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Baby Boss: 1975 Ford Maverick Grabber

1975-ford-maverick-grabber

Update – Our readers have identified this one as a fake. Sorry guys.

As fuel prices sky rocketed and emission standards choked out big American cars in the ’70s, the domestic market was flooded with foreign compacts. In an attempt to compete, Ford introduced the Maverick. But, it was nothing to get excited about, so to help give it a sportier image, Ford released a special V8 powered version called the Grabber. This 1975 Ford Maverick Grabber is claimed to be a garage find and is listed for sale here on eBay where bidding is currently at $2,550.

1975-ford-maverick-grabber-302-graphic

The base Maverick was rather anemic and under-powered  but when Ford installed their 302 cui V8 under its hood it became a mean machine. The Grabber package also included a few visual enhancements such as graphics, a spoiler, and a unique hood.

1975-ford-maverick-grabber-engine

Somehow Ford managed to shoehorn their 302 V8 into the Mavericks engine bay. It was only rated at 210 hp, but that was a big jump in power over the standard straight six normally found in there. The seller claims that this engine is the original and that it runs great.

1975-ford-maverick-grabber-interior

While the engine bay and exterior might get your heart beating a little quicker, the interior will likely slow it back down. A bench seat and an automatic transmission are reminders that this is still a Maverick. The interior does look complete though and should just need a very thorough cleaning.

1975-ford-maverick-grabber-side-view

The high intensity orange paint and black accents are nice touches and if you squint really hard you can almost see a miniature version of the mighty Boss 302. We know we shouldn’t even joke about that sort of thing, but we think you will have just as much fun confusing people with this baby Boss than you would with his affluent big brother. Well, almost…

This Maverick would be fun, but we are still kicking ourselves that we didn’t buy this one!

Comments

  1. Avatar stigshift

    Needs ‘302’ callouts on the doors, too. World’s most poorly integrated rear safety bumper as well.

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    • Avatar Termite

      needs Grabber logo somewhere. and also an F as the fifth digit on the VIN.

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    • Avatar Webby

      Agreed with the rear bumper, and the tail lights look plain lost in that sea of black paint too.

      The maverick wasn’t the only car inflicted with huge, ugly bumpers.

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      • Avatar stigshift

        Agreed, but the Maverick’s original rear styling, while not beautiful, was at least crisp and light. The back bumper had a very Mustang-like design to it that incorporated nicely. There was absolutely no attempt to work that chrome park bench into the car’s design, and it shows.

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  2. Avatar Warren

    LOL….

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  3. Avatar Scot McKinstry

    Mount a drawbar style trailer hitch on back to stabilize sub-frame sway. Also cross over style shock tower brace (from Mustang) to keep front end alignment from drifting. Bench seat and tree style shift doesn’t make it slow. And when you get rid of the A/C compressor, you will feel a big difference. The A/C looks aftermarket anyway. Add a tune-up and a shimmy shock, you’ll have a ride that will handle the 302 under the hood with no problem.

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  4. Avatar Termite

    I got a couple problems with this “Grabber”. Being a Maverick lover, you can’t find a 6 banger in San Antonio in good shape for 4k. . The stripes are unlike any I’ve seen, and none of them had 302 at the end of the stripe. but they did have Grabber in the stripe. And ALL Grabbers have 93 as there third and fourth VIN digits.
    Wondering whether a particular Maverick is a real V-8-powered Grabber or not? The easiest way to tell without insulting the owner is by checking out the VIN: The third and fourth digits should be a 93, which indicate Maverick Grabber. (A standard Maverick coupe has a 91 code.) The engine code, in this case F for the 302-cu.in.V-8, is the fifth digit in the VIN. Anything else was born with a straight-six.(As found at http://www.hemmings.com/mus/stories/2009/09/01/hmn_buyers_guide1.html
    So, according to the vin listed on this guys registration form, this Mav is a common coupe.
    Sorry dude, try to scam another Grabber wish lish entry.

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    • Avatar Termite

      Sorry, entered before done. The fifth digit should be “F” for the 302 option as well. this guy’s fifth is “L”

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      • Avatar Termite

        And that spoiler is ridiculous.

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  5. Avatar Dave

    You need to get some of your facts straight, that car isn’t a Grabber…..

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  6. Avatar Dan Farrell

    I remember asking a dealer when the grabber came out if there were any performance options. He said it has performance paint and stripes. The bumpers may have been ugly but they were supposed to be good for a 5 mph crash front or rear.

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  7. Avatar Tim

    I own a 73 Grabber, When they were still a cool car The tiny bumpers and the rear fin made for a better look than that car. Also The grabber came with a 302 boss not just a 302. The hood on that car did not have the ducts in it like my grabber dose either.

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    • Avatar stigshift

      The “Boss” 302 was never offered in the Maverick. Only the Mustang and Cougar. You couldn’t even get a 4 bbl. 302 in a Maverick from the factory.

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  8. Avatar Jesse

    Good call guys. This appears to be a Grabber wanna be. We thought a few things seemed off and it is a shame that the seller would misrepresent it. Let’s just hope that the people bidding have done their due diligence. Your comments are what make this site great.

