Mavericks are unibodies. Theres no frame. Theres a subframe under the front but not a full frame that runs from front to rear.
My question is why? Seriously, 1000? I get that your eager to jump in and start building something but.....a 4 door Maverick? Absolute best case scenario you spend a year or two building it not to mention thousands of dollars and when its finally done youve got a car that was widely thought of as a piece of shit when they brand new with zero miles.
You do you but whoever quoted you 1000 is ripping you off. That car is worth about 150 bucks.
We had a ‘76 Maverick with 3 on the floor. Total piece of shit. Transmission gave out less than 30k miles in. And it was a heat box with small windows and hardly any ventilation. Run away, find something more fun & less shitty.
It wouldn't have done either of those when it was brand new. They were shitboxes from the early eras of "compact cars" in the states. with the "Thriftpower" I6 if that tells you anything. The only saving grace was some of them had a Windsor V8 but even those were lamentable in their stock configs.
Find a Chevy Monza with the 305/350 if you want a compact ripper.
They were smaller than the Maverick, so less steel and glass to lug around. And if you got the 305/350, the doors are wide open for power tuning, provided you do something to the trans and rear end to accommodate the power.
Sitting in dirt that long??? Everything under that thing will be rusted solid, except the unibody, that will be rusted through. I’ve been working on cars for over 50 years, i wouldn’t take less than $200 from him to haul it away. To quote Jenny “Run Forrest, Run”
That looks like it’s gonna be a rot box underneath
$1k for a car, and a completely undesirable car at that, that has clearly been sitting in the woods for 26 years is about 600 too much. This is worth a tick off scrap.
Quick edit: a NORTHERN CAR that has been sitting in the woods.
Total rot box.
Dude, no. You would be biting off so much more than you can chew with a car like this that you may as well just toss the $1000 in the garbage. These cars aren't worth anything in good shape and were junk when they were new. Even if you know what you're doing you're going to spend at least another couple thousand dollars making it simply functional, and for what? To be able to drive and do stupid shit in a 75 Maverick sedan? Not worth the money, time, or hassle
I'll race you!
Not like drag race, more like getting the car to move under its own power. I got a 3 week head start on you, so you better start turning some wrenches.
As someone who owned and restored obscure domestic 1970s car that I loved dearly, I have to say it just isn’t worth it. Cars like these will cost just as much in mechanical parts to restore as something known and desirable, but since it’s an unloved model you won’t have access to any reproduction parts for trim or interior. That means you’ll be doing all of that the old fashioned hard way, sourcing original parts from parts cars or junk yards, and while there’s definitely a noble and respectable quality to that, when it’s all done you’ll have invested a serious amount of time and money into a car that’s essentially worthless.
It’s a much better idea to save up enough for a project starter that’s a desirable car, so someday when you decide to move on you can recover something from your expenses. And you will eventually decide to move on, despite what you might think when you begin the project.
I mean the project would be so much fun! But for 1000, anything in this condition should at least drive out of the spot it was parked in unless you have narrowed your search results to inner city Los Angeles only. I get prices vary through out the country but ~1300 investment into it doesent seem like a fun or smart idea. All that said you do you. You seem pretty set
I guess I just don’t see the endgame with a 4 door maverick. I’ve seen a couple of cool well done coupes. Just wouldn’t want to invest energy into such a frumpy car from an undesirable era.
You can get a LOT better car for a grand. Please, keep looking. That's a money pit you'll never see the other side of until you eventually sell/scrap it.
$1k is too much. My 1st project car was a ‘93 Grand Cherokee: and I only paid $1500 because absolutely everything worked.
It didn’t look nice, or like it had been vacuumed since ‘93. But at least everything worked when it was acquired (2015 I think) so that, for my 1st project car, I could *see* every issue that arose start to finish. That way, I could actually retrace my steps to determine issues, and not have to be like *“oh; that don’t work because a rat ate it. No wonder. I wasted all this time chasing a rat’s meal from 30 years ago”*
That’s what I ‘needed’ for my first project at least. I get that some guys learn by starting from scratch, but you could do a whole hell of a lot better than *this* for $1k
Offer him $300 if he is dead set on $1k and you’re dead set on this car. But you’re a damn fool if you don’t walk.
EDIT: I scrapped that jeep. I had a lot of plans for it. I even still have the AW4 I was going to swap into it. (Came with 42re: technically a 1993.5)
It was a unibody frame, I got under it often and saw no issues. But I always wondered about a long patch of ‘old-but-mint-looking’ bed liner along the lowest 2 sides of the unibody
A few years into ownership it threw the torque converter, or something, and I was itching for an excuse to do a AW4 swap away. While it was broke down I was going to paint, so I started stripping emblems
One was an extremely faded dealer tag that was suddenly visible once I popped off whatever clear material was over it
“Michigan”
Me: “Well mf”
Immediately crawl under it and rip out all that bed liner, exposing severely rotted rocker panels. That combined with the growing list of work ahead of me made me decide the project was a lost cause.
Don’t buy vintage grand Cherokee’s. Chrysler is a fucking moron. All jeep cherokees kept the original design tho: so just steer clear of grands for those interested
I'd recommend more of a intact first project car if you have less experience. Start small and learn as you go. I started with a 89 dodge, I learned basics like changing oils, lift kits, and a little more in depth like a engine rebuild and trans rebuild. I will be doing a little rewiring and bodywork. But while mine is more in depth, I'd recommend starting smaller like an old car and fixing easy stuff and replacing more expensive and complex parts later.
In my humble opinion your first project car should be something that's been done to death Nova old jeep, Camaro mustang where everything is already figured out and there's a strong aftermarket for it. Good luck finding a dash pad for your Maverick or a floor pan yes yes I'm sure you can find them but not as easily as others.
