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Grabber Blue! 1970 Ford Maverick

The Ford Maverick debuted five years to the day after the Mustang entered the automotive scene. And it would be almost as successful with 579,000 Mavericks produced for 1970 (the Mustang logged 619,000 units in 1965). It would also outsell the Mustang that model year by nearly 3-to-1. This ’70 Maverick came with the sporty Grabber trim package and has had only two owners with just 40,000 miles covered in 50 years. Located in Raymore, Missouri, the Ford is available here on eBay where bidders have nudged the peanut to $13,500.

Ford intended that the Maverick would replace the aging Falcon as its compact car offering. Ironically, it used the same platform that both the Falcon and Mustang were built on. The car enjoyed an eight-year run and more than 2.1 million copies. The name “Maverick” was derived from the word for unbranded range animals, and the car’s nameplate was stylized to resemble the head of Longhorn cattle. The Grabber trim package came along in the middle of the car’s first year and had larger tires, a spoiler, and Grabber-specific graphics and trim. It was so well-received that the Grabber would become its own series in 1971-75.

The seller’s Maverick is coincidentally finished in Grabber Blue paint, one of several stand-out colors the car was available in. The paint is original except on one rear quarter panel where a minor dent was once repaired. It retains most of the factory stickers that were part of the Grabber offering. The seller says the low-mileage car is rust-free and we don’t see any from the photos provided except some undercarriage surface rust that should be treated. The glass is good with a few small scratches said to be in the windshield. When not used, we’re told the car stayed in either a climate-controlled garage or under a cover for its entire life.

Once you’re inside this Maverick, the interior looks as good as the exterior and it’s also original. No cracks or tears to be found and this car has factory air conditioning, not a common option on the early budget-minded Mavericks. It’s powered by a six-cylinder engine, which is probably 200 cubic inches in displacement, and it’s teamed with an automatic transmission. Other than a little white smoke right after being started, we’re told the Ford is in excellent running condition.

Currently, the Maverick is only used for weekend car shows or on special occasions. Likely, the next owner will want to continue that practice. Besides the automobile itself, the buyer will receive past documentation, including the window sticker, warranty card, and so forth. According to Hagerty, a top-notch Maverick is maybe a $12,000 car, but the Grabber is likely to add a little more coin. It will be interesting to see how far beyond the current bidding this Maverick might go.

Comments

  1. Avatar JoeNYWF64

    Sticker says 200 & 170 cube motors came with 13″ wheels, which this car does not seem to have. An optima battery is ridiculous here, considering the strait 6’s back in the day needed < 300 cca to start!
    Always carry a spare exterior factory fuel filter & wrench to install it(in just a few minutes) in the glove compartment, in case the car stalls out & won't restart.
    Makes no sense the grabber did not come with a v8 – for model year 1970 of all years.
    The good type of sticker shock …
    http://i.pinimg.com/originals/11/46/bb/1146bb5625cbec28acc686163d8b8b7d.png
    Surprising that my boxy '70 falcon still had ignition switch on the lower dash & it even lit up with the parking lights on. & the hood stayed up by itself, thanks to indestructible springs, & it had a foot pedal for the emerg brake.
    Unlike on the Maverick. Some steps backwards if you ask me.

    Like 5
    • Avatar Abi

      I was just going to comment on my first car – a 70 Maverick also had the ignition switch on the dash. Since the model was introduced in April of 69 as a 70 model we both must have had an early production vehicle. Mine was yellow with a hound’s-tooth interior.

      Like 3
    • Avatar Psychofish2

      The wheel trim rings 14″ wheels and whitewalls were part of the Grabber package.
      My Grandmother bought the first one in Chambersburg PA off the show room floor.
      Bright yellow. Automatic. $2600.

