Jumpin on the band wagon so to speak....

I think it is great that there are a bunch of new maverick/comet owners. However sometimes I feel like after all the ridicule i went through having owned mine for a 11 years(I am 26 bought mine when I was 15) has kinda left me with a sour taste. I LOVE MY MAVERICK, what I mean is I bought mine when owning a maverick was way uncool(makes me a bit a of a maverick eh?) However now that The MAv is coming into it's own, I see alot of people jumpin on the band wagon. Which is good, but bad in a sense, the proverbal double edged sword. I get offers to buy my car weekly, 11 years ago I could barely give it away. Prices are going up and demand, but we still do not have a great source of reproduction parts. Whats wrong with that picture????? My hats off to all those that came before to inspire me to hotrod a mav and I take a bow to those that come after. I sincerly hope this Mavericks across America plan happens as i think it would get alot of magazine attention and maybe those damn vendors would wake up not to mention all the maverick nay sayers. What's all your thoughts and opinions. Be honest were all Big Boys and gals here.

 

Mavericks are great cars. I think the reason that they were less popular is because you have to modify them to make them perform, whereas Camaros and Mustangs were performers straight from the factory. Most average people don't have the ability or interest in modifying a car for performance. They would rather just stick the key in and go.

We all know that if Mavericks came with the same performance features that Mustangs did, they would have been WAAY more popular AND collectible.

I have had my Maverick for 22 years and it has proven to be better than many of the more "popular" cars out there, but not without some modification.

I am thrilled that Mavericks/Comets are getting more respect these days. It's about time, if you ask Me...

 

well....I for one still get odd looks when I tell people that I am building a Maverick. They wonder, "why in the world would you want to do that!!!" Mavericks are still not as accepted as you might think. When the cars are done up right, thats when you get the offers and envious looks. Enjoy it! The band wagon is far from full.

 

When I tell people that I'm building a Maverick, they say, why a Maverick, why not a Mustang? I usually say something like, well if I wanted to be like everyone else, I'd run out and buy a Civic and throw a big wing and a fart pipe on it and call it a day. The main reasons I like Mavericks is because they are pretty rare nowadays, cars and parts are pretty cheap compared to popular muscle cars, they are much lighter than just about every muscle car ever made, and because they look damn good when they're done right. I realize I'll never get my money back out of it if I decide to sell it, which is fine, because I don't plan to . Most people probably think of their grandma's old 4-door or something like that when they hear about a Maverick. Most everyone has never seen one fixed up nicely. My gf's mom used to have a 4-door Maverick and every time I see her, she asks about the Maverick and asks me why I'm doing it to THAT lol. I'm going to really relish the look on her face when I pull up in their driveway when it's all done. They'll probably be able to hear me a couple blocks away . Ok, maybe a block away, gotta keep the cops off me.

 

Here is my experience. I have owned Mavericks since 1974. I have always been someone to be a rebel and want to go a different route. My initial thought was, anyone can build a stang or a camaro. What I did not realize was how prophetic that thought was. It is even easier to restore a stang or camaro today. Dont get me wrong, I own a stang and a camaro too. But the most important car I own is my Maverick, and that will never change. Reproduction parts will only become available as demand the need. Some on this board do a teriffic job of finding parts and info to keep us all happy. I see a lot of fabrication going on that could be mass produced. I am currently working on something that should prove to be pretty popular when others see it. The only reason I dont state what it is. is because I am not completlely certain it can be mass produced in a cost efficient manner. This will be a performance item and I should have it on my car at the Roundup.
Dan

 

Hi 1badmav. What do you mean you owned a Maverick when they were not cool. I thought they were cool from 1970 on. Tells you when I jumped off the trend train

 

Lately past 3or 4 years you are seeing more and more of them in the magazines etc.........I remember in the eighties I found like 3 articles on mavs and that is it. The late 90's till now almost evry couple months you see one some mag. Yes I agree they have and always will be cool since 1970.

 

oooops, just let everybody know I'm old.

 

I started driving Mavericks and Comets back in 1976 when I bought my first car. (I was 12. ) I have had $300 rust buckets and $3000 grandma's cars. Ran them until they died, were wrecked or until I found got married and was forced to sell. Used to drag race at Sears Point every week for a couple of years. Once got clocked going 146mph on the I-15 back in 85 in a Comet GT. (That was stupid!!)

