I love the era when having a muscle car didn’t automatically mean that your car had to be murdered-out in all-black. Since when did Count Dracula make the rules on car color? Whether this 1972 Ford Maverick Grabber is considered a muscle car or not is up for debate, but give me a bright color, or any color, over black any day. This survivor is located in Armada, Michigan and it’s listed on eBay with a $16,900 buy it now price or you can make an offer.
Don’t get me wrong, I love black cars as much as the next person does, it’s just that I don’t think that having a black car automatically makes a person meaner or makes their vehicle tougher than any other color/tone would. I would argue that tv reality shows (insert random, grinding guitar sounds here) have played at least a small role in locking in black as the tough-guy color. I don’t get it, but I’m someone who likes lime green and orange for car colors. Or, yellow like this Grabber.
The seller says that the “Original owner bought for daughter as transportation for college. She quit school, the car went into the garage.” I wonder (doubt) if that would happen today? As they say, “Don’t be a fool, stay in school.” It only has 20,323 miles on it thanks to the dropout daughter. The ’72 Mavericks still had the nice, small bumpers.
The seller purchased this Grabber from the second owner and they say that they “changed the dashboard to install air conditioning. All plumbed to firewall.” It doesn’t work as there doesn’t appear to be a compressor or condenser or any other AC parts under the hood. Also, they say that it was “Converted to the floor shifter. Have ALL the original parts that were taken off of the vehicle. All modification were done with original or NOS parts.” I’m assuming that it was always a C4 automatic which would have been operated with a column shifter if the optional floor shifter box wasn’t checked. A 3-speed manual, also column-shifted with optional floor shifter, was the other transmission.
Here’s the 200 cubic-inch inline-six which would have had just over 9o hp. Ok, that’s not exactly muscle car territory but by 1972 most cars have begun the long slide to mediocrity, power-wise. It “Runs great, drives excellent”, according to the seller. It could use a good detailing under there and an attempt to stop or at least slow down that creeping rust. The gas tank has also been refurbished and the brakes have been gone through. Have any of you owned a Maverick Grabber?
It brought a tear to my eye . I bought the exact car except factory 3 on the floor. Drove it 4 yrs one hundred thousand miles trouble free. A great car it was. The color and hood got lots of compliments.
I to had this exact car. Bought it new in 1972 for $3500. What memories!!
I have 2 Mavericks! Love the rare color combo. Wish the would have swapped out the steering column for a floor shift column. Looks a little silly with both shifters present.
Hurst Dualgate is one thing, but dual shifters could get quite confusing.
I had to do double take on price. The asking price is at best 4 times higher then what this modified base model is worth. I had a 302 red and black grabber 3 speed floor shifted manual. I wished a many times had it back but I wouldn’t give 8000 for it and it was twice as nice and V8 power.
Sadly, Scotty, I don’t think a Grabber is up for debate as to whether or not it’s a muscle car – it’s not, and was certainly considered a bit of a joke amongst my friends, back when this ‘Maver-wreck’ was new. It was just a basic commuter with go-faster stripes.
This particular example seems to have a lot of rusty bits that any buyer should look more closely at before parting with his/her money.
Yeah, I think you’re right, Beatnik Bedouin. If it had a 302 and a manual transmission with a floor shifter it would at least be in the ballpark.
I drove a 1971 Comet GT in high school in the late seventies. While it would do an impressive burn out on Shack HIll ( a concrete incline leaving the school parking lot), I knew very well it didn’t live up to muscle car status. Any doubt about that was quickly put to rest that day when I lined up against a 429 Torino Cobra Jet…THAT WAS A MUSCLE CAR.
I still love my Mavericks, and Comet. I currently own two Mavericks, and a 1971 Comet GT, but my thought is: any car that never had a four barrel, four speed or dual exhaust on the factory option sheet, just doesn’t meet Muscle Car status.
Ford was using recycled steel from Japan and it did not hold up to the salted roads in the rust belt.
