One car that unanimously dropped jaws at SEMA last year was “FuguZ”, Sung Kang’s 1973 Datsun 240Z. It was damn hard to not find something to like about the car that wasn’t amazing in any regard…it didn’t just register high on our meters for a Japanese car, it registered high, period. This is the car that beat out Lohnes’ choice for the Gran Turismo Award last year, and while I might have had a bit of influence in getting him to select a turbocharged V-10 powered Mustang II, neither one of us were the least bit mad about Kang’s car winning…it genuinely deserved it. From the Rocket Bunny wide body kit that looked just right to the 220 horsepower RB26DETT Nissan six-cylinder that was converted to a naturally-aspirated setup, to the unbelievably clean ivory white paint and stripped and sanitary interior, we were completely sold, as were many, many others. Jay Leno even got a shot behind the wheel. Of course, Kang’s connection to the “Fast and Furious” series of films was noted, and that’s where this year’s story starts.
During filming for Fast Five, one of the cars that Kang’s character Han drives around is a Ford Maverick, a popular muscle car in Brazil, where the movie takes place. Sure, the Maverick has it’s fans in the States, but south of the border, the Maverick is an icon more analogous to what the Mustang is for America. Anyone who has ever driven a hot V8 Maverick (or it’s Mercury Comet twin) knows that they can be fun little machines, and with the right visual touches can look amazing. And that’s where Kang’s build for SEMA this year comes in: “The Underdog”, a 1972 Ford Maverick, will debut this year at the show, culminating a build that has been performed by Alexis Hernandez, Tony Chen and Christian Quiroz, all students from Alhambra High School in Alhambra, California. According to Kang, “If I were a car, I would be the Maverick. The Maverick has always been underappreciated, overlooked and undervalued… ‘The Underdog’. But those who love her are loyal forever. This and the chance to make a difference for these students is something I can stand behind.”
With help from Steve Strope, who led the build, and the three Alhambra High School students chosen to work on the car, the Maverick has undergone a major transformation. Sporting a Rocket Bunny body kit, a Ford 2.3L four-cylinder with a custom GReddy supercharger, and much more. We have a feeling that for the entire SEMA show, that there will be a crowd around this car, and for good reason. Click on the video below to see the Maverick, an original six-cylinder blue-plate car from California, as it was when the project started, and be sure to check out the rest of the playlist as the build progressed through the year leading up to the show!
I had almost forgotten that the humble Ford Maverick even existed!
This is one beautiful odd-ball and the fact that it goes against the grain by foregoing V8 muscle for that screaming Ecoboost just adds to the sparkle. Now all we need is for some British car builder to be inspired to produce a similar beauty based on the not too dissimilar-looking Mk3 Cortina….