FORD MAVERICK - IT WAS GRABBER!

[@ThisOldCarChannel]

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[@MelissaMaverick]

My first car was a 1972 Maverick with a 302. Fast forward 30 years and I now own a 71 Maverick Grabber, 302. I drive and show it all summer and get a ton of "I had a Maverick" stories. So far it is always the only Maverick at the shows I attend and it's a crowd favorite.

[@jerryjeromehawkins1712]

🇺🇸👍🏽

[@cashmoney7660]

Wow, my first car was a 1971 black maverick grabber 302 and now I own a 1972 blue grabber V8. Yes, pretty much anyone under 40 doesn’t know what they are lol.

[@rons5319]

I bought a 72 Grabber in 1973. I paid $2500 and I believe it had about 10,000 miles on it. It was metallic gold with black stripes. The 302 was very growly and powerful for a kid of 17. I earned the money to buy it (down payment) from years of delivering papers, and my dad cosigned for a $2000 loan on it which I paid the payments $79 a month from my part time landscaping job after school. I was very lucky to have a great looking fun car like that at that age, and I can't believe my dad cosigned. Mom did not want him to. Thanks forever Dad! I had many a super fun time in it and many drive in dates that I will never forget. I saw the original Mash when it came out in that car.

[@georgehenderson7783]

I had a 71 Grabber and a 74 four-door Maverick. Both were great cars.

[@dub5107]

That's awesome👍.. Not many left! ... I bet its quite the talk at any show!!. Be safe!😋

[@Spoofaged]

Had a resto mod 75 maverick grabber fresh out of high school in 99. The huge bumpers were tucked back to the body, painted black with white grabber stripes, chrome everywhere and some deep aluminum slot wheels, roller cammed, 4 barrel, aluminum heads with flowmaster 40s. Had fun spanking the fox body mustangs that were everywhere at that time, met the future mother of my children in it, and potentially conceived the oldest in it lol. Man i loved that car. Rip ol girl

[@kevincoleman1226]

My very first car was a '75 Maverick 4 door with the 250 ci six and 3 on a tree manual transmission. It also had factory a/c. This was in 1978. That car meant freedom for me. Loved that little car.

[@ThisOldCarChannel]

Thanks for sharing Kevin. To go back in time.

[@dmandman9]

The maverick was a simple but rock solid car for its time.

[@ThisOldCarChannel]

That's what I hear Darryl. Thanks for watching!

[@natan762]

Insteresting facts: here in Brazil, Maverick never had that 5mph bumpers, we had a 4 door wagon version made by Souza Ramos (Ford dealer), the 302 V8 engine had an alcohol powered version (It was offered in (galaxie) landau line up) here, It was offered with a 4 cyl 2.3 ohc, 6 cyl 3.0 (willys bf184) or a Windsor 302 V8 (gasoline)

[@ThisOldCarChannel]

Wow! Thanks for sharing.

[@gregoryfuzi4745]

302 V8 that is a good engine from Ford

[@carlc5748]

If I recall correctly, when the gas crisis hit in the autumn of 1973 Brazil was the only country that switched fuels. I think in Brazil about 90 percent of the cars operate on sugar cane alcohol? Sugar cane alcohol has more btus than corn methanol, as I understand? I visited your neighbor country, Uruguay some years ago, there about 80 percent on the cars were diesel fueled, and 20 percent gas (called nafta there). Gas was about $6.50 a gallon. The nafta (gas powered) Fiat uno that I rented, and drove around there got about 35mpg.

[@TheREALJosephTurner]

Brazil always had interesting variations. I'm also into 68-72 Chevy Novas, and the Brazilian versions had a different (and way cooler looking) instrument panel. Always wanted to get one of those instrument panels.

[@carlc5748]

Thanks for the info about the Maverick in Brazil. Am I safe to presume that your country, Brazil was the only country to have most cars run on sugar cane alcohol since the first manufactured "gas crisis" from the fall of 1973? Sugar cane alcohol run cars are even more efficient than the corn based alcohol cars, that we have in the USA, is that true? When I was in Uruguay (your neighbor country to the south), some years ago, I was intrigued by all of the different cars that I saw there, that are not even available in the USA.

[@Frank-mm2yp]

My late uncle, a WWII US Army veteran, drove a base model 1970 Maverick. It was a pea soup-ish green color with manual transmission, of course. He said it reminded him (somewhat) of the army vehicles he drove in the war. He enjoyed its "simplicity" as he drove up and down the Berkshire Mountains of western Massachusetts,

[@ThisOldCarChannel]

Thanks for sharing Frank!

[@roydrink]

My dad had the exact same Maverick.

[@Frank-mm2yp]

@@roydrink My uncle loved that Maverick. Being a child of the Great Depression and WWII he said it was the best car he ever owned. He was definitely a "Ford Man" all his life.

[@Porsche996driver]

Awesome they were durable with those straight 6 options. I could see how it would remind him of an army jeep or big truck lol

[@pl747]

I had a 71 blue Grabber. Was a nice car with fenton slot mags but had a blowed up engine. I gave $100 for it. I built a hot 302 engine added headers and put in a top loader 4 speed. I also added power steering. It was a fun car to drive. Parts was easy to come by because most Falcon and Mustang parts were the same.