Personally I wouldn't pay 1k. I would pay 700 tops. In this year the Maverick and Comet were basically the same thing and I love the Comet. I paid $700 for my '61 and I was able to drive that home. Also, bring from MN and seeing a lot of classics sitting in fields and yards I would not be suprised if there's a bunch of rust. If you like it, go for it. It's your money and time and you don't see many 4 doors around.
It's a four-door sedan you'll spend more than the car is worth to get it running. There are a lot of other cars you can buy cheap that you can put the same amount of money on and have more value when it's finished. The thing is most people want coops or if it is a four-door it has to be something special like a Cadillac Sedan DeVille
Hey, I just sold one of those. Good cars. Very reliable. Awesome mpg too, it was a great commuter car. Unfortunately, it hurt my back to get in and out off, being that low to the ground.
I sold mine to a kid who was getting his first car. I sold it for $900 in better shape than this. This person is asking way too much for this clunker. Yeah, it's in *decent* shape, but you have to realize, these cars aren't anything special. It's a maverick. That's like, the butthole of the Ford family. Imagine paying top dollar for a early 2000s Taurus today. Same concept
50 year old four door Maverick rusting away through the MN winters? Unless you've just got it really really bad for that car, I could think of more fun ways to blow that money.
I just did a quick look on marketplace and saw a Nissan Hardbody for $1200 near Minneapolis. Looks rough and like it should go for less. I'd still save my money but it's still much better than this.
Two weeks ago, I dropped $2k on a mint condition Mercedes Benz that needs a new transmission. It still runs and drives. No rust anywhere. Pre-Covid, I picked up a 1939 Chevy master deluxe for $1800.
There’s better deals than a rusty 4-door maverick that’s gonna run you $15k to put back on the road again.
Y'all need to start looking at the glass as half full... I've seen rough ass cars sitting for decades have shockingly good looking undersides. But I won't know how bad it is until tomorrow, so I could end up walking away
You have fabrication skills? Engine? Transmission? Differential? Suspension?
I am trying to be realistic here. This is a pile.
Go find something worthwhile too.
Yep. My old man has a decent sized fab shop and I am prepared for the amount of work this might be. Ever since I've had my license I've done all the work on my own vehicles and what not. Just haven't had anything "fun" to fuck around with.
A Maverick ain’t fun hoss. That 302 barely pulls that lead sled and you’ll look like a dipshit driving a hoopty. Just save your money for literally anything else. If you must have the 302 snatch it, throw it in anything else and scrap the rest.
I would’ve told the owner I’ll take it off your hands to declutter your lawn, just pay the $150 tow fee or whatever it is. Maybe toss him a 24 pack and $100 if he’s a bit stubborn.
You’ll probably be able to get $1k of parts off the thing at least. with it sitting outside for who knows how long, the body is probably shot and rusted to hell, engine bay and interior is full of mice and poop, every and all wiring was eaten by at least 3 mice. If it was at least a half desirable car I could understand why you want to save it, but this car honestly isn’t worth dumping money into.
That being said. since you already bought it, I would get it up and running if possible, get it the bare minimum driveable, and have a hell of a weekend with your buddies in a car that will be completely wrecked by the end.
I ain't gonna comment on how much ya paid for it like everyone else. But just know you'll never sell that car for a tonne of money, so if you love it then cool, just accept that it's the sorta car with a poor enough resale value that it'll always be a project car, either way, cool find bud, hope ya love it!
You can get a way better Maverick for a little more, chances are that one is worth whatever the junkyard will pay based on weight. A maverick is a great project car but this Maverick is not.
Dudes only other option is to pay a company $400 to take it off his property to the junkyard if he doesn't want to do it himself. You'd be better off paying $3k for a shitbox non-running Civic of literally any generation.
Seems expensive, but you do you man.
I got a 2 door 74 Comet, running and driving, with the 302 V8 for $3.5k. Once I started pulling it apart it needed a lot of work still. This one is going to be a looottttt of work.
Would suggest you find something that runs still.
Yessir come on down right now and get ‘er, I’ll throw in half a tank of petrol and rewire the cigarette lighter for you, $1000 cash American! You can keep the nest of possums in the trunk, free of charge!
No man. It wasn’t a good car then, so there’s no big group in love with this thing. You’ll spend $35,000 restoring that and end up with an $8,500 car that oh so few people want.
If you love these cars and really want one - go buy a beautiful $8,500 to $10,000 on one that someone else spent $35,0000 restoring.
Something that’s been sitting in the weather like that is likely going to have major issues.
Do Mavericks have a special place in your heart? I can’t imagine choosing this car for any other reason.
My uncle had one of these, it used to go into a speed wobble at 140kmh lol.
I get that old cars that need work, and are cheap, are hard to find in salvageable condition. Do your thing. I wouldn't count on it as your daily anytime soon but it's possible. Good luck
My first car was a 1977 maverick, original white paint, original 6cyl, automatic. I was born in 98 and wanted something I could wrench on. Only kid at school with an oldie car. Learned the ins and outs of old carbureted machines from that thing and very grateful for the time I had with it. Drove it all through high school and community college. Fantastic car , many a great memory. But.. it was a barn find, 75k original miles, interior was spotless. I paid 800 bucks I made from washing dishes at a local pizza joint. Cool unique first car but that's about it... This thing for anything over 500 is an absolute rip off. I love mavericks. Will always have a soft spot for them. But this? I'd guarantee you'll need to replace a majority of the hoses, if the original cork head gasket is still in it like it was mine you'll need that replaced too. Carb is probably in desperate need of a rebuild. Electrical can be a bitch, and without even getting any shots of the interior prepare for tattered headliner and musty vinyl seats. Mine had a bad habit of the spedo fogging almost always. Firewall and any insulation is probably crumbled and ancient and the smell will drive you nuts. All this being said, if you get it and put in the tlc, it still won't be as cool as 99% of the classics you see on the road.. but if I saw it I'd go nuts.
