I saw this Maverick at a get-together in Eugene OR a couple of years ago. I was amazed at its condition. Not new-looking, but well maintained. I couldn't agree with you more. Very cool to see an old four door survivor.
My sister bought a top of the line, maxed out, Maverick as her first new car, which I really liked . I got to drive it a lot because my parents co-signed on her loan and, well, she defaulted and they took over the loan. Some of the options were; 1. The new, surround sound, 8 track, stereo system and 2. Furry carpet which are all that I can remember
It also had the LDO/ Luxury Decor package that included the vinyl top with matching side impact strips, stainless trim surrounding the taillight panel and color keyed hubcaps. It also has the remote side mirror. '72 was the last year for the flush bumpers before the '73 that had the 5 mph chrome "log" upfront and '74 on they had the 5 mph bumpers front and back. My mom had a '76 Maverick 4 door with a straight 6, auto and AM radio. No fancy trim and it had black wall tires and dog dish hubcaps. Very comfy car with room for 5.
Ford just simply brought back an old nameplate. Chrysler has done as well with the Dodge Dart. However, as you said, the new model has nothing to do with the old model
Would've made more sense to call the new one Ranchero. It's what the 1960 Falcon Ranchero would've evolved into with continuous production and without its' detour into muscle and then personal luxury on the Torino platform.
If you live in Europe, you might have heard of the 2000's Mavericks. One was a rebadged Nissan Terrano II, the other was a rebadged Ford Escape. Same name, but completely different cars.
Great video! This was a pretty unique Maverick because it had the Luxury Decor package, which debuted in 1972. This was the first time that any US automaker had dipped their toes in the luxury compact sedan market. The package included plush carpet and seats, color-keyed hubcaps like contemporaneous Mercedes, and radial tires. You could not get a compact from GM or Chrysler in 1972 that had both 4-doors and buckets at the time. This model eventually begat the mechanically similar but tarted-up Granada, Nova Concours sedan, and Dodge Dart SE sedan several years later. The bad part about the Maverick was that you could not get front disc brakes; even the 302 V-8 had teensy-weensy drums. I don't know why they didn't use the brake setup from the Mustang, which was also spawned off the original 1960 Falcon platform. Most Mavericks were awful poverty-mobiles with uncomfortable bench seats and skinny bias-ply tires. I rode in a few back in the day and they were really spartan even compared to the Valiant/Dart and Nova/Apollo/Ventura/Omega.
Great video. I remember these cars sold like hotcakes. I believe this car has the LDO option on it (luxury decor option) which added some luxury added touches to the car. This car is well taken care of. Thanks.
I grew up on a typical suburban street in the early 70s, the driveway to the left had a Maverick, across the street was an AMC Pacer, next door a VW Bus, to the right was the cool Dad on the block with an 1970 Olds 442. We all knew when he started that one up. Our driveway had a Duster, complete with the little Duster/Tasmanian Devil badge on the side.
We had a 1976 Maverick that was one of the first cars I got to drive regularly. It was used at that point, maybe 5 years old but was a decent little car for its day. The trim Ford called color keyed and it was usually tied(keyed) to the color of the roof or the interior, sometimes to the main color of the car. Look up some of FoMoCo bigger cars and you will see a lot of this .Great job on a big seller for Ford.
Isn’t it interesting that the 70’s Maverick looks better now than it did then. It was intended to be an alternative to the imports that were selling very well. The original base Maverick had a 170 ci 6, 3 on the tree and no glove box, just the shelf below the dash. If I remember correctly the base price was $1995. Most car magazine reviews were negative. However, Ford sold over 400,000 the first year. That was phenomenal. As others have pointed out this car has the Luxury Decor Option, which includes the bucket seats and vastly improved interior. The standard interior was a bench seat. Just FYI for anyone who hasn’t driven a car with drum brakes on all 4 wheels, they heat up and fade. Also if you drive through water the water may interfere with the brake shoes contacting the drum and you can’t stop
You remember correctly - in fact, Ford made a big deal about selling the car at the same price point ($2K) as the 1960 base-level Falcon (which the Maverick's mechanicals are actually based on!). The 170 was a bit weak-kneed, though, and the 200s and 250s were popular options. Most dealer-inventory cars had at least the 200 on board. I think Ford discontinued the 170 in 1973. The 170's lackluster performance, I remember, was one of the most-cited complaints in the reviews. One quirk remember from the early Mavericks was the semi-auto transmission option. I think it was only offered with the 170, and it was basically a regular, plain-jane light duty C4, but with no automatic features at all. It acted just like it sounds - at the stoplight, you have to pull the shifter back into first, then manually shift to 2nd and then 3rd as you accelerated.
These were everywhere in the '70s. I had a '71 2-door 4-cyl manual 3 on the column manual brakes and steering. I loved it. Bought it used in '78 for almost no money (I'm guessing somewhere between $100 - $200). Most base-level car I ever owned. Got fantastic gas mileage, but the window cranks kept falling off. My parents had a 4-door very similar (maybe the same) to this one shown. Same color. They drove all over the country with after-market cruise control and their cooler perched on the back seat filled with soft drinks and sandwich makings.
Growing up as a kid in the 70s-80s, a friends parents had the Mercury counterpart, a '72 Comet GT, lime green, console shift 3spd auto, 302 2V V-8. That little baby could do killer burnouts lol.
What a great looking car in fantastic condition. I’m English and the side profile is very similar to the British Mk3 Cortina of the same vintage. My dad had a couple of these and my first memory is riding in the back on our way to a holiday (vacation) 🙂
I always liked how these looked in both two- and four-door styles. These were poorly-built but they served their purpose well enough. The 302s were pretty good. These had a reputation of being the secretary's car just like the original Mustang had before it bulked up. The sportlamps are the lights in the grille and were shared with late first-gen Mustangs. They were basically a second set of front parking lights using turn signal bulbs with the high filament wired to the sportlamps switch. Many people ended up wiring them up to the turn signals.
Back in the day, these cars were popular, cheap, everywhere, and virtually invisible; not unlike the Ford Escort and Taurus was in the 1980s-1990s. Personally, I prefer the small bumper cars, the two doors, and the Mercury Comet versions from ‘71-‘73. I am also over 50 years old and I don’t like to start, either!
Our neighbors down the street had a 75 4 door Maverick. It was pretty basic with bottle caps, one of the 6-cylinders, and 3 on the tree. It was either a copper or burnt orange color. I rode in it with that family several times. I believe they had it nearly a decade.
I bought a 70 Maverick for $90 at an abandon car auction. It had a blown head gasket but the car still ran. After I replaced the head gasket, the car ran great. What a great little car to drive and I wish I still owned it. Nice to see this video on YT.
There were times when I was younger that at least one or two people had a Maverick; My brother had a '71 2 door, my other brother had a '71 4 door, my father had a '77 4 door & a friend of mine had two of them at the same time a '75 4 door & a 76 2 door.
My parents brought me home from the hospital in a 74 Maverick. Theirs was the much sportier 2 door Grabber done up in canary yellow with back interior. And it had the 250 and manual transmission. The first half of my childhood was in that car. Then they sold it to my uncle and got an 88 Escort wagon to replace it.