[@ThisOldCarChannel]

They seemed pretty easy to work on. Thanks Junk Yard!

[@wheelie63]

nice. wb

[@pl747]

@@rcorn79135 I still have a set of 10x14's and 7's or 8's x 14 like the Starsky & Hutch fentons

[@eds6889]

One of the most under rated cars ever. Great looks and power to weight ratio.

[@joebarber4030]

Back in the day, My mom bought a new 72 Maverick Grabber light blue with gold stripes, 302 with automatic and a bench seat. My sister then bought a 72 candy apple red , with black stripes Grabber with the 302 , bucket seat and floor shift both cars were great and fun cars to drive

[@ThisOldCarChannel]

Wow Joe! I bet they were fun. Thanks for watching!

[@slchambers1]

I owned a 1971 Ford Maverick Grabber. 302, am/fm radio, heater and four speed. The car was unibody and the back where the rear shocks connected would crack under duress. Paid 1895 brand new. I loved that car. Lime green

[@FourbrrlGrabber]

I welded a steel pipe across mine up there... FIXED !! LOL

[@slchambers1]

@@FourbrrlGrabber had some 3/8” deck plate welded around mine. Little sucker would run 7:49 through the 1/8.

[@GorillaCookies]

I have a 72 Maverick Grabber with a swapped in 408 Windsor stroker, a Tremec 5 speed and a 8.8 limited slip with 3.73 gears. It's a very fun car

[@toddbob55]

I had a 1971 Maverick Grabber 302 in the 1990's very cool little cars that are under-rated but they are finally gaining recognition and values are rising.

[@ohioyodertoter6827]

Unfortunately there aren’t a lot left 🥲

[@ThisOldCarChannel]

Don't see them much. Heck, I don't see a lot of the old cars I grew up with. Take care Todd.

[@ddoyle11]

I learned to drive in my mother's 1975 Maverick. It was a candy apple red base model with no power brakes or steering, and three on the tree transmission. A real lead sled with the typical old Ford compression knock. My grandmother had a 1971 four door model that was loaded with everything the salesman could convince her she needed, including the 302 V-8. Both of them had a build quality and weighty feel that made them solid and comfortable. I wish we had kept them.

[@airbornesoldieramerica7125]

God wish they will go back to a 3 on the tree. My dad's 1972 Duster had 3 on a tree.

[@toddknox685]

Got out of the Navy in '71 and my wife and I went to a Ford dealership and bought a 1971 Ford Maverick 4-door. Drove it 75,000 miles with very few problems. Was a good car for us.

[@glenkepic3208]

Great installment, guys !! man, warm and fuzzies here :) We had a 2 door '72 bought in '78. 200 six. It was a great car ! man, the only thing i remember getting repaired in the 7 years we owned it was the master cylinder and the throttle cable which broke in the garage....ha, stop and go :) It still ran great but i used it as a trade in towards a '72 Chev C10 Stepside. That was in the family for over 30 years. Sometimes miss the Maverick. Heck we drove it from SFO area Ca to Wa State, 4 adults, trunk load of luggage. Great gas mileage, decent performance and no problems. It was a sweet ride Thanx, i think ;)

[@ThisOldCarChannel]

I hear they were easy to work on. Thanks for sharing Glen!!

[@AMCmachine]

We had a '72 302. Served us well for a decade. Then we gave it to my aunt shortly after we purchased a new '81 SX/4 Eagle hatch (a car my Mom still recalls with fondness today) and she then drove the Ford a few more years. The body was really going by that point, otherwise that Maverick would have kept running forever with normal maintenance.

[@ThisOldCarChannel]

Thanks for sharing. They were sweet looking cars.

[@cayman9873]

My grandmother bought a new white 1970 maverick 2 door with the larger engine and red interior.. very durable car with average brakes and handling. Car lasted 14 years with few problems. Very reliable. Wish i had one now.

[@jbgtn]

My first brand new car was a 1972 Maverick Grabber. Blue with gold trim. 302 and automatic. I was 18.

[@jrussellcase]

One of my favorite cars. My grandmother bought a 71 brand new right before I was born, and still owned it in 93 when she passed. I don't think that car had more than 20k on the odometer. In high school I'd take it to get it inspected for her. My first experience with 4 wheel drum brakes. Good memories. Of course my aunt ended up with it and drove it into the ground. 🙄

[@ThisOldCarChannel]

Thanks for sharing! To have it now huh? Take care Russell!

[@rogerbennett2025]

i had one way back in the 80s.. i worked in the fields ....and was able to buy a used one.....i loved that car -- ended up pulling out the 250 and putting in a 302

[@CJColvin]

Gotta love the Old School Maverick, it looks a million times better than these Mexican made Maverick trucks by a long shot.

[@ThisOldCarChannel]

Yes sir CJ. Thanks for watching!

[@CJColvin]

@@ThisOldCarChannel You're welcome brother

[@johnmcmullen456]

Agreed Ford ruined the Maverick name, a more fitting retro name for the Maverick truck would have been "Ranchero."

[@fredericktaylor2891]

I had a 1971 red Grabber, blacked out hood with scoops, blacked out rear panel and grill with fog lights and the reflective stripe down the side. It was equipped with the 302 V-8, three on the tree, deep dish wheels with Firestone wide oval tires.

