Are comets and mavericks sports cars?

It's not a sports car, a muscle car, or a classic. But Mavericks can go fast with the right equipment. They look good, are fun to drive, wear well, and are relatively cheap to buy and own. There ought to be a category for that, but I don't know what it is.


Roz

 

Ratio411, if I remember right, Monzas were produced right beside the Vega and shared many componets. The V8 in those cars was a 262, just a little smaller than the original 1955 265 cu in. They were dogs, like the 255 Ford used in some late 70s early 80s cars, designed for fuel mileage with V8 power. A 350 was a bolt in swap. I too, built a V8 Vega one time, but used a 383 stroker, turbo 400, rear half framed, narrowed Dana 60 rear end. It was a hoss, but I never liked it after it was built. That was in my younger days, rebelling against my raising in Fords, when I lived on the dark side, before I saw the light !

Back on topic...Mavericks were considered SPORTY cars, but as stated above, sports cars are generaly 2 seaters, usually convertiables, with floor shifted manual trannys, not much of a trunk to speak of, and are sometimes used for racing on tracks with left and right curves.....thats why I hate to see NASCAR run on the road courses, they don't fit the name, either. When I think of a sports car, I think of a MG, an old Jag xke, a triump TR6, a Sunbeam Alpine, cars like that. I think a Cobra, even though it has a sports car body, was really a musclecar, same for a Vette, but thats just my .

 

Not a classic any 35 year old car still on the road is a!@#@!$# Classic.

 

technically its not, but i can take quite a few that Technically are. in the turns and straight.

 

Close.
They were built on a Vega platform. Everything but body was the same.
They started with 262 POS engines. However, they were available with 305s and with 350s for one year. They were the progression of the Vega. They overlapped one year, then the Monza took it's place. The interior was all Vega too. Used Vega swap headers also.

Done hi-jacking the thread now.
I am not as anti-Chebbie as most here.
The Vega/Monza are Maverick cousins IMO...
I will say though, that if I swap engines into my Mavs, they will be FORD engines. If I swap an engine into our Monza, it will be a CHEVY engine. I am anti-brand bastardizing. Except for my Mopar hood scoop...
Dave

 

Give me a Mazda, or a Mustang, any day...I will spit him to the curb. With a 302. And that is mostly stock with just a couple of upgrades (in the right places )

Mine was a grocery/church-getter for 30 years...it is now a MUSCLE-CAR :evilsmile

 

Though probably not the intended classification Ford had in mind when they built it, I think the 2-dr versions of Mavericks and Comets could be considered "Pony Cars". They fit the basic criteria, long hood, short trunk, front and back seating, wheelbase, 2-drs.

However, "offical" Pony Cars, ie: Mustangs, Camaros, Cuda's and Challengers had something else in common.....They didn't make a 4-dr. version.

And "classics"? That's a matter of opinion. Mavs and Comets are officially considered classic in many places simply due to their age, but personally, I consider mine a true classic car, and looking at the prices nice ones are getting these days, alot of others consider them classics too.

And, technically, I guess some Maverick/Comets could be considered "Muscle cars", though again, I don't think that's what Ford was shooting for when they built them. But a Muscle Car doesn't have to have giant cubes to qualify. I've heard Boss 302 Mustangs and Z-28 Camaros, even small block Dart GTs referred to as Muscle cars many times. I think if you could special order a factory HiPo version of the 302 back when Mavs and Comets were new, you could call one a Muscle Car, and they definately can be "unofficial" Muscle Cars, as many people refer to hot rodded cars as Muscle cars, and you sure can Hot Rod a Maverick and Comet, there's alot of fine examples of that here on the boards.

But really, a Maverick/Comet can be just about whatever you want to make it. Build a canyon carving suspension that'll put alot of "sports cars" to shame, yeah, you got a sports car, screw anyone that tells you otherwise. Built A Maverick that puts the fear of God into the competition on the street or strip, that will pull the front wheels two feet off the ground when you nail it? Congratulations son, you've got a Muscle car in my book!

But if your Mav/comet isn't "officially" considered a sports car by some, even any.....keep this in mind.......

I was watching the Speed channel the other night, Vintage road racing at Goodwood raceway, a twisty road course that's a challenge to the most pure of sports cars....

One race had a mix of both American and foreign cars. There was a whole slew of little swoopy sports cars in the grid, along with a 65 Barracuda, a 64 Falcon and 65 Mustang among others, sitting amid dozens of "sports cars" built especially with that kind of competition in mind.

Guess what won the race....

A behemoth, big block powered 63 Ford Galaxie 500!!!

Yup, on a twisty curvy "sports car" race track, that dinosaur of a Galaxie soundly spanked everything on that course, by a long lead at that.

And, as an added treat, the whole race was lead by the American cars all the way.

So, is a Galaxie a sports car?

Oh hell no!!

But you think the Galaxie owner cares? And you think the losers in the "sports cars" are going to dis it for not being one, considering it just handed them their a**es on a platter? LOL

Who cares what a Maverick/Comet is "classified" as.....that's only a label, and if you want to wear Euro driving gloves and a hoity-toity stroker cap and run the curves of the local canyon in your Mav, go ahead and enjoy your sports car. Or shut down the guy next to you at the stoplight and be proud of your Muscle car, hot rod, street machine or what have you. Putt down the road with your inline six on a few bucks of gas and enjoy your economy car, or slap as much chrome and shiney doo-dads as you can bolt on to it and show off your custom cruiser.

Who cares what it's called? It's a Maverick, it's a Comet, it's unique, it's fun, and it's yours, so it's whatever you want it to be.

Now, if you'll excuse me,.....My Mavericks could be classified as somewhere between "basket case" and "project car", so I better go out there and work on "upgrading" their status.

 

MY Maverick could be considered a SPONGE...it just sucks up all my extra money

 

You just summed up our hobby!

One thing though, you are doing something right because your car has transformed into something 100% better than what you came here with.
Not that it's perfect, but it's coming along nice.
That's the best you can hope for.
Get worried when all your money is going into the car, but it doesn't improve.
Dave

 

"Just Run what ya Brung" and have fun

My Comet is to me, a dream of restoring an old car (Ford product). I'm dreaming of having it worthy of a "you toucha my car I kicka your Ass" Sign. My Comet is my individuality, I could easily afford a mid eighties mustang, but so could .. how many others? And it is my statement to my wife every day she pulls in the driveway " you can hate it all you want but it's mine", I owe no money on it, and someday it may be worth a little something, and even if it isn't what the Hell, TODAY it is priceless.. TO the person who matters most... ME.

 

PS Definately an advantage when insuring.. that these are technically Grocery Getters!

 

If we part out and crush all the Four Doors ... would Mavericks be a Pony car then? :evilsmile

 

My new motto:

4-doors: Don't restore 'em......part 'em!!

 

I never care what anyone wants to classify my cars in. It just doesnt matter to me.
Dan

 

Im all out of breath and I didn't say anything!!