I bought a 74 Maverick once that had been wrecked, just to have something to work on. It was a pretty low mileage car with a 302 and C4. Ran very strong, got great mileage, and was a solid little car that handled pretty well too. I should have kept it, but fixed it up and sold it. You should have a lot of fun with yours!

 

Sounds like a good deal to me! My dad used to buy used Mavericks all the time in the early '80s. They were pretty dependable from what I remember. You can't beat those Ford Sixes!!

 

I had a the use of a 302 3 speed Grabber. Metalic brown and off-white. Even with a 2 barrel it would get up and go pretty good. It got a little too rusty and had to be sold off. Very nice while it lasted though!

 

I always liked Mavericks. The 250 six uses the same engine and trans as the 302 along with the 8" axle. Basically it's a 8 cyl car with a 6 cyl engine. Even the bellhousing is the same if I'm not mistaken.

Just this past Saturday, I saw a yellow one about the same year, it had the 5 mph bumpers and was sporting Torque Thruster rims. It looked good!

A fewy rears ago I had a change to buy a really clean 75 or 76 Mav. that was a 2 door with about 6,000 original miles. My wife gave me such a ration that it wasn't a 4 dr, I eneded up not buying it. too bad, it was a really nice car.

 

My dad had one. By 1977 it had rusted out bad enough to see the street go
by if you were sitting in the back.

Neat car, but whatever you do... DONT GET IT WET!

-Zim

 

That brings back memories for me, because one of my friends had a white with orange stripes Grabber Maverick with a 302. I think it was a '74 model. It looked pretty good, but the '71 Mustang coupe that I had at the time (1976) was a better driving car and had a nicer interior.

 

I bought a 73 Maverick in 1983 for $350, worst $350 ever spent. Put another $350 into it, hours of labor and sold it for $350 a few months later.

 

Ive been looking for a decent pre 74 maverick. From what I can gather, they're far from a poor mans mustang, anything I find thats decent has got a big price tag on it. Follow that up with a parts search and a mustang begins to look pretty cheap in comparison.

 

15 years ago they may have been a poor man's Mustang....

 

What's the dead thread revival record by a newbie, 18 years old?

 

I never bought a Maverick but I do where there's one sitting. Maybe I should go ask about it. This 15 year old thread has me seriously thinking about it.

 

Even 15 years ago at least it wasn't a Pinto! Theyre not horrible looking really.
I feel like any old ugly 2 door car can be like new again so long as you can upgrade the suspension to carve corners and it'll take a V8. EXCEPT THE PINTO! ok, Gremlin, Yugo and others Im glad Ive forgotten.

 

i take exception to your hatred for the pinto. i owned an 80 pinto rallye that was a neat little car to drive. the only issue i ever had with that car was the clutch cable broke one night as i was leaving for work.

 

LOL 15 years...

Had a 74 Maverick given to me, yanked the six and crammed in a 70 M-code 351C4V with headers. You could obliterate the skinny little tires in any gear at any speed. What a riot....

Have a set of Maverick V-8 mounts and crossmember, just in case the mood strikes.

 

About 15 years ago I was looking for a reliable commuter car for myself. I came across a 75 Maverick 2 door stripper base model with a 250 and C4. This thing was in pristine shape with 6000 original miles. I looked at it as a 6000 mile new car. My wife saw a car with no AC with door doors making getting into the back difficult and no AC. Needless to say I lost the argument

 

Had a '70, and took it to Italy. It had a 200 I6 and 3 speed. Drove it for 3 years over there. It was a pretty good basic car, except due to the rear end styling it was difficult back up. It must've had a slight head gasket leak, about once every two months I would have to remove the #3 and #4 spark plugs and clean the crud off them. Top end was around 100MPH on the Autostrada.

 

My parents had a 76 4dr comet back in the day I had a 4dr maverick late 80s for a couple weeks would of made a great sleeper/ cruzzer but I resold it

 

Comets

I did the Comets, as they were upgraded Mavericks with sound deadener. I still have the 73 GT I special-ordered new w/ 250K+ miles on it and a 77 I got for a past GF that has all the options. They drive like mustangs and a lot of stuff will swap- motors, trans, and even the discs- same as Granada spindles. If anyone is interested in the 77, it's for sale with a lot of extras that go with it. 2nd owner, original paint, LDO interior, PS, discs, rebuilt 302 & C-4, AC (needs to be hooked back up), floor shifter & correct steering column, 20 gal tank upgrade, Performer intake w/ Motorcraft 2V on an adapter. 2 extra same color fenders (pass fender is wrinkled), 2 roof sections to repair the rust at end of 1/4 windows, trunk panel to repair rust in trunk floor, 4 Magnum 500's- 2 need trim rings, 1 extra LDO seat, upgraded bumpers with rubber bump strips. Asking $4,000 for everything. 8x,xxx original miles. Car is South of Orlando but can be moved to Savannah.

 

Owned a 1971 Maverick Grabber in 1978 as my first auto. A $1500 loan from my parents. Built up the 302 V8 with a cam and holley double pumper, a T10 4-speed tranny and painted the exterior Mustang Boss 302 Yellow. Fast car off the line and still remember taking it to Van Nuys blvd in LA and to Modesto for their yearly graffiti night. So I wanted and could not afford a Mustang then... Fast forward to 2018 and I finally got my 1966 mustang in candy apple red with a built up 302 stroked up to 347. I have to admit I purchased the auto already built up but its the auto I lusted for many years ago. Its never too late.....