As a child in the 1970’s I had the privilege to ride in these cars when they were practically new. My great aunt had several brand new Mavericks right in a row and we drove all over the thumb of Michigan at 40 miles per hour. My grandmother bought a used ‘73 Mercury Comet (the Maverick twin) from a friend. Funny side story, being from Michigan, these cars disintegrated into rust pretty quickly with all the salt they use on the roads here. The lower sheet metal between the rear wheels and the bumper had rusted so much on my grandmas Comet that a gallon of bleach rolled out of the trunk on an S curve coming home from the grocery store. These cars were so plain Jane but I would love to have one like this today.
I learned to drive on a '70 Maverick with a 200 and radio and nothing else that I'm aware of. The 200 & 3 speed column shift was adequate, despite some other reports here. Terrible cheap penalty box, yes, rusted into nothing in short order. Never left me stranded but other than that... you can have it.
I grew up in the 70s and dad had two Mavericks. A ‘69 base coupe and a ‘74 Grabber coupe. That one had the 302 V-8 and three speed manual on the column. Orange with orange bucket seat interior. I learned to drive in that car in the early 80s. Great little simple cars, lots of memories!
3:39 The seatbelt warning light wasn't required in cars until the 1972 model year. They were treated as afterthoughts by many car companies, as they were not usually integrated into the dashboard with other warning lights until after a new model debuted or current model was redesigned.
And very few people were inclined to wear seat belts back then. If they did, it was usually just the lap belt which offered minimal protection in a collision.
Growing up we had a 1973 Comet, Mercury version of the Maverick. It was a 4 door with the same LDO, Luxury Decor Option which included vinyl top ,matching body molding and wheel covers , reclining bucket seats. Ours had the 302 V8. It was the primary car I learned to drive in. it was a Great car! Every August at Geneva on the Lake Ohio is a Pinto /Maverick car show, if you want to see some in real life.
My grandmother had the exactly same car (year, color combo and 4 door.) It was one of the few cars she never had any major problems with. The only problem she ever had with it was the drain for the AC condenser would clog and I remember riding in it one summer where every time my grandmother would turn left, water would pour into your feet in the front passenger seat. At least I was wearing flip-flops at the time.
Thiswas a trip down memory lane for me. My mother had a 72 just like this one, same engine and luxury trim package. i learned to drive in this car. It was great driving car and she kept until 85. It was pretty rusted out when she sold it, but it still drove fine.
I think these had just gone out of production when I was born, but they were still all over the place when I was a kid. My upstairs neighbors and my best friend's dad both had one. One thing that always stuck out to me about these was a lot of them (like this one) had wheel covers painted to match the car's body. I can't remember the last time I saw one in the wild, though... and this one looks like it's been loved for the past 50 years.
This video makes me feel nostalgic for my old 1973 Mercury Comet 4 door. That car had a 302 V8, the same AC, interior layout with the high end AM FM radio. The Maverick above is the higher level trim for Ford. Mavericks were sold as compacts and replaced the Ford Falcon in 1970. The Comet was introduced I think in 1973.
Yes. I remember being picked up in my mom and dads 1972 Mercury Montego MX and Pinto Runabout in 1972. This Maverick is a new for 1972 Maverick with the LDO option. Luxury Decor Option. The seats in the front recline, which is an LDO, only standard equipment. You could not get reclining seats in any other Ford in 1972, save for the LTD and Thunderbird that offered an optional passenger recling seat. They were luxing up the Maverick in 72. My friend bought a 1972 Maverick Grabber in May 1981. It had the 302 V-8, Non reclining bucket seats, and floor shift automatic. That car was a blast. He also had a 1971 Mercury Comet GT equipt like his Maverick, but it had factory A/C. The Comet and Maverick were basically the same car. For me, I like the Comet front and rear better. The Maverick was kind of plain and used the exact same taillights as the Ford Pinto. Maverick had them first. It's an all around great car. I really like the 2 door models the best, but the Maverick/Comet 4 doors were nice-looking cars. In 1974, they got big bumpers that looked odd on these cars. So pre 73, especially pre 72, is the best and most expensive these days.
We had a 1975 white 4-door, beige interior. The front seat was a bench seat, no air, am radio. The most generic car you probably buy. My dad was Mr. Practical...lol I learned to drive in it in 1978...what fun🙄 All my friends' parents had similar cars so there was no peer envy here. I met my future wife also in 1978 and had the best make-out session ever with her in that car...lol I'll never forget that little Ford Maverick...LOL
Beautiful car and great review! I grew up with the bigger Fords in our family in the 70s but I always loved these and expecially the Ford Granada that came afterwards!
Seeing this car is wild! My grandparents bought a 1973 Ford Maverick with a V-8 engine in the *exact same* color scheme as this one in your video. It stayed in the family until the early 1990s - by which time it was a serious clunker. At one point we had to remove the corroded dark brown vinyl top and we simply repainted it brown 🤷🏻♂️. Dad finally let it go for a couple hundred bucks when it became too much of a financial liability to keep maintaining.
Your videos are great. Enjoyed the one on the Le Car. Almost bought one of those in 1980 at the AMC (Rambler) dealer in Harford, Ct. Parents owned a 1971 Mercury Comet, dark metallic green four door, black vinyl roof. No AC, black vinyl base model, everything identical to the Maverick. Great family car.
My wife had a '74 4-door Maverick just like this one except for tan instead of the white. She had it from about '79 - 82, then gave it to her brother. It was comfortable and overall pretty nice. Nothing sporty but dependable.
Ford Maverick was really popular here in Brazil during the 70's, it had a fight with Chevrolet Opala, Puma GTB and Dodge Charger (Dart based), on sales and races...
I owned a 1970 Maverick 2-door with the 200 cu.in 6 and the 3-speed automatic. Power was good, as was fuel economy, handling was tail-happy. Drum brakes front and rear worked about as well as you would expect. Auto transmission had second-gear start, which helped in the snow. Tail end had very little weight on it, so to get through winter, I put 4 50lb. sandbags in the trunk. Rust was awful on this car; mine went to the junkyard in 1982, when the rear frame rails rusted out. Models with the 302 V-8 had REAL problems with wheelspin (no weight on the rear), and ate U-joints at an alarming rate.
. . . thanks for a great video . . . I owned a '72 Maverick Grabber, orange and white coup, 3-speed on the floor, moved by a little 302 V8 . . . loved it to pieces, except for the rust that crept in after three years or so . . . I now own a '22 Maverick and again, love driving it to pieces . . . must be something in the name! . . .
Very nice. I owned a '74 Comet, the Mercury division's version of the Maverick. Same basic body shell but a more prominent grille and different tail lights. Mine was a 2-door with the 200 cubic inch inline six, a/c, automatic and Mercury's version of the Luxury Decor Option, very similar to this car's interior. By '74 they had enclosed that under-dash package tray and incorporated a real glove box. Bought it used around 1982 and drove it for several trouble-free years before selling it to my sister who drove it for several more.
Lovely looking car. Although I was way too young to drive a car at the time, I remember cars like the Ford Maverick and the Mercury Comet. I had a neighbour when I was a boy who had a Grabber 2 door. One thing I've never understood was why this was never available as a station wagon. Back in the 1960s when the Falcon and Comet were available, one could order either in 4 door, 2 door, or station wagon.
