Where did all of the Mavericks go?

I was thinking about this yesterday....there used to be Mavericks everywhere around here, now other than mine I only know of 1 Comet GT that is sitting. No Mavericks in junkyards, none on the roads, none sitting on lots. Maybe it's just this area...maybe because of salt they use on the roads here in the winter...maybe it's because parts are a little to figure out?? It's very rare to even see one around here on Craigslist.

What's it like in other places....do you actually still see them on the road? I mean like still used as drivers.

 

I see a daily driver ever once in awhile and see them in the junkyards.

 

almost never on the roads as drivers, (other than my 2). Very Rarely at car shows. But honestly have been seeing more in my area over the past year or so. Maybe 3 or 4 in a 50 mile radius of me.

I have had people comment to me, that they see mine on the road all the time and had forgotten about the Ford Maverick until they seen mine for the past couple years. Seems like I may have started some people in my area in digging them out and fixing them up, instead of paying top dollar for a Mustang or Camaro.... dig out that Maverick that is sitting in Great-Uncle Joe's barn and fix it up instead

 

I don't know about your town, but in my town I want to have the best looking and best running Maverick around....so I am buying all of them locally, then I will have the best one in town!J/K, or am I?

 

I think it's like that everywhere. In the roughly three years I've been paying attention, I've seen perhaps ten Maverick/Comets in the Memphis area, and four of those have been in junkyards.

 

I see them as daily drivers all the time, i spot a new one about every week.

In the past our junkyards always had at least one or two cars in them. But i haven't seen one since last October it's kinda depressing

 

My dad told me a similar story years ago about when Falcons sort of dissappeared. Then he went on a business trip to Texas and he saw tons of them there. I guess alot of it has to do with the area. Old cars rust really bad here...but I'm sure areas like Ohio are even worse.

 

Same place all these went to.....and there was 16 billion of 'em I reckon.

 

Most are hiding in the back of someones property. Infact, this guy i know has around 60 (or so he clames)

 

I think this is something you see with most old cars.

Unlike the "popular" older Mustangs, Camaros, Chevelles and Cuda/Challengers, Mavericks were sold as economical and practical transportation, not as muscle or performance cars, and most were used for their economy and practicality, then discarded.....there wasn't the style and performance inspiration to maintain or restore them like with their pony/muscle car brothers, so despite the Mavericks impressive sales record, we lost many of them when they served their purpose and owners moved on, and while collectors/restorers were dragging the scrapped Mustangs, Camaros and Challengers out of the yards to save them, Mavericks were long left behind before interest caught up with them.

Like station wagons......millions were made and sold in the 60's and 70's, but they're rare as hens teeth now, because they were bought for utilitarian purposes, not style and performance, so once their value as utility wore out, they were tossed and forgotten......their only remaining value being as parts donors for their more popular two-door relatives, so they're a rarity now, and few, if any companies make repo parts for wagons and most the wagons in salvage yards are long since gone (trust me, try finding a rust free tailgate for a 70 Chevelle wagon sometime!)

I'm actually impressed with how many Maverick's I have seen in my area.....besides mine, there's at least two regularly driven small bumper Mavericks within 10 miles, and there was even a clean, low-milage, running/driving 71 for sale in my little town a few months back (and yes, if I hadn't been flat broke, I would have shelled out $1,500 for it in a heartbeat!) and there's a handful of Mavericks I've spotted on occasion in and between the two "big" towns 25 miles in each direction, including a nicely built "street" Maverick that the owner rarely takes out (I've only briefly seen it once). I don't recall seeing any 70's Comets though .

It's not just Mavericks/Comets.....your "average" old car is just getting older by the day, and it's not like they're making more to replace them.

Think about it....

When was the last time you saw a Mercury Capri....not the Fox-bodied Mustang sister....the ones from the early to mid 70's...."The sexy European at a shamefully low price".

I haven't seen one in 20 years.

and when someone here posted a pic of a Ford Courior pick-up they bought, that was the first I'd seen in at least a decade.

How many AMC Matadors are running around your areas?

You spot many daily driver Vegas or Pintos lately?

How often do you see a decent, driver quality 69-72 Dart GT or Swinger?

Chevy Luv or Datsun B-210 ?, both huge sellers in their day.

and the odds for these and Maverick/Comets obviously doesn't improve as time marches on....

I guess we just need to find and save as many as we can, and get them back to and keep them on the road a while longer.

Long live the Mavericks/Comets!


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I have seen 2 71 chargers in all my 18 years of life. 1 is in the junk yard and 1 needs 30000 dollars worth of restoration lol. I have seen more mavericks than 71 chargers.

They are around, you just need to look harder,

You have seen it, Raymond has 8, 3 grabbers, 2 comets, 1 4 door comet, a sprint and parts cars. Still seems like i'm missing one.....

 

i see alot in san diego. from ones in bad shape to some really nice ones to full drag race cars. i think it has to do with the climate. the cars last longer here and can be driven year around.

 

Maybe that's another example of area....

There's 3 running/driving 71 Chargers within 5 miles of me,....and two non-runners for sale within 10 miles.

I remember when I was looking on ebay for 87-88 T-Birds.....of the 12 listed, 9 were from Wisconsin.

go figure

 

Here's a list of what I've seen on the road in Utah 1 Nice Mustang II Cobra, 1 Pinto with Minnesota plates, 1 late 60's Caddie convertible really nice, 1 old 67 or 68 Cuda, 1 64 or 65 Falcon, 1 Olds 442 pace car, on the last three listed the owners drive them on occasion here at Hill AFB, Utah. There are still quite a few 60's & 70's Mustangs and Cameros. The most impressive I've seen and heard is a yellow, orange, and red fox body Mustang that sounds Bad A$$ as Hell, like an F-4 U Corsair Idling on the deck of an aircraft carrier. I'm always in the KIA when I see him go by or leaving a store.

 

No Mavs around here. You were lucky to to find a good one when I was a teenager in the 80's.

Frames and torque boxes totally rotten.Hood hinges and steering boxes falling off. (2 of my cars in mid 80's) By 10 years old up here these cars were pretty rotten underneath unless loaded with oil spray each year. Even then they eventually rotted from the inside out.
As daily drivers up here they have been gone for at least 20 years.
Imagine how fast the cowls must have rotted out with our winters and road salt.

Just me and my buddy Larry 15 minutes away in the city next door keeping the Mav dream alive around here. I've yet to see one in my city other than my own.
I'm sure you have many times what we have in remaining Canada just in your state of California.
Chrysler told us they sell as many cars in California and New York as the entire country of Canada.