@100ford2003 - The Maverick was a good car. I only had it for six months, though. That's because, in March 1971, I bought my dream car, which was my '71 Mach 1, 429 SCJ Ram Air, Hurst 4-speed, 3.91:1 Mustang! As the immature 20-year-old I was, I literally burned the rear tires in clouds of burnout smoke off that car in two weeks. The clutch was gone in six weeks. Those were some fun days on Woodward Ave. LOL!
@bob-jackman - Rust was an issue with Panteras after a few years of ownership. But the most common problem, even with new cars, was the constant electrical problems. The lack of reliability was one of the reasons that compelled me not to buy the car. We have to remember the only thing "Ford" in the car was the Cleveland 351 CID engine. Other than that, it was pure Italian. And we all know in those days, Italian cars weren't exactly the most reliable cars.
@chris - After I burned the clutch out, I opted to get a performance component. The most popular clutch assembly then was a Schiefer. However, the maximum size they offered was 11.0", and the Mach 1 had an 11.5" assembly. With the size limitation of the Schiefer unit, I opted for the Hayes clutch instead. Under the tremendous torque of the 429 SCJ, it never lasted more than 6 months. With all of those no-throttle-lift power shifts I did on Woodward Ave., I had to replace them twice per year. I can still smell the clutch plates burning now. Ahhhh......!
