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SheepDog

SheepDog

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Location
SE Washington State
I had a bit of trouble with my 1973 Maverick yesterday. I went to the range to shoot the 22 silhouette and when I got there a couple of the guys mentioned that they smelled gas from my car. I lifted the hood and looked around but saw no gas but I did notice some age cracks on the fuel hose going from the filter to the carburetor. I gently pressed down on the hose and gas sprayed out. So, after I shot a couple of silhouette matches I stopped at the NAPA store and bought 8 inches of 5/16" fuel line and replaced it right there. That explains the poor mileage I got. If I hadn't have had good spark plug wires I could have had a big fire. It all turned out well.
 
SheepDog said:
I had a bit of trouble with my 1973 Maverick yesterday. I went to the range to shoot the 22 silhouette and when I got there a couple of the guys mentioned that they smelled gas from my car. I lifted the hood and looked around but saw no gas but I did notice some age cracks on the fuel hose going from the filter to the carburetor. I gently pressed down on the hose and gas sprayed out. So, after I shot a couple of silhouette matches I stopped at the NAPA store and bought 8 inches of 5/16" fuel line and replaced it right there. That explains the poor mileage I got. If I hadn't have had good spark plug wires I could have had a big fire. It all turned out well.
Click to expand...


A '72 Maverick was my first and still my favorite car! Traveled all over US in that vehicle and had over 300,00 miles on it when my mom decided I needed to trade it in. Still ran, but she thought I should have something newer. Was a sad day for me!
 
Good for you to keep that car running all these years. I went to college with a guy who had a Gremlin. His wife was a good friend of mine and I saw them maybe 20 years after college, and he still had that Gremlin, with around 100,000 miles on it. I do not know if he still has that car or not. My guess is that he does not. He has two sons who would have wrecked it.
 
My '03 jeep has 165 on it now. The current plan is to re-engine and re-tranny it around 250. I just ordered new brakes for the rear and I've already done the front. As long as the body hold up I'll keep the car. I don't like the keyless ignition so I'll keep this one for awhile.
 
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I'm so confused...
You were shooting a silhouette of a Maverick, and it has a gas leak, and could have blown up?
Or you were driving a .....wait, what?

And what were guys doing sniffing your silhouette?
KNvr6Vh.gif



I need an aspirin.

I'm glad it all worked out though!
 
Resto,
I thought about a 351 when the 302 dies but I have decided that shaving the shock towers and trying to get an exhaust to fit inside the constraints of the Maverick engine compartment is way more than I want to do. There is less room side to side in the Maverick than in a 66 Mustang. I am replacing the front suspension with a rack and pinion on my 66 so the shock towers can come out. That way the 351 will fit nicely and headers are easy. Lots of room in the engine compartment for just about any engine I might want to install.
Your rear gears ought to be 4.23 to 4.25 so you can use the overdrive on the street successfully. Overdrives and carburetors can give poor mileage if the final drive ratio has your engine turning less than 2500 rpm. I've built a few AOD's and have proven that low rpm and carburetors can get you worse mileage than 3000 rpm will on the highway.
 
Before my Mavericks I had a 1966 ratty old Mustang that I am now modifying. Ratty old Mustang is turning into a Mustrat. Who would want a 2000 pound car with 400 hp and a 4 speed manual transmission...
ME! :cop::fun fun::woo hoo:
 
Sorry, no photos. I should take some photos... WAIT! I have some pics of the dash...
gauges01.jpg
LeftDash01.jpg


And just one of the engine...
EngineFront01.jpg

Just to check the fit before I cut the shock towers out and removed the front suspension.
 
SheepDog said:
Resto,
I thought about a 351 when the 302 dies but I have decided that shaving the shock towers and trying to get an exhaust to fit inside the constraints of the Maverick engine compartment is way more than I want to do. There is less room side to side in the Maverick than in a 66 Mustang. I am replacing the front suspension with a rack and pinion on my 66 so the shock towers can come out. That way the 351 will fit nicely and headers are easy. Lots of room in the engine compartment for just about any engine I might want to install.
Your rear gears ought to be 4.23 to 4.25 so you can use the overdrive on the street successfully. Overdrives and carburetors can give poor mileage if the final drive ratio has your engine turning less than 2500 rpm. I've built a few AOD's and have proven that low rpm and carburetors can get you worse mileage than 3000 rpm will on the highway.
Click to expand...
I cut the shock towers out and installed an IFS. Plenty of room after that.
 
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