I have always believed that the Ford Maverick could have proved a worthy successor to the First Generation Mustang in the right guise. I know such thinking is effectively rewinding the clock to the Mustang’s very roots, but this 1971 Maverick Grabber demonstrates that the potential was there for the taking. The powerhouse under this car’s hood is anything but average and should provide enough performance to satisfy most enthusiasts. It needs nothing but a new owner willing and able to appreciate all it offers. The Maverick is listed here on eBay in Monroe, North Carolina. The seller set a BIN of $58,900 but leaves the option for interested parties to make an offer.
Knowing where to start with this Maverick is hard because there is so much to consider. The seller states that the car is always garage-kept, helping to explain its rust-free status. They say it received a repaint in its original shade of Bright Red thirteen years ago, and careful ownership means it continues to present superbly. It is described as second to none, and the supplied photos support that description. I can’t spot any panel of paint issues, with the arrow-straight body, mirror shine, and crisp stripes sure to attract attention. The stripes deserve a special mention because they aren’t decals. The seller had them painted on, applying clearcoat over the Black for long-term protection. The chrome and glass are excellent, but the Magnum 500 wheels and enormous hood scoop suggest there may be far more to this Maverick than first meets the eye.
Ford offered 1971 Maverick buyers several engine choices, with the range-topping 302ci V8 putting 210hp at the driver’s disposal. The company restricted the V8’s transmission to the three-speed automatic, but this configuration produced a ¼-mile ET of 15.9 seconds. It is worth pausing for a moment to consider my statement about the potential for the Maverick to succeed the Mustang as a performance model. The wheelbase and length of the Maverick fell almost precisely halfway between that of a ’65 Mustang and a Mustang II. In V8 form, the Maverick was 68 lbs lighter than the ’65. It was also 355 lbs lighter than the Mustang II and a whopping 441 lbs lighter than a 1971 Mach 1 with a 302 under the hood. Less weight equals increased performance, making the Maverick look like an attractive proposition in that light. That is academic with this Grabber because its engine bay houses a 351ci V8 crammed full of performance upgrades. After treating the motor to a 0.030″ overbore, the seller added aluminum Eldebrock Victor Jr heads, an intake from the same company, a flat tappet cam, roller rockers, and hardened pushrods. Were the results worth the effort? This freshly built 351 churns out 529hp on pump gas, meaning it should blow the 15.9-second ET out of the water. There’s no point in having enormous power if you can’t use it. Therefore, those rampant ponies feed through a five-speed Tremec manual transmission to a 9″ Posi rear end. Considering the recent work, it is unsurprising that this Maverick runs and drives exceptionally well and is ready for a new owner seeking a classic with muscle credentials.
With so much positive news regarding its exterior presentation and mechanical specifications, some might expect the Maverick’s interior to disappoint. It isn’t perfect, but its condition would not cause the new owner shame. Its Black cloth and vinyl seatcovers look excellent, with only slight stretching indicating they have seen use. The dash and pad are spotless, as is the carpet. Additional gauges allow the driver to monitor the health of the powerhouse under the hood, but that is expected in a car of this caliber. The door trims are wrinkled, but the seller includes new replacements for the buyer to install. After all, they must have something to do when they aren’t terrorizing the tarmac or standing back and admiring this beast. Otherwise, the interior needs nothing.
If this 1971 Maverick Grabber proves nothing else, it demonstrates that Ford could have slotted some potent powerplants under the hood to produce a genuine muscle car. It is impossible to say whether it would have been a better proposition as a Mustang successor than the Mustang II, but some would argue that it couldn’t be worse. This car’s sense of presence is accentuated when the driver opens the taps. It isn’t cheap, and the harsh reality is that you probably won’t pay much more for a road-legal example in any form. A modified vehicle is only worth what someone is willing to pay, but the seller could strike gold with fifty-four people watching the listing. Do you agree?
Well thought out and nicely done. Could really blow someone’s mind at a stop light. Small details done well all over the car. I like it.
I like the Maverick and all those under pinnings are Falcon based but the metal got thinner in the body. I see the sub frames are tied together but the torque bux area hopefully has been beefed up as well.They got that 351 in there but a spark plug swap looks rough. Know from experience these little cars can bend and we just had a warmed up 302 and 3 speed came out and top loader went in. Yeah maybe we power shifted it a few too many times but it was not taking it well. lol
Mine had a warmed up 289 and I was happy with it. It has a small engine bay and the car is light, a 351 may be unnecessary
There’s no replacement for displacement.
Exactly right. Although the Maverick shared Falcon roots with the Mustang, it was never intended for this sort of power. It was intended as a modernization of the Falcon – which also had issues with later V8 power.
The 1971 Maverick was lighter than the MII; but also lacked stiffening, sound deadening, all that Mustang designers found buyers to want.
For all that, a Maverick-based Mustang would have better bridged the gap between the 1973 and 1979, and made it less of a three-alarm emergency to get the Fox Mustang out. And maybe would have allowed better sourcing of power…seriously. All that work in a nice, new Fox-body Mustang, with a 500-pound in-line six?
When a Maverick shows up here, especially a Grabber, this is what many people see in their mind as its potential.
