The normal dealer introduction of the 1970 models came in September of 1969 - yours was more than likely built before that - the weird part about my 69.5 was it was built in October - maybe they were using up extra ignition pods - who knows
Stay away from Autozone, O'Reilly, Advance etc. Most of the counter guys in those places never heard of a Maverick and don't know what it is. Those places are only good for wax, motor oil, and things like that. For real parts find a good NAPA store that has knowledgeable employees and your life will be much easier.
What you have here used to be commonly referred to as a "Three on the Tree" shifter. They were never "tight" but after 40+ years you probably should change the bushings in the linkage. As for clutches, if you really want one that lasts, look to the aftermarket, not the parts houses. You get what you pay for. I invested in a Centerforce dual friction setup (clutch and pressure plate) 10 years ago when I put a 302 into my 89 Ranger (backed by a Toploader 4 speed, this was after going through 2-3 "heavy duty" clutch sets bought from the parts houses. When I sold the Ranger a few years ago, I pulled the 4 speed and replaced it with a C4 Auto. When I replaced the C4 in my 77 Comet last year, I dusted off the Centerforce pressure plate and bought a new disc and both are doing fine now after a year. When you replace the clutch and pressureplate, you will also need to pull the flywheel and have it inspected by a machinist and either replace it too or have it resurfaced, the machinist will be able to tell you what needs to be done here. Probably not a bad idea to replace it anyway, if it's the original. Old flywheels are dangerous. They can suddenly explode, taking your feet off in the process.
I have no problem with these Guys..."Autozone, O'Reilly, Advance etc"...they are computer operators as any other parts store today. give them the correct info. you get what you ask for...they are not mechanics...neither is the girl that works at our NAPA... if you don't know cars, get the info. from a shop before you go.
"I invested in a Centerforce dual friction setup (clutch and pressure plate) 10 years ago when I put a 302 into my 89 Ranger." if he had a "302 into a 89 Ranger" I would suggest the same thing. being a 170/200 any box store clutch will be fine...
Welcome to the site from northwest Ohio!!! I also use Autozone and O'Reilly. Many of the cars represented on this site are a conglomeration of parts from numerous applications. For instance, I have a 1991 302 engine with a 1985 Ford Dura Spark ignition system in my 1972 Comet. If I went to my local Autozone and asked for a distributor for a 1985 Ford 302 the first question I would get would be "What car do I have?" The store personnel deal with all brands of vehicles both foreign and domestic and customers with all levels of knowledge. We have the advantage of knowing our cars and Ford products in general. The store personnel are capable of looking up parts on mostly stock older vehicles. The store's websites also work quite well. I use the website search capabilities to determine part availability, level of quality, price, stock status, and the part number. I then print out a picture of the part and its number and take the document to the store. Saves a lot of time, effort and wasted trips.
They made something like 120,000 of the "early" 1970 or approx six months of production... Only a really early build if last six of VIN is less than 110000(first was 100001) If it's the whole upper part of the column that's loose, there are a couple nuts under the steering wheel and signal switch that likely need tightened(only snug, don't use a 1/2" breaker bar on them)... Back in the day almost were loose after four or five years.... Will shoot a pict... If it's mostly the collar that shift lever fits into then it probably needs the bushings mentioned, those will have to come from a resto supplier... Also common for the collar to wear at the pin that holds lever in place, will need a new collar to fix that...
Yea, and he's got a teenager driving this car. And we all know how teenagers drive. Then add in the "hilly terrain" mentioned. Not a good combination for cheap clutch materials.
