Before Ford recently applied the Maverick name to a compact pickup, it was a compact in the 1970s. Launched five years to the day after the Mustang, the Maverick would be popular, too, selling more than two million copies in eight years. This first-year Maverick was a one-owner car until the seller acquired it, but a lack of time and storage space are prompting a resale. Located in San Diego, California, this Ford needs a lot of TLC, and the status of the title is a bit confusing. But the auto is available here on eBay where $2,049 is the latest bid.
The platform of the 1960 Ford Falcon would give way to lots of other products in the Ford portfolio, including the Mustang and Maverick. The Maverick shares some of the Mustang’s cues, like long hood/short deck proportions and common powerplant choices. This one likely has a 200 cubic inch inline-6 under the hood, paired with an automatic transmission. But the seller doesn’t say anything about the mechanical health of the car, although at 180,000 miles it probably does need some attention.
Ford’s Maverick was the first of two new cars to focus on the small automobile market of 1970-71 (the second was the subcompact Pinto which arrived a year later). The seller bought this old Maverick from the estate of the first owner and got some info about its history which he/she may be able to pass along to the buyer. Things that we know don’t work on this car include the radio (static) and the defroster (controls). The body seems okay in many places, but there is some in the hood. The interior is worn, and the dash has some cracks covered up by a topper.
The status of the title seems to be in question. We’re told it has a salvage title due to an accident on the right side (that must have been repaired). Yet the original title was lost and a new one will have to be applied for even though a newer title is said to be in hand? Regardless of this situation, the car is registered for road use into 2024. Ford sold loads of these Mavericks back in the day, but they haven’t survived in numbers like the Mustang. BTW, the sticker price on a new Maverick in 1970 was $1,995!
Mavericks can be cool collector cars, especially the small-bumper early years and the Grabbers. They have a sporty look especially given their humble underpinnings, and can come across nicely as restomods. This example has some potential, but overall is fairly rough and shows its high mileage. Still might be worth the effort?
That black paint around the bottom: way-back-when I did rust repair work on the lower body of my Pinto. It was an admittedly amateur effort, so I (sort-of) hid it with semi-flat black paint, (sort-of) mimicking a two-tone. Kind of like this car…. I suspect this is something similar.
My mom had a 70’s Comet that developed significant rot. In order to get a few more years out of it, a buddy patched it together and repainted it baby blue which was also known as “Bondo blue” since it didn’t show imperfections quite as glaringly as other colours.
This could be a 170, 200, or (late in the year) 250 engine.
Well, most don’t enjoy dealing with DMV offices, so, title discrepancies are a prescription for multiple times jumping through hoops….
Too much of the “bill of sale” should be good for title and registration. Yeah, right.
I’m with Bob on this one, quite possible that black paint is a cover up. Remember when my Mom traded her 65 V8 Mustang convertible in for a new1970 Maverick. Had a bunch of options, big six, auto, cloth seat covers and even 14 wheels with full covers. These were basic cars and almost everything was an option. Decent car, not a great car but good transportation. She slid it in a winter storm off into a deep ditch and that was the end to that Maverick. She moved on to the general and a new Monte.
Gotta love the chevy hood stripes.
The odometer has been tampered with, but at this point, who cares. I would fix the body issues, give it a slick paint job, get rid of the Tijuana interior, build a nice 302, and go be a kid again. Neat little cars
Not so sure, Y. I’ve seen odo’s like that not tampered with many times. And if you’re gonna do it, why 113,000?
If this car spent its lifetime in Southern California , unless close to the Pacific coast which San Diego is I would bet it’s in pretty solid condition body wise. But never buy something without a visual inspection
Haven’t seen The Club in use for a while!
My ’09 Honda Fit sits in the driveway and it gets the Club every night. The car has 185,000 miles and shows bodily proof it’s spent its life in Michigan but I still want it to be there when I walk outside to go somewhere.
My grandpa bought a new 1976 Maverick 250 Automatic no A/ C 2 door hardtop it rusted out in places with in a few years transmission quit working early eighty’s can’t remember where it ended up .
Junk man, those are Grabber stripes on the hood. 70 Grabbers had a flat hood, no scoops. Could be an actual Grabber hood or just a copy. Grabbers also had the blacked out tail panel, again could be original or a copy. The areas to look at closely are the rear quarters and the lower doors. Mavericks are notorious for rustIng there, as well as in the cowl heater air intake area.
Title wouldn’t be a problem here, that didn’t start until 1975, now it’s a rolling 35 years old don’t require one anymore.
Diamond pleat on the doors and dash…?? Maybe for a ’50s car… Although the upholstery work is great… Not in the ’70s…the paint scheme looks to be correct…Saw many like this one in my days at high school .
Good friend in high school had a 71 Maverick in a baby blue like color, auto transmission, ride memories shotgun. Not much power with the auto trans, don’t remember the engine size. Vehicle didn’t last long, some failure. Can see the hot rod possibilities with such a vehicle, then of course no longer original. But that’s the hot rod hobby imo, personal expression via vehicle choice, possible vehicle mods.
I love a fixed up Maverick! The status of the title concerns me though. The only bad thing about it being a 1970 model is there was no V8 option from the factory 😡
Bought a ’71, was Grabber Green with the black stripes & all, had a bad 302 engine, swapped in a 302 from my ’68 Cougar, funny thing, the rad fan blew forward ….but at any rate, traded it for the guy’s ’55 Willys wagon that barely started, much less barely stopp..drove it 60 miles home very carefully. At ant rate, the Maverick went on to the Chicago suburbs for a long, happy life……