i am going to test drive a 1970 Maverick tonite. i have seen this car parked in a driveway near the church i attend for at least the last 5 years and have always been curious about it...now it's for sale! here is what i know about it so far based on a phone call to the seller: 106,000 miles 6 cyl (i'll know what size tonite) 3 spd manual on the column recent clutch recent steering column replacement recent tune-up good tires exterior paint is good (green-blue color) interior worn seller has owned it for 7 years and driven it to and from work seller has only put 7k miles on it since he purchased it reportedly runs excellent some front-end damage (broken grill, hood is bent a little along the front edge) and a silver dollar-sized rust hole down low in the left rear qtr. asking $300 i plan to spiff it up and use it as an occasional daily driver for fun...you know, take the wife and kids for ice cream and such. well, what are your opinions given this description? what pitfalls should i look out for with a car like this? i would like to fix the hood and grill ASAP. How tough is it to find parts at a reasonable price? Thanks for your input!
Hi and welcome to the board. From the description of the car you gave, it sounds like a good project car to pick up. With the mileage as high as it is, I would ask the current owner why he is selling it and if the engine has ever been rebuilt or had any major work done to it. Pull the dipstick and see if the oil is burned or if there is any water in it. When you drive it you can check to see if it's smoking or burning oil. As for the body, be sure to check the frame, floor pans and torque boxes for any major rust. Those are the major rot spots under the car. Check inside the trunk for rust near or on the gas tank and inner quarters. Inside the car, be sure to check if the car has any signs of water leaks, especially on the front floor pans under the dash area. That's an almost sure sign of rotted out cowl panels. If I have forgotten anything, I'm sure someone here will fill in the blanks. Now that you have found this board, finding parts will be much easier for you. There is a great bunch of Maverick savy people here who will help you out with your parts search and anything else you might need to know.
Jean, thank you very much for the good info. anyone else with other good tips? i have never owned a maverick, so any more tips on pitfalls/typical problems that i should watch out for are of great value to me.
If it is virtually rust free the shell alone should be worth more than $300 ... Grills and hoods are easy to get. Follow Jeans advice to determine the condition ...
dmhines, i'm happy to hear hoods and grills are easy to find. i'll definitely be posting a want ad on this site if i buy the car. 71gold, i thought $300 sounded like a good price too, but i'll know more tonite after i drive it and check the things jean recommended. anyone else with any last minute advise?
don't buy it, just send me the address where it's at. only kidding. sounds like a great buy if it is a running car and has a decent body, good luck.
Don, thanks for the $0.02. I looked at the car last night and this is what i found: BODY: both rear qtrs have a silver dollar-sized hole down low, grill and hood will need to be replaced (broken/bent), passenger door has old putty that is cracking and peeling off. the paint on the top is flaking here and there. the radial tires match and have half tread left but are a bit weather checked. INTERIOR BODY: the gas tank and trunk floor have only minor surface rust. the trunk mat is in good condition, and the original spare wheel is intact but the tire is shot. INTERIOR: the front and back upholstery (black cloth) is COMPLETELY shot, dash (also black) is cracked in 3 places, handle on driver rear window is broken so it is wired shut, vinyl "carpet" is REALLY shot, interior door handles are shot, accelerator pedal is missing...the good news is the rear window deck and headliner are okay. ENGINE/TRANSMISSION/REAR END: it has the 170 ci 6 cyl. and 3 spd manual on the column with 106k miles. the engine oil on the dipstick was black and up to the correct fill line with no burnt or sweet smell. seller claims he changes the oil every 3 months but i don't believe him, the front of the engine had a bunch of oil splattered all over it (front main seal?), the antifreeze level was okay in the radiator, but looked really watered down tho there were no puddles of antifreeze on the street. the fan didn;t have any play in it that i could feel while the belt was still on it. it definitely needs new radiator hoses. seller said tune-up was done this spring. The battery was so dead that we couldn't even get it to turn over with either a 50 amp charger or jumper cables . seller claims that the clutch and steering column were replaced within the last 5,000 miles. the rear pumpkin is covered in black goo, and i coudn't tell where the lube was coming from tho it somehow had to be coming from the top of the differential. PRICE: the seller is not willing to sell it for less than $300 cuz his wife is telling him they can donate it to charity and get that much credit on their taxes . imo, it's not worth more than $200 and that is ONLY if it runs like a top and drives good. the seller is going to "work on it" this weekend and call me when it will start (i told him it just needed a new battery). he said "it ain't goin' anywhere", and i thought "that's for sure" . MY PLAN: get a new battery , saddle blanket seat covers, new vinyl "carpet" (if there is aftermarket available), and other minor interior parts right away; do some minor work like changing ALL the fluids, get a grill and (?grabber?) hood, and do some putty work on the rust and cracked/peeling putty. i have a buddy that will paint it for $250 if i do the prep work (includes materials with 2 coats of clear but the finish will be orange-peel since my bud can't seem to do any better ). i would get the grabber decals and paint the other grabber stripes on it with a white can of spray paint.:bananaman OPINION???: so, IF it starts and runs like a top, and drives good...what do you guys think? is it worth $300? i can only have about $1,000 into it by the time i spiff it up cuz money is REAL tight for me right now. i just think it would be a fun little project to dink with in my "spare time"...my wife says it'll be an eyesore .
I would check for "putty" in the rear quarters. If it has ever been repainted...i bet it is full of bondo. Sounds like a parts car to me. Remember....it is always cheaper in the LONG RUN to buy the most solid, complete car that you can.
"Putty" doesn't bother me, but lots of rust does. I'd say that any car that's drivable is worth $300...Especially a Maverick...
I think that's a decent price, and as long as the frame rails aren't shot I see it in no way a parts car. If you're not up to the project, sell it to someone that is. Sorry Craig, we need to save as many of these as we can.
and let me add that the build is as much fun as the drive!!!! I will agree with Matt and T.L....if the under carriage is in good shape the rest is only time and money granted I drove to texas and trailered my car home but I did'nt want the rusty body pannels to contend with with all the other fab work I had planed.
If the car has been repainted....then I speculate that there is bondo hiding alot of rust. Really hard to say....since we don't have any pictures to look at and we are going strictly off of a description. Many of the cars that I have parted out LOOKED to nice to part out, including this one.... http://mmb.maverick.to/attachment.php?attachmentid=2811 Believe me...this car was rough!!!