Bob is right, the first thought on a Maverick is above! Very cool car and done nicely. Not a lot of call out in the body work but I bet it sounds awesome do I would not call it a sleeper. Perfect cruising hot rod.. but for me , at my age.. I’d be happy with a 302 with some bolt on performance. Very nice Maverick though. I think high on the asking price but if it sells , than its right..never know these days
Nice Maverick. But $60k? Nah.
Back in high school I never liked these . But later on they grew on me. I guess as a teenager it was not cool enough next to the chevelle’s and gto’s and mopar’s…LOL
Not a cord guy but this looks nicely done. A hit on the pricey side though for what it is.
While the motor has been built and upgraded a bit but is it 529 hp worth? I’d have to see the dyno sheet first. And even if it does pull those numbers then it’s an incredibly strong engine in an incredibly flimsy car. Only a Pinto would have been worse.
Too rich for my blood, but none the less, this is one fine build. If I had disposable income I’d definitely be interested.
Love the Fords. This is a wild one. Cool Maverick 😎
Back in High School I had a friend who had a BUILT Grabber. Used the 302 and went to town on the tranny too. Rear shock mounts were always an issue, the factory press in rocker studs had to be replaced with thread in style. If I remember correctly the trans mount and engine mounts were issues too. But boy that thing would SCOOT. 2nd fastest car in school after a monster Mach 1, that was ’76 while the metal was still fresh.
That’s a lot of money to spend to not have air conditioning.
With a BIN of $59K how does one offer half that with a straight face
I think Ford did a design study for a maverick based mustang. I swear I think I’ve seen sketches. But in any event as George said the pinto based mustang II was exactly the right car at the time. For what ever it’s worth I like em. Just need more power. See no issue with dropping a new mill in a mustang II.
That is a Comet Gt hood the maverick hood has two portals and no scoop
Alen, I believe that is a boss 429 mustang hood.
Manual brakes?!?
Firstly, previous commenters regarding the price are so very correct!……it’s outrageous, and any way you look at this car, it’s still a Maverick….they weren’t desirable back when new, and few people are ga ga about them now….I’d pull that engine and install it in a nice Mustang Mach-1 or Boss car where it belongs…..still can’t believe what they’re asking for this…..
Really cool car but WAY overpriced even in today’s market. Like someone mentioned, look at the lack of clearance to even swap out plugs.
I’ll pass
The Pinto was chosen for the new mustang II because it was smaller with rack and pinion steering
and lighter weight, and a better competitor for the Toyota Celica, Ford’s own
Capri, and even the 240Z
A maverick based car would have been instantly obsolete and probably dead on arrival due to increased competition from lighter weight, imports, and higher gas prices.
Nice work but wrong car , seller should have done his magic on a stang !
Adam: Wiki appears to agree with your contention 302 only available with C-4 auto, but this Hemmings article was available with 3 speed stick, which is how I remember it.
https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2018/11/20/gone-but-not-forgotten-fords-maverick-turns-50
Terrry: Didn’t know you could pull 529hp from a stock Windsor block, but the valve covers look too narrow for a 351 Cleveland.
Joe: “…they weren’t desirable back when new…”? Maverick’s initial production year total was 579,000, only 40,000 less than Mustang’s first year.
Alan: True, Comet GT hood scoop looked similar, but as high as this one sits, I’ll say it’s a Boss 429 knock off.
I kinda like it. Definitely the meanest Maverick I’ve ever seen. But I think the build is a little too ostentatious. Instead of trying to look like a Boss 429, I would have gone full sleeper mode down to the pie pan hubcaps. Nobody in a Camaro, Cuda, or Mustang is going to expect a stock looking Maverick to blow their doors off.
Always loved the early Maverick style, before the big bumpers.
If I had the extra cash this would be mine. Ford “could have made these” 340 Duster annihilators. Sharp car!
That’s just too much to put in a Maverick, had this been done to any mustang up to 73 they would have a winner, and handle a million times better
Looks like a decently built Maverick.. definitely not what you might expect to blow your doors off, but that’s kind of the idea right!?
no, dont agree. Some times the worth (well, i mean value) rises or falls pre and post sale. Moot point, more fun is:
Local here ruffled the ford 6 fans (we have 6 i6 ThriftPower motors – 1960/96 in usa anyway) feathers w/his Mad Mike’s Mav. They could not believe his strip numbers w/the components he used for the 4.9/300 “gasser that’s a diesel”. Truth dont lie as he spent an inordinate amount of time on it rather than using hi amount of funds. U can have fun w/many a st driven dragster.
And again, , what ?????????????????????
It may seem like a nice toy. But without a roll cage in that body and all that horsepower you will have two half cars in no time. Although it is very nice once the body panels line up two perfectly which they never did out of the factory and you change too much it no longer is a collectible piece worth high money
Oh man, I would absolutely love to have this Maverick but almost sixty thousand freaking dollars? Someone needs to take a break from the ganja and get their head cleared up. This reminds me of the seller asking $60k for his 1973 Z/28, it’s just so far away from reality that you have to wonder if they really want to sell it. I’d be all over it for $20k, maybe $25k and I’d feel like I paid too much. Sixty grand will get you so many bada** cars these days, like a 16-20 GT350 with an 8200 rpm voodoo V-8 or a C7 ZO6 or take your pick from a multitude of better built cars from the last 20 years.
Like I said, beautiful Maverick and I’d love to have it, but the ask is detached from reality.