On the one hand, this is an absolutely mint example of a 40-year old car! On the other hand, it’s a really plain, somewhat boring example of a 40-year old car! This great find was sent in by Jim S. It’s located in Foley, Alabama and is for sale here on eBay, with a buy-it-now of $7,900 but lower bids are welcomed.
With pie-plate center caps, narrow whitewalls and a very bland colored exterior, this car would have been almost invisible on the road in 1975. I do like the Maverick’s lines, although the heavier, larger bumpers fitted late in it’s life like this car has look unbelievably massive.
Are those the same tail lights used on Pinto’s? The Maverick was always built to a budget, and it shows, but they did offer reliable transport for many folks. There was only one previous owner before the current seller; an original elderly female owner in Columbus, Ohio who gave up driving soon after buying the car, but maintained it in good running condition. The seller tells us that the motor was fully serviced and many items under the hood were replaced, as well as all-new front suspension and front-end alignment. The four tires you see were replaced about 5 years ago, but the spare tire is original and unused tire. The ad states that the car runs and drives well and needs nothing to make it safe or roadworthy.
Naturally, the interior is just as immaculate as the exterior, in all it’s 1970’s glory! There’s only an AM radio to break the monotony; no AC, no power steering or power brakes. There is a heater, though!
The 200 cubic inch 6-cylinder powered many a Ford, and this one is backed up by a 3-speed manual, something you didn’t see that often by 1975. This really is a plain car, but it’s a very clean, very nice and original plain car. I’m sure it would last for a long time as transportation, but the reason for it’s value at this point is the low mileage. Pretend you were just given this car; would you keep it and drive it sparingly, drive it a lot, or sell it on to someone else? Let us know in the comments below.
has this one been posted before? seems like I remember the details from before. my initial thought was to drop an 8 in it, but the 8s of the time weren’t that much better. spruce it up however it needs to be . being garaged for its life, the paint ” should” be OK replace anything underneath that needs to be shocks, brakes ( maybe disc??) and the like.. then take it to an all Ford show or a cruise in park it next to a Mustang ( ANY) see which garners more attention
WHY would you want to ruin it by modifying it? Isn’t anything sacred anymore? Is there some reason you just can’t enjoy a time-capsule car like this for what it is? Maybe you think it’s junk, but I guarantee you, you’re alone.
Part of a secret fleet, along with some Pintos and Omni’s, who communicated by proprietary radio frequencies in a nationwide 24/7 conspiracy to pull out in front of drivers who actually wanted to go someplace at more than 25 mph below the posted speed limit.
This brings back memories! I had an aunt who had one, and a strange build. It was a Ghia coupe, two-tone brown, with better finishings inside, but still no power steering, no power brakes. A/C was very rare on Canadian cars at the time, and hers did not have it. Same straight-six, but paired to an automatic column shifter.
Maybe not in this pristine condition, but Mavericks are not all that uncommon here in SoCal. Just like ’60’s era Mustangs, these cars hold up well in dry, salt-free conditions. Is this worth nearly $8K? Guess if you really gotta have it!
One one hand it’s a mint 1975 Maverick….on the other hand it’s a mint 1975 Maverick. You could name it Tweety Bird…cheap cheap cheap!
Collapse the bumper shocks, add a set of Magnum 500s, put some Clifford parts on the straight six and this would be about as good as it can be. I wouldn’t pay more than $2k for it though.
WHY would you want to ruin it by screwing up its originality? Isn’t anything sacred anymore? Is there some reason you just can’t enjoy a time-capsule car like this for what it is, just because it’s a lowly 4-door? Maybe you think it’s junk, but I guarantee you, you’re alone.
Just wondering, but why would a car with under 5000 miles need a whole new front suspension?
I’m going to guess all the bushings dried out, and the springs were sagging with age.
That was my first thought, too.
I had one of these in 1996, basic work car. It drove through a landslide and a flood, and 30 miles home. Anyone in Oregon in 96 knows what I am talking about. The girl who became my now ex wife didn’t like the car, and we sold it for a used Datsun that lived about 2 months. I seriously see the Maverick around town a few times a month. Wonderful memories of a wonderfully plain little car. I don’t know if I’d pay 7k for it thought. Only paid $350 for the last one.
I had a fancy 1974 with a 250 6 cyl, auto, A/C…..had the deluxe package…. color keyed hubcaps, vinyl buckets…vinyl roof…etc…. loved it & drove it on the road covering a sales territory for years…sold it to our babysitter and she drove it a few more years…then I got my sister’s 1975 with a 302 V8…basically the same trim level and I drove it for a few years….when my son was old enough we got him a Comet GT with a 302 V8….love these cars….for the most part they are bullet proof….this is over priced but if it was reasonable I would like another one!!
The 4 door Mavericks and Comet sure lost the simple charm I see in the 2 door. Take a 55-57 Chev for example, the 2 doors do command more dollars and generally more popularity but nice 4 door examples are out there and still have some of the charm of a 2 door model…not this car. While i like the 2 door Maverick and see potential as a cheaper classic that can have some attitude the 4 door cars just dont look “right” to me
Clean! Im looking for a Ford Maverick, But not a four door dang… But thats a clean low miles car!
Cody,
From the Phx AZ craigslist: http://phoenix.craigslist.org/cph/cto/5342270267.html
My ex wife had one a 72 2 door 6 cyl. auto. Cheap transportation unlike my ex wife at the time. She lasted 4 years and as far as I know the car lasted a lot longer.
Damn! I was looking for a close 1960s/1970s compact in good condition, and this shows up after I buy my fixer upper 1965 Mercury Comet. This one’s about 30 minutes away from me.
Amazing condition. The only car my family ever owned which caught on fire. With me in the back seat.
Here we go again… How does the song go?? California Dreamin!! Priced WAY too high..
My wife and I bought this same Maverick new from Rodman Ford in Foxboro, MA.. Only difference was ours had AC and come to think of it, not all that great on gas.. The white paint on the rocker panels always chipped away from road grit.. We traded it in two years later for a Pontiac Phoenix and never looked back at Ford as a daily driver again..
Didn’t they sell for about $5500 new? Nobody in their right mind would pay more for one that needs work!
I learned to drive in one. My dad bought it new and it was a bigger piece of crap than most people thought the Mav was.
I think my dad bought it because at the time he was the spitting image of James Garner.
I’m a big Mac Fan. Even though it’s a four door I think it’s still kinda cool because it’s basically a brand new 40 yo car. BTW on the price. The mandate from Lee Iacocca in regards to the MAV was a sub $2k car. So when introduced the base Mavericks were just $1995. I believe in 75 this would have been sub-$3k.
Twenty years ago I answered an ad for a 1970 Maverick with 16,000 original miles. It seemed to good to be true, especially since it was being offered by a wholesaler. But I checked it and out and it was 100% genny, right down to the original 1970 Calif. title and Galpin Ford dealer frames. The money left sparks as it flew through the air. Two years later someone in NY talked me out of it and took it to car shows all over the northeast and continually collected awards for People’s Choice and Best of Show. It was every bit as nice as this 1975, which is being poo-poo’ed here because it’s a 4-door! Well, get used to it because nice stuff only comes around once.
I owned a ’76 maverick, 6 cyl. a/c auto. very little power with the a/c on in the summer time. I still wish I had one for a daily driver, tough little cars.