[@ThisOldCarChannel]

Wow! That was dressed. Thanks for watching Frederick!

[@cashmoney7660]

I had a 71 black 302 Grabber with floor shift three speed with bucket seats. Was your car a bench seat?

[@fredericktaylor2891]

@@cashmoney7660 Yes it was, black interior.

[@joshthemediocre7824]

The Original Mighty Maverick Hot Wheel is one of the coolest cars HW ever made. They make a new Maverick Grabber as well that i can't get enough of. I've always liked them or i wouldn't be here. I put no energy into things i don't like..lol

[@jaypeterson7637]

That was one of my favorite Hot Wheels cars. Man....I wish I had half of the at least 100 Hot Wheels cars I played with. It was a great time to be a youngster!

[@ThisOldCarChannel]

I had one. Thanks for watching Josh!

[@tyroniousyrownshoolacez2347]

People forget how popular these were in the day. Had a '75 4 door with the ultra basic package 🤣. Straight 6. Ran like a top , rusted through the bottom. Really was a dependable car. Thanks for sharing.

[@ThisOldCarChannel]

Durable they were, and easy to fix. Thanks for watching!

[@2flyabove]

Rust was certainly a problem, especially where roads were salted in winter-time....

[@fredwilliams9572]

'72 Maveric 4 door in Grabber Blue with a 250 in line with auto trans for me. First car. Brought my daughter, first child, home from the hospital in that car. Salty winter streets in St. Louis reall worked it over. Had to unload it in early 80's as family grew. Fun to drive. Plenty of pickup. Good times.

[@lorimcquinn3966]

A guy who came into a shop I hung around at was I believe fresh out of the service, bought a new Maverick, installed a new Boss 302 engine, 4.11 gears and headers. Otherwise stone stock. Ran 12.9 in the 1/4. Was light blue, super sleeper.

[@scottbeer2016]

My first car was a '73 Comet, 2 door, 302, in an awful Mustard Yellow. It was '89 when I bought it. It was a great car to learn how to fix cars. I enjoyed every drive and experience. Tons of memories. Thanks for the video.

[@donwilbanks2226]

My first car (1976) was a red '71 4-door. I wrecked it and replaced it with a dark green over white '74 Grabber 3-speed stick. It had a floor shifter. I stuck a 4-speed in it and replaced the hood with an early scooped hood. I also added an Olds Cutlass Rallye 350 wing. It looked unique and was way faster than it should have been. I would love to have an early Grabber. I've seen some nice ones lately at car shows. it's nice to see it coming back.

[@RedHammerBodyShop]

My first car was in 1987 and it was a 1970 2 door Maverick. I will own another one soon. I put a 289 in mine in the high school shop class. Good times.

[@kaysguy]

One of my law school professors was the Ford's personal tax attorney. He had his choice of any Ford car and chose to drive a Maverick.

[@smavtmb2196]

I live in Canada and my first car in 1991 was a 74 Maverick 2dr my Dad got practically free from his boss. Sadly it had the very large bumpers. However it was in great shape and had a 302 with a C4 automatic. Unfortunately in North America Ford never offered the 4speed manual transmissions. I know Brazil got the 4speed option. I fell in love with the potential these cars have. Ford never really took advantage of that potential. I now have an early 70 or (69.5) Maverick 2dr that I'm customizing. For now it still has its original 200 inline 6cyl and 3speed manual transmission. I moved the shifter to the floor and will eventually put a 5 or 6 speed in with a built V8. Mavericks are gaining new fans. A guy named Jimmy Shaw had Greening auto company build him an extremely custom Maverick with 1200hp and went over 200 MPH

[@ggonzales7710]

still have my dads 71, he bought it new in 71, 200 ci with 3 on the tree. i drove it in college, fried the clutch, it has a 64 Falcon 260 hi po with 2 speed automatic, changed to 5 hole front and rear drums from a 75. planning on a complete resto after i finish a couple other projects ( both my dads other pickups)

[@ThisOldCarChannel]

Wow! Post a pic on our Facebook page (Boca Brothers) I'd love to see it. Thanks G.

[@garygallite8325]

I'm 66 now , still have numerous matchbox and hot wheels including about 4 or 5 mavericks ! Had a real 71 with 302 when was much much younger . Really fun to drive etc !

[@davidchristensen6908]

The 6 cylinder engine moved this car right along. What was amazing about this car was how deceptive it was to drive. When you thought you where going 65 you would look at the Speedometer and it would show 80 mph. The 50 6 cylinder really was a good match. Remember when this came out in Oregon 65 and more was allowed on the freeway. Whatever package my parents bought had little road noise. My dad and I looked for more information on these cars. The one thing we found out was Ford sold these like candy. My parents owned a company and we got our second one on a 2 year lease. The sales person new my mom and dad very well and he told us Maverick was a huge hit for Food. They sold them and they rarely advertised them and they sold full price as fast as they could get them. Never owned one myself at age 16 my first car was a 1964 comet with a 289. Maverick is just a fun car to drive around town. From Portland to Reno and rarely drove under 80 to 90 mph.

[@ThisOldCarChannel]

That's what I heard. I heard they really moved....Even the 6 cyl. Thanks for watching David!

