What did you do to your Maverick or Comet today

Picked up a few parts from a friend.

 

Removed the front bumper and brackets to start checking for rust.

 

siphoned out the old gas, replaced with new gas, and started it up. Took out my car for the first time in 13 years under its own power. Came back and did a oil change. filled up the washer fluids and replaced the wiper blades.

 

Installed new mech. fuel pump & filter. Old pump 12+ years old and car runs fine about 20 min. and gets lazy on acceleration. I'm not sure that's the problem, but, won't hurt to change it. I should have did it earlier this summer when I had timing cover off -- I kick myself for not doing it when I had AC & PS pump off. We're havin a couple 50-60 days so I figured I better do it now.

 

A local maverick guy hit some hard times and needed some help. Went over and bought a few things to help him out and helped him sell a few things too. Always a fun day hanging out with another maverick guy.

 

I got this here grungy air cleaner....

 

You turning your Comet into a “Ram Air” car?

 

Great idea!!!

Been a wonderin' what to do about that hole in hood!??

 

carpet arrived today.

 

Tried in vain to fix a simple thing
I've tried to fix it
Over, and over again

This last straw broke my back
'Snap'
Just like that

Car is going on Craigslist tomarrow
Or I'll park it in front of Tognotti's
With a "make offer" sign

Will be selling all parts, too
Listing coming after inventory

I'll miss you guys. Thanks for everything.

 

Hang in there buddy!.....Get some sleep, it will look better in the morning....

 

What did you try to fix over and over again?

I think we all have anxiety of some sort with these old cars. Its like our aging bodies. Go to bed feeling fine and wake up with a problem.

As suggested take a break!

 

Lessee, I heard something about having having "Fools Day" three times a year???
Dec 1 would be the third celebration of 2021.

Naaahhhh that probably ain't right.

Chin up, let the board contingent give some assistance.

I have three to keep running & admittedly have been very neglectful of my Comet (drove it twice in '21). Engine has a balance problem, but I do have a good 5.0 short block. Will require pulling engine & transferring everything from the 306.

Since adopting the Fairlane, have mostly lathered what little automotive attention I have on her. Old shaving mug is getting dry. That car has never set level, all four springs have been replaced & in/out at least half dozen times. Changed the LF this past weekend. If new spring settles 3/8" it'll be good nuff.

 

Determined to sell my Maverick, I reassembled the dash and washed it today. Then I went driving to take pictures for the ad. It was one of those cinematic autumn afternoons that make every California city look like an episode of CHiPs.

I've got the windows rolled down: blue sky and about 70 degrees. Out on the boulevard, the Maverick is on its best behavior: smooth and as predictable it was in 1973. B.B. King and Eric Clapton are playing Riding with the King on the crappy stereo.

My resistance crumbled; so, yeah, I'm going to keep the car for now.

But ... something changed. In short, I plan to stop "restoring" and just drive it. It will never have AC on my watch, or a fuel-injected roller cam engine or an ADO or a hella bitchen sound system. And I see no reason to fix the disintegrating upholstery. But I will change the oil. And drive it.

It's also good to come to grips with my sub-average mechanical ability. In fact, I'm fairly bad at it, nearly Wiley Coyote bad. But I am pretty good at washing cars and driving on sunny days.

Today I was reminded about one of the things I like best about my Maverick: how people see it. Most gas stops involve strangers telling stories of Mavericks they owned or knew in the day. People smile, kids wave, and that's something, too.

Thanks for your words of encouragement. I'm going to sell nearly all my Maverick Comet spare parts (nothing very interesting), list to follow to be posed in the For Sale forum in a couple of days.

 

CA189HJN : You made my day a whole lot brighter !