1972 Ford Maverick
As we’re all well aware, the new Ford Maverick is coming to revolutionize the small pickup truck market in America. Over five decades ago, however, Ford used the Maverick name for something quite different.
This rear-drive two-door coupe was never doted over like its sibling car, the Mustang. But if you’re in the market for affordable muscle, you can definitely do worse than this. This particular example is a 1972 Maverick with the optional Sprint package. It was built for one special model year to commemorate the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.
This 1972 Ford Maverick powered 302 cubic inches of proven Ford power that dynos at a solid 340 horsepower and a smooth 354 lb./ft. of torque. At the top of that storied mill, a customized Billet Specialties air cleaner funnels wind into a coated Edelbrock 4-barrel, which drops a precise mixture of air and fossils into a polished Edelbrock RPM Air Gap intake. That intake is bolted to proven GT40 heads, which balance striped Billet Specialties valve covers between billet breathers and a professionally cleaned and honed block. Inside that block, a professionally ground crank pushes professionally cleaned rods under a Ford Motorsports cam and professionally cleaned pistons. Fires get lit by Compu-Tronix distributorless ignition, which sequences spark between body-matched coils and loomed Taylor plug wires. A pliable serpentine belt spins a billet March accessory drive under a custom coolant tube. Cooling comes courtesy of a big Champion radiator, which fronts a body-matched puller fan. And the monochromatic block is centered in a matte engine bay that features a smoothed firewall, a relocated battery and custom inner fenders that were stitched together by Prior Brothers Fabricating.
The bottom of this Maverick is no less impressive, centered on solid floors that spent a lot of time propped on a rotisserie. Those pans get pushed by a Lokar-enhanced Ford AOD 4-speed, which spins an aluminum Ford Racing driveshaft that’s threaded to a Ford 8-inch axle and sporty, 3.80 gears. That road-ready pumpkin drives a factory rear-clip that’s upgraded with lowering blocks, CalTracs traction bars and spry KYB shocks. That clip follows a Rod & Custom Motorsports Mustang II-style front-half, which mixes dropped spindles and powder-coated control arms with Aldan coil-overs and power rack-and-pinion steering. Solid stops occur when a Wilwood master cylinder jolts smoothed and painted calipers, which squeeze 13-inch drilled and slotted rotors. Coated shorty headers bump aluminized, true-dual exhaust, which hangs an H-shaped crossover in front of welded, dual-chamber mufflers. High quality details include stainless fluid lines, a Powermaster starter and tubular subframe connectors. And all that premium hardware rolls on Billet Specialties Vintecs, which spin 225/45ZR17 BF Goodrich g-Force Super Sports in front of 255/45ZR18 BF Goodrich g-Force Super Sports.
Swing this Ford’s lightweight doors and you’ll find a tastefully tweaked interior that, while it may look delightfully vintage, is brimming with cool upgrades. Front and center, customized Black Houndstooth buckets, sourced from a 1998 Mustang GT, lead a custom-built bench that’s designed to provide the same level of comfort. In front of those thrones, a custom-fabricated dash, which continues the car’s hood stripe, hangs a full suite of New Vintage gauges, complete with a shift indicator, above billet foot pedals and modern Kenwood audio. Speaking of shifting, a polished stick leads a modified ’63 Impala console, which surfs clean carpet that’s stacked on thick insulation. Handsome doors integrate trick Ford logos between Nu Relics power windows and custom kick panels that frame JL Audio speakers. The driver spins a polished and wood-rimmed wheel around a tilting Ididit column. And naturally, the car’s trunk is custom-upholstered to match.
The product of meticulous planning and a lifetime of skill, this exclusive Maverick is the perfect car for any enthusiast who wants a top-notch build without spending two years and six figures achieving it. At first glance, the car appears to be a basic and simple classic, but unmatched presence, an acute attention to detail and amazing quality grab your attention almost instantly.
In the grand scheme of things, the Ford Maverick is a mostly forgotten model. Not that it’s the car’s fault, per say, but it was a victim of timing. The compact car came to life as the muscle car era was peaking before being decimated by the energy crisis. It was designed from the start to be an import fighter, and it was a smash hit for some time!