[@robmclaughjr]

Loved the Maverick, my Dad got a 75 Mercury Comet. It looked so sporty. Drove it across the country several times.

[@ThisOldCarChannel]

Them Comets were sweet! Thanks for watching Robert!

[@551slobo]

My first car (turned 16 in 1992) was a 1971 yellow 4d Maverick. Such a fun car.

[@anotherguy2741]

My first car was a 1971 Maverick as well. It was green.

[@ThisOldCarChannel]

Now I don't feel bad for my now 16 year old driving in a 1998 Nissan Maxima...hehehe. More than what I had when I was 16. Thanks for watching Michael!

[@Primus54]

@@ThisOldCarChannel The ‘98 Nissan Maxima was and is a great car that will last and last if properly maintained. Perfect car for a 16-year old… a combination of luxury, performance, and reliability. Those were better days for Nissan.

[@ThisOldCarChannel]

Yeah, he wants a used truck. I want to get one for him so bad but damn the Nissan has a new paint job, new tires, tinted windows, new headlight lenses etc. We'll see.

[@kevinsears7382]

I had a 1975 Maverick Grabber, Black on orange. Bought it in 1979 with less than 30,000 miles on it. That thing would fly...302/3 on the floor. I put some dual exhausts with glass pack mufflers on it. Looked, sounded, ran and drove great. Wish I could get it back. I sold it with 120,000 miles on it in 1983.

[@markwilliams5606]

Had A 71 Comet GT. Exactly the same colors. 302. Put a Elderbrock Manifold and I 750 CMF carb. Ran really good 👍

[@ThisOldCarChannel]

Awesome...Thanks Mark!

[@darrellanderson7934]

As the 2nd vehicle that I've ever owned, the most dependable car I've ever owned. Even when I needed to check the gas and fill the oil before pulling out of the driveway. I bought it used from a friend of the family with 250,000 miles miles on the odometer. When I asked him how much for it, he said, "Just give me a dollar for every thousand miles on it. Yep, I paid only $250 for it. By the time I left for college a few years later, I had easily put another 100k on the odometer. While I was in the Pacific Northwest attending college my family used it as their daily driver and put another 50k or so on it. The spring before I returned home from college a massive storm had rolled through and toppled a tree next to it which one of the branches had landed on top of it lengthwise from trunk to the front grille, leaving a good sized dent along the hood, passenger compartment and trunk lid. Believe it or not, not one window was broken out or even cracked. There was now way to unlock the trunk, however because the tree had literally folded the lid over the key hole. A nearby friend, which also happened to be a paint and body guy, was able to turn my Maverick into a sort of pickup. He removed the trunk lid, reinforced and waterproofed the trunk area using the lid as a truck bed. A year or 2 later another friend of mine was getting rid of his mid 80s Bronco 2 because he had blown the engine, transmission and transfer case. (Still trying to figure how he did this in one fail swoop). With the help from my paint and body guy, I used the frame from the Bronco and set the body of my Maverick onto it. I was surprised that most of the body mounts and wheel base were fairly similar. Needless to say, I put close to another 100k miles on it. When it came time for a more practical vehicle, I ended up selling it to a friend for $1500. I sure miss my Maverick

[@mikelafata1680]

My sister had a 75 with the 302 V8. I often used it when I turned 16. I loved that car.

[@jcjrsmith]

I had a 73 Maverick 2-door with the 302 V-8. Loved that car!!

[@nelsonbardsley3535]

I had a 1971 Grabber 302, loved it. Traded it for a 1970 Boss 302.

[@jamestriebwasser1867]

First car was 72, from the West Coast…no undercoating. Dark blue, white vinyl top with the 302. Loved it. Next was a 75 Grabber, white, with tan interior, 250 6 cyl. Not fast but handled real well. Miss both of them.

[@ThisOldCarChannel]

Very cool! Loved them Grabbers James.

[@jamestriebwasser1867]

I’ve also heard of some swapping out the factory 302, for an OMG, Boss 302! You know it fits and the Mav is half? the weight of a Mustang. Hot Rod magazine (I think) did this to a green Grabber. I think they called it the Watermelon.

[@thomasschreiber9559]

There were millions of Mavericks and Pintos driving around in the 70's. I had the Mercury version called the Comet.

[@brianwills4398]

I have a special place in my heart for the maverick and the vega.. had both with built v8s and loved them both

[@ThisOldCarChannel]

Same here Brian, Our next video will be the Vega. Look out for it.

[@cayman9873]

V8 vega ?? Dont remember that

[@brianwills4398]

@@cayman9873 I never said that it was stock.. A little something called an engine swap..😜

[@cactus1966ck]

My mom bought a used one in 1978 it was a 72 that i thought was weird it was light green with dark green vinyl roof tan interior green hubcaps and legpipes...no grabber package but did have 302 n that thing surprised a lot of cars at stop lights...i miss it n want it back so much..

[@ThisOldCarChannel]

The colors were so out there back then. I want a lot of the cars I had back then. Thanks for watching Curt.

[@lesliej.martin8941]

My dad had one he drive it. He sold it to my sister she love it. She got in accident sold it.

[@ThisOldCarChannel]

I wish I still had some of my old cars like the 75 Honda CVCC Wagon. That was a cool car to drive in Leslie. Thanks for watching.

