Good Reasons for Driving A Mavrick/Comet

I'm seeing a pattern here that I suspected I would see when I first got my car.

As more and more younger people get into the hobby or get interested in old cars, people who don't remember that the Maverick is supposed to be a POS are able to look at it without bias and see it for what it is.

If I get into a conversation about my car with with a 50 year old, he'll tell me how he hasn't seen one in years, he or someone in his family had one, and it's so great to see one of those "fixed up like that." If I tell someone in that age group I've fixed up a Maverick, I usually hear "why?" If he sees it he likes it, but he's convinced I must have radically altered the car because it just doesn't line up with what he remembers.

A 40 year old will call it anything but a Maverick. He knows what a Maverick is and what it's supposed to be, but he doesn't have quite the same concept of it in his mind as the 50 year old. He was a kid during the Maverick's peak popularity. A Maverick is what his mom drove, and it didn't look like that. He loves the car, but it's a Nova, Camaro, Mustang, whatever... My car has MAVERICK written on the door in capital letters a foot wide and he is blind to it.

(Then there's the OTHER type of 40 year old, whose first car was a Maverick, he knows everything about them, he wishes he'd kept his because now they're with so much money, his had a 4-speed, and hey does my car sill have the original Boss 302?)

When a 20 year old checks out my car, he's usually never seen one before and he's walking all around it with his hands behind his back like he thinks he shouldn't touch it, grinning ear to ear, asking me if I'll open the hood, talking about it with the kind of reverence you might hear from me if I ran into a guy at the grocery store with a perfect GT500. He loves it. To him, it's a 2-door RWD American car from 70's, it has the lines and profile of a muscle car, it sounds like a muscle car, it has a "big" V8... How can this be anything but a classic muscle car? It looks at least as good, often better than many "official" classic muscle cars... He doesn't know it's supposed to be a little s#!tbox economy car because by his standards it's just a normal sized car. Most of the cars he grew up with are about that size. Economy cars are supposed to be FWD, boxy, tiny, 4-cylinder, usually 4-door... Nothing says "economy car" about the Maverick to this guy, everything says "muscle car."

I'm nearly 30, and although I do know it's supposed to be a s#!tbox, I can see it for what it really is. Most other "car people" my age who aren't into imports see it too, and even some of the import people respect it because it's not just another Mustang or Camaro. It's the original "sport compact." As for the Chevy and Ford people... I'm noticing in my age group and younger, it's not about Chevy vs. Ford anymore. It's Import vs. Domestic, and even that line gets crossed sometimes.

But the one thing all of those people have in common... They all like Mavericks. They may not know they do until they see the right one in person, but the car is universally liked. Ten years ago this post could have been about Falcons. No joke, I had no idea Falcons were ever uncool until last week...

 

and if your expecting a kid and your wife wants to sell the maverick...buy a 4 door aha!

 

Don't let her make you do it! My 2 year old loves to ride in my Maverick, his seat fits back there fine, it's just as easy to get him in and out as it is with our 4-door Stratus, plus we can actually reach him while we're buckled in, so if he needs a tasty beverage or he's dropped his crayon, we've got him covered. Not so in Mom's car. And back to my age group thing... Mavs are huge with the toddler crowd. Huge. When that boy gets his license and takes my car out he's gonna get all the ladies.

 

Good Reason to drive a Maverick? I like them.

 

The reason I drive a Maverick?.....
I drive my cars a lot and they continue to run. I have owned several "late madel" and new cars and there were lots of problems - mostly electrical and computer. My Bronco would stop for no reason without warning - I finally replaced all the relays (out of desperation) after two dealerships and an independent shop told me there was nothing wrong and the "heavy duty" relays took care of the problem until the ignition module crapped out a year later. I like the way the Maverick handles. If it ever breaks down on the road I can actually fix it without a computer or other diagnostic tools. I don't have to try to get it to pass emissions - though it would - and it is cheap to license and insure. It is a drivers car, not a muscle car that needs constant tuning, not a sports car and not a luxury car. I have owned at least one of each of the other types of cars. I like the maverick - I can drive it without worry.

