“For those who wanted a Pinto but lacked the desire to have their bodies be found on the side of the road partially combusted.” So begins the cheekily affectionate ad copy for this Rodney Dangerfield of a 1972 Ford Maverick sedan—no respect at all!—and it only gets better from there. Let’s be honest, it takes a certain special kind of person to want to preserve a fairly plain survivor like this, much less spend $2,700 on one, and I think this seller has done a great job of setting the right tone. It’s well worth a read here on craigslist, where the car is being offered for sale in San Jose, California (archived ad).
Other highlights:
- “The 250 L6 engine spits out 98 horsepower and accelerates with all the get-up of a drunken snail tied to a cinder block…. But on the plus side, it makes arriving at your destination feel like an accomplishment. It gets lots of smiles, thumbs-up, and compliments, but I can’t tell if people are genuinely interested in the car, or if they pity me.”
- “There’s a bit more rust in the trunk, but fortunately you can’t see it on the outside, so let’s pretend it doesn’t matter.”
- “The rear window is tinted to accommodate your sinful aspirations with your date while parked on the wharf at 3 AM, but you may have to get creative with how small this car is.”
- “The spartanly-equipped interior reminds you of why poverty sucked back in the days of Led Zeppelin and flower power.”
…To say nothing of the photo location!
Still, taken on its own merits, there’s something appealing in this humble little car’s homeliness. The shown mileage of just over 83,000 is thought to be original (and the car comes with “many, many years” worth of maintenance receipts), and I suspect that the white paint, which looks quite good aside from the bubbling seen above at the leading edge of the hood and a bit of blackening above the custom exhaust tip, is original as well.
The interior is far from flawless, but perfectly serviceable. The seller may think that this interior is proof that poverty sucked in the ’70s, but at least it’s got carpet! An aftermarket steering wheel comes with the sale as a potential replacement for the cracked original, and the seller offers to show a buyer where to source a replacement dash cap. The upholstery is in good shape front and rear, but that cloth looks to me like it might already be a replacement for the original, as it looks a lot like the tough stuff that GM used extensively in the ’80s, not like the fabric (usually plaid) you’d find in an early ’70s Ford. Those of you with more Maverick experience can correct me if I’m wrong.
To be sure, an automatic Maverick sedan isn’t an exciting or desirable car in any traditional sense, but kudos to this seller for showing that sometimes having fun is just a matter of having the right attitude. Here’s a car you can buy cheaply, own cheaply, love to hate, and have a few laughs with (and about) along the way—what more could you ask for?
If this wasn’t in Cali i’d be on it like that white paint I LOVE this car !!!!!!
That’s the second four door from the Bay Area you’ve highlighted today. There are lots of these in certain neighborhoods.
Steve R
I like it for what it is…could be fun for a $2,000.
If I had unlimited money to blow I would transplant a big Ford crate motor, lift kit, 4wd, knobby tires, roof rack and off road lights… Kind of a funky suburban soccer mom baja rig…almost forgot steer horn hood ornament.
I like it. Simple, no nonsense transportation at a good price.
U must be hurting to find barn finds!!
I’ll remember your comment whenever they show rice burners and otherwise crap from the 80s and 90s.
I like it, too. Not very many options, but does have the Exterior Decor Group to dress it up. The standard interior doesn’t have the fake wood trim found in many ’70s cars. And, of course, it lacks the bulky bumpers found on later Mavericks. The car is brimming with understated, functional elegance.
Sadly, they didn’t redo the headliner along with the upholstery.
These cars were everywhere in the ’70s and early ’80s. Most of them were lightly optioned, as this one is.
About all I’d do is add power brakes, along with front discs. A 250 in good tune moves these cars along well enough.
Rad! Super plain but appealing. I really like the front of this car, grill and headlights look good together. My Grandmother had a dark blue one.
You know what? I don’t care whether people think this is (or isn’t) a barn find. What it is is a nice, honest car that the seller wants to pass on to someone else, and is not taking himself too seriously. This is what the world needs more of folks.
PS. If I wasn’t in Australia I’d probably buy it because I like the seller’s attitude!
