Is Sung Kang’s Next Build Going To Be A 1970s Ford Maverick?
By Paulo Acoba
If Sung Kang’s Instagram feed has any say in the matter, his next build just might be a 1970s Ford Maverick.
Hot off the release and completion of his latest build (a 1972 Rocket Bunny 240Z with NA RB26) that debuted in SEMA, it looks like Sung Kang might be hankering for something else to build. According to his latest Instagram posts, that next build just might be a 1970’s Ford Maverick. Check out these cryptic posts without a caption from Instagram for yourself below.
In his first post just a day ago we can see the silhouette of the Ford Maverick in its hotted up variant, the Grabber edition, complete with Dual Dome hood and front chin spoiler (barely visible in this picture.) Keen eyes will notice that the fog lights in the grille appear to be from a Ford Mustang as the Grabber fogs were rectangular.
In Kang’s latest post, we clearly see the emblem of the Maverick’s iconic emblem somewhat posted at an angle. There’s no other car that uses this stylized long-horned cow head as a centerpiece.
For one, Han in Fast Five was infamously spotted driving a 1971 Maverick, puttering around the streets of Rio de Janeiro. According to Dennis McCarthy, the Picture Car Builder who actually assembled the Mavericks for the movie,
"“If you do your research on Brazil car culture the Maverick is one of the most popular muscle cars down their…as haggard and raggedy as it looks, it’s actually a pretty solid car. “"
Here’s a couple of shots of that Maverick with Han looking typically cool as he usually is.
And if you know anything about his last build, a 1972 Datsun 240Z, it was Instagram that got the ball rolling in the first place once Greddy Racing got involved. In part one of his five-part series highlighting the build, the CEO and founder of Greddy Racing Kenji Sumino said that,
"…the way the project came to us is a little bit interesting. Sung (Kang’s) Instagram post, he posted the Rocket Bunny 240Z that Mr.Miura from TRA Kyoto and his comment was, “Can somebody in Southern California get this kit.” My marketing team manager saw that post and asked me, “What do you think?” and I said, “Contact him.”"
We’d be thrilled to see Sung Kang start on a Ford Maverick build. For one thing, Mavericks aren’t as popular, so definitely cool points there. With price ranges anywhere from $1500 for a rat rod to a $3500 for a clean example, Mavericks are definitely cheap. With Ford Mustang parts interchangeable, aftermarket support without a doubt is plentiful. And thanks to its simple engineering and that Arab Oil Embargo back in 1974 with more than 579,000 units sold in the first year alone, there are plenty of examples still hiding in garages across the United States.
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Sung should definitely fit a 331 or 347 stroker crate engine maybe from Roush into that Ford Maverick and keep that period correct Grabber Aero. Maybe put some nice paint and interior inside, unlike the Maverick in Fast Five. So this is a shoutout to all those muscle car garages in Southern California. Contact Sung Kang ASAP!