To his surprise, the bigger motor fitted perfectly, with Gonzalez describing it as “pretty much plug-and-play.” Interestingly, even the wiring harness was a near-perfect fit, with mostly identical plugs. Of course, there were minor challenges. The coolant temperature sensor, for example, was in a different location, but the crafty owner found a solution in no time.
Equipped with a more muscular heart, the drag-racing Maverick runs beautifully and has benefited from several performance-enhancing upgrades. There’s a custom intercooler, a three-inch downpipe, a ram air intake, and a cat-back exhaust system, among other things. Gonzalez opted to use a turbocharger sourced from a Ford Ranger. It’s slightly different from the one on the Corsair but is also cheaper to replace.
So what’s next for the mighty Maverick?