The body-color rings on the hubcaps were a kind of snazzy feature at the time. I agree that bread-and-butter family cars of previous eras are underappreciated. My mom had a 1969 Dodge Dart 4-door with a 225 slant six. I'd consider buying one for the sake of nostalgia, but it appears that only 2-doors, mostly with V8s, were saved.
I have the unique perspective…. Ordered in July and nine months later received our 2022 hybrid Maverick in area 51 color. FYI. But my mother traded in her early 60s Ford falcon for a 1971 maverick in that (SLIME) green color you were talking about with the white vinyl (impossible to keep clean) top. The video car has the upgraded appearance package with those vinyl strips along the doors. You took the seatbelt down, click them into the lower seatbelt and click the lower seatbelt into the latch… yes, it was a pain in the butt,,, but mother, who was always in control of the air conditioner😅😅😅 always made us put it on.
My sister and I had a white Ford Maverick with brown roof. Its name was FRED. At one time or another we carried the whole school body in FRED. Those were the days!!!!!!!vive’ la Bluejays!!!!
What a relief to see a real, genuine, bona fide Maverick sedan not a faux, wannabe pickup Maverick . In this time period the Valiant/Dart ruled the compact segment. The Nova was runner up while the Maverick /Comet took the bronze. A participation certificate went to the AMC Hornet which will rank as a massive achievement compared to the lamentable Hornet of today. 🤣 For the record, very, very few American boys were going to soccer practice in 1972 and it is fair to say 0 girls were doing so.
This particular Maverick was built and optioned with Ford’s “Luxury Decor Group”. It gave you the vinyl body side molding with matching vinyl top, deluxe bucket seats, heavier shag carpeting and wood grain trim on the dash. Nice car & great video. I owned a couple 2-dr models, which I prefer the looks of. You mentioned smaller. For the times, it was classified as a compact. It replaced to Falcon starting in 1970.
I love these cars. The Maverick was one of Ford's best selling nameplates in the 1970 and a very popular model in Ford's lineup. The car could a very basic small car or could be optioned out to a nice small car like yours with the luxury decor option like yours. My new1972 red Maverick two door coupe which was nicely equipped with he 250 cubic inch srtaight 6 cylinder engine and my furst ever car.. The 260 straight six was a well built engine with better internal structure than the sma200 cubic inch 6 cylinder engine with was the standard engine. Early Maverick models came with a 170 cubic cubic inch straight 6, which was soon dropped and replace by the already mentioned 200 cubic inch six. In late 1975 I got a new 1976 Maverick with same 250 cubic inch six cylinder engine. The car was finished in a tasteful yellow color with upgraded black cloth seating similar to the seat fabric in the larger more expensive Gran Toronto and LTD models. Over the years the Maverick was continuously upgraded. For the 1973 model years the tray across the lower dashboard was replaced with a full enclosure along the entire lower dashboard featuring a small glove box, integrated are vents and a pedal type parking brake replacing the pull out handle of the earlier cars. My 1976 Maverick also featured bright bedtime moldings and a factory painted black pinstripe, also power steering which my 1952 Maverick didn't have. Ford had planned to replace the Maverick for the 1975 model year with a new small car, the popular Granada but sold the Maverick for two more model years along side the Granada but finally discontinued the Maverick car at the end of the 1977 model year. In the Maverick s place with a new more modern car for 1978 called the Fairmount. Of coarse Ford Motor Company's Mercury division go thief one version on cars during the period of time. The cars were the same except for some minor trim changes to may the cars look Mercury like but never sold near as many units as the Ford versions. The Maverick were a special part of my life in the 1970's as my family also had a Maverick four door for a while in 1974 and a used basic 1970 2door coupe with no options and the small 170 straight six engine. That particular car was an example of the introductory Maverick that Ford promoted with a sticker price of $1,995.00. I still wish that I had my 1972 Maverick since the cars are now becoming collectable classics and popular with muscle car enthusiasts who enjoy restoring old two door Mavericks into restomods and higher performance cars because of the classic clean design of the fastback coupes that were similar in construction to the early Mustangs. In fact the Maverick 2 door coupes began to cut into Mustang sales in the early 1970's because the Mustang had grown much larger and much more expensive by the 1970's and the Maverick was being offered by Ford with a number of sporty and higher performance option packages in the 2 door coupes. I suppose many new car buyers found the two door Mavericks to be be more appealing and more in line with the car they wanted than the Mustang. The Maverick actually sold more units during its lifetime than the Mustang had up to that point. I was glad to find that Ford brought back the Maverick nameplate in the form of a compact more reasonably priced small pickup. I find the Maverick pickup idea appealing and a very good idea from Ford Motor Company product development.
That’s a Maverick with the Luxury Decor Option. It’s the nicest and most luxurious model in the range. Regular Mavericks did not have the luxury tan interior and tan vinyl seats.
Yes, and what Zack calls the manual mirrors were called remote operated mirrors at the time. The base car you had to roll down the window and put your hand on the mirror to adjust it. The maverick set a record as the first car to never have any recalls. It really was something you could count on, super reliable. Most only had the auto transmission, am radio, and no other options, no power steering. It was like 5 turns lock to lock, and the wheel wouldn’t budge until the car was moving. My aunt used to say she got a good workout driving hers. I seem to remember all novas, and most darts of the day having power steering.
My mom had a 4 door in the early 80's, while my dad had a pinto. I remember being driven around in both. Just FYI, I believe the tail lights are just Ford pickup tail lights rotated on their side!
What a treat to see such a nice Maverick LDO! These were not common when new, and this is a wonderful example. As you point out, these are great, reliable cars. And, BTW, those front bucket seats would both recline, something very uncommon for the day. The matching side moldings were a feature of the nicer FoMoCo vehicles of the day. Also, those fun colors like "Thanks Vermillion" were not offered after 1970. Thank you for featuring it.
This car was built on the same platform as the 1960 Falcon. Ford used this platform for over 20 years. There was also an issue with the column mounted shifter in all the Ford cars of this era. They didn't always go in park. They looked like they were in park but weren't. They would sometimes just start to roll away. Ford resisted recalling them. But finally did.
I was working in a Chevron Station in 1977 when a man cam in and asked for directions in his LTD he closed his door and started walking towards us when his car started driving it self in to a parked car it was the first self driving car of it`s time.
Im from Australia we got the Cortina from Britain which is very similar to the Maverick except we only had the 250 six we didn't get a V8 that didn't stop people from pulling the six and installing a 302 my friend did just that it would pull 140 mph no prob in the 80s which was fast back then.Thanks for sharing.
I had a 71 zero option model, 2 door, white, minimal trim, inline 6, 3 speed manual shifted on the column, no glove box… had some fancy 90’s aluminum wheels on it and it looked damn sharp. Thats another one I miss
The taillights were shared with the Pinto and when double mirrored, the Mercury Bobcat. The sister Comet used two of the three Mercury Montego taillights.
Genuinely a gem and a fixture of the Malaise Car Club of Oregon's Annual Invitationals (car shows we do every June, why not join us?). I'm so glad you got to drive that lovely Mav!! ^_^
i grew up around mavericks...and took my drivers test in one..and owned a few when i was older..i like em..and would take one today...this car has the l.d.o package
Ohh geez, the first -only & last new car my father ever bought on bad credit was a 1973 metallic brown Maverick. As a child, you would get 1st & second degree burns sitting on the plasticy vinyl seats in the summer with the squeaky front end that was supposed to be lifetime lubed. So glad someone stole it at a White Castle parking lot in 1977. I think you pop the hood from the outside lever above left headlight.