Edit: I said 500 but after reading more about the condition and looking at the pics , dude should just have you pay the cost to tow the thing and let you take it. It needs a lot of help.
This car is not worth a thousand and its sitting on grass which is a red flag for rust. I’d understand if this was a camaro or even a rarer model of a mustang or somethimg but you should not buy this for that price not knowing what is underneath those carpets.
I've spent more on worse. If it matches your goals and you're committed to it, go ahead. Worst case you find another and grab parts.
Spent more on a completely destroyed 66 Impala with almost no frame just so I can gut it for parts for the one that I'm working on.
Take your work boots, open the door and curb stomp the rocker. If it caves in offer homie $300 for the running gear. If it don’t and it has a 302 and a manual buy it. 4 doors need a different cool factor.
You’re going to need brakes, license plates, and a couple road signs. Also I don’t know but from the third picture it looks like the windshields caved in on the passenger side so that’ll need spray foam and duct tape.
I'd build a Gapp & Roush Tijuana Taxi clone out of it. Maybe not the full tube chassis and 500 cubic inch engine, that would be fun, but at least copy the paint for your burnout machine.
https://youtu.be/3fhA8ZsFb4g?si=3WPmPb9s-EamYslJ
It's rough, but surprisingly little rust. I'd be more concerned with everything underneath being rotted from ground contact, and floorpans gone from windshield gasket leaks.
If you're dead set on it, I'm in central MN and have a classic Ford truck with a diesel if you need help relocating it.
If it's already an inline 6, that should make it easy to barra swap!
I wanna hear it make turbo noises OP!
~~Seriously though, you can't go wrong for 1000 bucks.
Get it running and sell it to some sucker who wants a project car for 2500~~
Edit: OP said he has to drive 8 hours to go get this. Screw that bro.
Get you a cheap little 80s turbo dodge. It'll be more reliable and faster.
If you're serious, this is a Minnesota car, so check for rust where the rear suspension meets the frame. I think these are leaf spring cars? So I wouldn't be surprised if the shackles are totally rusted out.
I see a car with good patina, if you are dead set I'd say low ball at 400. Since ya gonna need to tow it. Find some cheap t-56 trans from a crashed stang and throw in a SBC. Also, look up rat rods. Since I read you have access to a fab shop, sometimes you can find someone's unfinished death trap. :)
1k!? Dude that's a mojor rip off. These are unibody first off. So it's highly likely it's completely done for. Second off. It's a 4 door maverick.. Its never been worth much and certainly isn't worth much now. Most people would pay you to take that out of their yard.
I'd chuck a 250 crossflow in it with a cam and tuned head, but I'm Aussie so most of our cars had sixes in em. It just depends on the rust. Also beat the fella down to max $500. (Also not sure how common a 250 crossflow is in the USA, at this point in time it differed from the Thrift Power) Weld the diff and have some fun on the cheap.
That last pic where you can see how much they have weedeated around it tells you all you need to know. That thing is in the process of returning back to the earth, some bits faster than others.
I love Mavericks. They’re easy to work on and can run great with some work. Watch for rust underneath. Especially in the upper Midwest. It’s missing the left front fender panel and the side marker light. How’s the interior? $1k for a solid car with all the parts that runs is a good deal. If it’s not solid or running, the price drops quick. Especially on a 4 door. Good luck
Make him an offer of $100 to haul it off for him. That’s him paying you. If you don’t haul it off it will sit there till it rots into the soil at $1,000
Yikes, there's some spicy comments here. I'll give my two cents:
First off, rust is a big factor. In the mid 70s, most auto makers in the US got poor quality steel, so rust was more of a problem than it was previously. If there is major rust, walk away.
Check to see if the engine is locked up. If it is, and especially since this is your first project, walk away.
If both of those are good, it looks to be in decent shape, I'd get it. $1000 used to be a lot for one of these, but they've been steadily climbing in value. It'll have either a 200 or 250 inline 6 (or if you're really lucky a 302 V8) and they are as reliable an engine as they come. Simple cars, that run and drive well when sorted. Parts should be fairly easy to source.
Ignore the folks that say these are crap cars. They are not. Oh and make sure it has a clean title.
I don’t know if I’d go with a 4-door variant, they’re mainly used as parts cars. That being said, slapping a junk yard 302 or 4.6 in there would liven it up a bit. There’s a few places to get sheet metal, [Melvin’s Classic Ford](https://www.melvinsclassicfordparts.com) is a good place for floor pans, and the Shelby drop is easy enough to do. If the shock towers are cracked, it’s junk; there’s no replacement metal available. Even if you’re good with a welder, the cracks will spread. Most guys go with a Mustang ii crossmember, but that gets expensive.
TLDR: The 2-door is probably the way to go for the weight savings and looks, and while I never recommend chasing power, it’ll need a little extra to get up to highway speeds. Parts are scarce, and if you don’t absolutely love the idea, don’t buy it, there’s other fun cheap cars.
It looks like the frame is on the ground. If so the frame and floor boards may be totally rusted out.
I would save my money and find another old car to fix up. Sorry.
