This 1972 Ford Maverick was spotted by Barn Finds reader Rocco B., and the car presents as a nicely preserved survivor with some mild cosmetic and mechanical faults. Wearing excellent colors with nice chrome and OEM hubcaps, the Maverick is equipped with the six-cylinder mill paired to an automatic transmission. Find it here on craigslist in California for $5K.
The Maverick still wears old-school California blue plates and looks straight and true going down the sides. Factory mudflaps hang off the backs of the fenders and the chrome trim strips look just as good back here as they do in the front. The rear bumper hugs the body panel tightly with no signs of parking lot bumper cars. All glass is intact, as well.
The interior is perhaps the biggest offender as it relates to cosmetics, with plenty of evidence of sun-related damage. The seats all need work, as does the headliner. The seller also notes the Maverick sometimes has trouble starting and that he’s been advised to check for oil leakage in the pistons, but doesn’t elaborate as to why he received that recommendation.
The Maverick is a car you can modify myriad ways, which is why I’ve made a point of inspecting this 302-powered Maverick project on my friend’s property in Georgia and listed here as a Barn Finds Exclusive. The car packs plenty of tweaks that would make it a fun and cheap hot rod – but the above example on eBay should be preserved as the survivor it is.
I don’t think the price is out of line even with the interior like that. Here in Mexico I am seeing the prices going up and up on the Mavericks, although almost all of them were V8 cars.
I must be starting to show my age as far as mindset goes. More of these factory 6 cylinder cars are starting to look more and more acceptable to me. Nice Maverick. Wouldn’t mind owning it.
Check for oil leakage in the pistons. Check for wheel covers too.
Oil leakage in the pistons????
Can you elaborate, please?
Oops. Sorry, I hadn’t read the CL ad. My bad.
Pretty nice Maverick. One could go different ways with it. I like to see restored to stock Mavericks, but tastefully modified Mavericks look really good to me too.
I get it, but that gauge pod looks really out of place in a six cylinder automatic economy car.
I don’t remember there being “factory” mud flaps. Maybe purchased from the dealer on day 1, but I don’t think they were a factory option.
I love the style of the 1972 Mavericks especially before the big bumpers came along.
Where the picnic table cloth interior? I had a lime green with black and white picnic table plaid . Piece of crap then piece of crap now.
Nice car, bit of overkill with the TWO steering wheel covers, though! Gauge pod looks good to me, a new interior and headliner would make this one really sharp! GLWTS :-)
love the colour. easy resto
Nice little economy ride. Fairly easy to work on. Low cost maintenance. Basic car that will make someone a great classic.
God bless America
I think the Maverick was one of the most misunderstood cars. I can see no merit in calling them crap. They were good, inexpensive, reliable, simple 5 or 6 passenger cars. Everyone I ever dealt with had a ton of miles, and like most cars, it was rust that usually killed them. Ford 6’s were the best in the business, was the right size, good cars, that if you sideswiped a mailbox, no big deal. I think it’s great to see one again.
Yep not priced out of reach with upgrades available on the cheap.
Oil leakage in the pistons? Sounds like a delicate way of saying the engine needs a rebuild. Nice car otherwise.
I would just redo the interior, figure out the piston oil leakage issue, install an aftermarket cruise control & sell my Hyundai. This would be after my move to Arizona, so it wouldn’t get rusty here in Milwaukee. Great car!