Cute car. Although we were an Imperial, Lincoln and Cadillac family, we had that one relative who bought entry level cars. They had to park across the street
My best friend's mom bought one new when they first came out, and I remember him and I riding around in it. Red with black and white checked interior. When my wife and I first got married we bought the Mercury version a Comet very good cars although I never liked the fact that the gas tank was the trunk floor. Base sticker price new was, 1,995.00.
The original Ford Maverick was a wonderful car. Then 4 door made a reliable and economical people hauler, and the 2 door model, like the 2 door Chevy Nova and Plymouth Duster, made great hot rods, muscle cars, and drag race cars. I'm 64. I remember when the Maverick came out in 1970. Base price of $1999. We really need cars like this today. I have a 1972 Ford Pinto Squire (woodgrain) wagon, Ginger Brown with a light brown interior. 2.0L SOHC/4 speed. The AZ sun has faded the paint and burned the woodgrain vinyl, but the interior is amazingly nice. It runs great. A new paint job and new woodgrain would make it almost make it look like a new car.
That car has both the Interior Luxury Group and the Exterior Luxury Group. Base brakes were unassisted 4 wheel drum. Unassisted front disc and assisted front brakes. Power steering was also an option. Air Conditioning was not common on these as the system cost clost to 15% of the base price. The trunk floor is the top of the gas tank, the same as Falcon and Mystang. The trunk was so small that it was out of consideration when my folks were car shopping in 1972. That side molding carrying over the texture of the vinyl top, that was common in many Fords, including my 78 and 79 Thunderbird coupes. One of our neighbours worked at Ford amd bought a new 73. It was scrapped in 77 due to rust. He still worked for Foed, but bought a new Dodge Diplomat.
When I was a kid too young to drive, I really liked how this car looked. I think it never got the credit or love that it deserved. Ha-ha: "Or your dad picks you up from soccer practice in his new Maverick." What soccer practice? Well, maybe in Canada.... but nobody in my neighborhood ever had soccer practice.
. Roy Huggins had a production company in LA called LA Arts and he made the tv show called Maverick starring James Garner who Huggins claimed and is very proud of discovering.
I was a young kid when these were still on the road, and they were plain dull low-budget cars, usually quite beat up. This is frankly the nicest Mavericks I've ever seen. Respect. In my eyes today, this a great size too.
4-door Maverick was always a rare bird, er horse. Maybe it was based on a European Ford? For 1972 this is light years ahead of most American styling. I thought the odometer had rolled over but that actually looks like a 10k car somehow! You need to understand why the motor is smooth - it’s because an inline 6 design is inherently balanced. That’s what made BMW.
In Australia this size car from Ford was a Falcon. It progressively became more different from US Fords from 1970 through to its end in 2016. So we never saw Mavericks
Beautiful car especially with the " Exterior luxury decor group" option on this. Great vid here, I collect 70s Malaise Fords particularly Lincoln MK Vs and 75-76 Mercury Grand Monarch Ghia. Subscribed immediately
My first car was a 1970 maverick, was a lot of fun to drive, was a great car on the highway too. I miss that little car, no electronic junk and easy to repair even for a guy like me.
The steering isn’t over-boosted because it was only power assisted. It had a regular steering box. And it had a cylinder that attached to the frame on one end and the steering linkage on the other.
Nice video.....I never liked the Maverick before, but now......for some reason the style has aged enough to where I DO like it ! And that straight 6 IS indeed smooth and will run for almost ever......like 500,000 miles if cared for. I had one of these engines, just not in a Maverick. Zack.....WHERE in the heck are you in this video using Air Conditioning ??!! It's the end of November !! I thought you were in the middle of the country, where it's COLD....or at least where no A/C needed !! Regardless, the weather looks nice, and so does the car. Nice video again, THANKS ! 🙂
When I got my first job in '77, my supervisor had a Maverick. I remember it as being a decent car for the period. I had a '69 Dart at the time, the Maverick was cooler looking. I replaced the Dart with a '74 Duster, a definite improvement over both of them in the styling department. He sold the Maverick when it started rusitng out and got a Chevette, then a VW Rabbit.
Great Video I have many memories or riding in the back of my friends older brother's Maverick. It is so nice to find anouther person who likes 4 doors. I like them for there styling ballance I always feel 2 doors have forgotten the car from the back seat on back. If you want a car to test drive how about a four door Dodge Dart with the slant 6? I hope you had a good Thanksgiving if you celebrate.
This was a very common car back in the day it was nice to see you try one out I’d love to see you try out a Ford Pinto for grins a lot of people swore by these cars in spite of their bad manners
I remember being horrified when I saw the first 4 door Maverick, it looked so awkward. The Maverick was the last production car to have drum brakes all around, I saw one lock up and spin out one time. It's the evolution of the Falcon and the basis of the Granada that followed, a very durable platform.
I saw this Maverick at a get-together in Eugene OR a couple of years ago. I was amazed at its condition. Not new-looking, but well maintained. I couldn't agree with you more. Very cool to see an old four door survivor.
Really nice and unfussy and clean interior for something form the 70s. Looks fresh even now.
I like how they hid the cigarette lighter behind the fold-down ashtray.
My sister bought a top of the line, maxed out, Maverick as her first new car, which I really liked . I got to drive it a lot because my parents
co-signed on her loan and, well, she defaulted and they took over the loan. Some of the options were;
1. The new, surround sound, 8 track, stereo system
and
2. Furry carpet
which are all that I can remember
That car is pretty highly optioned and in great shape. Most were basic plain Jane cars.
Eh... 3 speed auto and 4.1L... early 70s... Is that really high options for the 70s?
Yes, air-conditioning, power steering, and radio. A very well equipped compact.
It also had the LDO/ Luxury Decor package that included the vinyl top with matching side impact strips, stainless trim surrounding the taillight panel and color keyed hubcaps. It also has the remote side mirror. '72 was the last year for the flush bumpers before the '73 that had the 5 mph chrome "log" upfront and '74 on they had the 5 mph bumpers front and back. My mom had a '76 Maverick 4 door with a straight 6, auto and AM radio. No fancy trim and it had black wall tires and dog dish hubcaps. Very comfy car with room for 5.
What do they want for the car?
@@barriobajajVery well said, it's actually a beautiful car, especially for a Maverick. You know you're Ford options.
It was the Chevy Cavalier of the 1970's. I agree with you on the looks. I liked them!
Ford just simply brought back an old nameplate. Chrysler has done as well with the Dodge Dart. However, as you said, the new model has nothing to do with the old model
Would've made more sense to call the new one Ranchero. It's what the 1960 Falcon Ranchero would've evolved into with continuous production and without its' detour into muscle and then personal luxury on the Torino platform.
Probably predicted that modern society would claim “cultural appropriation”
Chrysler also did it with the aspen and magnum.
@@nlpntMore so the Ford Courier. The first Ford Mini Pickup.
If you live in Europe, you might have heard of the 2000's Mavericks. One was a rebadged Nissan Terrano II, the other was a rebadged Ford Escape. Same name, but completely different cars.