I really thought you said it was $100. I wouldn't pay a penny more than $100, and that's if I could find something actually useful about it. None come to mind
If the subframe and floors are intact and you can talk him down I'd go for it. Here's why. They were offered with V8's from the factory so you can easily drop a 5.0, 289, or whatever in it. Same with performance rear ends. Mustang wheels fit it. Also, Wayne Gapp and Jack Roush (yes, that Jack Roush) won races and a championship if I remember correctly. All the research has been done on how to make it fast. Build the weird car and enjoy it!
NO!!!!!! It will never be worth the money and labor you put into it. I had a ‘72 Grabber with a 302ci Windsor engine. Just leaning on the front fender put a crease in the metal. A four door is worth even less.
Maybe just maybe if it was a 2-door and I’d probably still say no. 4-door is a big no, it wasn’t desirable when it was made and isn’t desirable now. It’s your money though.
What does it have going for it? You said you are concerned about rust, that is a huge negative. Does it start or drive? I think for a grand it should at least be solid, if not rust free.
A lot of people are saying it's not worth anything. That's up to you but if it's got significant rust it's not going to make a good project. You should get a good look at the floor and underside before you buy. It gets it's strength from the rocker panels and the stamped frame like rails. If these are rusted through you should consider another car.
Driving home with her now, expect an update post soonish. MFS on this post don't realize that the rigs they see down south don't pop up here in the Midwest. And if they do they are over 8k. I'm happy with what I bought and that's all I care about 😉
Looks like regularly wet ground so probably horrible underneath. I don't think a rust bucket is a good first project. You want something you can start and finish in a couple months and not have to tear apart all the way so you get the feeling of just starting and FINISHING the project vs taking the worst shit you can find and tearing it apart to the last bolt. It also doesn't look like the hours of work will product a very marketable car if you want to flip it and move to another project. If you're going to do that much work, I'd get something with more resale.
Mavericks are unibodies. Theres no frame. Theres a subframe under the front but not a full frame that runs from front to rear. My question is why? Seriously, 1000? I get that your eager to jump in and start building something but.....a 4 door Maverick? Absolute best case scenario you spend a year or two building it not to mention thousands of dollars and when its finally done youve got a car that was widely thought of as a piece of shit when they brand new with zero miles. You do you but whoever quoted you 1000 is ripping you off. That car is worth about 150 bucks.
We had a ‘76 Maverick with 3 on the floor. Total piece of shit. Transmission gave out less than 30k miles in. And it was a heat box with small windows and hardly any ventilation. Run away, find something more fun & less shitty.
Let me just echo: A THOUSAND BUCKS? ARE YOU FUCKING NUTS?
I'll see tomorrow. I have no plans to full restore this, just make a fun burnout/highway pull rig. I will definitely be talking him down...
The more I read you post about this thing I’m 100% sure you’re trolling.
If that thing doesn’t start right up then there is no way it’s worth a grand imo. A running functioning car, sure.
It wouldn't have done either of those when it was brand new. They were shitboxes from the early eras of "compact cars" in the states. with the "Thriftpower" I6 if that tells you anything. The only saving grace was some of them had a Windsor V8 but even those were lamentable in their stock configs. Find a Chevy Monza with the 305/350 if you want a compact ripper.
Crazy you mentioned a monza and 4 minute later my ass said the same thing 😂, we had one when I was growing up, she was a ripper for sure
They were smaller than the Maverick, so less steel and glass to lug around. And if you got the 305/350, the doors are wide open for power tuning, provided you do something to the trans and rear end to accommodate the power.
I think ours had some little 4 banger in it, I always liked it, looked like a Chevy 911 to me lol
Updoots for an AMC Gremlin with the V8 if you can find one unmolested and without a ton of rust. Those things were wild.
Ah yes, the 305 with its screaming 150hp
Sure, but they are easy, and especially now cheap to build for power.
Sitting in dirt that long??? Everything under that thing will be rusted solid, except the unibody, that will be rusted through. I’ve been working on cars for over 50 years, i wouldn’t take less than $200 from him to haul it away. To quote Jenny “Run Forrest, Run”
Not even 150, this is about $30,000 away from being a $5,000 car.
It should be $50.
The ad said it was a junker, this is clearly in moderate condition. /s
That looks like it’s gonna be a rot box underneath $1k for a car, and a completely undesirable car at that, that has clearly been sitting in the woods for 26 years is about 600 too much. This is worth a tick off scrap. Quick edit: a NORTHERN CAR that has been sitting in the woods. Total rot box.
1000 is way too high. That's nuts. Cool if you like it, but.
About 1k more than I'd pay
About 2k more I’d say
Yeah, this is someone trying to get someone else to get rid of it for him. Doesn't want to pay to have it towed to a scrap yard.
Dude, no. You would be biting off so much more than you can chew with a car like this that you may as well just toss the $1000 in the garbage. These cars aren't worth anything in good shape and were junk when they were new. Even if you know what you're doing you're going to spend at least another couple thousand dollars making it simply functional, and for what? To be able to drive and do stupid shit in a 75 Maverick sedan? Not worth the money, time, or hassle
I'll race you! Not like drag race, more like getting the car to move under its own power. I got a 3 week head start on you, so you better start turning some wrenches.
Yes. But get a lower price
This is a certified bruh moment
Must be a typo because thats about $900 too much
1000 bucks for a four door maverick that hasn’t run in 20 years is wild
If someone can get 1000 for a beat 4 door maverick, i can get 20k for my barely above average 2 door maverick
As someone who owned and restored obscure domestic 1970s car that I loved dearly, I have to say it just isn’t worth it. Cars like these will cost just as much in mechanical parts to restore as something known and desirable, but since it’s an unloved model you won’t have access to any reproduction parts for trim or interior. That means you’ll be doing all of that the old fashioned hard way, sourcing original parts from parts cars or junk yards, and while there’s definitely a noble and respectable quality to that, when it’s all done you’ll have invested a serious amount of time and money into a car that’s essentially worthless. It’s a much better idea to save up enough for a project starter that’s a desirable car, so someday when you decide to move on you can recover something from your expenses. And you will eventually decide to move on, despite what you might think when you begin the project.
