Howdy guys! Just as the title says and you might guess im new to the site and im a new owner of a ol' 70' Ford Maverick 2 door model, and i love it more then anything in the world. But! being 18 i dont know anything about anything much less cars and im i enjoy looking at posts on this site of ppl helping others and stuff, didnt have much fun trying to find the fuse box though..someone was laughing when they put it beneath the steering colum... but to make it short my dear car is a work in progress and already runs but just needs things here and there and i was mostly looking for suggestions and such since im on a money crunch.. Here are the things i have to do. 1) Replace the Window Cranks ( little nobs came off and they are a pain to turn sometimes.) 2) Hook up the lights in the grill ( the previous owner/original owner took out the original grill and replaced it with a Grabber grill for some reason..but i still like it and i just have to hook them up.) 3) The body is practically a american flag cause it was painted poorly white and over time the paint started coming off so its like red, white ,and blue all over so i have to sand it down and repaint it. 4) Somewhere above the hood and just beneath the windshield wipers it leaks water when it rains so i have to cover it up , its caused some floor board and the carpets. 5) Find a new steering wheel and horn (someone took the horn button off the steering wheel and the horn is missing from beneath the hood i believe.) 6) The Front passenger ball joint apparently has its days numbered i guess and needs to be replaced, what ever goes around it has come off i think.. 7) Some of the window seals leak here and there but are holding for now with temp fixes around the back window. 8) The Hood is rusted and very weak so it has to be replaced and apparently most of the ppl around where i live all have the same issue. 9) The inside door panels need to have the vynal panel (spell check) replaced since the ones that came with it were ripped and torn along with the carpet since it sat for so long at where my dad worked and got rained on. Sorry if i put too much or got something wrong but like i said i dont know much about anything other then i dont want any car other then a maverick. i hope to post pictures of it eventually though! Ty for anyone who posts any suggestions on how to go about this.
By using the Search feature you'll find many of the answers. We have several young guys on here, I'm 21 myself.
Alrighty Thank you! lol i wasnt expecting a responce so soon:Handshake yeah im proud to say my first car is a maverick, not to mention lucky that it still runs considering the neglect the previous owners showed for it.
Welcome. Many of us had/have Mavericks for our first car. But some made the mistake of selling theirs at some point. I've been holding on to mine for 17 years. Have fun with it and learn along the way. Take one project at a time and you can research just about anything in here.
Welcome to the board. New handels can be bought at the self help section of just about any auto store for a few bucks. I'm afraid the hardest fix you're going to have is trying to fix the leaky cowl.
thank you everyone for the welcomes! i greatly appreciate it, and i intend to never get rid of the car, i plan to baby it i was lucky enough to get it for 600-700$ so i dont think ill ever get that lucky again so why take it for granted, ive been looking for window cranks here and there online today but i havent really been able to sit and focus for more then afew minutes at a time. oh and i forgot to add 10) to my list on here, the original gas tank was full of tiny holes from when it sat so long and rusted...i have a Mustang gas tank strapped down ontop of the old one to fill the hole till i can hopefully find one ment for a maverick X.X
welcome from Colrado Ok all of you guys I am only posting this method to help out a little with the cowl problem and even tough it is not the right way to fix the problem it will help a young Mavrick-eer" buy a little time since he said he is in a money crunch. Pick up some tar sealant that is used on the outside of foundations before you backfill. It is easier to apply with a suction gun but can be poured through a funnel with a tube slipped over the end. With a wand mirror and a flash light have someone help by focusing mirror on the vents under the cowl grill and shine the light at the mirror illuminating the area. This will allow you to see what you are doing as you move the hose around the base of the vent housing as you apply a thick coat of the tar to the rusted area. This is "NOT" a permanent fix it will only buy you some time allowing you to drive in the rain and wash the car untill you can afford to do it right. Just a cheap way to stop the water from coming inside. Good luck When you are ready to do it right, there is some real go documentation on here along with great pics on how to do it. Just do the search.
kk thank you , i appreciate the advice, i was really umped on seeing water in my floor board after every shower, the garage is too small to fit the car in and i dont have big enough tarps. again thanks alot!
Welcome from Kentucky! First car for me as well, got mine at 16, almost 20 now. Good cars, and if your no mechanic you will be in no time .
Welcome from central Minnesota. Yes my Maverick was my first car also. got it when I was 14, couldn't even drive it home legally.