Great video! This was a pretty unique Maverick because it had the Luxury Decor package, which debuted in 1972. This was the first time that any US automaker had dipped their toes in the luxury compact sedan market. The package included plush carpet and seats, color-keyed hubcaps like contemporaneous Mercedes, and radial tires. You could not get a compact from GM or Chrysler in 1972 that had both 4-doors and buckets at the time. This model eventually begat the mechanically similar but tarted-up Granada, Nova Concours sedan, and Dodge Dart SE sedan several years later. The bad part about the Maverick was that you could not get front disc brakes; even the 302 V-8 had teensy-weensy drums. I don't know why they didn't use the brake setup from the Mustang, which was also spawned off the original 1960 Falcon platform.
Most Mavericks were awful poverty-mobiles with uncomfortable bench seats and skinny bias-ply tires. I rode in a few back in the day and they were really spartan even compared to the Valiant/Dart and Nova/Apollo/Ventura/Omega.
Great video. I remember these cars sold like hotcakes. I believe this car has the LDO option on it (luxury decor option) which added some luxury added touches to the car. This car is well taken care of. Thanks.
I grew up on a typical suburban street in the early 70s, the driveway to the left had a Maverick, across the street was an AMC Pacer, next door a VW Bus, to the right was the cool Dad on the block with an 1970 Olds 442. We all knew when he started that one up.
Our driveway had a Duster, complete with the little Duster/Tasmanian Devil badge on the side.
I love those old Mavericks! My grandfather and father drove them in the 70s, and my wife's first car was a Maverick.
We had a 1976 Maverick that was one of the first cars I got to drive regularly. It was used at that point, maybe 5 years old but was a decent little car for its day. The trim Ford called color keyed and it was usually tied(keyed) to the color of the roof or the interior, sometimes to the main color of the car. Look up some of FoMoCo bigger cars and you will see a lot of this .Great job on a big seller for Ford.
They weren't actually that small.
@@Andyface79 Compared to mud and full size at the time, they were.
@@tdvandy2 In this country maybe. But we live in a world.
I had a '75 Maverick back in the day, equipped the same as this one. Brigs back great memories!
Isn’t it interesting that the 70’s Maverick looks better now than it did then. It was intended to be an alternative to the imports that were selling very well. The original base Maverick had a 170 ci 6, 3 on the tree and no glove box, just the shelf below the dash. If I remember correctly the base price was $1995. Most car magazine reviews were negative. However, Ford sold over 400,000 the first year. That was phenomenal. As others have pointed out this car has the Luxury Decor Option, which includes the bucket seats and vastly improved interior. The standard interior was a bench seat. Just FYI for anyone who hasn’t driven a car with drum brakes on all 4 wheels, they heat up and fade. Also if you drive through water the water may interfere with the brake shoes contacting the drum and you can’t stop
You remember correctly - in fact, Ford made a big deal about selling the car at the same price point ($2K) as the 1960 base-level Falcon (which the Maverick's mechanicals are actually based on!).
The 170 was a bit weak-kneed, though, and the 200s and 250s were popular options. Most dealer-inventory cars had at least the 200 on board. I think Ford discontinued the 170 in 1973. The 170's lackluster performance, I remember, was one of the most-cited complaints in the reviews.
One quirk remember from the early Mavericks was the semi-auto transmission option. I think it was only offered with the 170, and it was basically a regular, plain-jane light duty C4, but with no automatic features at all. It acted just like it sounds - at the stoplight, you have to pull the shifter back into first, then manually shift to 2nd and then 3rd as you accelerated.
The AMC Hornet was better.
These were everywhere in the '70s. I had a '71 2-door 4-cyl manual 3 on the column manual brakes and steering. I loved it. Bought it used in '78 for almost no money (I'm guessing somewhere between $100 - $200). Most base-level car I ever owned. Got fantastic gas mileage, but the window cranks kept falling off. My parents had a 4-door very similar (maybe the same) to this one shown. Same color. They drove all over the country with after-market cruise control and their cooler perched on the back seat filled with soft drinks and sandwich makings.
Growing up as a kid in the 70s-80s, a friends parents had the Mercury counterpart, a '72 Comet GT, lime green, console shift 3spd auto, 302 2V V-8. That little baby could do killer burnouts lol.
What a great looking car in fantastic condition. I’m English and the side profile is very similar to the British Mk3 Cortina of the same vintage. My dad had a couple of these and my first memory is riding in the back on our way to a holiday (vacation) 🙂
Love the Cortina. You got the best cars on your side of the pond
In Australia there were 250 ci / 4.1L "Cortinas," some with column shift. The engine bay looked essentially the same as this Maverick.
Nice styling inside and out. Ford made some really decent looking cars way back.
I always liked how these looked in both two- and four-door styles. These were poorly-built but they served their purpose well enough. The 302s were pretty good. These had a reputation of being the secretary's car just like the original Mustang had before it bulked up.
The sportlamps are the lights in the grille and were shared with late first-gen Mustangs. They were basically a second set of front parking lights using turn signal bulbs with the high filament wired to the sportlamps switch. Many people ended up wiring them up to the turn signals.
Back in the day, these cars were popular, cheap, everywhere, and virtually invisible; not unlike the Ford Escort and Taurus was in the 1980s-1990s. Personally, I prefer the small bumper cars, the two doors, and the Mercury Comet versions from ‘71-‘73. I am also over 50 years old and I don’t like to start, either!
Our neighbors down the street had a 75 4 door Maverick. It was pretty basic with bottle caps, one of the 6-cylinders, and 3 on the tree. It was either a copper or burnt orange color. I rode in it with that family several times. I believe they had it nearly a decade.
I bought a 70 Maverick for $90 at an abandon car auction. It had a blown head gasket but the car still ran. After I replaced the head gasket, the car ran great. What a great little car to drive and I wish I still owned it. Nice to see this video on YT.
There were times when I was younger that at least one or two people had a Maverick; My brother had a '71 2 door, my other brother had a '71 4 door, my father had a '77 4 door & a friend of mine had two of them at the same time a '75 4 door & a 76 2 door.
I remember seeing lots of Ford Mavericks & quite a lot of its sibling,Mercury Comets,growing up in the 70s & 80s in Pennsylvania.
They were probably claimed by the salt being an economy car it would imagine there was no rust proofing 0:32
My parents brought me home from the hospital in a 74 Maverick. Theirs was the much sportier 2 door Grabber done up in canary yellow with back interior. And it had the 250 and manual transmission. The first half of my childhood was in that car. Then they sold it to my uncle and got an 88 Escort wagon to replace it.
As a child in the 1970’s I had the privilege to ride in these cars when they were practically new. My great aunt had several brand new Mavericks right in a row and we drove all over the thumb of Michigan at 40 miles per hour. My grandmother bought a used ‘73 Mercury Comet (the Maverick twin) from a friend.
Funny side story, being from Michigan, these cars disintegrated into rust pretty quickly with all the salt they use on the roads here. The lower sheet metal between the rear wheels and the bumper had rusted so much on my grandmas Comet that a gallon of bleach rolled out of the trunk on an S curve coming home from the grocery store. These cars were so plain Jane but I would love to have one like this today.
