Ford introduced the compact Maverick five years to the day after the Mustang. It was there to replace the aging Falcon, not create a new market niche. Over the course of eight years, nearly 2.1 million copies were sold, perhaps making it the single best-selling single Ford model of the decade. They were cheap cars to buy, which explains why they aren’t too plentiful today. This 1976 edition looks like a decent survivor, though the photos are few here on craigslist. Located in Boyes Hot Springs, California, this classic (?) is priced at $7,500 OBO.
When the Maverick first came out, Ford advertised them everywhere at $1,995. So, they were disposable cars not meant to be around 50 years later. There were few changes over the years, the most noticeable being cow catcher bumpers (like on the Pinto) to satisfy the Feds. This ’76 Maverick had a decent options list, including air conditioning (which needs work), automatic tranny, and a vinyl roof.
The seller only provides three pics, so we don’t know the condition of the interior or engine bay. The paint may be okay, but one of the quarters seems mismatched. The inline-6 (200 CI?) has just 55,500 miles, about 40% put on by the seller (2nd owner). We’re told it runs well and has new parts, including brakes, tires, gas tank, exhaust, plus some new cosmetic stuff (headliner and vinyl top). Recent surgeries prevent the seller from doing more. Is it priced right? And thanks for another neat tip, Tony Primo!
Too bad the seller included only three pics, because with the extensive list of mechanical work and the not-too-high mileage, it might be a decent car. Well-equipped, though the blackwalls and hub caps make it look like a stripper. Someone must have been serious about keeping it decent to have replaced the vinyl roof.
Along with the Pinto, perhaps the worst reaction to the 70’s bumper standards.
I had the Mercury Comet – same car alas different trim package with rally wheels and two tone paint. Pretty straightforward to work on and ran down the road like a scolded monkey!
I was a kid when these came out, and I really didn’t like it back then, especially with the 5 mph bumpers.
50 years on, and taking a step back, this was a really, really, really, good looking car, although the vinyl top doesn’t do it any favors.
I was still right about the bumpers, though. It’s like putting a moustache on the Mona Lisa…
Interesting observation Jonathan. They indeed were nicely styled (pre-big bumper), especially for an economy car. I suppose that is why the early ones look good when restored, modified, or restomodded.
I just had to ask AI if you could remove 5 mph bumpers from an old car. I know some British roadsters get the older thin bumpers swapped in place of the heavy ones. That wouldn’t work here obviously. Long story short, it’s illegal but I wonder if painting the bumpers body color or something neutral and keeping the chrome bumperettes would work. Funny how these cheap economy cars look sporty now.
“Illegal” is probably a technicality here. It’s usually up to the states to enforce the federal standards and how to do it. In most states, most law enforcement will probably not pull you over for something they don’t even know is an issue.
It’s much like removing a catalytic converter as long (as you don’t live in the state of California), since most states have inspection exemptions for classic cars of a certain age.
I’ve never given thought to the implications of modifying the bumpers of cars from this era. It doesn’t seem to have the same liability as removing say, seat belts.
I like small bumpered 2 door Mavericks and Comets. I guess the park bench on the front could be handy, but it offers all of the style enhancement of a collision- with a locomotive. 🚂 If this car was a V8 version, in “not green”, I’d consider it. As it is, it’s a great car for someone else.
The early cars had the small bumpers (Good), but no glove box (Bad), just a small package shelf that everything slid out of onto the floor in a hard turn. Later cars got the now commonplace three-point seat belts, but the early cars got the abysmal lap belt with a separate shoulder harness that fit into a keyhole tab on the buckle. Those were awful, as there wasn’t an inertia reel retractor, so you either locked yourself in place to keep the shoulder belt attached to the keyhole, or the shoulder belt would come loose if you put enough slack in the shoulder belt to be anywhere close to comfortable. That’s why the shoulder belts never left their storage clips on the ceiling of the car!
The best ones to get were the Grabber or any car with the Luxury Decor Option, as they came with the optional bucket seats and floor shifter for the automatic transmission. The 302/5.0L V8 was the car to have, as the V8 required the power disc brake option. The sixes were all pretty gutless, and upgrade options for the sixes were non-existent, as the intake manifold was cast into the cylinder head! The standard four-wheel drum brakes without power assist had high pedal effort and were completely devoid of any feel whatsoever! V8 swaps from dead Mustangs and power disc brake conversions are a bolt-in operation, as both were available on the option list from the factory.
The completion from both GM (X-Bodies, Nova, et al) and Chrysler (A-Body Dart, Valiant, Demon & Duster) offered better handling, more interior room, more power and better reliability than the Ford offerings.
Front disc brakes without power assist required even more pedal effort than 4 wheel manual drums. I’m willing to bet a lot more early Pintos & Mavericks & Comets had 4 wheel drum brakes – especially for female drivers. Power assist was not available for the Pinto.
I like 4 wheel manual drums because if the motor stalls out, the brakes work exactly the same! Loss of power assist with power brakes(& power steering) can be unnerving while you are moving!
Agreed – non-power disc brakes feel harder to use than non-power drums.
The ’70 Corvette I owned had non-power discs on all corners and you had to mentally prepare yourself to drive that car. Brake like you are sticking your foot through the floor.
There was one of these here locally that the owner
had put the older,smaller bumpers on.It looked like one
of the earlier cars,so I guess it works.
The tip off is the big bumper cars had the turn signals in the grille, but the small-bumper cars had them mounted below the bumper. The turn signals from the big bumper cars are a bolt-in, you can use the same bulb sockets from the older cars, you don’t even have to splice any wires! When the grille from our 1972 small-bumper car was damaged, we got a grille from a later big-bumper car and it bolted right in! It took me about twenty minutes, using nothing more than a socket wrench! The newer turn signals are bigger, brighter and just easier to see when mounted above the bumper than the older ones that were mounted below the bumper.
I hate ads like this.
The 3 photos of the outside only makes it look like someone was just walking by, snapped some photos, and are trying to sell a car they don’t own.
It’s probably a 250 CI inline-6, which is no slouch. No tire smoke but pleasant to drive. I always had a weak spot for these ugly ducklings. They were well made, drove nicely and had lots of room for a smaller midsize.
My parents had the exact same one. The memory I’m constantly reminded of (but I don’t possess) is going to pick up my dad at work after spending a day picking peas with grandpa at the farm. Unbeknownst to my parents, I was eating the peas as quickly as he opened them. I projectile vomited all over the interior shortly after my dad got in the car. Puke matched the interior nicely.
I had a 77 Orange 2 door Maverick with a Tan Vinyl Top and Tan Interior. Had the 250 6 cyl, I put the Magnum Style wheels with trim rings on it. It was my prize from a divorce and although I wasn’t crazy about the color, no car payment worked good at that time in my life. Always thought I might get an earlier Grabber but Mustangs have been my toy of choice (38). Nice to see one every now and then.