[@lesliej.martin8941]

You welcome. I loves see the one my late Father had

[@gimmefuel7268]

My first car in 1988 was a’73 Maverick Grabber with a 302 & a three on the tree. Man I STILL miss that car!

[@ThisOldCarChannel]

3 on the tree! WOW! To have one now would be awesome. Today's youth would freak on 3 on tree!

[@oswaldjh]

Great little cars. My mother had a 71 Maverick that eventually went to the family business and she got herself a new Comet. The only downside was the comet sat mostly in the garage and rust went medieval on the body. We got all that fixed and when she traded it in the sales people were fighting over who gets the car. It looked brand new at 5 years old with less than 10K on the odometer.

[@ThisOldCarChannel]

Thanks for sharing Jerry!

[@staffy73]

At 5 yrs and >10k on the clock it had better look like a new car! But then again it was the 70s. What was the average life span of an American car back then?

[@oswaldjh]

@@staffy73 I bought my father's 77 Grand Marquis in the early eighties and when I was done it had >150K.

[@KenanTurkiye]

Always liked the side profile of the Maverick. And still haven't realized my dream of making one a sleeper. : )

[@ThisOldCarChannel]

Me too Kenan. Thanks for watching!

[@KenanTurkiye]

@@ThisOldCarChannel Thank you for the enjoyable uploads.

[@CJColvin]

The Maverick is basically Ford's version of the Chevy Nova.

[@KenanTurkiye]

@@CJColvin ....and a better looking one at that. : )

[@CJColvin]

@@KenanTurkiye Right

[@davidhickenbottom6574]

That boot lip bumper killed it. I had a 72.

[@jamesclukey7488]

I had one, a used one. It was mint green. I was in my early 20's and I loved it. It was the closest I had ever been to owning a sports car. The dials on the dash board lit up with red light. I was in love. My wife totaled it in a rear end collision. She was hit by a Mack truck. She wasn't hurt, but the car was kaput. I was heart broken. It had been a fun car to drive. Light weight and fast.

[@waynegibbons352]

Ford Falcon, Mustang, & Maverick all shared the same platform. I remember our families when I was a kid, white with black strips and a 302 V8.

[@glenmo1]

I wish I had had a 2 door Maverick back then with the small block 302 V8 engine.. that would have been an awesome economy car to drive

[@mbenz64]

Love this video, my mom had a new 73’ 2dr blue Maverick. We all got our drivers license using it. Loved that car!

[@ThisOldCarChannel]

Nice and small for the drivers license. Thanks for sharing!

[@that_slow_maverick5145]

I myself have a 1972 grabber, beautiful machine

[@ThisOldCarChannel]

Very cool! Post it on our Facebook page (Boca Brothers)

[@chocodiledundee1]

Mavericks were a massive success in Brazil 🇧🇷 Brazilians absolutely love Ford Mavericks and they have them as collectibles over there !

[@michaelgallarano7318]

My sister owned a 73 Maverick with three on the tree and a straight 6. Her fiance was tired of repairing the mechanism on the column and put a 3-speed Hurst shifter on the floor which I thought made the car totally cool at that time

[@ThisOldCarChannel]

My dad had that done to our 66 Nova II back in the 70's . Big Difference!

[@buttkrusher]

My Dad had a 72 four door in Kelly Green, and my sister had a 72 Grabber with the 302 V8. I loved that car, especially the two "snorts" on the hood. Hers was white with blue trim & as a kid it was my dream car!

[@geraldscott4302]

While I'm mostly a GM guy (1970s and older) I have owned a few Fords, though I have never owned a Maverick. I am very familiar with them though, and have driven and worked on several. The early model 2 doors were wonderful cars. The swoopy, rounded bodystyle was gorgeous. The one problem I have with them is the front suspension design. Ford stupidly chose to put the coil springs between the upper control and body, rather than the lower control arm and subframe. This not only made it difficult and dangerous to work on, but required huge "shock towers" that took up a lot of room in the engine compartment, making it almost impossible to put headers on a V8 engine. Many '60s and '70s fords had this design.

[@josephriddle2772]

Very true to that, I remember as well

[@ThisOldCarChannel]

We have a Chevy Vega video coming out next Gerald. Thanks for sharing!

[@roncarguy6361]

Yep! And no upper control arm grease fittings. I drilled access hole in the shock towers and installed fittings. Kept it from squeaking like an old baby carriage. I had a November '69 built one. Wimbelton White C-4 auto and the 200 six with under the dash a/c. Early Mavericks were not "ducted" for A/C registers, so dealer installed York units were available. Here's another boo boo. Actually, the key was moved to the column as of Nov 1st 1969. But, Ford did not add a warning buzzer for a month. Ophs! Keys locked inside were a problem. Also, no dash pot was installed on the Autolite carb. So, with the automatic transmission, the curb idle needed to be raised to keep the car from stalling on rapid downshifts into 1st. Three transmissions were available: Automatic( C-4), 3 speed manual and a 3speed manual with no clutch called Torque Drive. Good luck finding one of them. I owned a 1970 VW and a 1970 Mav. I think for a young family the Ford was a better car, & seats 5. Good heater vs VW hot air blower. Build quality was better for VW, as well as the repair record & fuel consumption as well. VW needed more maintenance.... frequent valve adjustments etc, While Ford (200cu) had one of the best 6s ever made with hydraulic lifters. I liked both of them for for different reasons.