I learned to drive on a '70 Maverick with a 200 and radio and nothing else that I'm aware of. The 200 & 3 speed column shift was adequate, despite some other reports here. Terrible cheap penalty box, yes, rusted into nothing in short order. Never left me stranded but other than that... you can have it.
I grew up in the 70s and dad had two Mavericks. A ‘69 base coupe and a ‘74 Grabber coupe. That one had the 302 V-8 and three speed manual on the column. Orange with orange bucket seat interior. I learned to drive in that car in the early 80s.
Great little simple cars, lots of memories!
3:39 The seatbelt warning light wasn't required in cars until the 1972 model year. They were treated as afterthoughts by many car companies, as they were not usually integrated into the dashboard with other warning lights until after a new model debuted or current model was redesigned.
And very few people were inclined to wear seat belts back then. If they did, it was usually just the lap belt which offered minimal protection in a collision.
Most people disconnected the ground/signal wire from the seatbelt retractor.
@@boggy7665Some people just cut the belts out of the car.
We had a Maverick when I was a kid but in 1973, you didn’t get dropped off at school, you walked. And back then, I had never even heard of soccer.
Growing up we had a 1973 Comet, Mercury version of the Maverick. It was a 4 door with the same LDO, Luxury Decor Option which included vinyl top ,matching body molding and wheel covers , reclining bucket seats. Ours had the 302 V8. It was the primary car I learned to drive in. it was a Great car! Every August at Geneva on the Lake Ohio is a Pinto /Maverick car show, if you want to see some in real life.
My grandmother had the exactly same car (year, color combo and 4 door.) It was one of the few cars she never had any major problems with. The only problem she ever had with it was the drain for the AC condenser would clog and I remember riding in it one summer where every time my grandmother would turn left, water would pour into your feet in the front passenger seat. At least I was wearing flip-flops at the time.
Thiswas a trip down memory lane for me. My mother had a 72 just like this one, same engine and luxury trim package. i learned to drive in this car. It was great driving car and she kept until 85. It was pretty rusted out when she sold it, but it still drove fine.
I think these had just gone out of production when I was born, but they were still all over the place when I was a kid. My upstairs neighbors and my best friend's dad both had one. One thing that always stuck out to me about these was a lot of them (like this one) had wheel covers painted to match the car's body. I can't remember the last time I saw one in the wild, though... and this one looks like it's been loved for the past 50 years.
This video makes me feel nostalgic for my old 1973 Mercury Comet 4 door. That car had a 302 V8, the same AC, interior layout with the high end AM FM radio. The Maverick above is the higher level trim for Ford. Mavericks were sold as compacts and replaced the Ford Falcon in 1970. The Comet was introduced I think in 1973.
Used to see those all the time years ago, still see one now and again!
Yes. I remember being picked up in my mom and dads 1972 Mercury Montego MX and Pinto Runabout in 1972. This Maverick is a new for 1972 Maverick with the LDO option. Luxury Decor Option. The seats in the front recline, which is an LDO, only standard equipment. You could not get reclining seats in any other Ford in 1972, save for the LTD and Thunderbird that offered an optional passenger recling seat. They were luxing up the Maverick in 72. My friend bought a 1972 Maverick Grabber in May 1981. It had the 302 V-8, Non reclining bucket seats, and floor shift automatic. That car was a blast. He also had a 1971 Mercury Comet GT equipt like his Maverick, but it had factory A/C. The Comet and Maverick were basically the same car. For me, I like the Comet front and rear better. The Maverick was kind of plain and used the exact same taillights as the Ford Pinto. Maverick had them first. It's an all around great car. I really like the 2 door models the best, but the Maverick/Comet 4 doors were nice-looking cars. In 1974, they got big bumpers that looked odd on these cars. So pre 73, especially pre 72, is the best and most expensive these days.
We had a 1975 white 4-door, beige interior. The front seat was a bench seat, no air, am radio. The most generic car you probably buy. My dad was Mr. Practical...lol I learned to drive in it in 1978...what fun🙄 All my friends' parents had similar cars so there was no peer envy here. I met my future wife also in 1978 and had the best make-out session ever with her in that car...lol I'll never forget that little Ford Maverick...LOL
Beautiful car and great review! I grew up with the bigger Fords in our family in the 70s but I always loved these and expecially the Ford Granada that came afterwards!
MY fourth grade teacher had a Maverick and so did our pastor. Seeing one reminds me of my childhood.
Seeing this car is wild! My grandparents bought a 1973 Ford Maverick with a V-8 engine in the *exact same* color scheme as this one in your video. It stayed in the family until the early 1990s - by which time it was a serious clunker. At one point we had to remove the corroded dark brown vinyl top and we simply repainted it brown 🤷🏻♂️. Dad finally let it go for a couple hundred bucks when it became too much of a financial liability to keep maintaining.
Your videos are great. Enjoyed the one on the Le Car. Almost bought one of those in 1980 at the AMC (Rambler) dealer in Harford, Ct. Parents owned a 1971 Mercury Comet, dark metallic green four door, black vinyl roof. No AC, black vinyl base model, everything identical to the Maverick. Great family car.
My wife had a '74 4-door Maverick just like this one except for tan instead of the white. She had it from about '79 - 82, then gave it to her brother. It was comfortable and overall pretty nice. Nothing sporty but dependable.
Ford Maverick was really popular here in Brazil during the 70's, it had a fight with Chevrolet Opala, Puma GTB and Dodge Charger (Dart based), on sales and races...
I owned a 1970 Maverick 2-door with the 200 cu.in 6 and the 3-speed automatic. Power was good, as was fuel economy, handling was tail-happy. Drum brakes front and rear worked about as well as you would expect. Auto transmission had second-gear start, which helped in the snow. Tail end had very little weight on it, so to get through winter, I put 4 50lb. sandbags in the trunk. Rust was awful on this car; mine went to the junkyard in 1982, when the rear frame rails rusted out. Models with the 302 V-8 had REAL problems with wheelspin (no weight on the rear), and ate U-joints at an alarming rate.
I’m a 2 door kind of guy, but I love the view you have about 4 door cars. Awesome review 😊
. . . thanks for a great video . . . I owned a '72 Maverick Grabber, orange and white coup, 3-speed on the floor, moved by a little 302 V8 . . . loved it to pieces, except for the rust that crept in after three years or so . . . I now own a '22 Maverick and again, love driving it to pieces . . . must be something in the name! . . .
Very nice. I owned a '74 Comet, the Mercury division's version of the Maverick. Same basic body shell but a more prominent grille and different tail lights. Mine was a 2-door with the 200 cubic inch inline six, a/c, automatic and Mercury's version of the Luxury Decor Option, very similar to this car's interior. By '74 they had enclosed that under-dash package tray and incorporated a real glove box. Bought it used around 1982 and drove it for several trouble-free years before selling it to my sister who drove it for several more.
I knew a gentleman who had one just like that. I always liked its styling. Great car
Lovely looking car. Although I was way too young to drive a car at the time, I remember cars like the Ford Maverick and the Mercury Comet. I had a neighbour when I was a boy who had a Grabber 2 door. One thing I've never understood was why this was never available as a station wagon. Back in the 1960s when the Falcon and Comet were available, one could order either in 4 door, 2 door, or station wagon.
