inch rectangle. i'm not %100 on how it's going to come out, but i do have high hopes. and my life has pretty much revolved around one saying....ya can't learn unless you lose. basically you only learn from your mistakes and if it works, it works, if it doesn't, hopefully i do it right the next time. thanx 4 all of the advice you guys have given. this is definetly the most mature forum i have ever been on

 

so i was picking my mom up from work today and i was thinking while i was waiting for her. i'm gonna take the strut bars off and clean those up b4 i do the quarters(to clod outside...13 degrees...lol) so i'm gonna take the strut bars off and clean them up and repaint them blue like the valve cover and air cleaner...that or gloss black. would i need high temp paint to paint them?

 

Random Hero,
My second car was a 74 Maverick I bought for $60 (1st car 71 Grabber I crashed when I was 13). The car was a rolling experiment in how many ways you can mess stuff up and still make it run! Reading your thread makes me recall that car and the fun I had with it. (Not that your car is as bad as mine was or what your doing is wrong) Just The shear enjoyment of rebuilding a carb for the 1st time or the 1st attempts at body work. You have the perfect attitude. The only way to learn is to try and sometimes it won't always turn out right but that is ok! Back in those days I used Bondo not the cloth. Plus pop rivits and screws to fix rust areas. Who knows, perhaps some day you too will but leg pipes on a 200 6 cylinder (still not sure why I did that). At any rate Good luck with the car. Do what ever you want to with it for 300 you really can't go wrong! Have fun and learn but sounds like your already doing that.
I'd paint the braces black along with the fire wall. That will make the motor color pop out better. Back in the day I'd use Dollar Store Flat black and a can of clear coat to paint the motor compartment. It is cheap and looks pretty good!
Best of luck,
Jerryfow2