One of my ideal build templates is the “primer black whipping boy” build. The premise has been simple from the start: either a Ford Maverick/Mercury Comet or a Ford Mustang II, in primer black, with enough grunt under the hood to make vaporizing the rear tires effortless, with the promise that every last pony recorded on the dyno will get a good chance to run. Not at a dragstrip, not at an autocross, just in general. I’ll beat that sucker like a rental car with the walk-away insurance and not think twice. I’ve got history with a 1973 Mercury Comet that backs up the fun factor of such a build. It’d be straightforward, more or less reasonably affordable, and loads of fun. 
There are a couple of differences between the ’73 Comet and this blown 1970 Ford Maverick to note. One, the Comet did not have an iron lung doing incredible work to a small block. Second, the Comet had a 302 underhood, while the Maverick is sporting a *gasp!* 350ci Chevy under the hood. If that is a choking point for you, just think of it like this: you can find engines dime-a-dozen, so if you kill one, oh well, on to the next round! There’s cage work inside, there’s a TCI automatic that should hold up for a bit of abuse, and the rear has mini-tubs so you can stuff as little or as much rubber out back as your heart desires.
I’m getting a bit of a Deathproof vibe from this car. All I can hear now is Kurt Russell winding up that Nova…
Craigslist Link: 1970 Ford Maverick
WHERE’S THE LINK, McTAGGART! HOW CAN I FIGHT WITH THE WIFE WITHOUT A LINK! Daddy wants BAD!!!