The body-color rings on the hubcaps were a kind of snazzy feature at the time. I agree that bread-and-butter family cars of previous eras are underappreciated. My mom had a 1969 Dodge Dart 4-door with a 225 slant six. I'd consider buying one for the sake of nostalgia, but it appears that only 2-doors, mostly with V8s, were saved.
The inline 6 was a good engine, so easy to work on. I had a 70 falcon with the 6. Drove it from florida to ohio and back,smooth as silk.
I have the unique perspective…. Ordered in July and nine months later received our 2022 hybrid Maverick in area 51 color. FYI. But my mother traded in her early 60s Ford falcon for a 1971 maverick in that (SLIME) green color you were talking about with the white vinyl (impossible to keep clean) top. The video car has the upgraded appearance package with those vinyl strips along the doors. You took the seatbelt down, click them into the lower seatbelt and click the lower seatbelt into the latch… yes, it was a pain in the butt,,, but mother, who was always in control of the air conditioner😅😅😅 always made us put it on.
My sister and I had a white Ford Maverick with brown roof. Its name was FRED. At one time or another we carried the whole school body in FRED. Those were the days!!!!!!!vive’ la Bluejays!!!!
That twin spoke wheel was used on the 1972-76 Aussie Falcon...as were the engine, bucket seats and numerous other bits.
What a relief to see a real, genuine, bona fide Maverick sedan not a faux, wannabe pickup Maverick . In this time period the Valiant/Dart ruled the compact segment. The Nova was runner up while the Maverick /Comet took the bronze. A participation certificate went to the AMC Hornet which will rank as a massive achievement compared to the lamentable Hornet of today. 🤣 For the record, very, very few American boys were going to soccer practice in 1972 and it is fair to say 0 girls were doing so.
This particular Maverick was built and optioned with Ford’s “Luxury Decor Group”. It gave you the vinyl body side molding with matching vinyl top, deluxe bucket seats, heavier shag carpeting and wood grain trim on the dash. Nice car & great video. I owned a couple 2-dr models, which I prefer the looks of. You mentioned smaller. For the times, it was classified as a compact. It replaced to Falcon starting in 1970.
I love these cars. The Maverick was one of Ford's best selling nameplates in the 1970 and a very popular model in Ford's lineup. The car could a very basic small car or could be optioned out to a nice small car like yours with the luxury decor option like yours. My new1972 red Maverick two door coupe which was nicely equipped with he 250 cubic inch srtaight 6 cylinder engine and my furst ever car.. The 260 straight six was a well built engine with better internal structure than the sma200 cubic inch 6 cylinder engine with was the standard engine. Early Maverick models came with a 170 cubic cubic inch straight 6, which was soon dropped and replace by the already mentioned 200 cubic inch six. In late 1975 I got a new 1976 Maverick with same 250 cubic inch six cylinder engine. The car was finished in a tasteful yellow color with upgraded black cloth seating similar to the seat fabric in the larger more expensive Gran Toronto and LTD models. Over the years the Maverick was continuously upgraded. For the 1973 model years the tray across the lower dashboard was replaced with a full enclosure along the entire lower dashboard featuring a small glove box, integrated are vents and a pedal type parking brake replacing the pull out handle of the earlier cars. My 1976 Maverick also featured bright bedtime moldings and a factory painted black pinstripe, also power steering which my 1952 Maverick didn't have. Ford had planned to replace the Maverick for the 1975 model year with a new small car, the popular Granada but sold the Maverick for two more model years along side the Granada but finally discontinued the Maverick car at the end of the 1977 model year. In the Maverick s place with a new more modern car for 1978 called the Fairmount. Of coarse Ford Motor Company's Mercury division go thief one version on cars during the period of time. The cars were the same except for some minor trim changes to may the cars look Mercury like but never sold near as many units as the Ford versions. The Maverick were a special part of my life in the 1970's as my family also had a Maverick four door for a while in 1974 and a used basic 1970 2door coupe with no options and the small 170 straight six engine. That particular car was an example of the introductory Maverick that Ford promoted with a sticker price of $1,995.00. I still wish that I had my 1972 Maverick since the cars are now becoming collectable classics and popular with muscle car enthusiasts who enjoy restoring old two door Mavericks into restomods and higher performance cars because of the classic clean design of the fastback coupes that were similar in construction to the early Mustangs. In fact the Maverick 2 door coupes began to cut into Mustang sales in the early 1970's because the Mustang had grown much larger and much more expensive by the 1970's and the Maverick was being offered by Ford with a number of sporty and higher performance option packages in the 2 door coupes. I suppose many new car buyers found the two door Mavericks to be be more appealing and more in line with the car they wanted than the Mustang. The Maverick actually sold more units during its lifetime than the Mustang had up to that point. I was glad to find that Ford brought back the Maverick nameplate in the form of a compact more reasonably priced small pickup. I find the Maverick pickup idea appealing and a very good idea from Ford Motor Company product development.
That’s a Maverick with the Luxury Decor Option. It’s the nicest and most luxurious model in the range. Regular Mavericks did not have the luxury tan interior and tan vinyl seats.
Yes, and what Zack calls the manual mirrors were called remote operated mirrors at the time. The base car you had to roll down the window and put your hand on the mirror to adjust it. The maverick set a record as the first car to never have any recalls. It really was something you could count on, super reliable. Most only had the auto transmission, am radio, and no other options, no power steering. It was like 5 turns lock to lock, and the wheel wouldn’t budge until the car was moving. My aunt used to say she got a good workout driving hers. I seem to remember all novas, and most darts of the day having power steering.
@@new2000car My '69 Dart had manual steering, the '74 Duster I got later had vague, overboosted power steering. The Dart steering was better.
This Maverick has the Luxury Decor Option . It included the vinyl top and the side trim in addition to the plush carpeting and the comfy seats.
I’m 35 and I’ve never heard of that car until now. We had an ’87 then ’88 Taurus Wagon growing up, and that was in the ‘90s so it quickly aged!
I had similar one with Mercury badges, 302 and C4. Good everyday hobby car
My mom had a 4 door in the early 80's, while my dad had a pinto. I remember being driven around in both.
Just FYI, I believe the tail lights are just Ford pickup tail lights rotated on their side!
What a treat to see such a nice Maverick LDO! These were not common when new, and this is a wonderful example. As you point out, these are great, reliable cars. And, BTW, those front bucket seats would both recline, something very uncommon for the day. The matching side moldings were a feature of the nicer FoMoCo vehicles of the day. Also, those fun colors like "Thanks Vermillion" were not offered after 1970. Thank you for featuring it.
This car was built on the same platform as the 1960 Falcon. Ford used this platform for over 20 years. There was also an issue with the column mounted shifter in all the Ford cars of this era. They didn't always go in park. They looked like they were in park but weren't. They would sometimes just start to roll away. Ford resisted recalling them. But finally did.
I was working in a Chevron Station in 1977 when a man cam in and asked for directions in his LTD he closed his door and started walking towards us when his car started driving it self in to a parked car it was the first self driving car of it`s time.
This was the first car my father bought me in 1980 when we first moved to San Francisco. It was a fast car indeed!
Im from Australia we got the Cortina from Britain which is very similar to the Maverick except we only had the 250 six we didn't get a V8 that didn't stop people from pulling the six and installing a 302 my friend did just that it would pull 140 mph no prob in the 80s which was fast back then.Thanks for sharing.