My buddy had one of these in 1980 apun meager acceleration. The seat bolts pulled through the floor and were instantly reclined. The extent of rust up high and the odd major improvements, give me pause,
Ford used steel produced by their “Rouge Steel” operations, like they had since the Rouge complex was developed in the 1920’s. Where did you hear they used recycled steel from Japan? Call me a skeptic.
I had also heard rumors about inferior recycled steel -from the Navy shipyards! This rumor was about all the mid 70’s Cutlass models which did rust out kinda quickly.
Should have changed the steering column to get rid of the column shifter. It has some rust under the rear on the suspension.
200 cubic-inch inline-six well no not a muscle car there is no debate. I love fords but this is a bad apple.
Is there not some kind of pin to pop out the column shifter until it is fixed properly? I know that it can be done on GM products.
Would need to be all original, with a 302, and all other options, to command anywhere near the asking. A six cylinder, with no working a/c, isn’t offset by the shiny paint for me.
In 1971~72 my uncle was driving a 1968 Chevrolet station wagon. He announced to my aunt he was truing it over to her and he was going to buy a new car for himself. He took her car, I don’t recall what it was, and set off down the street. A couple hours later he returned with a Maverick Grabber. It was blue with black stripes with a 302 and standard shift. He was in his early forties at the time with 3 pre-teen daughters. Now I’m thinking it was his midlife crisis moment.
PS. The feature car will never sell for that much money.
Felt nostalgic until I saw the 6 cylinder and the wonky shifter and hack a/c…
Around 1980, I was 2nd owner of a 72 Maverick Grabber with a 302 and automatic. Quite a peppy car! Rusty even then, I’d be skeptical of a MI Maverick, even with low miles…
It will be a no sale on E-Bay, relisted soon… wait, you can probably get it for $12K :-)
Hack AC? Who are you calling a hack? I was the second owner of this car. The AC parts are all original maverick parts. I just didnt get around to buying and installing the compressor and condenser before I sold it.
I was 16 in 1971 and order a Comet GT V8 not because I new anything about the car, but because it was after 9:00 p.m., the other dealerships were closed and this lone Mercury salesman brought us in to chat and before I knew it, I ordered a car. Heater and keys (no radio) but 3 speed shifter on the floor and handling package ($2150-ish).
After four years of modding, when I had the cash, consisting of head-work, Ford-Shelby cam, Holley carb, Mallory, headers, 4-speed, 9-inch 3.50 rear… I finally had a muscle car. I was so proud of that car…the next year the rust started to bloom and I was forced to move on. Never had so much fun!
I suspect it was more than 2150 with the V8 and Mercury pricing.
My grandmother bought her 1970 Grabber with auto, radio and heater. It was $2600 with the 200″ six.
You must have driven a hard deal.
I ran around with a buddy named Jeff Dalton in High School and he had the exact same Maverick Grabber, same color, with a 302, auto tranny, but his only had the steering column shifter. { lol } Jeff worked to make his Grabber a Muscle car, he had spent a fortune on after market parts perfornce. Well one day we got into a debate over who’s car was faster his or mine, at the time I was working on rebuilding a 74 Gran Torino, that came from the factory with a 302, (which had blown up before I bought the car) and was rebuilding the body damage, from the wreck after the motor had blown and the Lady that owned it ran it into a ditch because the motor had hand grenade it self and it scared her so much. So at the time it was a miss matched body panels and had not been painted yet. But what Jeff had not known was I had bought a wrecked 76 that had a 351 Winsor with a 4 speed, and had just placed it in there a couple of weekend before. Well he had a area outside of Esther that was a perfect 1/2 mile strip of highway and we a lot of us guys, would go out and race, well this night Jeff and I lined up and off we went, I let him grab the lead for a few seconds, and laid into my little engine. Need less to say he never asked me again who’s car was faster.