[@geraldscott4302]

@@roncarguy6361 As someone who typically drives '50 and '60s cars, none of the issues you mentioned really bother me. My former 1964 Fairlane was the first car I had with that awful suspension design. It did have grease fittings on the upper control arm shafts. The big problem with this design, besides the shock towers taking up so much room in the engine compartment, was removing and installing the springs, and aligning the front end. I broke 3 spring compressors (and yes they were the right type) and bent another working on that Fairlane. I almost got killed when one of them broke, and the spring flew out from under the car, inches past my head, and landed across the street 50 feet away. Those springs must have been strong enough for a 5 ton truck. Camber and caster was done by moving the upper control arm shaft bolts in elongated holes, against all that spring pressure. As for VWs, I've owned three VW Bugs, and absolutely loved them. A '69, '70, and '72. I built a drag race car out of the '72. No A/C in an air cooled Bug, and the heater was worthless, though unnecessary in Phoenix, AZ. Even stock engines had to be run really rich to keep them from melting down. I removed the heat exchangers, put on performance exhausts, and capped the heater hose connections on the fan shrouds.

[@P_RO_]

It wasn't a bad design; overall it was lighter than the usual arrangement with less unsprung weight, and fairly bulletproof. Didn't need a spring compressor to work on them; just unbolt the shock at the top, lift it, and wedge a couple 2X4 blocks there then lift the car. For track work, just drill new mounting holes for the upper a-frame 5/8" to 3/4" lower and use a heavy-duty sway bar along with a tower-to-tower brace. Most of these had a cam to adjust the camber at the lower control arm mounting bolt. Some cars with the big-block engines had the towers 'notched' from the factory for clearance. Not bad, just different.

[@spanieaj]

When my brother got his driver's license in 1976, my parent's bought a used '70 Maverick as a second car. I learned to drive in the Maverick and took my driver's test in it. That car was my mode of transportation from '83 through high school. I fit NINE people (including myself) into that 2 door car one time on the way home from school! Those were the days! I remember the pull stick parking brake too!

[@ThisOldCarChannel]

9 peeps in that car? Almost as many as the VW Bug! lol Thanks for watching and commenting Gus!

[@ronaldlebowitz7409]

My next door neighbor when i was a kid Mrs. Inge had two of them a 72 green 2 door and a 76 blue 2 door boy she sure loved her baby's and a guy up the road had a brown 4 door too.

[@ThisOldCarChannel]

The Maverick family huh Ronald? Thanks for watching!

[@brianadams429]

My mom had a 1970 grabber with the 200ci 6 cylinder with the manual 3 speed trans in the floor. Moms was yellow with black trim and black interior. I learned to drive in this car. I was 7 years old, it was 1982. My moms car got rearended which totaled it. Mid to late 80's my dad picked up a 72 or 73 maverick 2 door, pulled the 6 cylinder out and cut the shock towers up to stuff a 351 cleveland in it.

[@kennyt8730]

My mom had a grabber 302, green with black stripes and two fake air scoops. Unfortunately she didn't have it when I got my license so I got to cruise in her 70's caddy, which wasn't bad because I was able to bring half my hockey team to the game. Not to mention, I could sneak at least 4 friends in the trunk at the drive-in theater.

[@atomic32205489]

My uncle bought a '71 orange Grabber. I thought that was the coolest car!

[@ThisOldCarChannel]

Hoo Wah! An orange one. That must have looked nice! Thanks for watching Tom.

[@BritIronRebel]

My older brother had a basic Maverick at college. It burst into flames in a parking garage! Ford actually replaced it for him with a Grabber model. He made out well...

[@EchoSigma6]

My dad’s first new car was a red 1972 Maverick, it was so base that it didn’t have AC. However, it proved to be a reliable and durable family workhorse.

[@MarkWilkin-j1v]

My first car was a 1973 green Maverick Grabber with green interior. Bought it for $690 in 1980 with 80,000 miles on it, before I was old enough to drive it. Added an Edelbrock performance intake, Holly 4-barrel, glass packs, and headers and it sounded awesome and was pretty quick for its day. Owned it for 7 more years befoe selling it to someone from high school who always loved it, for about the same price I paid for it. It was NOT a trouble-free car. Upper control arm bushings squeaked from the day I bought it.

[@19chucki74]

I was browsing Facebook marketplace, and I have seen at least five Mavericks for sale in the metro Atlanta area. Long time ago,a friend of my family drove a 1975 Mercury Comet. It was beautiful. Closest thing I've come to a Maverick.

[@ThisOldCarChannel]

Those Comets looked pretty cool too Charles. Thanks for watching!

[@Bdub1952]

I owned a Maverick for a few weeks while i swapped the 250 6 cyl into the spot the 170 once occupied in my '62 Falcon. Sold the Maverick with the 170 installed. Great upgrade for the Falcon.

[@alleng332]

I had the 1970 Maverick with 250 Straight 6 and a Carter 500 2brl carb. My first car my most reliable car.

[@Wooley689]

Great cars, my sister had a six cylinder one, my grandmother had the Comet version and my sisters boyfriend had a Grabber.

