Found this by accident they have tanks that will fit our cars!! Here is the link! http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/search/?N=10384+4294966702+1616+9295 Hope this will help your early Mav guys out! Chris
Different part numbers and prices for different years so this may be legit .. http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/search/?Ntt=Maverick++Ford+Fuel+Tank&N=0&uts=true
If you go to their website and search through their e-catalog it says they do not have a gas tank for 1971 Maverick ... strange ..
Because they don't, these are the guys that make all the repop tanks, I've talked to them in person (Canadian company), and at some point will send them an early style tank 71-74 so they can make them, but it all involves money.
Please correct this if it is wrong: 70 gas tanks are drop ins 71-72 gas tanks are the same 73 up are different requiring valance modification I got lucky on my 72 since I found one that a guy took out many years ago to go with a fuel cell. It was immaculate.
...i think... 69.5-70 gas tanks are drop ins 71-74 gas tanks are the same 75-77 are different (20.2 gal.) and require no valence modification ...i have 76-77 tank in my 73...no valance mod. ...Frank...
After reading the tech article again on gas tainks, it is stated that 71-73 tanks are interchangeable. 74 and up require valance mods if dropping into a 71-73(I left this last part out which makes a difference). I went to the manufacturer site in the link posted and what is weird is that they show a 71-72 application. When I typed in 73 to replace the 71, they showed a different tank # for 72-73, which contradicts not only their 71-72 application, but also the info posted in the tech article.
The only thing you may have to do to the valance is bow it out slightly so it doesn't rub against the tank. Not everyone has had to do it. When I converted my 77, the bottom edge of the valance was touching the tank. I just grabbed the bottom of the valance and pulled it out creating a slight bow which gave me clearance. Not a big deal.
Another thing, every 74 I've seen had the same tank as the 71-73. So the back of the tank is tapered to clear the valance even though it didn't need it. It just took the engineers a year to realize they could square off the tank, now that the valance wasn't in the way, and get more capacity.
