19th Jan 2020, 21:02
These cars weren't all that bad. Reliability was decent along with pretty good sales.
Not everyone adored the styling of the Mustang II, and these Mavericks with the Stallion and Graber performance package outsold them.
23rd Jan 2020, 21:30
Stallion and "Graber" were not "performance" packages. Unless you think that paint stripes and decals make cars go faster LOL.
25th Jan 2020, 03:10
Kind of like a Harley Davidson F-150. Just an F-150 with some badges stuck in a few places... Right?
19th Jan 2020, 04:51
This vehicle was a re-write of the 1960 Falcon, retaining the hardcore emphasis on thrift, while embracing a new cute look. The sales data showed that the premise worked.
But I don’t doubt the quality control issues you saw. The front end squeak was part and parcel of the coil spring over the upper control arm front suspension that many Fords of that era featured.
I’m glad to hear that the 170 survived trailer towing. You must have been a (very) patient person ;)
Fun fact: you could buy a 3-speed semi-automatic transmission with the 170-equipped Maverick. No clutch, but you had to shift it yourself from 1-2-3 and back down again. It was a C-4 with a manual valve body. GM (Chevy) pioneered the idea with their Torque Drive semi-automatic. It was a manually-shifted Powerglide - with only 2 forward gears, and Ford felt the need to compete.