      Like 1
  2. Avatar Troy s

    I find it amazing sometimes the cars that people save for an occasional show or Sunday jaunt,,, a six cylinder Maverick of all things. Fifty years ago and for the next twenty plus years these were cheap transportation cars. Three digit price tags and all that.
    Ford had a potential 396 Nova killer on there hands with these good looking Maverick’s, the lines are there along with a cheap entry fee. But even the 302/2V that came a year later was still….just transportation. No, I wont suggest a build here.

    Like 1
    • Avatar Teh Agent

      I bought one back in 99 for 213$

      Like 1
  3. Avatar Robt

    This car is screaming for a little v-8. A warned over 351w would slip right in and get the job done nicely.
    As for ‘rust free’ that’s a temporay notion in my opinion. The pic of the drivers side lower door post looks like the old rust demon is about to bubble through.
    Buyer beware.

    Like 0
    • Avatar JCA Member

      I’m pretty sure you’d need to shave a little off the shock towers before dropping in a 351w, it’s little wider than a 289/302. And of course it’s taller, so you’d probably have to use an aftermarket hood. My ’70 had a HiPo 289 and was a nice combo. Light car, light engine, stock hood for clean look. If I still had it, i’d spend the money on a rear end upgrade, 4 wheel discs and a 5spd conversion

      Like 8
      • Avatar Robt

        Don’t think you’d have any trouble dropping the 351 in. Same engine bay as a mustang/ falcon which countless examples received the slightly taller motor.
        Dropped a 351w in my 66 fairlane with loads of room left over.
        Front disc and a stick would be great upgrades.

        Like 1
      • Avatar JCA Member

        The Maverick was a sub-compact car with an engine bay about the same as the 65-66 Mustang. An even slightly shorter depth front to back than the Mustang, I believe. The 66 Fairlane was a full sized car, totally different sized engine bay. The biggest engine offered in the 65-66 Mustangs was the 289. The 70 Mustang engine bay is bigger than the 70 Maverick. Look at some other restomods of a 351 in a Maverick and you will likely see shaved or notched strut towers. They even sell kits to do it. The stock distance between the towers was tight even with my 289 and a set of headers on there…

        Like 3
      • Avatar RSparks

        351W will fit anywhere a 289 or 302 will fit. Standard strut tower.

        Like 3
      • Avatar Psychofish2

        @JCA: Maverick was a compact. Pinto would be the sub in 71. Fairlane was a mid size and the Galaxie a full size.
        Maverick and Mustang based on the compact Falcon.
        Mustang II based on the Pinto subcompact.
        Falcon and Maverick ran side by side for a brief time then the name was assigned to a bottom line Torino.

        Like 2
      • Avatar JCA Member

        @Psychofish2, yes in ’71, but this is still ’70. The Mav was marketed to be a sub compact import fighter. It became a compact after the Pinto in ’71.

        As for the 351 swap, as far as I recall from mine decades ago, yes, it can be done without modifying the shock towers. However, you will definitely need a set of custom headers and additional fabrication underneath like frame brackets, cross member, etc. And it won’t be fun servicing spark plugs when you are done. It wasn’t worth it to me. I started with a 302 car so a HiPo 289 was an easy swap. A 302 car has different springs, brakes, etc than a 6cyl car to start with so for a kid on a low budget, it worked for me.

        Like 2
    • Avatar Teh Agent

      Id prefer it with a modern 2.3l Turbo from the Ranger or Mustang.

      Like 1
  4. Avatar mike

    The grabber was a 302 car so who kidding who

    Like 0
    • Avatar bone

      Not all Grabbers were V8 cars , and not all v8 Mavericks were Grabbers

      Like 1
      • Avatar RSparks

        Correct. I had a 76 Maverick Stallion with a factory 302 and automatic. Wish I still had it. Black paint with flat black striping, red stallion badges on the fenders and black interior with magnum 500 wheels. Still have the wheels but I sold my little brother the car and he totaled it before he paid me for it and then never did lol.

        Like 1
  5. Avatar Motorcityman

    Almost 14K for a Maverick with a 6!!??
    What did PT Barnum say??

