I don't know why the bumpers are such an issue on Maverick snd Comets. The big bumper design was a manidatory protection feture for insurance reasons. It did not take much to total a smaller car. In the mid seventies all cars had big bumpers or plastic fasicas as on todays cars. Its just a another tranisition we need to get used to and I guess we still need to. Younger people did not grow up with this bumper idea in them so they may not understand why Ford used them. I have to say that the first time I saw a '74 Ford, I did not like the bumper system but I still ordered a new Maverick Grabber. As time went on, I got used to them and I thought the car looked a litter bigger and heaver then a '72 model in fact, I thought the headlights looked to big with the small bumpers. The interior is another issue, some people do not like that utility tray and some people do not like the glove box. Mabe we should start a "like/don't like" thread about these cars. Changes are made each year for goverment and company styling reasons they make up the time peoiod history of our cars. Everyone should appreciate it. Is what makes up the character of each of our cars and its what makes them a little different. If you like small bumpers buy a '69-72. I believe its ok to change a car but it is no longer orginal to that year and should be in a modified class. Also my car will not start unless my seat belt is buckled. A '74 saftey feture only!
That's very easy to get rid of, as I did with my '74 Grabber, that I was also in the process of collecting parts for a small bumper swap to get rid of those freakin' boat anchors. The bumpers are not an issue at all on these cars. You see, it's very simple: you remove the park benches off the front and rear, heave them into the metal recycling dumpster, and install some nice small bumpers. Now you're ready to cruise. The bottom line is, these were boring 70's economy cars. Owning one now days is about being a Maverick and building it the way YOU want it, regardless of what it was originally. If you're into preserving the originality of your car, and like the big bumpers, all the power to you. Do what makes you happy with your car. Personally, I'll leave all that stuff to the Mustang guys. But, don't even try to tell me a car like Dan Starnes' Stallion would look better if it were still big bumpered, or would have been better if it were kept all original. Or cole639's '77 is another great example.
I didn't want a 74 Maverick. I wanted a small bumper car, but I only had access to a 74, so that is what I got. So I MADE it a small bumpered Maverick. You can't always "just go out and get" a 72 Maverick or whatever year model you wish to have.
"I believe its ok to change a car but it is no longer orginal to that year and should be in a modified class." me thinks you own a Mustang...and you're happy with people telling you what you can/can't do with it... M.A.V.:"So if you put Aftermarket wheels on are Dis-respecting the Hub Caps? Pull out a 6 cyl to add a a v-8... did you dis-respect the 6 cyl.? Swap in a nice stereo and you`ve taken out the history of the AM ??? IF I ever buy a big bumper car I would swap it to small bumpers ...out of respect for the car...because the govt. DISRESPECTED it when they mandated them." and don't leave out the dis-respected...tail lights... ...Frank...LMSB'73
i think the big bumpers are hedious and you can tell just by looking at them the ford design team spent no excessive amount of time and money making the mavericks look good or fit in with the style of the body. it was an economy car and ford did what it had to do to bring them up to spec. tou can look at most other cars of the era and for the 73-74 model year they underwent a major restyling and my oynly guess was so that the whole car still looked good and it didnt appear that they were just tacking 100lb truck bumpers on a compact.
I don't have any bumper anxiety on my 73 Comet. In fact both the newly chromed small bumpers are sitting right in my garage now.
First off let me say to each his own, Now with that out of the way let me tell you 2 reasons i personally like the big bumpers. The first on being is you can hide a lot of stuff behind the big bumpers, Have you ever tried to find a place for 75 pounds of weight on the rear? Guess where mine is at? In the rear bumper support, Ain't it amazing how much lead weighs? And without drilling or otherwise cutting in to the body of the car the bumper made a wonderful place to hang the weight. What about the overflow bottles. Those plastic bottles from autozone looks like they were made to go behind the big front bumper. I also have a little story to tell about how the big bumper saved my Maverick, One hot summer day at the drag strip, A large thunder storm appeared. I decided well its time to go home, On the way home the bottom fell out so to speak. Well at this time there were no Drag Radials and i had on some wrinkle walls with so called rain grooves. All was going good till i hit a down hill concrete bridge on the 4 lane. Then all HELL broke loose, The rear of the car lost traction on the bridge and here we go. The back of the car decided it wanted to lead and the front followed. At 50 mph this was no fun. Well to finish the story when i came to rest facing the on coming traffic and against the bridge side (which was concrete) I knew in my heart i had just totalled the Maverick. Due to me facing the traffic i knew my best bet was to see if the car would move and try to get it turned and off the bridge. Hit the key and it started ( may have been running already, But when you are trying to swallow your B**** back down you are really not paying much attention to detail) I got the car off the bridge and limped it to a off ramp. There just happened to be a car wash off to the side and i pulled in. I just sat for awhile not wanting to see the damage the bridge had caused. Finally i told my passenger to get out and see how bad the damage was, She got out and walked around the car, When i asked for a report she said i see nothing wrong. Did i hear her rite no damage? I got out and RAN around to the back of the car to see. where i thought damage was to be there was none, No caved in quarter, Nothing wrong. Well now this is good, But the front took the hardest lick, So around to the front i go and guess what? No body damage of any kind. The corner of the BIG BUMPER had taken the lick. It did skin the rub rail and pushed the Bumper shock back, but had kept the body of the car off the concrete. So as i said to each his own but i will be keeping my BIG BUMPERS. P.S. You can also use the front to lay tools on when you are working on the motor, OOPS i was only going to give only two reasons. OH well all have a nice day.
VIVE LA DIFFERANCE !!! Okay , that being said, gimme a small bumpered 69.5 anyday! Oh yeah and as frank said those dids- respected tailights...are now bocat units
When the big bumpers first came out in 74 I liked them better, I thought it made the car look longer and lower. Then over the years I really began to miss my old 72 Grabber, I wanted another one bad. But then I realized I already had too many cars and decided to put some of the features of the Grabber into my Stallion. The end result has been my happiest incarnation of the Stallion. Now after 5 years of it looking like it does, I am going to change it again slightly. But I will not be taking off the small bumpers. I do have all the original stuff to put my car back the way it was. I like big bumper cars, and always have. Dan
