It’s the age-old formula: compact car plus V8 equals fun. Dan Kuhn’s 1972 Ford Maverick is far from the affordable compact it was once marketed as, but lives life now a cone-killer competing in the Grand Champion Vintage class at Holley's Ford Festival 2021.

Dan has owned this Maverick since 1989. It started as a “green, grandpa machine,” said Dan. The Maverick started as a 6-cylinder, bench seat car—so, don’t worry, Maverick faithful. “I wanted to build a drag car but got hooked on autocross and road racing.” The Maverick has strictly been an autocross machine since 2013.

After the straight 6, Dan installed a stock 302ci with a Ford Performance E303 cam. That engine eventually had a fuel issue and broke a valve. So, naturally, Dan went with a bigger, better V8 in the form of an 8.2in deck height Dart-block-based 369ci stroker built by McClain’s Engine in Missouri.

Dan runs a 50/50 mix of 93 octane pump and leaded 110-octane fuel. Herman Stainless-Steel headers dump into Pypes Performance muffler. The engine makes 600hp at the flywheel.

Dan’s autocross program focuses on all the things that keep the car alive on the track. Insulation covers the fuel lines feeding to the engine, dual remote filters keep the oil clean, and multiple cooling circuits, including a transmission cooler, oil cooler, and power-steering cooler, which helps to keep the heat down and keep the engine happy. “I had to beef up the cooling when we beefed up the engine,” said Dan. He also added custom spacers to the hood hinges to let heat escape. “It’s hard to keep air flowing when the shock towers are so tight against the engine.”

A floor-shifted C4 automatic handles the shifting duties. Dan starts his runs in first and only shifts into second once for the remainder of an autocross lap. Out back is a Quick Performance Ford 9-inch rear axle.

The Maverick sits on E/T wheels, emulating the Trans Am era cast wheels. They measure 275mm wide by 18in diameter rear and 245mm wide by 17in diameter front.

A rear-brake bias with gauge is a huge advantage for autocross fine tuning. It’s another “dirt track guy thing,” which is a minor theme throughout the Maverick. “It’s affordable stuff that you can’t get for streetcars.” This includes the brake bias, KRC power-steering pump and external cooler, shock brackets, and wing hangers, along with weld-on tabs and metal fabrication pieces. “It saves a lot of time and money, just handy.”

The front splitter is part carbon fiber and part ABS plastic, built and repaired by Dan. “It’s an owner-built car…-ish,” said Dan.

The car is technically street legal with wipers and a heater, but “it rides like crap,” said Dan. “I’ll drive it to the hotel and events but try to avoid driving it very long.”

Kuhn's Maverick might have come from humble beginnings, but it's prowess was enough to secure Second Place in the Grand Champion Vintage class.

Dan homebuilt the control arms and made his own reinforcements and sub-frame connectors, as it’s a unibody car. Upfront are double-adjustable QA1 coil-overs with AFCO coil-overs on leaf springs in the rear. Dan made the watts link and motor mounts at home, along with multiple cross members into the floorboard of the body, with bracing between the doors, shock towers, and then another hoop along the top of the rear shock towers.

He’s retired now, but it may surprise you that Dan’s day job was that of a body and paint. “I don’t do anything now, but just go out and have fun,” said Dan pointing at his car. The Maverick features single-stage Imron industrial satin black that’s now 12-years-old. His talents are displayed on his other Maverick, which is a show car and drag car. “This one I thrash, that one I polish,” said Dan.