<img data-attachment-id=”1757676″ data-permalink=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan/00-1976-ford-maverick-in-colorado-junkyard-photo-by-murilee-martin/” data-orig-file=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/00-1976-Ford-Maverick-in-Colorado-junkyard-photo-by-Murilee-Martin.jpg” data-orig-size=”3000,1688″ data-comments-opened=”1″ data-image-meta=”{“aperture”:”2.4″,”credit”:””,”camera”:”SM-G960U1″,”caption”:””,”created_timestamp”:”1596796330″,”copyright”:””,”focal_length”:”4.3″,”iso”:”50″,”shutter_speed”:”0.00066445182724252″,”title”:””,”orientation”:”1″}” data-image-title=”1976 Ford Maverick sedan in Colorado junkyard, RH front view” data-image-description=”
1976 Ford Maverick sedan in Colorado junkyard, RH front view – ©2021 Murilee Martin – The Truth About Cars
” data-medium-file=”http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-8.jpg” data-large-file=”http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan.jpg” class=”aligncenter size-large wp-image-1757676″ src=”http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan.jpg” alt=”1976 Ford Maverick sedan in Colorado junkyard, RH front view – ©2021 Murilee Martin – The Truth About Cars” width=”610″ height=”343″ srcset=”http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan.jpg 610w, http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-7.jpg 75w, http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-8.jpg 450w, http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-9.jpg 768w, http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-10.jpg 120w, http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-11.jpg 800w” sizes=”(max-width: 610px) 100vw, 610px”>Ford squeezed an amazing amount of value out of the 1960 Falcon‘s chassis design, with everything from the 1964-1973 Mustang to the 1980 Granada rolling Falcon-style. The Falcon itself got replaced here by the Maverick starting in 1970 (with one year of overlap when both were available), but the Maverick still had the 1960 Falcon’s bones under its skin. Millions of Mavericks (and near-identical Mercury Comets) were sold here during the 1970-1977 period, and nearly all of these affordable commutemobiles got crushed decades ago. Still, I run across the occasional Maverick/Comet during my junkyard journeys, and I found this optioned-up ’76 in a Denver-area yard last summer.
<img data-attachment-id=”1757696″ data-permalink=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan/22-1976-ford-maverick-in-colorado-junkyard-photo-by-murilee-martin/” data-orig-file=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/22-1976-Ford-Maverick-in-Colorado-junkyard-photo-by-Murilee-Martin.jpg” data-orig-size=”3000,1688″ data-comments-opened=”1″ data-image-meta=”{“aperture”:”2.4″,”credit”:””,”camera”:”SM-G960U1″,”caption”:””,”created_timestamp”:”1596796319″,”copyright”:””,”focal_length”:”4.3″,”iso”:”125″,”shutter_speed”:”0.016666666666667″,”title”:””,”orientation”:”1″}” data-image-title=”1976 Ford Maverick sedan in Colorado junkyard, emblem” data-image-description=”
1976 Ford Maverick sedan in Colorado junkyard, emblem – ©2021 Murilee Martin – The Truth About Cars
” data-medium-file=”http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-13.jpg” data-large-file=”http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-1.jpg” class=”aligncenter size-large wp-image-1757696″ src=”http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-1.jpg” alt=”1976 Ford Maverick sedan in Colorado junkyard, emblem – ©2021 Murilee Martin – The Truth About Cars” width=”610″ height=”343″ srcset=”http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-1.jpg 610w, http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-12.jpg 75w, http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-13.jpg 450w, http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-14.jpg 768w, http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-15.jpg 120w, http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-16.jpg 800w” sizes=”(max-width: 610px) 100vw, 610px”>I went to high school during the early 1980s, and the Maverick was one of the most likely cars to be handed down by relatives to my peers back then. No California teenager felt cool driving a stock Maverick (or Comet) during that era, though it could have been worse— you could have been stuck with a Pinto or Vega. I bypassed those image problems by dropping 50 bones on a hooptie 1969 Toyota Corona sedan in not-so-edgy beige and never looked back.
