A staff favorite at Holley's Ford Fest 2021, this 1970 Ford Maverick is a super clean Coyote-powered ripper. Owner Bryant Althof drove it from Milton, Wisconsin down to Bowling Green for Ford Fest 2021, while his girlfriend, Jennifer Lewis, drove his 2001 Expedition. It was a six-hour drive, taking the scenic route. "I was more worried about the Expedition having issues than the Maverick," said Bryant. This year was their first time at Ford Fest, but far from the car's first road trip.

Local hot rod builder Dan Dubs originally built the Maverick back around 2012. Shortly after completion, another car ran Dan into a ditch. He sent it to Schubert's Speed Shop for repairs, and that's where Bryant fell in love.

"It was sitting in the paint booth when I came to work that night," said Bryant, who works as a fabricator at Schubert's Speed Shop. "I thought, man, this thing is awesome, then my boss popped the hood, and I thought, 'Woah…how did he fit that in there?"

Simply touching up the damaged panels wasn't going to cut it, so the team reshot the car whole car in Dark Ivy Green (you've probably seen this color on a 1970 fastback Mustang). A little while later, Dan put the Maverick up for sale at a price Bryant could afford, if just barely. "When I found out he was selling it, and I jumped on the opportunity," said Bryant. "I gave him a good down payment and the rest six months later. I couldn't believe it."

Dan performed the drivetrain swap before many Coyotes were even on the road. The Ford Performance Gen-I Coyote 5.0L crate engine makes 412hp and came as a turn-key package with stock ECU. Bryant has plans to tune to the engine, but it still features the stock setup for now.

The Maverick's gas tank is reused with custom pickup and return fittings in the sending unit. An inline pump feeds fuel to the engine.

Dan replaced the Maverick's front suspension with a Mustang-II complete front clip from Fat Man Fabrication. This kit eliminates the tall shock towers, making room for the big Coyote.

Ford Engineers worked heavily on the shorty, tubular headers included with the crate engine. They help enhance the Coyote’s low- to mid-range torque. Their upswept design appears to favor swaps; however, the new front frame rails still had to be notched, which was the most challenging part of the swap. The headers dump into a 2.5-inch exhaust that is composed of a custom X-pipe and Flowmaster Super HP Mufflers.

Behind the Coyote is a non-electronic C4 automatic that Bryant recently had refreshed after discovering a cracked converter. It now features a Dynamic Motorsports 2400rpm stall, 11-inch converter.

Out back is the Maverick's original 8-inch rear axle, that's amazingly still alive. "I can't believe that rear-end still works after how hard I've beaten on it," laughed Bryant.

Most weekends, Bryant makes a 30-mile, twisty-road drive to see family at the lake. Quickly after purchasing, he discovered the original single-piston front brakes and drum rears weren't enough. He installed Wilwood Dynapro 6-piston front and 4-piston rear brakes.

More brakes were accompanied by more rubber, as Bryant then added US Wheel Rat Rods measuring 17x8. Boss Jason Schubert paint-matched the wheels, and Bryant picked up a set of original dog dishes to match. The tires are Nitto NT01 235/40/17 fronts and 245/45/17 rears.

When Dan started the build, the Maverick only had 40,000 original miles. It's no wonder the car is Bryant's most reliable in his fleet of Fords. His daily driver is a Crown Vic with custom exhaust and RideTech coil-overs. Along with the Expedition and an F-150, Bryant owns a 1929 Ford Model A his great grandfather bought new (it’s a part of the family's trust).

With a Retro sounds head unit and Kicker speakers, 6.5in fronts and 10in rears, the only thing missing is air-conditioning and power steering. Bryant picked up a new steering column from the Ford Fest swap meet with hopes of fabricating a Flaming River electric power-steering assistance kit onto it, as they don't currently offer a bolt-in option for Mavericks.

"But really, the car is perfect as it is," said Bryant. "Throwing A/C and power steering at it, what else could I want?" Bryant was excited about the feature and interest in his Maverick, "I never really won any local car shows, so this was cool," said Bryant. "I finally have it figured out the way I want it. Now, just need to enjoy it."