Ford Maverick Grabber

       

        

The Ford Maverick, a heavier and less sporting machine than the Ford Pinto on which it was based (a difficult concept to wrap one's head around), was a weak and flaccid family sedan, featuring the all-too-familiar 1970s bugaboos of a strangled engine, flexible and weak chassis, and garish styling.

However, the Grabber took the stink to epochal levels by applying the hip lingo of the day for performance cars (Grabber!) and slapping it and a performance package consisting entirely of tape and decals onto the cringing Maverick.

The result was the automotive equivalent of putting John Candy in track shorts--tight, mauve and gold polyester track shorts. The car didn't actually go any faster, but at least it was ugly.

I want one. Badly.

Thanks to www.fordmaverick.to for the photo of this timeless classic.

--Chris H.

     

Comments

[TimB on February 23, 2008 at 02:08 PM]

From the first sentance you're wrong "The Ford Maverick, a heavier and less sporting machine than the Ford Pinto on which it was based (a difficult concept to wrap one's head around)...."
Tt's difficult for anyone to wrap their head around the concept because it's not true!
The Maverick was more or less a reskinned version of the early Falcon/Mustang chassis, the Pinto was a totally diffent chassis. The only commonality was unit construction, front engine/real drive. The Pinto is a much smaller car using 4 cylinders engines (later small V6s). The Maverick used inline 170/200 6s (too long to fit in a Pinto BTW) and later 302 V8s, beginning in 1971.

I doubt you've ever driven a 302 71/72 Maverick Grabber or Comet GT. They were nice little muscle cars. Unfortunately Ford never made them to compete against the Duster/Demon 340 or the small block Nova SS. They wer more like a 318 Duster or 307 Nova. The Mavi/Comet 302 only came with 2 bbl/single exhaust. But the parts were readily available from the Ford Performance Book. "If only" they had made a BOSS 351 Maverick/Comet! ;-)

[Zane Johnson on December 03, 2008 at 11:54 AM]

The Grabber was a respectable little car. I rather like the styling (two-door versions, anyway). I had a non-G '75 Maverick that eventually died of terminal rust and front suspension sicknesses. Tough car, never left me stalled and always gave warning signs of impending mechanical failure. And passengers always gave me strange looks when I shifted the "three on the tree" tranny.

[GarryW on December 04, 2008 at 01:34 PM]

Chris, the Pacer is a favorite but the Maverick is garish? Hmpf. Of course I'm partial since my first car was a blue 74 Maverick with a straight 6.

My biggest problem was that it ate starter motors. On the plus side, in under five minutes I could reach into that empty pre-emissions engine compartment and swap it out for the spare I kept in the trunk.

Zane--three on the tree for me too. KaCHUNK. Once I was shifting into 2nd and heard a terrible cracking sound. The metal on the shifter collar broke and I had the shifter lever flopping around in my hand. I don't miss the 70s but I sure would love to have my Maverick back, Aerosmith in the 8 track and a cooler of Schmidts on ice.

[Alan on December 04, 2008 at 02:06 PM]

Like GarryW, my first care was a Maverick. A '70 with the 200 straight six. I used and abused it and it held up well. After a bad accident I found a grabber in the local junkyard that looked exactly like the one pictured. I took the whole front end (G-hood and all# and painted it a garish 70s metallic blue.

I echo the chassis comments. The Maverick was built on the Falcon/Mustang chassis. My Chiltons book was for all three, Maverick/Falcon/Mustang. You may be thinking of the '74-'78 Mustang II #I had one of those too) which was based on a Pinto chassis.

[Chris Hafner on December 04, 2008 at 02:48 PM]

Garryw: "Chris, the Pacer is a favorite but the Maverick is garish? Hmpf. Of course I'm partial since my first car was a blue 74 Maverick with a straight 6."

I tend to go over-the-top when I'm trying to be funny. I actually do really like the Maverick as well as the Maverick - it's all part of my sickness.

Check out the photos I've taken of pretty Mavericks at local car shows:
http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=45701753@N00&q=maverick&m=text

One of them is titled "Beautiful Maverick" and it is - it's spectacularly stock. I'd rather see a perfect Maverick at a car show than the 5,793rd perfect 1963 Mustang.

By the way, I'm completely wrong about the Pinto chassis on the Maverick. Mea culpa, everybody.

[texs on March 24, 2009 at 08:01 AM]

wrong, the maverick was a great car and is growing in popularity among collectors i would know i own seven. 3 mavs 4 comets

[seth b on March 24, 2009 at 08:04 AM]

"weak and flacid" please dont compare good cars to your own short comings pal!

[Kenan on May 19, 2009 at 12:12 PM]

Hello,where can i buy a Ford Maverick Grabber?And what would they cost?Does somebody know smoeone who wants to sell his Maverick?Thanks kenan