I think that the under-dash shelf–in lieu of a glove compartment–was a truly classy feature.
My parents had a Maverick followed by a Bobcat. My first new car was a Bobcat. While our experience with them was OK, I wouldn’t consider them anything but economical transportation.
A good car that broke down a lot? They don’t match.
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I have to agree with @VDCdriver. I don’t want to go back to the.“good old days” of the 1970s. I had a Ford Maverick. It was o.k. for the time period, but it didn’t get.as good gasoline mileage as my 2017 Toyota Sienna minivan and I certainly wasn’t able to transport 8 people in the Maverick or haul a set of 4 timpani as I have been able to do with the Sienna. I certainly wouldn’t trade.my flatscreen televisoin for the cathode ray tube of the 1970s. I certainly like the convenience of my laptop.computer as opposed to punching cards and waiting for the 12 hour turnaround of the mainfrsme computers that served the entire university campus.
I know that in the 1970s I did a lot of my own automobile maintenance and repair out.of financial necessity. I kept our television set working. I would follow thecm schematic diagram and use my voltmeter to track down a problem. I remember.spending many hours typing out my doctoral dissertation on my Olympia typewriter. Word processorss on the computer have made typewriters obsolete. My most recent use of the typewriter was as the featured soloist in our community orchestra on the.musical composition “Typewriter” by Leroy Anderson. Ten years ago when I wrote grants for our orchestra. I had to print out 20 copies and either mail the copes or deliver them to the funding agency. I just completed a grant on the software provided by the funding agency and when I finished writing the proposal, I just hit the “submit” button and I was finished.
Two dayscm ago, I mowed my yard for the first time. While I ate breakfast. I had the battery on thecm charger. After breakfast, I sharpened the blade on the mower, put in the battery, and flipped on the switch. With my old gasoline mower, I would change the oil, replace the air filter and spark plug, sharpen the blade.tske the gasoline can and drive to the filling station for fresh gasoline. I would fill the tank, set the choke, pull the starter cord a couple of times and when the engine started, open the choke.
I prefer today’s vehicles, televisions, computers, lawnmowers to.these items of the good old days. I’ll add one more item: today’s LED lighting. Eight years ago, I rewired 45 flourescent fixtures with 4 flourescent tubes in each fixture and replaced the flourescent tubes with LED tubes at the church I attend. To.this date, I have not had to replace that first LED tube. Before we went to LED lighting. I was having to replace several flourescent tubes each month and sometimes I had to replace the ballast transformer.
I don’t want to go back to the old days.
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… except when you want to make a political comment…
Don’t worry… I still like you.
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Well stated, as usual, Triedaq.
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I know you’re aware 50K/year isn’t a particularly lucrative job, at least not where I live
In fact, where I live, if you earn 50K/year, you’ll probably have trouble paying rent
Generally speaking, I believe a job such as grocery store stocker was meant to be an entry-level job, while you’re going to evening school to get degree, apprenticeship certificate, etc.
I think if you have that kind of job, it’s not expected to pay enough for you to be able to afford a ndw car, at least not nowadays
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Yep, I don’t think grocery store stockers in any decade were out buying brand new cars.
lol
I had already asked Carolyn to put a stop to it, and nothing happened, so I made one post ONLY after days and days maybe even a weeks of on going political crap cause I knew it would get flagged ASAP and that might get a mod to do something about it, and it did, it was removed before my next time on… It was so bad that the entire thread was removed and I never even got an email about it… I try my best to stay out of politics but when members just won’t shut up about them, well sometimes something has to be done to stop it… I can promise you that on other forums, no politics means no politics and they will after a couple (maybe) warnings will ban you for life… I also assure you that on the forums that I ran, modded or owned in the past that I never said one word about politics, but I would stop it at the 1st word I saw about it…
But I still like and respect y’all even though we may or may not agree on somethings… 
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Fwiw . . . I don’t think it was your particular post that got the entire discussion removed
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Oh I don’t either, but I do think it might have been the reason the thread was finally looked at…
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+1
The Maverick (stripped) listed for $1,995 in 1970, and the minimum hourly wage at that time–in many/most states–was $1.60 per hour. Most supermarket jobs paid that minimum wage–or a tiny amount above minimum–so that the hypothetical supermarket employee probably earned only ~$3k per year gross salary.
After deductions, they probably had enough to buy a stripped Maverick, but then they would have had no funds for food, clothing, shelter, entertainment, etc.
So, I have to agree that those folks wouldn’t have been buying a new car–not even a Maverick.
@davesmopar I had seen your ping the other day and looked at the discussion and thought it was still in bounds. I should have seen it coming, mea culpa.
I did some thread surgery. It’s not perfect. Neither John nor I want to be that kind of mod but this stuff kinda makes us have to delete vs just warn not to continue, because some people go there no matter what.
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Yes I pulled out the battery powered pruner, the battery hedge clipper, the battery pole saw and went to work. Then I cranked up the gas chain saw to cut the limbs up and powered up the gas mower, hooked the trailer and loaded all the tree limbs. Then I attached the dethatcher to the mower, then the sweeper. Then with the gas vehicle, hauled it all away. There is room in the world for both. It’s called consumer choice.
Now a friend has one of those robot vacuum cleaners while I’m still stuck in the cord variety. I asked if it does stairs. Well no but that’s an excuse for merry maids. I’m not quite there yet but you guys go ahead. I use the self driving garbage pick up though.
Is this Car Talk or Better Homes and Gardens?
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Please note that i’ve been on my best behavior 
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I respectfully disagree, while I dont believe most would have bought a new Maverick, i believe a person living with roomates easily could have.
The average car payment in 1970 was 120 a month, lets remember financing was expensive back then and you could only get a 36 month term, well you could afford that on minimum wage back then.
This is where it gets a little tricky. There is more than straight inflation coming into play here. You can’t really compare a 1970 vehicle with a 2025 vehicle. All new cars today have a lot more things required by law such as backup cameras and airbags and other safety aspects not to mention standard features which used to be luxuries such as power windows, stereo systems, radial tires, anti-lock brakes, built in computers…..
If you were able to buy the basic vehicle of the past, it likely would be cheaper. It’s not comparing the price of an egg in 1970 to the price in 2025. At the same time, if you do strip out all of the improvements, it is more expensive on average to purchase a vehicle than it was 55 years ago.
I fully believe that a grocery store stocker could have afforded a new car in 1970, sure maybe they would have went with a slightly more sensible Ford Pinto, but I believe an ambitious, thrifty stocker could have splurged on a stylish, exciting Maverick.
Remember in 1970 the Maverick was a hot car, you could get it in fun colors such “anti establishMINT” green.
The Maverick was the right car for the 1970s and it indeed was produced for most of the 70s, but the true car of the 70s was the Pinto. Made the whole decade and everyone had a pinto or knew someone who had a pinto. It was America’s darling.
I do know Ford really messed up and it shows what minds were running Ford back then. Look at Henry the Duece, he was a selfish raging alcoholic. But otherwise was a great car.
Yes!
The “stylish” and “exciting” Maverick!
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Oh, it was noted. Don’t worry, I know you didn’t grow up. 
A friend stocked shelves at the local piggly wiggly store. He took me for a ride in his 58 corvette. He always had money for cycles and cars. He lived at home. Maybe he had a trust fund too.
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