“Her Car” – Hannah and Glenn Sinon’s 1972 Ford Maverick
Editors Note: Story written in first-person perspective by the 1972 Ford Maverick builder & owner Glenn Sinon
I grew up in a hot rod household. My dad has been inflicted with the incurable disease of being a true, down-to-the-core hot rodder and passed it down to me. I don’t follow any particular brand or style of car – I love them all! My senior year of high school was spent driving and working on a ’55 Chevy Bel Air. We eventually sold it, but after a long search it is back in my garage – wide whites, ’57 Caddy caps and all.
I wanted to share that joy with my younger daughter Hannah, who attends many events with me. I found this 1972 Ford Maverick and thought it would be perfect for her. The original plan was to spend $5k – an engine, some paint and cool first toy for her.
I never meant this to be much more than a driver, but you all know the story of going overboard. Needless to say, dad got carried away! The body now consists of many subtle custom mods, like shaved drip rails. When I cut them off it left the factory reveal, but it ended before going down the A-pillar and at the top of the quarter glass, so I made some steel pieces and continued them around the quarter glass and down the post to make it look factory. All gaps were tightened up and NOS quarter panels replaced the rusty old ones.
The front valance is part ’69 Camaro driving lights and part stock Maverick. It took about 50 hours of cutting, shaping and molding to get it to look as though it came that way. The gauge bezel was similar – I hand bent a steel replacement that houses a full set of New Vintage gauges.
The front seats are ’89 Mustang GT; we used a second set of seat foams to make the rear seat match, right down to the pull-out knee bolsters. A custom console was donated by a good friend.
The car was painted a custom-mix blue using PPG Envirobase. The stripes are just a few shades darker and only appear in certain light. The hood stripe even continues onto the dash.
Mechanically, the car relies on a 340hp 302c.i. small-block that I built, which is backed by an AOD and dressed with Billet Specialties valve covers. Chassis Engineering subframe connectors stiffen the chassis, while ECI disc brakes can be seen behind the 17×7- and 18×8-inch Billet Specialties wheels.
Roughly 2,000 hours and several multiples of that original dollar estimate later, and the 1972 Ford Maverick is done. I finished it a mere three months after Hannah turned 16. One big problem, though: the car is so nice that she is somewhat afraid to drive it. I have faith she will come around. She does beam with pride as “her car” gets selected for awards at car shows.
Photos by Damon Lee