    Like 9
  6. Avatar chrlsful

    “…probably 200 cubic inches…”
    count H2O pump bolts. I tooka 250/4.1 out of a Mav
    and put in my ’70 bronk. Fun tq ‘light to light’ if U have a
    big ego. Mine has the low rev tq for the loose stuff off rd.
    Don’t wanna spin tires there.
    200 is destroked and therefore a lill rev’er. Over 500HP w/the x-flow or CI/VI alu, somewhat less w/the Oz iron 2v.

    Like 1
  7. Avatar Majik

    ~ $13,500? I want some of what they’re smokin’. These were $200 beaters in the eighties. (Time keeps on slippin’ . . .) I drove my ex-wife’s ’70 for a while in ’89 after I wrecked my Fairlane (which I soon replaced for $700) and found the car to be quite gutless with a weak trans. True pos. But I’d sure love to have it today. ~S

    Like 0
    • Avatar Teh Agent

      Sure were! I bought one in 99 for 213$. I remember it because it was such a weird number; I didnt ask any questions I just bought it. Had to keep cleaning out the fuel filter because the tank was full of rust or something that kept clogging it up.

      Like 0
  8. Avatar Miminite

    All these cheaper cars of the era are worth more money than seems reasonable to those of us that remember them new or cheap used because the performance Mach 1s or Chevelle SS are priced to the moon these days. This one seems to be a nice example with factory AC also.

    Yep, no V8 for ’70, but remember things were changing in the performance world then so maybe they saw the handwriting on the wall. For all the performance Mustangs and Camaros, there were also alot of 6 cylinder and otherwise low performance versions of them that sold in greater numbers.

    I do remember there was a Ford dealer in Ann Arbor, MI that was putting Boss 302 engines in these and selling them new with a warranty. Not sure what all they had to modify, but it was like Tasca Ford and Mr Norm in the Mopar world.

    This one would be fun with a crate 331 or 347, but would have to update rest of driveline and suspension to handle it. Personally, I’d drive it as is and enjoy a blast from the past.

    Like 2
  9. Avatar Mike R

    Too bad it wasn’t painted “Thanks Vermillion” or “Anti-Establish mint”

    Like 0
  10. Avatar Motorcityman

    In 1970 the Grabber was a 6 ONLY.
    302 was not available until 71.

    Like 1
  11. Avatar Stevieg

    I had a girlfriend back in 1988 that had a grabber blue 1974 Maverick coupe. It had the 250 in line 6, white vinyl top.
    The car seemed decent enough. She was a bit different lol. We didn’t last long.

    One time, she was on the freeway heading home from my house. She saw a set of headlights in her rear view mirror. She thought they were too close, so she hit the gas to get away from her alleged tailgater.
    The tailgate was a count sheriff. Needless to say, he assumed she was trying to flee from him lol. What an idiot!

    Like 0
    • Avatar JoeNYWF64

      Tailgating even by a “professional” does not make it safe or legal.
      I would have complained to their internal affairs – ticket or no ticket.
      If you want to see a bad sheriff, watch this old tv show …
      The Immortal – Episode 5 “The Rainbow Butcher” (Oct 22, 1970).
      Ironically Chris George eventually died in his early 50’s from earlier injuries during a “the Rat Patrol” filming.
      & Vic Morrow(who plays the sheriff above) was later decapitated!! by a helicopter’s roto blades, filming “the twilight zone” movie also in his early 50s.

      Like 0
      • Avatar Stevieg

        Joe, I wasn’t with her when it happened, so I can’t say for sure…but this chick was nuttier than squirrel scat. I would be willing to bet he wasn’t tailgating her. Trust me, I am not a fan of the boys in blue. If I can find a reason to rip on them, I will lol. But I am fairly confident she was the one who was not right this time.

        Like 0
  12. Avatar Stevieg

    Hindsight being what it is, I should have stuck it out with her. My now ex wife makes this one look normal lol.

    Like 0

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