Introduced in 1969 as an “import fighter,” the Ford Maverick actually sold surprisingly well in its first few years. It could be because the compact Maverick was a much smaller and lighter car than the Mustangs of the early 1970’s, and even with a six-cylinder engine, it felt rather peppy, if not fast.
Yet the legend of the Maverick is merely that of an economy car coming around right when the emphasis was not power, but fuel economy…though that hasn’t stopped multiple generations of hot rodders from taking the Maverick and making it a worthy muscle machine.
Still, even we were a little taken aback when we saw this video Bangshift came across of the “Fordge” Maverick, which harbors under its hood a Dodge Viper V10 engine. Can you say crazy?
The car is owned by former Hot Rod alum Jason Lewis. He bought the ’74 Maverick, running, for just $300 and according to Jason utilizing this platform was a “no-brainer.” He’s right. It is light, rear-wheel drive, with a huge engine bay and looks that hold up well even 30+ years after it first debuted. Which is good, because aside from removing the drip rails and shaving the side markets, Jason wants to keep this Maverick looking like a Maverick, before popping the hood to reveal the Viper V10 inside.
This is an ongoing project to be sure, though good progress has already been made. Aside from the full tube frame chassis, and Chassisworks front end, a lot of work went into setting back the firewall to fit the 2004 Viper V10 engine into the Maverick. It’s in, and it fits, and even better, all of the weight of the engine is behind the front axles. Even more amazing? The engine fits under the stock hood. Sure, he had to build a custom transmission and driveshaft tunnel, as well as new dash panels and other things. But a V10 Ford Maverick certainly seems worth the effort to us.