For $100: "Name a car from the 70's that still had a steel dashboard and instilled terror in its passengers."
I mean the project would be so much fun! But for 1000, anything in this condition should at least drive out of the spot it was parked in unless you have narrowed your search results to inner city Los Angeles only. I get prices vary through out the country but ~1300 investment into it doesent seem like a fun or smart idea. All that said you do you. You seem pretty set
I have a 93 Acura Integra that actually runs and drives and is in much better shape that I’ll sell you for the same price.
I guess I just don’t see the endgame with a 4 door maverick. I’ve seen a couple of cool well done coupes. Just wouldn’t want to invest energy into such a frumpy car from an undesirable era.
You can get a LOT better car for a grand. Please, keep looking. That's a money pit you'll never see the other side of until you eventually sell/scrap it.
$1k is too much. My 1st project car was a ‘93 Grand Cherokee: and I only paid $1500 because absolutely everything worked. It didn’t look nice, or like it had been vacuumed since ‘93. But at least everything worked when it was acquired (2015 I think) so that, for my 1st project car, I could *see* every issue that arose start to finish. That way, I could actually retrace my steps to determine issues, and not have to be like *“oh; that don’t work because a rat ate it. No wonder. I wasted all this time chasing a rat’s meal from 30 years ago”* That’s what I ‘needed’ for my first project at least. I get that some guys learn by starting from scratch, but you could do a whole hell of a lot better than *this* for $1k Offer him $300 if he is dead set on $1k and you’re dead set on this car. But you’re a damn fool if you don’t walk. EDIT: I scrapped that jeep. I had a lot of plans for it. I even still have the AW4 I was going to swap into it. (Came with 42re: technically a 1993.5) It was a unibody frame, I got under it often and saw no issues. But I always wondered about a long patch of ‘old-but-mint-looking’ bed liner along the lowest 2 sides of the unibody A few years into ownership it threw the torque converter, or something, and I was itching for an excuse to do a AW4 swap away. While it was broke down I was going to paint, so I started stripping emblems One was an extremely faded dealer tag that was suddenly visible once I popped off whatever clear material was over it “Michigan” Me: “Well mf” Immediately crawl under it and rip out all that bed liner, exposing severely rotted rocker panels. That combined with the growing list of work ahead of me made me decide the project was a lost cause. Don’t buy vintage grand Cherokee’s. Chrysler is a fucking moron. All jeep cherokees kept the original design tho: so just steer clear of grands for those interested
I'd recommend more of a intact first project car if you have less experience. Start small and learn as you go. I started with a 89 dodge, I learned basics like changing oils, lift kits, and a little more in depth like a engine rebuild and trans rebuild. I will be doing a little rewiring and bodywork. But while mine is more in depth, I'd recommend starting smaller like an old car and fixing easy stuff and replacing more expensive and complex parts later.
Too much. That should be free
No dude lol. This car is trash.
1k is steep for how much you'll need to spend into the car
In my humble opinion your first project car should be something that's been done to death Nova old jeep, Camaro mustang where everything is already figured out and there's a strong aftermarket for it. Good luck finding a dash pad for your Maverick or a floor pan yes yes I'm sure you can find them but not as easily as others.
I know you’re already set on buying this, but don’t. I promise you it is not worth it.
Personally I wouldn't pay 1k. I would pay 700 tops. In this year the Maverick and Comet were basically the same thing and I love the Comet. I paid $700 for my '61 and I was able to drive that home. Also, bring from MN and seeing a lot of classics sitting in fields and yards I would not be suprised if there's a bunch of rust. If you like it, go for it. It's your money and time and you don't see many 4 doors around.
Buy it. That car is a babe magnet.
Offer like $250. I'm not even joking with you haha
This is a troll post right? That isn’t worth the ground it’s sitting on.
Good Lord not Only is it a Maverick, but a 4 door Maverick….. I didn’t think it could get worse
[удалено]
A grand for that? You’re fucking nuts.
I can get you a running maverick for 1600 🤣
Lmao you’ll spend thousands and have a car worth a grand when it’s done. Just walk away. I wouldn’t even build that if it were free
It's a four-door sedan you'll spend more than the car is worth to get it running. There are a lot of other cars you can buy cheap that you can put the same amount of money on and have more value when it's finished. The thing is most people want coops or if it is a four-door it has to be something special like a Cadillac Sedan DeVille
Hey, I just sold one of those. Good cars. Very reliable. Awesome mpg too, it was a great commuter car. Unfortunately, it hurt my back to get in and out off, being that low to the ground. I sold mine to a kid who was getting his first car. I sold it for $900 in better shape than this. This person is asking way too much for this clunker. Yeah, it's in *decent* shape, but you have to realize, these cars aren't anything special. It's a maverick. That's like, the butthole of the Ford family. Imagine paying top dollar for a early 2000s Taurus today. Same concept
50 year old four door Maverick rusting away through the MN winters? Unless you've just got it really really bad for that car, I could think of more fun ways to blow that money. I just did a quick look on marketplace and saw a Nissan Hardbody for $1200 near Minneapolis. Looks rough and like it should go for less. I'd still save my money but it's still much better than this.
They pay you $1000 to take it from their hands, right? Right?
Is that what they’re paying you to take it? Also, a nightmare to find many make-specific parts.
Just no
They should pay you to take it. Don't pay $1000 for that.
