And once the keys were in your hands – and the car in your garage. It was cheap to buy – and even more important, it was cheap to insure – unlike an out-of-the-closet muscle car. It could, therefore, slip under the radar. The Grabber’s 302 left the factory constipated – but this proved to be a blessing in disguise.Īs far as the government – and insurance companies – were concerned, this was an economy car. Restrictive, not because of catalytic converters – these would not be an issue until 1975 – but rather because the super-tight packaging of the Maverick did not allow for factory dual exhausts or even a decent-diameter single exhaust system. It was further choked-down by its economy-intended two-barrel carburetor and a very restrictive single exhaust system. Part of the reason for the modest output was the extremely mild camshaft – a stick designed to deliver good low-speed torque for A to B driving. The little V-8 was factory rated at 210 hp (SAE gross) in 1970 – or about 100 hp less than the output of a healthy 302. (For some perspective, the “compact” 1970 Chevy Nova SS weighed about 3,200 lbs.) – a flyweight even by early ’70s standards. It had the potential to be a screamer – especially in a car that only weighed 2,786 lbs. The same basic V-8 that had made big power in other Ford vehicles and which only required a dusting with various factory and aftermarket performance parts to rise from its slumber. It was not a Boss 302 – or even a four barrel 302 – but it was a V-8 and even better, it was a 302 V-8. But buyers in search of a muscle car in the rough checked off the option box for the 302 V-8, which, became available shortly after the Maverick’s launch. Standard under the Grabber’s dual-dome scooped hood was the base Maverick’s 105 hp 170 CID straight six, with two larger (200 and 250 CID) sixes available as step-up options. “Select Aire” AC could be ordered, but the car’s effective ventilation system made this unnecessary. This was in addition to neat Maverick features such as the “flipper type” rear vent windows, which could be opened outward to draw air into the car. * 14 inch wheels with special trim rings. * Bench or bucket seats, trimmed in either Ruffino vinyl or Manston cloth (1972). * “Dual dome” hood with dummy scoops (1970-72 models). * Special “Grabber” side stripes and decals, blacked-out grille and rear valance panel, dual sport mirrors. * Five Grabbber-specific colors: Brite Yellow, Grabber Yellow, Grabber Green, Grabber Blue and Thanks Vermillion (later color choices would include Freudian Gilt, Anti-Establishment Mint, Original Cinnamon and Hulla Blue). The package appeared about halfway through the Maverick’s first full year in production in Dec. It was supposed to be merely an appearance package, but soon came to be more than that. It existed for five short years, from 1970 through 1975. One of these was the Grabber version of Ford’s Maverick. They were “do-it-yourself muscle cars” – just add horsepower. And they often had advantages many of the factory muscle cars of the ’60s did not, including low curb weight – and a low price tag. They had the necessary foundations: rear-wheel-drive layout, sporty two-door styling. But which did come with V-8s that could very easily be made high-powered. These were cars that did not come with high-powered V-8s from the factory. There is an interesting species of near muscle car that came into being and briefly existed for a handful of years, beginning in the early 1970s – just as the high tide of the real muscle car was receding.
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