450 to rechrome? Bumpers are the same as first gen Mustangs, repops a plenty.
The Maverick bumpers aren’t the same as first gen Mustangs and at this time aren’t reproduced. Dynacorn is supposed to reproduce them sometime in the near future.
The feature car is a clean car for a pretty fair price and the seller’s ad is really an enjoyable read.
64 – 66 do fit. Rear is same and front is vee on mav and notched at headlight on mustang.
Compare with many cars from Europe, its not so bad.
I hope whoever buys this does so with the intention to preserve a cultural artifact, or perhaps experience the ’70s, and then pass it on unmolested or perhaps modestly restored. It would be a tremendous hit at rustbelt cars and coffees in the northeast, and a real memory for a father-and-son cross country trip. You’d /really/ get to know each other.
A friend of mine n HS Jeff, had the 1973, 4 door Mercury Comet. Nice Car his Grandmother gave it to him, man we ran the crap out of that little car.
I like the pagoda top. Sought to repeat the success of the MB pagoda, no doubt. Oh, wait, maybe that pagoda top is in the background?
My father bought a two door orange maverick when we returned from the UK, he was an RCAF pilot and upon returning to Canada wanted something sporty. We kept that car till I joined the RCN, oh so many memories in that car, so it went to the Naval college with me. Till the engine blew.
Never let us down, now would you ever be caught in an Orange car.
Was this a write up, or another Ford bashing.
Nice looking Maverick. Given its age and condition, I think $2700 is better than fair for this car. I’ve never understood why the disrespect for this car by collectors. It’s just an updated version of the Falcon.
I like the car, especially at $2700
Too bad it’s on the west coast, been looking for a used economical commuter car for the wife but don’t want a teenagers booming trash can mufflered weenie car. This Maverick at $2700 fits the bill.
Weenie car! Ahahaha!!!
I really hope who winds up with this car preserves it. These were such consumables that survivors are rare.
“…A 250 in good tune moves these cars along well enough…”
98 HP? WoW in only 3 yrs they went frm 120 down to that (that motor came out in ’69). They had plenty tq (155@1500) way down low when 1st developed.
I got 1 moded into that in the above pic.
Government required a change from gross horsepower rating to net horsepower rating starting in the 1972 model year. Combine that with the actual decrease horsepower from “desmogging,” and yeah, that was the malaise of the ’70s.
The HP rating methodology went from SAE Gross to SAE Net during those 3 years…resulting in a lower figure. The engine developed about the same power the whole time.
Most every engine from every manufacturer was heavily detuned by the early seventies, it’s not a new discovery lol. Thank your government for that one.
Best Craigslist ad I’ve read in quite awhile.
I have a fond place in my heart for strippers like this. As it was pointed out, this one is a little fancier than some in the trim level. It could have had those little hub caps instead of wheel covers. There is a place for all cars in the preservation and restoration game. Whatever floats your boat should always be the motto and what anyone else thinks shouldn’t matter. That’s why I proudly show my perfect-to-me ’93 Metro convertible in local car shows.
And kudos to you, sir. Not, in the words of Bob Dylan, my cup of meat, but I’m glad someone is saving it and also bringing it out for those who haven’t seen one to see it. And a pox on those who think otherwise.
Yeah, you could pick these up all day long in the ’80’s. My wife and I did!
Ours was a ’73 4-door with 65K miles showing. It was a DeLuxe model
with nearly every option offered that year on it. Some of the options
included: 302 V-8 (200 HP) air conditioning that still worked great, factory
padded vinyl roof, full leather interior with front reclining bucket seats,
factory side trimming with vinyl insets, color keyed wheel covers, power
steering and brakes, and dual chrome mirrors. We bought it from a local
buy here/pay here for $600.00! We drove it for nearly 2 years before trading
it off for an ’86 Escort wagon. As I recall, the only thing we had to replace
other than the normal consumables, was the radio that was MIA when we
bought the car. It was a wonderful old car that ran great, and left us stranded only once. Both my wife and the car have long since gone, but
my memories will last a lifetime.
Not that bad a car. I had a “73 Comet, 2-DR.; 302 plain Jane, which I liked far better than Mavericks.