Can gas mileage and fun go together?

don't put a vette front end under it, stay true and put a late model mustang front end under it, these late model cars have the right stuff and give the vette a run for its money! plus you are keeping it all ford. good luck

 

Food For Thought, how about keeping the six, that this car was originally designed for,
Go to Ford six.com. for advise on hot rodding. for Handling from what I know the 302 makes the car very nose heavy, the six gives better balance, now I say that but I don't own a 302, Wouldn't it be nice to hot rod a Mav and be different keep the six in it?
Jsut info I have picked up, not actual experience, so take it for what it is worth.

 

I'd bet a well built turbo 250 6 banger would really push a Maverick down the road. It WOULD be different.
I really wanted to do the 2.3 Turbo engine in the Maverick I'm putting together for my daughter but cooler heads prevailed and I'm sticking with the 302
clint

 

Can fun and economy go together? Yep...

Case in point. My SVO. 38 mpg all day long, yet still has around 300 HP (2.3 4 cylinder). Still running on last week's gas....dreading filling up again at $3+. Goes up about a nickel every day here now.

I personally would love to see a 2.3T in a Maverick/Comet. They're pretty simple little engines when it comes down to it...EFI (which is "tuneable" to an extent) turbocharged...possible to make around 500 HP with the stock block and crank if you want to work on the head a little...but for me, 250-300 is PLENTY, especially when it spools up. Goes from 80HP to whatever...in just under a second. Rush of power is kinda fun...breaking the tires loose is even more fun!

 

Well for the cornering, i run the stock springs with kvm shocks and urethane bushings being the only real upgrade. i run 205 70 14 michelin pilots for tires, and i made a guy in a 944 turbo cry going through the santa cruz mountains(my wife also, but thats a side note) Ive also out cornered guys on harleys going from the bay area to home via 88(Really twisty). they build bolt on front and rear suspension upgrades that are pretty pricey and require a lot of work, but at the same time you would probably even out corner me. as for gas efficiency, on the rare occasion that i can keep my foot out of it i get 15-18 mpg. That actually isnt bad if you compare it to most of todays american cars. Even a jeep wrangler(real small and a four cylinder) is only rated for about 17-19. Yes my wife gets 29 in her subaru, but when i turn my head to look out the window, i smack it on the roof. only really like it in the snow:chillpill.

 

Gas milage and fun together?.....you bet.

Two Mavericks. One, evil, mean and nasty, another, stock straight 6 and an overdrive!

 

one little forewarning though. lower rpm doesnt always equal better gas mileage. i had a bronco with overdrive and efi and my friend always had better gas mileage, even though he had an older bronco with the c-6 and a carb 351. in fact my old 73 f250 with an old 390 and a four barrel with c-6 also gets better gas mileage. 3 mpg more. even though it is turning less rpm, if it needs more torque to keep it there, you may be better off at 3+Krpm. also, how you accelerate, you could probably get your 2v 302 to make over 20mpg. the key would be your gas pedal(thats always where i lose my gas mileage too)

 

That's what I think I am fighting in my F100 right now. I went from a c-6 and 3.25's to an AOD and 3.70's thinking that I'd still be turning less RPM's at cruising speeds. I am but getting alot less mpg. I think the engine is just lugging along too much. At 55mph I am only turning around 1500-1600 or aeound there. Come to a small hill and it lugs the engine.
I'm fixing to put a c-4 and 3.25's in there and sell off the AOD and 3.70 trac'loc
clint

 

I know our car gets better mileage at higher RPM. It gets well over 30 mpg at 65 mph. I just went from here down to the Ford plant in Hapeville twice on a quarter and a half tank of gas. A little over 60 mile round trip. Gas mileage has a ton to do with how and when you give it gas.

 

If you're referring strictly to Mavericks & Comets, no...

 

Another mention of the rpm vs fuel economy. I got 24mpg running 70mph, roughly 2000rpms with an AOD and 3:1 rear. If I ran 65, I had to gas it to keep from losing speed going up hills, my milage was worse.