<img data-attachment-id=”1757680″ data-permalink=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan/05-1976-ford-maverick-in-colorado-junkyard-photo-by-murilee-martin/” data-orig-file=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/05-1976-Ford-Maverick-in-Colorado-junkyard-photo-by-Murilee-Martin.jpg” data-orig-size=”3000,1688″ data-comments-opened=”1″ data-image-meta=”{“aperture”:”2.4″,”credit”:””,”camera”:”SM-G960U1″,”caption”:””,”created_timestamp”:”1596796236″,”copyright”:””,”focal_length”:”4.3″,”iso”:”64″,”shutter_speed”:”0.01″,”title”:””,”orientation”:”1″}” data-image-title=”1976 Ford Maverick sedan in Colorado junkyard, V8 engine” data-image-description=”
1976 Ford Maverick sedan in Colorado junkyard, V8 engine – ©2021 Murilee Martin – The Truth About Cars
” data-medium-file=”http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-18.jpg” data-large-file=”http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-2.jpg” class=”aligncenter size-large wp-image-1757680″ src=”http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-2.jpg” alt=”1976 Ford Maverick sedan in Colorado junkyard, V8 engine – ©2021 Murilee Martin – The Truth About Cars” width=”610″ height=”343″ srcset=”http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-2.jpg 610w, http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-17.jpg 75w, http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-18.jpg 450w, http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-19.jpg 768w, http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-20.jpg 120w, http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-21.jpg 800w” sizes=”(max-width: 610px) 100vw, 610px”>This car was on the semi-hip side, in fact, since it has a V8 engine. If we’re looking at the original engine— nowhere near a certainty, but possible— then this is a 302-cubic-inch (5.0-liter) Winsdor rated at 136 horsepower. Most Mavericks got the straight-six engine because if you could afford the $154 extra for the V8 (about $730 today), you probably felt rich enough to move up to a new Granada or even a Torino.
<img data-attachment-id=”1757692″ data-permalink=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan/17-1976-ford-maverick-in-colorado-junkyard-photo-by-murilee-martin/” data-orig-file=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/17-1976-Ford-Maverick-in-Colorado-junkyard-photo-by-Murilee-Martin.jpg” data-orig-size=”3000,1688″ data-comments-opened=”1″ data-image-meta=”{“aperture”:”2.4″,”credit”:””,”camera”:”SM-G960U1″,”caption”:””,”created_timestamp”:”1596796304″,”copyright”:””,”focal_length”:”4.3″,”iso”:”80″,”shutter_speed”:”0.0083333333333333″,”title”:””,”orientation”:”1″}” data-image-title=”1976 Ford Maverick sedan in Colorado junkyard, automatic gearshift” data-image-description=”
1976 Ford Maverick sedan in Colorado junkyard, automatic gearshift – ©2021 Murilee Martin – The Truth About Cars
” data-medium-file=”http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-23.jpg” data-large-file=”http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-3.jpg” class=”aligncenter size-large wp-image-1757692″ src=”http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-3.jpg” alt=”1976 Ford Maverick sedan in Colorado junkyard, automatic gearshift – ©2021 Murilee Martin – The Truth About Cars” width=”610″ height=”343″ srcset=”http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-3.jpg 610w, http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-22.jpg 75w, http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-23.jpg 450w, http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-24.jpg 768w, http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-25.jpg 120w, http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-26.jpg 800w” sizes=”(max-width: 610px) 100vw, 610px”>Of course, once you popped your clutch for that extra dough for the engine, why not continue shaking bills out of your wallet and get rid of the clutch in your new car? The three-speed automatic was a $245 option on this car (about $1,160 now), and this car has it. Otherwise, the base transmission for the ’76 Maverick was the three-on-the-tree manual (which disappeared from North American Ford cars after 1977 and from all new cars sold here after 1979).
<img data-attachment-id=”1757684″ data-permalink=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan/11-1976-ford-maverick-in-colorado-junkyard-photo-by-murilee-martin/” data-orig-file=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/11-1976-Ford-Maverick-in-Colorado-junkyard-photo-by-Murilee-Martin.jpg” data-orig-size=”3000,1688″ data-comments-opened=”1″ data-image-meta=”{“aperture”:”2.4″,”credit”:””,”camera”:”SM-G960U1″,”caption”:””,”created_timestamp”:”1596796285″,”copyright”:””,”focal_length”:”4.3″,”iso”:”50″,”shutter_speed”:”0.0053763440860215″,”title”:””,”orientation”:”1″}” data-image-title=”1976 Ford Maverick sedan in Colorado junkyard, interior” data-image-description=”
1976 Ford Maverick sedan in Colorado junkyard, interior – ©2021 Murilee Martin – The Truth About Cars
” data-medium-file=”http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-28.jpg” data-large-file=”http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-4.jpg” class=”aligncenter size-large wp-image-1757684″ src=”http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-4.jpg” alt=”1976 Ford Maverick sedan in Colorado junkyard, interior – ©2021 Murilee Martin – The Truth About Cars” width=”610″ height=”343″ srcset=”http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-4.jpg 610w, http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-27.jpg 75w, http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-28.jpg 450w, http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-29.jpg 768w, http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-30.jpg 120w, http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-31.jpg 800w” sizes=”(max-width: 610px) 100vw, 610px”>I’m not sure what this cloth/vinyl bench-seat upholstery was called by Dearborn in 1976, but it’s a step up from the slippery all-vinyl base interior.