I had a 71 zero option model, 2 door, white, minimal trim, inline 6, 3 speed manual shifted on the column, no glove box… had some fancy 90’s aluminum wheels on it and it looked damn sharp. Thats another one I miss
The taillights were shared with the Pinto and when double mirrored, the Mercury Bobcat. The sister Comet used two of the three Mercury Montego taillights.
Genuinely a gem and a fixture of the Malaise Car Club of Oregon's Annual Invitationals (car shows we do every June, why not join us?). I'm so glad you got to drive that lovely Mav!! ^_^
Just discovered the channel so looking forward to more reviews. Love your enthusiasm! Keep up the good work!
i grew up around mavericks...and took my drivers test in one..and owned a few when i was older..i like em..and would take one today...this car has the l.d.o package
Ohh geez, the first -only & last new car my father ever bought on bad credit was a 1973 metallic brown Maverick. As a child, you would get 1st & second degree burns sitting on the plasticy vinyl seats in the summer with the squeaky front end that was supposed to be lifetime lubed. So glad someone stole it at a White Castle parking lot in 1977. I think you pop the hood from the outside lever above left headlight.
Cute car. Although we were an Imperial, Lincoln and Cadillac family, we had that one relative who bought entry level cars. They had to park across the street
I had a 73, 4 dr. I loved driving that car.
Great vid Zack! You made my day! My first car was a '74 2-dr...loved that car. Thank you & Mike.
My best friend's mom bought one new when they first came out, and I remember him and I riding around in it. Red with black and white checked interior. When my wife and I first got married we bought the Mercury version a Comet very good cars although I never liked the fact that the gas tank was the trunk floor. Base sticker price new was, 1,995.00.
The original Ford Maverick was a wonderful car. Then 4 door made a reliable and economical people hauler, and the 2 door model, like the 2 door Chevy Nova and Plymouth Duster, made great hot rods, muscle cars, and drag race cars. I'm 64. I remember when the Maverick came out in 1970. Base price of $1999. We really need cars like this today.
I have a 1972 Ford Pinto Squire (woodgrain) wagon, Ginger Brown with a light brown interior. 2.0L SOHC/4 speed. The AZ sun has faded the paint and burned the woodgrain vinyl, but the interior is amazingly nice. It runs great. A new paint job and new woodgrain would make it almost make it look like a new car.
That car has both the Interior Luxury Group and the Exterior Luxury Group. Base brakes were unassisted 4 wheel drum. Unassisted front disc and assisted front brakes. Power steering was also an option. Air Conditioning was not common on these as the system cost clost to 15% of the base price. The trunk floor is the top of the gas tank, the same as Falcon and Mystang. The trunk was so small that it was out of consideration when my folks were car shopping in 1972.
That side molding carrying over the texture of the vinyl top, that was common in many Fords, including my 78 and 79 Thunderbird coupes.
One of our neighbours worked at Ford amd bought a new 73. It was scrapped in 77 due to rust. He still worked for Foed, but bought a new Dodge Diplomat.
When I was a kid too young to drive, I really liked how this car looked. I think it never got the credit or love that it deserved. Ha-ha: "Or your dad picks you up from soccer practice in his new Maverick." What soccer practice? Well, maybe in Canada.... but nobody in my neighborhood ever had soccer practice.
I have always liked the old Mavericks. They kinda are like the Mustangs Little Brother to me. This one is in very good shape for its age
Our neighbors across the alley had one and in the 1980's when I was in HS my friend had a Mercury Comet, same car slightly fancier.
Thanks for reviewing my dads car! My mom and I were pushing him to sell it to make space but I've changed my mind...
My parents had one of these back in the day. 1975 four door with a 250 C.I. 6 cyl. It was a basic car and slow and unremarkable.
. Roy Huggins had a production company in LA called LA Arts and he made the tv show called Maverick starring James Garner who Huggins claimed and is very proud of discovering.
I was a young kid when these were still on the road, and they were plain dull low-budget cars, usually quite beat up. This is frankly the nicest Mavericks I've ever seen. Respect. In my eyes today, this a great size too.
These car with the inline 6 is one of my favorite ford vehicles
4-door Maverick was always a rare bird, er horse.
Maybe it was based on a European Ford? For 1972 this is light years ahead of most American styling.
I thought the odometer had rolled over but that actually looks like a 10k car somehow!
You need to understand why the motor is smooth - it’s because an inline 6 design is inherently balanced. That’s what made BMW.
In Australia this size car from Ford was a Falcon. It progressively became more different from US Fords from 1970 through to its end in 2016. So we never saw Mavericks
My first car (handed-down from father and brother) was the 1967 Plymouth Belvedere. Wish it remained in the family.
It’s great that a young guy like you is involved with the cold cars, so use cubic inches when when dealing with classic American cars!
The rest of the world uses Liters. Base 10 makes more sense.
Beautiful car especially with the " Exterior luxury decor group" option on this. Great vid here, I collect 70s Malaise Fords particularly Lincoln MK Vs and 75-76 Mercury Grand Monarch Ghia. Subscribed immediately
My first car was a 1970 maverick, was a lot of fun to drive, was a great car on the highway too. I miss that little car, no electronic junk and easy to repair even for a guy like me.
The steering isn’t over-boosted because it was only power assisted. It had a regular steering box. And it had a cylinder that attached to the frame on one end and the steering linkage on the other.
Nice video.....I never liked the Maverick before, but now......for some reason the style has aged enough to where I DO like it ! And that straight 6 IS indeed smooth and will run for almost ever......like 500,000 miles if cared for. I had one of these engines, just not in a Maverick. Zack.....WHERE in the heck are you in this video using Air Conditioning ??!! It's the end of November !! I thought you were in the middle of the country, where it's COLD....or at least where no A/C needed !! Regardless, the weather looks nice, and so does the car. Nice video again, THANKS ! 🙂
When I got my first job in '77, my supervisor had a Maverick. I remember it as being a decent car for the period. I had a '69 Dart at the time, the Maverick was cooler looking. I replaced the Dart with a '74 Duster, a definite improvement over both of them in the styling department. He sold the Maverick when it started rusitng out and got a Chevette, then a VW Rabbit.
Great Video I have many memories or riding in the back of my friends older brother's Maverick. It is so nice to find anouther person who likes 4 doors. I like them for there styling ballance I always feel 2 doors have forgotten the car from the back seat on back. If you want a car to test drive how about a four door Dodge Dart with the slant 6? I hope you had a good Thanksgiving if you celebrate.
This car was one of the best and most expensive available in Brazil at the time. We had a V8 302, from Mexico, RWD
This was a very common car back in the day it was nice to see you try one out I’d love to see you try out a Ford Pinto for grins a lot of people swore by these cars in spite of their bad manners
no ugly, heavy, bumpers, pollution controls weren't too bad, 25 cent a gallon gas. Life was simple, yet sweet!
In 1972 we rode the bus, walked, or rode our bikes to school. Very few kids were dropped off by their parents and soccer wasn't a thing yet.
I remember being horrified when I saw the first 4 door Maverick, it looked so awkward. The Maverick was the last production car to have drum brakes all around, I saw one lock up and spin out one time. It's the evolution of the Falcon and the basis of the Granada that followed, a very durable platform.