Ford Maverick

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richhodg66

Well-Known Member
I have been a fan of the little Nissan trucks since I git my first one after I got back from Desert Storm. I've had five of them over the years, all used when I got them and all have been (for me) good trucks.

I hate whistles and bells on a vehicle, simpler, smaller, more efficient is what I'm after. All of mine have had manual transmissions and all but one the little 2.4 Liter inline four.

The problem; getting another one, or even remotely similar truck is nigh on impossible now. Everybody wants bigger, more powerful, more whistles and bells. Manufacturers don't realize many of us who do enough "truck" stuff would kinda like something less than an $80K, 3/4 ton, 4x4. I just don't need that and don't want it.

So, this offering of the Maverick seems to indicate that Ford is listening to me. They also re-introduced the Ranger. Those Mavericks have been few and far between, but I am beginning to see them now and thenNobody I know has one or has even driven one. Tempted to go to the dealer in town and test drive one, but I hate car sales places, high pressure sales of anything for that matter.

I was hoping this concept would motivate Nissan or Toyota to start making small trusks again, hasn't happenned. I'd rather have one of theirs than a Ford, but so be it. The current Nissan is definitely long in the tooth and showing it. ANyone have first hand knowlege of the Ford Maverick?
 
hporter

hporter

Active Member
This video was educational to me:


It figures the gooberment would design the CAFE rules to penalize small fuel efficient trucks. Those old Datsun/Nissan and Toyota trucks were wonderful back in the 70's and 80's for a lot of purposes. Not a farm truck, or something to haul a lot in. But they were cheap to buy and operate, and got decent gas mileage.

It also helps explain why those small import and domestic trucks have grown in size over the years.

We see a lot of the new Mavericks in Houston. They are probably a decent vehicle. My only comment would be from the experience I gained with my first pickup - a 1962 Ford Short Bed Uni-body. When you are hauling a load, the fact it is a unibody and the bed can't move independent of the cab leads to some weird driving dynamics.

I have been noticing the new Nissan Frontiers lately. They still have a squarish body shape that looks like a truck should (at least in my own mind). I have a hard time warming up to some of the new body shapes.

I had both my catalytic converters stolen out of my Tundra while my wife and I stopped by a thrift shop in March. The rental car company gave me a brand new Tundra with 500 miles as my temporary driver. I couldn't wait to get my old truck out of the shop!
 
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Rushcreek

Well-Known Member
Just my experience, but my two Ford Rangers were better trucks than my Nissan or my Toyota trucks.
But I like my short bed single cab V6 Silverado better than those.
 
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richhodg66

Well-Known Member
About a month ago, a 98 Dodge Ram presented itself locally and I bought it. Cheap considering what even junk is going for. Half ton, 2WD, but the 318 and a five speed were the selling points. We'll see if it stirs me as I work off the various little things that are needing attention. But, it's gonna be a stop gap, either until I feel comfortable buying a Maverick or something similar comes out. I'd never buy anything the first couple of years it's on the market, but one of these Mavericks may be in my future. I like the looks of them.
 
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richhodg66

Well-Known Member
The Nissans and Toyotas are the best. I'll never buy anything from GM, generally I have had decent luck with Fords in general. I'm not hung up on the Maverick as much as I am on the concept that spawned it. I'd be real interested in seeing what Toyota is planning.
 
Bret4207

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
Toyota still makes the Tacoma far as I know. I out over 300K on 2 of them. The sole Nissan Frontier we had was not up to Toy quality as far as I could see and the various Mitsubishi/Rangers and what ever that little Dodge was were not at all like the Toy in quality. As far as the small PU's not being farm trucks, I can assure you they are!!!
 
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Petrol & Powder

Well-Known Member
I can’t offer any information on the new Mavrick truck, but I share your views listed in the first post.

I knew a guy that had 2 consecutive Nissan trucks with over 300K on each. I think he put about 200K on each of those trucks. Another coworker jokingly referred to his Nissan truck as his Japanese Freightliner.

I have a 20-year-old 4 cylinder, 5-speed, 4WD Tacoma that I will not part with until I’m forced to.

I have not been impressed with Toyota’s recent offerings and they seem to be going the route of gimmicks, electronics, and more Bells & Whistles.
 
Reloader762

Reloader762

Active Member
Had a 1981 Ford Ranger 4 banger, was a pretty good little truck till around 110K when a piston skirt broke off and threw the rod out the side of the motor. I put a junkyard replacement motor in it and promptly sold it for $1500 and lucked up on a sweet deal on a new loaded 93 Chev S10 King Cab that I drove up till Jan. of 2022 and had 498K on it when I took it off the road, still use it around the home place for hauling and moving heavy loads. I saw one of the New Ford Maverick trucks yesterday, nice little truck if you don't have much of any hauling to do.
 
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Petrol & Powder

Well-Known Member
Yeah...... those 1970's American compacts (Mavrick, Nova, Dart, Hornet) were an interesting phase. Inexpensive to purchase and slightly cheaper to operate than your typical land yacht of the same era but the quality was questionable.

After the 1973 oil embargo, American car manufacturers were really struggling to compete with the Japanese imports.
 
Winelover

Winelover

North Central Arkansas
confused-face-smiley-emoticon.gifThe Chevrolet Chevy II/Nova is a small automobile manufactured by Chevrolet, and produced in five generations for the 1962 through 1979, and 1985 through 1988 model years. Nova was the top model in the Chevy II lineup through 1968.
 
Winelover

Winelover

North Central Arkansas
Not question, more of a statement. Chevy produced small inexpensive cars a decade or more, before the oil embargo. Before the Nova, there was the Corvair. The Vega is more like a child of the oil embargo days.

Ford produced the Falcon, way before the oil embargo.
 
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Petrol & Powder

Well-Known Member
GM, Ford, Chrysler and AMC all produced compact cars prior to 1973.

And they all had significant competition from imports, predominantly Japanese after 1973.

In fact, the competition was so severe that the 1985-1988 Nova was actually a rebadged TOYOTA.
 
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300BLK

Well-Known Member
All of the trucks have gotten larger and more complex. I drove a '98 F150 shortbed, 2wd, 6cyl 5spd for more than 20 years and never had a lick of trouble with it. The new Rangers seem to be almost as big as that truck was, but I wouldn't trust all of the electronic gizmo-gadgets, A friend of mine bought a Nissan Frontier and drove it for about 20 years with no issues. His was 4wd, 6cyl, 5 spd, he sold it to buy a bigger, newer truck so as to be able to tow. What I didn't like about that era Frontier was also true of the Tacoma, and some of the earlier S10s. The seat was so low it felt like I was sitting on the floor. I test drove a 2012 Frontier with the 4.0L V6 and automatic, and it was a pleasure to drive. I liked dry, lockable cargo room, so bought an Xterra instead for about the price difference of a fiberglass truck cap. My utility trailer does the dirty work.

I've driven new F150s, and they seem huge. I can't complain about the Eccoboost power, interior comfort, ride, or lack of quiet, but the price!

You lamented the lack of the older small trucks, but in aother sentence commented that the Frontier is getting "long in the tooth"....seems like a contradiction. If I were shopping for a new PU, the Frontier is the first one I would look at, and the Maverick wouldn't even be a consideration.
 
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