SUPER-SLICK MAVERICK, FRESHLY BUILT 302 V8, 5-SPEED, SIDEPIPES, FRONT DISCS!!!

Description

It's easy to overlook some great cars that remain quite affordable, and this 1971 Ford Maverick Grabber makes a compelling argument for Ford's overlooked pony car. With a fresh 5.0, a 5-speed gearbox, and that Grabber Blue paint, it's got all the right ingredients, all at a bargain-basement price. Time to take another look at the Maverick.
It's not subtle, but if you have a fast car, there's really no point in trying to stay out of sight. The Maverick's styling has aged rather well, and with a few modest upgrades, it takes on an entirely new personality. Check out the hood scoops and side pipes, two indicators that this isn't your garden-variety commuter car, and the finish quality is far better than you'd expect at this price. It was refinished three or four years ago and still looks fantastic, and they went the extra mile to paint the black hood stripes in place, so it has a seamless look. The white side stripes are an accurate reproduction of the Grabber package and combined with the rest of the work, the car looks great. The Grabber also got a blacked-out grille that looks especially good here and the tail was blacked out to match. New bumpers, a modest deck lid spoiler, and just a bit of chrome around the windows make this car look more expensive than it is.
The only way you could get a Maverick was with a bench seat, so that's what lives inside today. It's got a recent seat cover that's comfortable cloth rather than sticky vinyl, and with the wood-rimmed wheel to warm things up plus new carpets, the interior is a nice place to spend some time. Neatly-installed auxiliary gauges are not a surprise with that upgraded engine under the hood and there's a big tach on the steering column. The floor-mounted shifter manages a 5-speed manual gearbox out of a late-model Mustang, so shifts are effortless and it's got a towering overdrive that makes it comfortable on the highway. There are a few scuff marks on the original door panels and dash, but nothing worth worrying about, and you'll note there's no radio, which reinforces the Grabber's no-nonsense, all-performance personality. You do, however, get a fairly massive trunk with plenty of room for a road trip as well as a reproduction plaid mat.
The engine is a late-model 5.0, also known as a 302. It was the top engine in the Grabber, although this one (which was rebuilt 1500 miles ago) is a massive upgrade over the original wheezing 120 horsepower stocker. Aluminum heads, a big Edelbrock carburetor, a Weiand intake manifold, and an upgraded roller camshaft inside all conspire to knock down some serious horsepower that even the nastiest cars in 1971 can't match. It's also beautifully dressed with Ford Blue paint, Edelbrock aluminum valve covers, and a chrome air cleaner. Upfront you'll find a giant aluminum radiator that ensures it never gets too hot and a set of headers lead to those cackling side pipes that are more Cobra than commuter. A 1996 Mustang T5 5-speed manual transmission is linked to an 8-inch rear end with 4.11 gears inside, but don't worry, with that towering overdrive, it's still quite comfortable at 75 MPH. The underside is shockingly clean for being unrestored and the stance is perfect, sitting on 15-inch Magnum 500 wheels and fat BFGoodrich T/A radials.
Big performance, affordable price, and easy to live with? This might be the ideal entry-level hobby car. Call today!