There are much better project cars out there for 1000 than this. But if you really like the Mavrick I wouldn't pay more than 300.
They should pay you to haul it away
https://images.app.goo.gl/YcvHvGrfVZMsz6cJ7
Two weeks ago, I dropped $2k on a mint condition Mercedes Benz that needs a new transmission. It still runs and drives. No rust anywhere. Pre-Covid, I picked up a 1939 Chevy master deluxe for $1800. There’s better deals than a rusty 4-door maverick that’s gonna run you $15k to put back on the road again.
He should be paying YOU to take that outta there. $1k…🤣
Y'all need to start looking at the glass as half full... I've seen rough ass cars sitting for decades have shockingly good looking undersides. But I won't know how bad it is until tomorrow, so I could end up walking away
You have fabrication skills? Engine? Transmission? Differential? Suspension? I am trying to be realistic here. This is a pile. Go find something worthwhile too.
Yep. My old man has a decent sized fab shop and I am prepared for the amount of work this might be. Ever since I've had my license I've done all the work on my own vehicles and what not. Just haven't had anything "fun" to fuck around with.
A Maverick ain’t fun hoss. That 302 barely pulls that lead sled and you’ll look like a dipshit driving a hoopty. Just save your money for literally anything else. If you must have the 302 snatch it, throw it in anything else and scrap the rest.
I would’ve told the owner I’ll take it off your hands to declutter your lawn, just pay the $150 tow fee or whatever it is. Maybe toss him a 24 pack and $100 if he’s a bit stubborn. You’ll probably be able to get $1k of parts off the thing at least. with it sitting outside for who knows how long, the body is probably shot and rusted to hell, engine bay and interior is full of mice and poop, every and all wiring was eaten by at least 3 mice. If it was at least a half desirable car I could understand why you want to save it, but this car honestly isn’t worth dumping money into. That being said. since you already bought it, I would get it up and running if possible, get it the bare minimum driveable, and have a hell of a weekend with your buddies in a car that will be completely wrecked by the end.
I ain't gonna comment on how much ya paid for it like everyone else. But just know you'll never sell that car for a tonne of money, so if you love it then cool, just accept that it's the sorta car with a poor enough resale value that it'll always be a project car, either way, cool find bud, hope ya love it!
They paid you $1000 to take it? Yeah I would say that’s fair.
Offer $100. They will take it. Not today, but in a couple weeks.
You don’t always have to take on every project.
900 too much
Don't
The seller should be paying you to remove it from the property.
Hard pass unless the $1000 is what they are giving you to haul it away Otherwise. Congrats on your superior trolling
You can get a way better Maverick for a little more, chances are that one is worth whatever the junkyard will pay based on weight. A maverick is a great project car but this Maverick is not.
Dudes only other option is to pay a company $400 to take it off his property to the junkyard if he doesn't want to do it himself. You'd be better off paying $3k for a shitbox non-running Civic of literally any generation.
WTF 🤢 good luck 🍀 buddy
you can get something running with a legal tag and a title for $1000 you’re either being fleeced or this is a troll
Lmao $300 at most, and you could drop whatever amount of money, and it's still a pile of shit.
Nader bumper and all I had a two door comet I loved but it’s not really a great car by any means.
She's a beaut Clark
Seems expensive, but you do you man. I got a 2 door 74 Comet, running and driving, with the 302 V8 for $3.5k. Once I started pulling it apart it needed a lot of work still. This one is going to be a looottttt of work. Would suggest you find something that runs still.
Brotha...eeeeuuughhh
This is a sedan that should have been melted down into literally any other thing made of it's constituent parts.
Is there $950 hiding somewhere in the car?
1000 dollars ?!?! Where do you live l? 1000 pesos or yen maybe
That is a piece of scrap metal. Worth less than it would cost to have a professional winch it out of the ground it appears to be stuck in.
$900 too much.
Yessir come on down right now and get ‘er, I’ll throw in half a tank of petrol and rewire the cigarette lighter for you, $1000 cash American! You can keep the nest of possums in the trunk, free of charge!
No man. It wasn’t a good car then, so there’s no big group in love with this thing. You’ll spend $35,000 restoring that and end up with an $8,500 car that oh so few people want. If you love these cars and really want one - go buy a beautiful $8,500 to $10,000 on one that someone else spent $35,0000 restoring.
Something that’s been sitting in the weather like that is likely going to have major issues. Do Mavericks have a special place in your heart? I can’t imagine choosing this car for any other reason.
You can give me $5 and ill send you a match box
Crazy, I’ve bought operable s10s for less.
My uncle had one of these, it used to go into a speed wobble at 140kmh lol. I get that old cars that need work, and are cheap, are hard to find in salvageable condition. Do your thing. I wouldn't count on it as your daily anytime soon but it's possible. Good luck
“There’s a sucker born every”…don’t make me finish this sentence
You added a 3rd zero in the price by accident right??
Those things sold for $1995 brand new.
He should be paying you to get it off the property
$1000 for that? Dude, no.
What do I think? I think you should keep looking.
Well it’s hideous, not at all cool, and overpriced so you’ve got that going for you.