[@TheTr0uble]

My VERY first car was a 1974 Maverick 2 Door Pea Soup Green, 250 6cyl engine & automatic transmission, No A/C manual steering, But it had an aftermarket 8track stereo that would blow you out of the seat!!!!! Had that car until 1984 when I purchased my FIRST NEW CAR; a Dodge Daytona…. The Maverick was in such great shape that the salesman purchased it back from the dealership for his 17yr old son who was just starting to drive….🤣🤣

[@powderriver2424]

I owned a 1973 Mav it had a 302 automatic and air-conditioning. It was lime green with a tan vinyl top. Nice car for a 20 year old living in the city.

[@bryanparkhurst17]

When I was a kid I owned a 65 and a 67 Mustang. As I'm approaching my 50s I am starting to have more of an appreciation for the Falcons and the Mavericks. Thanks for the history, it's getting me jump-started on learning more about them.

[@peterpatrick620]

. . . owned a 72 Maverick Grabber . . . 302, manual, 3 speed stick, white and orange . . . one sweet ride

[@bad74maverick1]

Well I can answer two of those questions. I have seen one... The one I own! I have an original 1974 Maverick Grabber, minus the thermactor emissions. I love mavericks and always have. I have a 1960 Falcon Ranchero, it was my first car my grandpa gave me for graduation. 66' mustang 289 drive train in it. I was supposed to get a 73' grabber but before my grandma knew I wanted it off grandpa's lot she sold it, this was early 2000's. So I ended up with the falcon and I love it. But my want for a Grabber never changed. Now I have a 74' Grabber fully loaded, PS, Disc, auto Idle kickdown, seatbelt interlock, AM/FM, 302 c4 2bbl, A/C, trim rings and caps on the wheels and driver and passenger mirrors. To cap it off I bought it from the original owners widow. he bought it brand new as a retirement gift to himself. He had a bad back and ordered a 62D grabber with a bench seat instead of buckets. Of the 13,000 grabbers made in 74', it's 1 of 13 that came medium bright blue metallic with medium blue interior and a bench seat. It's 1 of 1 as a special order bench seat, and 112k original miles when I bought it in 2007.

[@andyroid5028]

*If Jay Leno sees your comment, he may try to buy that from you! Nice find. I'm envious. : ) Thanks for sharing.*

[@bad74maverick1]

@@andyroid5028 SSSHHHH don't tell him! Though I wouldn't mind meeting him lol! He's one of my hero's.

[@andyroid5028]

@@bad74maverick1 _Haha. Yeah. Supposedly, for all he has seen & done in his life & for all the famous people he has rubbed elbows with over the years... a lot of folks that have met him say he is a 'down-to-earth' guy & is also a definite true-blue car guy (not just a show-off car guy)._ *Fun fact: I read somewhere that he 'only' has invested somewhere in the $17 million dollar range into his car collection. In other words, his out-of-pocket payout for his current collection is $17m. BUT, it's estimated to be worth about $120-$130 million! That's a helluva return on his investment!* _One other thing to note about a car's value (as you probably already know): depending on the owner's notoriety, a car's value always increases when the owner (or historical owner) is a well-known person (celebrity, famous athlete, former President, etc). That's another added bonus to any car that's in Jay Leno's collection. You add 10%-20% just because he owns (or owned) it!_

[@bad74maverick1]

@Andy Roid yeah that happens with everything. If you own a ww2 1911 its 1500 bucks. If you own a marine corps issued 1911 you can add 40% to its value. Same with cars owned by famous people. Sounds like jay is a shrewd negotiator, but remember he also bought a lot of his collection in the 80s and 90s, so a Ferrari he paid 180 grand for in 88' probably worth half a mill now just a for instance. So thats a factor in why its worth so much more. A brand new mach 1 in 70 cost like 10 grand. Now look at their prices.

[@MegaPrt]

L still own my 1972 grabber that i bought in april 1972 dont drive it much now days but i still have it

[@markebedwell9973]

Love those mavericks one of ford's best body styles I had several, the grabber gt is one sweet little car 🚗 😍 👌.

[@mckessa17]

Back in 72, I would not want a Maverick, but now I would. A very rare car.

[@robertspeicher5047]

Bought a pastel orange and white for a go to work car. Straight six automatic. Loved how it handled. I drove to work and back on a road that was curvey and the car " tracked" like a race car. This road was a commuter road morning and evening and I would leave expensive sport sedans behind. I really did like that car

[@ThisOldCarChannel]

Thanks for sharing Robert!

[@cayman9873]

Not race car handling at all. Poor handling.. i drove one 14 years for my grandmother.. but glad you have good memories of drum brakes and bias ply tires.

[@robertspeicher5047]

@@cayman9873 I'm just saying the car I bought used, was a pastel orange and some kind of white. Straight six, auto. I drove to and from work on a road, route 218, in New York state along the Hudson river. The portion I drove on started in Cornwall and ended at the side gate to West Point Academy. Curves, lots, narrow. Th8s car just drove so sweet. Hugged curves, A blast to drive. Route 218 is just a 20 mile or so road. GREAT for motorcycles.

[@cindyweckter6274]

My first car was a red Maverick Grabber, Boss 302 with custom chrome rims, black and yellow pin striping, Stereo with light bar that flashed colored lights to the beat of the music. I bought it when I was in high school. Such a cool car. I wish I still had it. I sold it to move to Europe a year or two after high school.