I wish I had kept that car, but after Dad found out I had been racing it, he made me sell it, to teach each me a lesson, and being 17 at the time and working for him and living in his home, I sold it. The kid I sold it to lived in Potosi, and he totaled the car about 6 months later racing it. Lesson learned I guess you can say!!!!
Potosi Wisconsin?
Mom bought a ’71 Comet in ’72. 302, automatic. Terrible ride, squeaks everywhere, and the 302 was a real pooch. The seats were terrible, but the body style was great.
In what parallel universe would this car be worth anything near the outrageous asking price?
I have a 71 Grabber now that has factory buckets and a column shifter . I am old school and think anything with buckets should have a floor shifter . Now with that said I have everything to convert except the column . You need a floor shift linkage other wise if you use the floor shifter the steering wheel will stay locked up while driving the car .So until then you need to leave the column shifter in until that time
Nice car. Love the colour.
Price is ridiculous for a six banger with all the mods for air that doesnt work.
6 grand tops
Very un-PC name in this era of Harvey Weinstein and
the #me-too movement put a very cool car from a much simpler time.
I think Hot Rod magazine tested one of these back then, it was a way around the insurance agent and was fairly cheap to buy. No, the 17 second ET’s were not great in any way shape or form, but the potential was there with some work on the lame 302 two barrel. Muscle car? No way, not even close. I don’t believe anyone who bought one new thought they were gonna mix it up with SS 454’s and 440 powered Cuda’s.😉
Thought Grabbers had the 302 in them???
Nice….glad it survived!
200 cid sixes are very fuel efficient engines. They make great highway cruisers, I had one in a 74 Maverick and while it wasn’t a blazing powerhouse it would cruise all day at 70 and above while getting fantastic gas mileage. And a nice driver too!
if interested
https://www.google.com/search?q=hot+ford+200+i6+motor&client=safari&rls=en&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=AQzP9YNhS-gHcM%253A%252CaY3MBwnRZKDJ-M%252C_&usg=__QvXah40KUcXtl6_9WUu9pbWfomE%3D&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi98vrxyYXcAhXJq1kKHeheBDQQ9QEIRzAE#imgrc=AQzP9YNhS-gHcM:
nice pic
and
well, I’m not too good at this but:
500 HP in cross-flow dress. Anything can B a hot rod – just takes care & ingenuity.
From Michigan and no pics of the floor pan. I see a lot of salt rust in the one pic that shows the brake drum….be wary of this one. The last car I bought from Michigan left more rust on the floor of the garage than metal that I had hauled off.
I’d get some good pics under the car before thinking about bidding on this one.
My Grandmother bought the first Maverick Grabber in the Chambersburg PA area right off the showroom floor. $2600, auto, heater, radio 200″ six. No power steering. Work in low speed maneuvers, but it never stopped her.
Same yellow, but with the black stripes and accents.
Simple. Well constructed. Doors closed and sealed like a refrigerator. One had to crack a window closing the door it was so tight.
It was a good reliable car
I have never owned one of these cars, but it was the car of my dreams when I was 15 years old, in Southern Illinois.
Wow, $16,900?? I had a “73 Comet, 302 auto. Paid $3200 CDN, new, off the lot. It was a sweet ride with lots of get up and go. Only modification was the installation of air shocks as we pulled a S-6 Bellevue Camper trailer for a number of years with and no issues. This car does look like it will be a keeper for whoever wants to anti up this price. Ontario, Canada
had a 76 maverick stallion, 250 inline 6 with 3 speed in floor, reclining buckets, put 203,000 miles on it with only repair being to change water pump at 105,000 miles. sold still running and being used as daily driver. great car for money, new was 3600 dollars.
Red and Black ‘72 bought in ‘73
Bench auto 302, 2.73 rears. If you worked it you could get about 2 feet of rubber out of it. But she’d do about a buck 30
Drive her nice and easy, 13 miles per gallon. Drive it like you stole it 13 MPG
Put 25K on it in 11 months sold to a friend, totaled it
I was the second owner! Great article! I miss this car. I should’ve never sold it.