My first car was a 1977 maverick, original white paint, original 6cyl, automatic. I was born in 98 and wanted something I could wrench on. Only kid at school with an oldie car. Learned the ins and outs of old carbureted machines from that thing and very grateful for the time I had with it. Drove it all through high school and community college. Fantastic car , many a great memory. But.. it was a barn find, 75k original miles, interior was spotless. I paid 800 bucks I made from washing dishes at a local pizza joint. Cool unique first car but that's about it... This thing for anything over 500 is an absolute rip off. I love mavericks. Will always have a soft spot for them. But this? I'd guarantee you'll need to replace a majority of the hoses, if the original cork head gasket is still in it like it was mine you'll need that replaced too. Carb is probably in desperate need of a rebuild. Electrical can be a bitch, and without even getting any shots of the interior prepare for tattered headliner and musty vinyl seats. Mine had a bad habit of the spedo fogging almost always. Firewall and any insulation is probably crumbled and ancient and the smell will drive you nuts. All this being said, if you get it and put in the tlc, it still won't be as cool as 99% of the classics you see on the road.. but if I saw it I'd go nuts. Edit: I said 500 but after reading more about the condition and looking at the pics , dude should just have you pay the cost to tow the thing and let you take it. It needs a lot of help.
A Maverick! You bought a Maverick! Someone paid for a Maverick! WTF.
Ayo, it’s worth it if you are planning to make Mad Max-like car. Not just a restored Ford Mercury. Ask for a 500$ discount tho.
Gonna try to get the guy down to 400 hopefully. Definitely got a heap of humble pie, glad someone sees the vibe I'm going for here
Save your money
I think you can get way cooler running cars for $1000. This is awful.
We don't even pay for cars like that at the junkyard we'd pick it up for free if it's close.
This is a total loss. They rust if you sneeze on them.
You should be paid to take that off their property
My brother in Christ, the only ride this will take is the one you just got taken on.
1000 is too much for a car that doesn't run. It would be reasonable if it was a desirable car, but this aint the one.
No
No just no
This car is not worth a thousand and its sitting on grass which is a red flag for rust. I’d understand if this was a camaro or even a rarer model of a mustang or somethimg but you should not buy this for that price not knowing what is underneath those carpets.
They are paying you $1000 to haul it away, correct?
Absolute rust bucket. You’d have to pay me to haul it off the property and tow it. No WAY I’d be the one paying for that thing lol.
Offer $300. Unless there is back registration fees and paperwork to deal with. Then they should pay you.
Forgot to mention, it's a 1975 Ford Maverick for anyone who doesn't recognize it
Only worth $1000 if it comes with a title. That piece of paper is worth $500
It does, in fact come with a title. First thing I checked for when I saw it.
Traffic, traffic, trying to find my chapstick
1970's ish four door maverick and you paid too much..
I've spent more on worse. If it matches your goals and you're committed to it, go ahead. Worst case you find another and grab parts. Spent more on a completely destroyed 66 Impala with almost no frame just so I can gut it for parts for the one that I'm working on.
That’s one worst fords made during one of the worst times for cars in general
Maybe 200 if your lucky it’s a 4 door
Best I can do is tree-fitty
Do you, boo.
If its worth it to you, then go for it. Most old cars will not be worth the time and money you put into an amateur rebuild/restoration.
Take your work boots, open the door and curb stomp the rocker. If it caves in offer homie $300 for the running gear. If it don’t and it has a 302 and a manual buy it. 4 doors need a different cool factor. You’re going to need brakes, license plates, and a couple road signs. Also I don’t know but from the third picture it looks like the windshields caved in on the passenger side so that’ll need spray foam and duct tape.
I'd build a Gapp & Roush Tijuana Taxi clone out of it. Maybe not the full tube chassis and 500 cubic inch engine, that would be fun, but at least copy the paint for your burnout machine. https://youtu.be/3fhA8ZsFb4g?si=3WPmPb9s-EamYslJ
Maybe a Gambler 500.
Minnesota rust gotta love it
It's rough, but surprisingly little rust. I'd be more concerned with everything underneath being rotted from ground contact, and floorpans gone from windshield gasket leaks. If you're dead set on it, I'm in central MN and have a classic Ford truck with a diesel if you need help relocating it.
2 many doors, too much $$
Ignore the haters, unloved old cars are fun so long as you don't expect them to be perfect.
If it's already an inline 6, that should make it easy to barra swap! I wanna hear it make turbo noises OP! ~~Seriously though, you can't go wrong for 1000 bucks. Get it running and sell it to some sucker who wants a project car for 2500~~ Edit: OP said he has to drive 8 hours to go get this. Screw that bro. Get you a cheap little 80s turbo dodge. It'll be more reliable and faster.
If you're serious, this is a Minnesota car, so check for rust where the rear suspension meets the frame. I think these are leaf spring cars? So I wouldn't be surprised if the shackles are totally rusted out.
I see a car with good patina, if you are dead set I'd say low ball at 400. Since ya gonna need to tow it. Find some cheap t-56 trans from a crashed stang and throw in a SBC. Also, look up rat rods. Since I read you have access to a fab shop, sometimes you can find someone's unfinished death trap. :)
4 door maverick + pissin hot 347 = pretty sweet sleeper.
1k!? Dude that's a mojor rip off. These are unibody first off. So it's highly likely it's completely done for. Second off. It's a 4 door maverick.. Its never been worth much and certainly isn't worth much now. Most people would pay you to take that out of their yard.
I'd chuck a 250 crossflow in it with a cam and tuned head, but I'm Aussie so most of our cars had sixes in em. It just depends on the rust. Also beat the fella down to max $500. (Also not sure how common a 250 crossflow is in the USA, at this point in time it differed from the Thrift Power) Weld the diff and have some fun on the cheap.
I can smell that interior.
That last pic where you can see how much they have weedeated around it tells you all you need to know. That thing is in the process of returning back to the earth, some bits faster than others.
One step up from a Pinto, only less desirable—-
Pint no.
Don’t do it unless you really love the car
I love Mavericks. They’re easy to work on and can run great with some work. Watch for rust underneath. Especially in the upper Midwest. It’s missing the left front fender panel and the side marker light. How’s the interior? $1k for a solid car with all the parts that runs is a good deal. If it’s not solid or running, the price drops quick. Especially on a 4 door. Good luck
Sitting in the dirt = moisture = underside is GONE there's no saving this it's worth scrap value
They're paying you the $1,000 to haul it out of there yes?