[@jamesziegler2763]

I owned one..a 1970..loved it

[@ThisOldCarChannel]

Nice little cars James. Thanks!

[@SteveCanoy]

My first car in 1976 was a ‘70 Maverick, somewhat red in color. It got 2 quarts of oil per every fill up. Never forgot the first car and it got me from point A to B. That’s the best I can do for “positive comments”. Just thankful I had a car.

[@boblister665]

I bought a 1970 Grabber brand new in Sep 1970 as a left over as the 71 had just been released. $2.280.00. It was a good car but as a 19 year old I beat the thing to death

[@60soldies47]

I had a '76 Maverick in blue. It was purchased brand new from the Ford dealer located on Fordham Road in the Bronx (no longer there) the salesman was Mr. Alfred Kopf.. It cost $4003.00. I had it for 7 years, gave it to my Mom who then gave it to my brother. It had what was called a "baby transmission" which had to be replaced at around 70K. The engine went at about 86K and was subsequently junked. Great little car, but cheaply built. I guess it's nostalgia and one's memories that keeps you thinking how great the car was when in reality it wasn't.

[@kerygonder331]

Back in the mid 1980's I had a 1970 Maverick with a 200 six cylinder. One of the most dependable cars I ever owned. It was a dark blue , I ran it for a number of years about 75 miles a day or more until I finally gave in to people nagging me to sell it. Then I bought something newer.

[@ThisOldCarChannel]

But to have one now in showroom condition! Thanks Kery!

[@jonathanbuck6173]

In recent years, when I look at a Maverick I consider it to be a sleeper mustang. Where the mustangs grew heavier and and their styling became less tasteful, Maverick filled the market segment of the original falcon and the original mustang.

[@josephriddle2772]

Yes it did, did it!

[@ThisOldCarChannel]

Indeed, Thanks for watching Jonathon.

[@rydfree]

My 1st car was a '72 Comet GT in '78. Previous owner had built the 302 and it had the 3 spd floor shifter . Would tote the front wheels on launch. When I had to have the trans rebuilt the mechanic said in front of my mother "Be careful ,that motor and new clutch will tear that thing in half !" . Thanks dude , mom had me sell it after about 3 more months. White with orange stripes , a hood scoop and fat tires , damn it looked cool ,lol.

[@No_Malarky]

Got a super deal in 1996 for a 1972 2-dr 302 Maverick that ran fine. Put the hood scoop on from it`s sister car the Comet-GT, 14" tires up front & 15`s on the back. i`ve had dozens of muscle cars over the yrs (mostly Mopar) and the cheap little Maverick could hold it`s own in the `90`s.

[@ThisOldCarChannel]

Ha! Thanks for sharing Rob!

[@josephriddle2772]

Yes it did! Over looked and under rated car, had a 73' Grabber

[@Doc1855]

The Maverick was a good durable car of the 70s, especially with the In-line 6cyl. The 302 (5.0L V8) was super fast.

[@stephanechamberland8486]

Durable ? Really ? Not here in the snow ! It rusted easily !

[@Doc1855]

@@stephanechamberland8486 Not in So CA

[@stephanechamberland8486]

@@Doc1855 lol surely !

[@ThisOldCarChannel]

I agree David. Thanks for watching!

[@Griegg]

I had a '73 Grabber with a V-8. Wide bias ply tires. It was a thrill to drive because it rode like a large go-cart. It went where you pointed it, immediately. Looked great too.

[@tomstone1797]

I had a 1972 Grabber, yellow upper body, black lower. Black vinyl top. 302 engine, bucket seats, automatic transmission, console between seats with a stick shift. Looked great, ran fast.

[@YTjndallas]

I really like Mavericks!!

[@GlenStokes-w4u]

My brother bought a maverick 69, 302 boss, 4 speed it was a blast , I bought one it was the fun, of fun times

[@carnivorecave]

I had the 73 Maverick, it was decked out with a 302 jacked up and slotted aluminum rims with white letter 60's...Loved that car, my first credit purchase...

[@curtclark5584]

In the late 90s My first car was a 72 maverick sprint edition with the 302, I installed a 351w and put in 4.11 gears...it was strong! The quickest car in school was an 87 Buick GN and the maverick pulled away from it with no problem.

[@normanwyatt8761]

I bought one of the first Mavericks when they came out in 1969 and it was the 200 cu. In. 6-cylinder, auto-transmission 2-door with a nice blue paint-job.......It rode great and was kinda fast for a 6-cylinder......The total price was 23 hundred dollars........It was kinda small for 4 adults and in hind-sight I should have looked into buying a Duster for around the same price.........I was married with 4 children so price mattered the most........IT'S all water over the dam now but I still think of the choices I made years ago even now at 87 years of age........Nice presentation anyway......

[@ThisOldCarChannel]

If we could do it all over again. Thanks for watching Norman. Let us know what other cars you want us to do a video on.

[@markescartin1915]

I'm glad you didn't waste your money on the Duster. Without the 318 or the sway bars it was hell to drive.

[@Wootangtw]

Yeah my sister had the 1972 Grabber red with black stripes and came with thrush side pipes and 302…it was pretty car back then…. Thanks for the video buddy…