This one-owner 1974 Ford Maverick is located about a half-hour northwest of gorgeous Missoula, Montana. It’s posted on Craigslist with an asking price of $4,995. Just call Mel and get the scoop on this solid, grocery-getter.
Did I mention that there are four doors on this fantastic Maverick? No? That’s a never-ending, perpetual debate here at Barn Finds, and in every other corner of the car world: whether a four-door car is worth saving or if they’re worth anything at all, in some people’s opinion. I like them, but we all know that two-door cars are typically worth more so this car would have a higher asking price, in my opinion, if there were two fewer doors.
The front clip looks a little darker to me, does it to anyone else? I think that this is a “Medium Ivy” colored car and it looks to me like the front fenders and hood were painted in a little darker shade and sort of feathered into the doors, but I could be wrong. This car looks unbelievably nice for being in an area that gets several feet of snow every year and for being 42-years old. But, there are only 47,561 miles on it so I’m guessing that it wasn’t driven in the winter too often, or driven in any season too often. Although, there are two perfect-looking Cooper Weather Master snow tires in the trunk, hmm..
There aren’t any overall interior photos, but from the close-up photos that are shown, this car looks like it’s in fantastic condition. The seats are like new, as is the dash and details. I love the fact that there’s a color-matched rug in the perfect-looking trunk, that just tells me that someone absolutely cherished this car and took care of it.
Yes, this is a V8! This is Ford’s famous 5.0L, 302 V8 with 140 hp and 296 lb-ft of torque. I’m guessing that you could do a mini-Jay-Leno-like burnout with this car if you wanted to. I’m also guessing that the previous owner never did such a thing. That’s an AC compressor that you see there and yes, it blows cold, after 42 years! This looks like a great car, there is no question that it would draw a crowd at any car show. And, being original, or at least being a one-owner car with such low miles on it, makes it even more appealing.
What do you think of this four-door Maverick? It’ll be easier to load your friends in the back with those extra doors. And, not that I would do such a thing, but the engine could be turned into a fire-breather in no time and this would be the ultimate sleeper. Would you drive a car like this one? If so, would you keep it original or would you turn it into a sleeper?
Repaint of the front clip probably matched perfectly when done- but the new paint simply won’t fade as rapidly as the old, so in a few years no longer matches. I don’t consider any Mavericks all that desirable so am not sure why the two doors would command much of a premium. This one would be fun to bring to a car show because so few are left.
Nice find. Definitely a driver.
Hemmings featured a car similar to this as their Find of the Day ( coincidence?) but the blabbermouths ruined it for the rest of us, so we’ll have to comment on this one. My ex m-i-l had a car very similar to this, only a 6. It was about as exciting as a turtle race, but she drove that thing all over, and with no heat. The back seat rusted through the floor, pressing the emergency brake cables and burned out the back brakes.Like Fred sez, these were just thrown away when they broke in half. Many made it to their final resting place (aka, the junkyard) under their own power. I think the V-8 is a bit much, and the 6 did ok. Nothing fancy, just a cheap family hauler ( usually mom’s car, while dad took the LTD to work) Not sure about 2 door/4 door thing. Just a generation thing, suppose. Younger folks like 2 doors, old farts like 4 doors. I think you cross the line when you start liking 4 doors more than 2. I crossed that line a long time ago. Nice find.
I was born in 1994 on the other side of the line already. The four door side. I just love am sedan limousines.
Like you, I crossed the line from the start without even knowing it. My first car from Pop was a bone stock 39 Chevy four door sedan bought for $300. All four fenders were four different colors and the body was gunmetal gray. Pop said: If you can drive this…you can drive anything. The rest is history. I’ve driven four doors religiously since….by choice !
Mu first four door and firstbcar ever was a 1989 Taurus which I still have. Then a 1990 Skylark. Poor choices, but I live in Poland, not in US. :) Now I ride ’94 Grand Cherokee but looking for some nice late 70s-80s square limo.
Fords are not my first choice for performance cars, but I dig the sleeper reference. Four doors can be made to http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W3bxMJ5bY5s/T5rBr8bhUCI/AAAAAAAAFC8/6xvYfitjbeI/s640/taxi_1roush.jpg.