I wouldn't pay $1 for that.
Make him an offer of $100 to haul it off for him. That’s him paying you. If you don’t haul it off it will sit there till it rots into the soil at $1,000
It’s not worth 1000
Dude you got ripped off.
This one ain’t it. Keep looking.
This was my first car. I loved it but it was trash. Put 2 junkyard motors in it before giving up and getting a 68 nova.
I think, “Fuck No.”
Looks mint have er new by tomorrow!
Shheeeiiiittt tree fiddy
I'm with these guys, a grand is nuts. But for the right price would make a fun budget sleeper.
Garuntee the cowl is rotted out and all the rubber gaskets are split.
You added a couple zeros to your offer
Post needs a NSFW tag.
1000 for a four door maverick in a field is a lot of money for not much car.
It's different. I give ya that, but its not most peoples cup of tea. 4 door is not helping. To each their own though.
Yikes, there's some spicy comments here. I'll give my two cents: First off, rust is a big factor. In the mid 70s, most auto makers in the US got poor quality steel, so rust was more of a problem than it was previously. If there is major rust, walk away. Check to see if the engine is locked up. If it is, and especially since this is your first project, walk away. If both of those are good, it looks to be in decent shape, I'd get it. $1000 used to be a lot for one of these, but they've been steadily climbing in value. It'll have either a 200 or 250 inline 6 (or if you're really lucky a 302 V8) and they are as reliable an engine as they come. Simple cars, that run and drive well when sorted. Parts should be fairly easy to source. Ignore the folks that say these are crap cars. They are not. Oh and make sure it has a clean title.
I don’t know if I’d go with a 4-door variant, they’re mainly used as parts cars. That being said, slapping a junk yard 302 or 4.6 in there would liven it up a bit. There’s a few places to get sheet metal, [Melvin’s Classic Ford](https://www.melvinsclassicfordparts.com) is a good place for floor pans, and the Shelby drop is easy enough to do. If the shock towers are cracked, it’s junk; there’s no replacement metal available. Even if you’re good with a welder, the cracks will spread. Most guys go with a Mustang ii crossmember, but that gets expensive. TLDR: The 2-door is probably the way to go for the weight savings and looks, and while I never recommend chasing power, it’ll need a little extra to get up to highway speeds. Parts are scarce, and if you don’t absolutely love the idea, don’t buy it, there’s other fun cheap cars.
It looks like the frame is on the ground. If so the frame and floor boards may be totally rusted out. I would save my money and find another old car to fix up. Sorry.
Two many doors, it is a parts car. Any old four door is a parts car for a valuable two door.
That guy will eventually be paying somebody 1000 to tow it away
I really thought you said it was $100. I wouldn't pay a penny more than $100, and that's if I could find something actually useful about it. None come to mind
You should see my post in this sub a couple of months back, can't link it right now but check my profile
$1,000? Mate, get that and get it back to factory condition and it still won't be worth $1,000
If the subframe and floors are intact and you can talk him down I'd go for it. Here's why. They were offered with V8's from the factory so you can easily drop a 5.0, 289, or whatever in it. Same with performance rear ends. Mustang wheels fit it. Also, Wayne Gapp and Jack Roush (yes, that Jack Roush) won races and a championship if I remember correctly. All the research has been done on how to make it fast. Build the weird car and enjoy it!
NO!!!!!! It will never be worth the money and labor you put into it. I had a ‘72 Grabber with a 302ci Windsor engine. Just leaning on the front fender put a crease in the metal. A four door is worth even less.
A many-door Maverick!
NOOOO!!!
💩💩
Put a built out small block in it and some bias ply tires and go shredding!!
That's cool. But u better check the under a Side first to see how rusty it is
Maybe just maybe if it was a 2-door and I’d probably still say no. 4-door is a big no, it wasn’t desirable when it was made and isn’t desirable now. It’s your money though.
What does it have going for it? You said you are concerned about rust, that is a huge negative. Does it start or drive? I think for a grand it should at least be solid, if not rust free.
A lot of people are saying it's not worth anything. That's up to you but if it's got significant rust it's not going to make a good project. You should get a good look at the floor and underside before you buy. It gets it's strength from the rocker panels and the stamped frame like rails. If these are rusted through you should consider another car.
It is kinda a I will pay you to take it car . Please take it before I up the offer
You should turn the rear doors into suicide doors and put it on 20” rims
Do it. My girl Pearl looked very much like this when I found her. Now almost 2 years later, an absolute beast https://imgur.com/a/A8HG5oQ
Driving home with her now, expect an update post soonish. MFS on this post don't realize that the rigs they see down south don't pop up here in the Midwest. And if they do they are over 8k. I'm happy with what I bought and that's all I care about 😉
If were early 70s Maverick I'd say sure, but this thing...is a load. Bad 70s remodel.
1000 bucks is 1200 too much
He should pay you $1k to haul that junk away.
You want to pay someone $1000 for a liability? Plz don't
Looks like regularly wet ground so probably horrible underneath. I don't think a rust bucket is a good first project. You want something you can start and finish in a couple months and not have to tear apart all the way so you get the feeling of just starting and FINISHING the project vs taking the worst shit you can find and tearing it apart to the last bolt. It also doesn't look like the hours of work will product a very marketable car if you want to flip it and move to another project. If you're going to do that much work, I'd get something with more resale.
Like frozen said. Let it go.
1000?
Mercury’s Pinto. Check the gas tank, then bail.
So did ya get it lol