 

I love you guys, and yes i'm married to a great woman, you guys could bring a tear to a mans eye. I was 10 years old when my Comet was made and i have owned it for 15 years and would NEVER sell it. I have been to so many shows with my trusty Comet with some goofs hating it and having some little comment about how crappy they were (well after 32 years it's still around) BUT most guys like it or love it and tell me all the fun they had in a Maverick or Comet many years back in the past. Say what you will I LOVE MY COMET, P.O.S. OR NOT and have no desire to get something else....ever. Oh by the way i would LOVE to have been brought home in a Maverick as a baby......OH SO COOL!!!!!!

 

My sentiments exactly. Its like that whole "form meets function" thing. It's an economic car that packs a sizable punch for what it is. It's probably the best balanced car I've ever seen.

I'm not alone! Thats the way I've been since I knew what a car was. If it's American made, that's all that matters, so long as its old enough for me. Or a new car styled after the old ones. (the newer mustangs do an ok job of this. the chargers as well. and if *%$#! would come out with their new muscle car, itd be nice.) not sure if I should specify on that last one. Now all we need is for AMC to come back and re-enter the ponycar sector and we'd be all set.

 

ur telling me...jap cars ruin my day...

 

muscle car definition: automobile with a high horse power engine, modest weight, capable of producing high levels of acceleration

or

Big giant V8 engines with super chargers and special exhaust created these gas-guzzlers that were really fast!

Classic:
A vehicle over 25 years old. Classics are cars made between 25 and 50 years ago.

if you got a v8....or a special exhaust...or a modest weight...or a high excelleration

idk...​

 

I don't know man... I've gotta say those definitions are too broad for me.


Classic:

There's a difference between "classic" and "old." And then they throw in words like "antique" or (my favorite) "vintage" just to further mess with your mind.

A "classic" of any kind, not just a car, has to be special in some way or at least popular, not just old. Has to be something endearing or iconic about it.


Musclecar:

As for "muscle car," again it has to be more than just power to weight ratio. Beyond the pureblood factory musclecars I do think there are exceptions, like the Maverick. I don't think a musclecar has to be born a musclecar, or even neccessarily born in the 70's, but there are a few key elements that are important.

1. There are no FWD musclecars. A Civic, Cavalier or Focus can never be a musclecar. Tub it out, then we'll talk.

2. There are no 4cyl musclecars. None. Supercharge it, turbo, nitrous, or all three, I don't care. A 4 cylinder engine will not be in a musclecar unless there are two of them.

3. There are very few 6cyl musclecars. I'm thinking Buick Grand National could be an exception, there may be others.

4. There are very few 4-door musclecars. Impala SS and Marauder are exceptions, there are others.

5. When I think of musclecars, I think of torque. Horsepower is required, but it's not enough. Handling doesn't much matter either. A musclecar lurches forward, slams you into the seat and goes fast in a straight line. Anything else it does is gravy. Cars built for cornering are calls sportscars. Unless they are FWD, because there are no FWD sportscars.

6. There are no FWD musclecars. No, the Toronado is not an exception, and I know about the 427.

7. There are very few foreign-made musclecars, and most of those are Australian. Holden Monaro, certain Falcons and "utes" come to mind.

8. There are plenty of musclecars made after the 70's, but most of them weren't.

That's all I can think of for now.

...Flamesuit on...

 

I love AMC I have owned several of them cars/jeeps currently own a CJ7
it was funny you mentioned them I saw this on autoblog a couple of weeks ago and it was the first thing I thought of. It is a Gremling concept car if AMC did come back

http://www.autoblog.com/photos/amc-gremlin-by-jeff-teague/1201585/

 

I offered to buy my girlfriend a 4 door Maverick or another Comet for her for Christmas.

I figure I need a parts car and this was a good way to ask for one. She wouldn't notice if things slowly started changing on "her" car as mine got nicer and nicer (until one day she catches me pulling the engine or rear end out of "her" car to stick in one of mine).

She looked at me and laughed. Yah right.

Guess I'll have to buy her a ring for Christmas instead of a parts car.

 

low insurance