Looking at the size of the 4 door maverick makes me wonder why ford didn’t use that platform to build mustangs and instead use a pinto based platform? Do you think cost?
The reason the front clip looks darker it’s that it’s closer to the adjacent structure….it’s just a reflection….
Personally, I like four doors….(and as Howard summed up so succinctly) I guessed I have crossed that age threshold as well….
There are many four doors worth salvaging….a coffin bodied Cord comes to mind…
Gee, I don’t know, Krash, that front end is darker no matter which way the car is facing. If it was because of the building, it would only be darker facing one direction, not both.
As some may be aware, four doors are actually preferred in many/most cases in the muscle car realm…. check it out. Note the large number of four doors they list among their “muscle cars”.
https://www.australianmusclecarsales.com.au/
Looks like a good candidate for a movie car leasing company to grab as it is perfect period correct for movies or TV use.
My father had one of these he used like a Jeep on his cattle farm. I never knew him to get stuck. Manual front disc brakes and steering.
When he passed, I bought it for my high school age son. On the 300 mile trip home, I determined it was too fast for a teen age driver. That thing would fly.
My son fixed it up and sold it to an 82 year lady from the Bronx. Her son had moved her to Georgia. She had one before exactly like it. Her old car was too rusty for the trip. I have never seen a more excited buyer.
Good reliable transpo with the added bonus of a V8. Make a good driver, that is about it. but you can buy some pretty nice cars for 5k so good luck on that.
there is even a FM converter under the dash, cool.
It’s not a reflection, the front clip’s been repainted. Not necessarily a big deal, probably a fender-bender. It wouldn’t hurt to take a close look at the front structure, though. Not much doubt about the mileage – that thing is super clean. I think the 4-dr Mavericks look about as good as the 2-drs, but that’s just personal preference. This would actually be better with the six cylinder, because the 302 was really too much for the car as configured. It’s also a pain in the butt to service, since the car wasn’t designed for it and it’s a bit shoehorned in there. Don’t ask me how I know this. Those crash bumpers kind of ruined the lines in ’74, but that was the times. All things considered, this will make a nice entry into the collector car world for somebody. Nice car.
Correct me if I am wrong. Falcons,early Mustangs and Mavericks were all built on basically the same platform.
In 74, the Mustang II came along built on the Pinto chassis. But you’re right on the early cars.
20 years or less from now, the 4 door pessimist’s will be singing a different tune.
HA! Who’s stupid now?
These were the last of the solid cars on the Falcon/Mustang platform….would be a good driver….
Maybe a clone of the tijuana taxi ?? Gapp and Roush
I was in Missoula yesterday and saw this car in a second hand dealer lot across from where we had dinner. Surprised to see a Mav on a lot, and more surprised to see it on here advertised as being a half hour north of where it is. Too high priced for a Mav regardless.
Nice but price seems a little high.
To me, the humble 4-door Mavericks were better looking than the coupes for one reason…proportion. The coupes seemed rather stubby looking.
I believe the Granada (and thus Lincoln Versailles) were built off of the Maverick platform.
Worth every penny imo, very rare to see v8 mavericks not in Grabber trim…look at the nova prices…
I once had a white 71 Comet GT with a wild looking red interior, the same basic car as the Maverick Grabber. It had the 302 with a 4 speed. Somebody put a big Holly 4bbl double pumper on it, I think the carb was an 1150 double pumper which I thought was too big for a small block, plus a set of Hooker Headers and who knows what else may have been done. That little car flew. It sure was a tire roaster. It would light the tires through first and second gear and still light them in third. I don’t care for Mavericks or Comets but maybe I should have kept that Comet GT….What a beast.
I was working in Venezuela in the 90s. You would pull up to a traffic light and be surounded by those things.
I asked my host what the deal was with all the Mavericks and he told me Ford sent the tooling down there. Lucky them.
I think it is a cool car. Especially being the V8 even though it was choked down with emissions. To have A/C was a rarity on the Maverick. I also think that the darker front clip is a shadow in the picture. If you look at the rest of the pictures the front seems to be the same color.