There was a lot of talk in '74 about gas shortage, unleaded fuel, four cylinder cars with 88HP, bumpers. a '74 ford will not start unless your seat belt is on! In '75 I bought a '69 LTD and garaged my Maverick Grabber using it only on weekends, vacation, no bad weather. Everyone thought I was nuts!! I thought that the American V8 sports car was on the way out. I was going to save mine!! As time went on, It was unusual to see an old Maverick in like new condition espically here in Michigan. After 10 years I had more smiles than laughs! In 1983 I intered it in my first show. Super Ford Nationals. They didn't have a class for a Maverick. They loved the car but, didn't know where to put me. I ended up in with Torinos/Fairlanes. Of course I did not win. I would have given anything for just one other Maverick. My car drew many people that had many questions. In 1984 a new class called "special interests Fords" later called Small Fords. There was stock and Modified stock (5)mods only. It was at this point I won awards. Before this time, Prostock Mavericks were the only ones. After 1985 other Mavericks started to show. Me and my Maverick are in the pages of Superford Magazine form '84 to'88. These were the best of times for me and my friends. In 1983, I never thought there would be a Club for Mavericks or that I would have the ability to communicate with other Maverick/Comet people around the country and the world! Im not nuts, Im defenetly a winner! Joe
You got my vote. Like so many others, I thought I was the only guy in the world that liked these cars and collected bunches of parts. That was before the internet, of course.
I agree...ditto Joe! People aren't laughing as much anymore about my parts & the 4 Mavs & Comets I have (all running).
Well said Joe. When I first got my Maverick back in the early 90's, people thought I was nuts. To trade in a classic Mustang for a Maverick was unheard of and plenty of people told me so. When we went to the junkyard to find parts, the yard owners would ask what we wanted with Maverick parts. We would tell them them we were building a Maverick to be a show car. The usual responce was, " A Maverick?! Why a Maverick? Are you nuts?" When we went to our first car show with it, we heard a lot of things like, " Nice Maverick, but you have to be nuts to put all that money into a car like a Maverick." It was enough to give a person an inferiority complex. Then a few years ago I got my first computer and discovered this forum, and suddenly I realized just how many other 'nuts' were out there. It's so nice not feeling alone anymore. Add to that is the fact that the Mavericks are getting more respected year after year. So who's nuts now? I don't think we were ever really nuts to like the Mavericks, we were just ahead of the curve.
One of the things that make us unique is that we have a passion for a particular car that was not widely accepted in the mainstream of 'collector cars', until now. The acceptance is obvious at this juncture of time. The same comments and looks we get at car shows are the same I get at the historic police car meets. Some cannot believe that Ford offered it as a police car. I do have to say that the acceptance of the Police-Mav has been overwhelming. I never had a concern within our ranks here, as eletism is one thing we do not do especially to each other, but I was a bit concerned about how it would be accepted by the Dodge & Plymouth copcar guys there. I have heard not one negative comment, even from the peanut gallery. I do know for fact that it is the only one at least within the two national organizations I belong to, the Emergency Vehicle Owners & Operators Association and the Historic Police Car Honor Guard. I do also believe that there are none in the Police Car Owners & Operators Association also. I am looking forward to taking it to DC in May for the Police Week memorial activities and parade. It will be dedicated to a friend that used to work with me and moved to near Lancaster, PA., but was killed in the line of duty earlier this year. A great bunch of cars and a greater bunch of people!
