What heads should i grab up for my 302 mav?

i have a stock 302 right now but want a little performance out of it while still trying to keep a pretty good mpg...what are some heads i should look for without breaking my bank? also heads from other fords that would work on my 302...mustangs or cobra heads? any advice would be great thanks for reading

 

First off, what year 302 is it ? Has it ever been rebuilt ? Reason I ask is if it's a 72-76 302, it's only got an 8 to 1 compression ratio and pistons with grand canyon sized dished centers. Bolting on heads with a larger combustion chamber would only lower the comp ratio. Got to do your homework before buying parts, otherwise you could end up wasting money.

 

GT40s, or if you cannot find them, E7s are decent.

May lower compression, but will increase flow and more than make up for lower compression.

 

How much would it take to break your bank?

 

How much of a gain do you want? You say it is stock now but what year stock?
If you just want a seat of the pants type gain I wouldn't just jump right into swapping heads.
An intake, carb and cam change along with headers and gears would make a great change without the expense of aftermarket heads.
While you had the heads off you could find an on-line tech page on home porting the heads you have for some extra HP or like already said buy a set of GT40's or E7's and do a little work on them yourself.
Heck leaving the engine alone and putting a set of 3.55 gears in the rear would probably put a grin on your face. Like said, how much money do you want to spend on it? Money is HP.
clint

 

1973 maverick

hey its a 1973 maverick and it would be the first time its ever rebuilt

 

cam it instead

 

Then you'll first want to choose a set of pistons. You're looking for a set of flat tops with as close to a 1.610 pin height as possible. That combined with your stock heads will bring the comp ratio up into the 9 to 10 to 1 range. Next look for a set of heads with 58 cc chambers. That will put the ratio at 10 to 1. Then decide on a cam and intake.

 

Does the engine need a rebuild or are you just trying to get more out of it? Know how many miles are on it? Does it run good now? Use a lot of oil? No need to rebuild it just to get more power. Just curious
clint