<img data-attachment-id=”1757686″ data-permalink=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan/13-1976-ford-maverick-in-colorado-junkyard-photo-by-murilee-martin/” data-orig-file=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/13-1976-Ford-Maverick-in-Colorado-junkyard-photo-by-Murilee-Martin.jpg” data-orig-size=”3000,1688″ data-comments-opened=”1″ data-image-meta=”{“aperture”:”2.4″,”credit”:””,”camera”:”SM-G960U1″,”caption”:””,”created_timestamp”:”1596796291″,”copyright”:””,”focal_length”:”4.3″,”iso”:”250″,”shutter_speed”:”0.032258064516129″,”title”:””,”orientation”:”1″}” data-image-title=”1976 Ford Maverick sedan in Colorado junkyard, Panasonic radio” data-image-description=”
1976 Ford Maverick sedan in Colorado junkyard, Panasonic radio – ©2021 Murilee Martin – The Truth About Cars
” data-medium-file=”http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-33.jpg” data-large-file=”http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-5.jpg” class=”aligncenter size-large wp-image-1757686″ src=”http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-5.jpg” alt=”1976 Ford Maverick sedan in Colorado junkyard, Panasonic radio – ©2021 Murilee Martin – The Truth About Cars” width=”610″ height=”343″ srcset=”http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-5.jpg 610w, http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-32.jpg 75w, http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-33.jpg 450w, http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-34.jpg 768w, http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-35.jpg 120w, http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-36.jpg 800w” sizes=”(max-width: 610px) 100vw, 610px”>This aftermarket Panasonic AM/FM radio managed to avoid being stolen during this car’s career, which is something of an accomplishment.
<img data-attachment-id=”1757708″ data-permalink=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan/38-1976-ford-maverick-in-colorado-junkyard-photo-by-murilee-martin/” data-orig-file=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/38-1976-Ford-Maverick-in-Colorado-junkyard-photo-by-Murilee-Martin.jpg” data-orig-size=”3000,1688″ data-comments-opened=”1″ data-image-meta=”{“aperture”:”2.4″,”credit”:””,”camera”:”SM-G960U1″,”caption”:””,”created_timestamp”:”1596796371″,”copyright”:””,”focal_length”:”4.3″,”iso”:”50″,”shutter_speed”:”0.0020120724346076″,”title”:””,”orientation”:”1″}” data-image-title=”1976 Ford Maverick sedan in Colorado junkyard, taillight” data-image-description=”
1976 Ford Maverick sedan in Colorado junkyard, taillight – ©2021 Murilee Martin – The Truth About Cars
” data-medium-file=”http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-38.jpg” data-large-file=”http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-6.jpg” class=”aligncenter size-large wp-image-1757708″ src=”http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-6.jpg” alt=”1976 Ford Maverick sedan in Colorado junkyard, taillight – ©2021 Murilee Martin – The Truth About Cars” width=”610″ height=”343″ srcset=”http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-6.jpg 610w, http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-37.jpg 75w, http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-38.jpg 450w, http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-39.jpg 768w, http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-40.jpg 120w, http://automotivezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/junkyard-find-1976-ford-maverick-sedan-41.jpg 800w” sizes=”(max-width: 610px) 100vw, 610px”>These simple taillights were quite popular on kit cars during the 1970s, along with the round lights from Opel Mantas.
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Our recent Rare Rides coverage of the Chevrolet Citation made one thing very clear: We need more Citation content. Today’s 1982 Buy/Drive/Burn lineup was suggested by commenter eng_alvarado90, who would like to see all of you struggle. Citation, Aries, Escort, all in their most utilitarian formats. Let’s go.
The Citation is in its third model year for 1982, and sales have already fallen far from their initial peak of 800,000. The bloom is off this rose, but GM is still on track for six-digit sales this year. Sticking firmly to economy and utility, today’s Citation is a five-door hatchback equipped with the 2.5-liter Iron Duke inline-four and paired to a four-speed manual. Throttle-body injection is new this year and means 90 horses are underfoot. There’s also a new horizontal slats grille.
The Dodge Aries is still new and is in its second model year for 1982. Chrysler started out strong last year with over 300,000 sales, and will likely reach that number again in ’82. Today’s Aries is the four-door wagon, as Chrysler does not offer a hatchback K-car at this level. Underhood is the base 2.2-liter Chrysler inline-four, which uses a two-barrel carb. Eighty-four horses are at the driver’s command, shifted through a four-speed manual. New this year: rear windows roll down on sedans and wagons, replacing the fixed glass.
Ford’s Escort is also in its second model year for 1982. The American market Escort was supposed to be very similar to the European one for parts sharing purposes. However the respective design teams each headed their own direction, and the two cars share only an engine and transmission. Today’s five-door Escort hatchback is new for ’82, along with a new grille and presence of the familiar Ford Blue Oval. The base 1.6-liter CVH engine gets a high output version this year, which increases power by about 10 horses, to 80. Power is delivered to the front via a four-speed Ford MTX manual.