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    • Avatar braktrcr

      It shows as a clone today,,, maybe he was lied to when he bought it, but at least corrected the listing

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  9. Avatar AMCFAN

    No Maverick and I mean NO Maverick came from the factory with a BOSS 302. The Grabber package was a trim option only and not related to performance. You could get a 302 in any trim level. The V8 wasn’t exclusive to the Grabber package as most came with the six. All the Grabber package was stripes and a “cool” looking non functional hood with the very same prop rod as on the flat hood. The Maverick ran OK but wasn’t considered a performance car as much as it was an all around econo car for point A to point B.

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  10. Avatar FRED

    A FRIEND OF MY MOMS AN IRISH BAR OWNER HAD THREE GRABBERS SITTING IN THE PARKING LOT OF HER BAR.ONE SHE DROVE HOT FOR TOO LONG, ONE SHE DROVE WITH NO OIL AND THE LAST ONE RETIRED WHEN SHE DID FROM THE BAR BUSINESS.I WISH SHE NEVER RETIRED BECAUSE IT WAS EVERYBODIES LAST STOP WHEN THE BARS CLOSED AT 4AM.SHE HAD THE BEST BURGERS AND FRESHEST CLAMS AT THE BEST PRICES AROUND.THE THREE CARS ROTTED AWAY AS DID THE BAR AND WHEN THEY DEMOLISHED THE BAR THE MAVERICKS WERE TAKEN TO THE JUNK YARD.WHAT A SHAME…

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  11. Avatar Danger Dan

    I vaguely recall Reggie Jackson, AKA Mr, October, having a boss maverick around 1988. This isn’t meant to be incendiary. Just a little fuel for the fire in the spirit of discussion. Mr. Jackson had a tremendous collection that he stored in Berkeley by the campus. I remember a friend getting scolded for having his elbows on the aluminum front fenders of an old 67/68 camaro in the collection. The concern was for dents in the soft metal. This orange car however, looks cool, great for a high schooler getting into the hobby.

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  12. Avatar Stephen

    Never understood the general dislike for Mavericks. I understand it wasn’t a Mustang or even intended to be a performance car……but it wasn’t a Granada either. In fact, when you consider the Mustang II, the Maverick looks even better. Were Mavericks excessively heavy or something? Seems like a hot 289 or 302 on one would make for a nice little sleeper ride.

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  13. Avatar Dolphin Member

    So this isn’t a real Grabber, and the seller has acknowledged this in the eBay listing.

    Maybe now I’ll mention my problems with the Maverick. My experience driving them was that the handling was poor, but that’s not inusual for large cars back then. The ergonomics were also poor, although some fairly small differences in the design/engineering of the car could have improved things. The steering wheel was very thin and smooth, making it hard to keep hold of. The brake pedal was much higher than the gas pedal compared to other cars, making the move from gas to brakes less efficient. Then, when you got on the brakes they were small drums and prone to fade, as someone I know discovered coming down a long steep downgrade in the mountains. The brake fade could be pretty dangerous in these cars.

    All in all, cheap to buy but not a very well engineered car. My experience with them and their owners tells me that it might not be a great idea to put a big V8 in the car.

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  14. Avatar Scott

    My Dad had a 1970. The first year for the Maverick. It was red with a 144 cu. in. inline 6 and 3-on-the-tree. I had just gotten my license before he bought it and I drove that car everywhere. I thought it was a blast to drive. Even with that little 6 I could spin the wheels. I put shackles on the leaf springs and stipes up the hood and on the trunk lid. It looked pretty cool for a 17 yr. old.

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  15. Avatar Dale

    Our readers have identified this one as a fake. Sorry guys.
    wow that’s pretty harsh, I would call this a clone. The seller hasn’t represented it as anything that it wasn’t. When he learned that he was wrong he promptly offered everyone of his bidders to pull out and corrected the problem immediately

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  16. Avatar braktrcr

    I remember the commercials for Mavericks. Husband talking to the wife says something like “Honey it’s a great car for $1995” wife responds “But we need a new car NOW” I thought it was kind of catchy…but I’m easily amused

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  17. Avatar Roger

    I’m a huge Maverick guy and probably have done as much research on these cars as any car. No Bosses were ever made. Grabber was appeared package. V8’s were not available first year they came out. Disk brakes were available. Grabbers were discontinued in 74 or 75 and replaced the following year for one year only by the ” Stallion “. The grabber hood with the fake scoops was only available first couple of years, then reg hood only. No not a heavy car. As far as the bumpers – at the point when the feds mandated the 5 mph bumpers the Mavericks were already slated to be discontinued in the us with 2 years so they did not want to put any money into the model and just slapped them on to be compliant in the us. The Mav ended up staying around for a couple years longer than they planned. As far as the handing I agree. They cam with 14 inch tires, if you upgraded to thicker 15 inches it made a huge difference . When I was a kid I had two Mavericks. A 70 with a built 302 and a 72 Grabber 6 banger. I took all the parts I wanted off the grabber ( hood, interior, 3 piece ” lip ” spoiler from the rear ) and transferred to my 70 and got rid of the 72. My 70 was a screamer. Took care of most of the 350 Camaros and Vettes. I have an all original 71 6 banger right by my house I am picking up as my next project. It’s no where near as nice as this one and is a 6 banger ( won’t be for long lol ) . Really nice old guy and is the original owner and giving it to me for only $400 – once he found out how into Mavericks I am.

    Like 0

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