Hello bit new to this v8 thing Awesum forum by the way to dont know if this is the right place to post it, Ive got a 74 maverick with a strong 302 w c4 trans and the standard 8" diff, Just got it on the road. It has a 600 holley with with a holley street dominator intake and custon stainless headers and duel 2 1/2 inch exhaust, So far finding info bout mavericks is really hard over hear in little nz. Im wanting to know what to do to the 302 to get more torque out of it and wheather a mustang rear bumper would fit on it, Any help would be most appreciated.
Hello, I have seen a mav with a mustang bumper on it,so it can be done.. On the rear only,but the fit is not right...it's a little to wide if I remember right.. I would try and find maverick bumpers...JMO.... As for the 302, I will let the experts help you with that.. And there are a lot of good people on this forum, that really know there stuff....
The torque in a 302 doesnt pour on til a higher rpm so such as easy bolt on acceseries not much. You have the most you can do on the outside. You will need to tear it down and work on the inside. Does it have the stock cam? There is alot to it but without details you dont know where to start. If you are looking to burn the tires use a stall converter or go to a stick.
Changing gear ratio is the best bang for the bucks. The original 2.79 is a high ratio. Going to a lower (higher numerically) ratio 3.25 or 3.50 will wake up your low end performance. A good thing about the Ford 8 and 9 inch is this is an easy swap.
Forced induction (like a Paxton supercharger) will add torque to a stock 302 with 8.5:1 compression without hurting anything under the heads but only if it is in good shape. To get more torque you will need to raise the compression, install a slightly bigger cam which will cost as much the Paxton installation. Dropping your rear gears to 3.5 - 3.75:1 will give you more acceleration with the torque that the engine is producing but it will also spin the engine faster at freeway speeds and cause slightly faster wear on the engine. No matter how you increase torque it is going to be costly - in one way or another. Putting in more cubic inches (installing a stroker kit) is the least expensive over the long term but the most expensive initial layout. It all depends on how much you are willing to spend and what you are willing to give up in the balance.
Thanks for all the information guys thats a big help ive got some serious thinking to do about what i really want to do cheers,
Remember that when you add torque to the motor it adds torque to the transmission too - any power adders require mods to the C4 too! Before you start driving that monster around you should consider what you need to do to the C4 to make it handle the increased power. In NZ I don't know who you would contact but I know that www.broaderperformance.com ships all over the world and you can call Jay and find out what he recommends once you choose your engine mods.