In general, the Maverick/Comet has been a major part of my life since childhood.

Now I am building a '70 with an AOD and '89 5.0 to use as a daily driver / occasional autocross car. Dropped the motor in last weekend. My 13 year old Godson is getting his mechanical education helping me rebuild every aspect of this car. From body work to brakes and suspension to rebuilding the engine. With any luck at all, this will be the car he learns to drive in. And possibly a 16th birthday present if he keeps with the buildup and wants it at the time.

I am glad to see so many people getting interested in Mavericks and Comets because that means more parts will be reproduced which will make our projects that much easier and more economically possible for those of us that don't have $$$ coming out of our ears.

 

Sears Point.... Cool, another Mav owner who was in the Bay Area. It's always nice to make connections.... How long ago did you move?
-Corbin

P.S. I just have to ask...how did 146 feel in the Comet? Pretty damn scary I bet. Was it a C4?

 

As someone who has only owned a mav for a little over 4 years I would definitely have to agree that they are becoming more desirble but yet they are also absolutely devalued. Most people I come into contact with ask me why I am fixing up my mav when I could easily have a mustang. My response is that I don't want a car like everyone else. Mav's were never ment to be muscle cars (with the exception of the grabber). Basically they were sporty cars that mom's in the 70's could cart their kids and their groceries around in. And hey, the guys in the mustangs aren't laughing when my mav (with groceries in tow) kicks a little mustang ass, especially when they realize that a girl is driving. Just my 2 cents.

Jeri

 

When I got my 77' Maverick it was just something to get me back and forth to work. I had traded my worn out 68' Mustang for the Maverick, but my heart was still into Mustangs. They were the only kind of car I had ever owned. After going to a few car shows in the area, I realized there were NO Mavericks to be seen anywhere. Not there and not on the street. That was when the idea hit to restore my Maverick and see if it generate any interest. It did....on the negitive side. When we started the restoration, all we heard was" A Maverick! Why a Maverick?.,"What a waste of time!".,Those cars are not worth anything",ect, ect. All that did was make us more determined to fix the car up. It was like a challange to do something different from anyone else. That was in 1998 and I was never really sure if there would ever be any interest in our cars.That's all changed now. In the past 6 years I have seen so much new found interest in our cars that I am more convinced than ever that we did the right thing. It's good to see more people seeing the potential our cars have to be anything from street drivers to race cars. With any luck, as more interest is generated, more parts will be made available to us. The more people that jump on the band wagon the better it is for all of us.

 

I know what you mean. However I am new to the scene but I always wanted one from the time I could remeber but now I finally had the time, money and was able to find one.
When everyone asks me what I bought and I tell them they give a strange look especially when you are in 20's and most people my age want the Mustang. I think most of you would agree it is a strange attraction that most of have always had towards these cars and jsut can't explain.

 

First thing, I did'nt want something every one else had. The Mav has always had some kind of allure for me, not exactly sure why, it just does.
I can't go anywhere with out being questioned or stared at or people practically breaking their neck to get a good look as I go by and my car is no beauty queen by any means...but it will be someday.
It's funny...I treat my Mav better than any other vehicle I own. It stays in my shop and has never seen a wet road since I've owned it...it is pampered beyond belief and has never let me down when I wanted to show a rice burner my 3" chrome tips.

When folks ask "Why a Maverick?" I say, "Cuz I are one"

 

I've owned my Mav. for 21 years. Drove it back and forth to work for 16 of that 21 years. Tried to sell it 6 yrs. ago. Only had one offer for $500. I turned it down because if I were to sell it I wanted it to go to someone that was going to restore it. Did'nt find any takers. I always wanted to do the Hot Rod thing anyway. I'm with all of ya'll, I just wanted to be DIFFERENT! Being different also comes at a cost. Why a Maverick? Thats just a granny car. They were not considered muscle cars. I've even been laughed at when trying to locate some commonlly used parts from a FORD Dealership. They would'nt even try to help once I told them it was a Maverick. I'm with Jean, after all the noise made by others it became an obsession and a challange. I believe that if a name such as Shelby would get involved and make a new protto type Mav. and produce it, our older cars would become very desireable.