Minitrucking was a big deal back in the era when people were saying “whack,” “yo diggity,” and “tubular.” It died off for a while there, as the American obsession with full-size “work trucks” grew out of control. The Ford Maverick could be bringing it back, though, and this SEMA build is very much in that vein. Even better, it could be yours!
Yes, this 2022 Ford Maverick is listed on Facebook Marketplace all the way down in Austin, Texas. The vehicle has a laundry list of sponsors, including Saleen Performance Parts, JBL Audio, Toyo Tires, and 3D Carbon. The truck is finished in eye-catching Calypso Green, with vinyl graphics and splashes of hot pink taking things deliciously over the edge.
Basically, if you were going to put a Maverick in a Fast and the Furious film, this wouldn’t be a bad start.
Body mods are sporty without being overdone. It gets a tight front air dam, along with side skirts and a sweet ducktail bed spoiler. The pink lipstick on the grill is a touch while the fender vents and flares add to the stance. Tucked under the guards are 22-inch TSW Daytona wheels wearing Toyo Proxes STIII tires.
As with any good SEMA build—or minitruck—the Maverick also boasts height-adjustable air bag suspension and a “wake tower.” Basically, it’s a big rollbar you can raise up with a button that has a bunch of JBL speakers on it.
The build was the work of Leif Johnson Ford, which took it upon itself to modify the Maverick for the 2022 SEMA show. It was the dealership’s first attempt at such a build, as per their YouTube channel. The team behind the build actually designed their own bodykit from scratch—no surprise, given the Maverick was brand new for 2022.
It appears the dealership is now done with this show pony, so what will it cost you? Well, they’re asking a hefty $85,000. One suspects they haven’t had a lot of inquiries at that price level, given the ad has been up for 7 weeks at the time of writing.
It is a very cool Ford Maverick, that much is certain. Is it worth a great multiple of the original purchase price? That’s harder to argue.
Still, it’s rad to see the minitrucking spirit alive with great builds like these. If you decide to pursue something similar yourself, be sure to let us know.
Image credits: Facebook Marketplace; Leif Johnson Ford
Is it cool? Hell yeah.
Is it my favourite Maverick minitruck? Third, at best.
This absolutely slaps though: https://www.streettrucksmag.com/bringing-back-the-90s-with-this-2022-ford-maverick/
Is that the same steering wheel as in my wife’s 2014 Fiesta?
My first Mazda B2200 was lowered 2” – I wasn’t into the airbags/hydraulics scene, I wanted it to handle, and it would acquit itself at least as well as some older British sports cars. But the minitruck scene was where the Mazdas of that era seemed really popular. I personally think the 86-92 Mazda B-series had the most cohesive compact pickup design ever.
I’ve been thinking a Maverick is a perfect vehicle to return to this style – it’s already pretty squat. I’d do up an EcoBoost model, though I really wish it had a manual transmission. A little mild tuning would make it rip.
Fuck Leif Johnson! When I graduated college and got a real job, I went there to buy a Mustang GT convertible. I had called ahead to inquire about one they were advertising and arrange a test drive. The guy I talked to on the phone wasn’t there, so I was working in person with a different salesperson. Since I dealt with two salespeople, they both wanted a full commission and therefore refused to deal on price. Walked out and went to Elgin Ford 10 miles away (or so). Took about 30 mins to have a contract signed at a great price.
Changing topics, what size are the brake rotors on the Maverick? In that profile pic, you can’t even see them! $85K and they can’t upgrade brakes to compensate for the extra rotating weight of the 22s?!?
Leif Johnson makes some wild trucks. They’re the dealership that worked on the lightning raptor too
Set that low I’ll bet it rides like a truck! 🙂
Ford “No Pink Polka dots!”
Also Ford “Calypso Green and throw some pink in there!”
(yes I know it’s a dealer special but still)
Also I love it, not $85k love it as mostly could be done with a wrap, guess dealer markup is gonna dealer markup, but they need more body sticker options like that at least.
$85,000! What do they think this is?!? A 2024 Mopar Jeep Gladiator?
If we’re talking mini trucks, an articulated rollbar isn’t that impressive. The whole truck bed should be articulated.
Not a separate bed but I agree so tilt the whole unibody! 😀
Trucks similar but not quite as crazy should be made stock, and by multiple brands.
When is anyone here going to write about Toyota blowing up their Tundras, dealers not accepting them as trades and Lexus suv’s blowing as well. It seems to be intentional the way you pick at all sorts of other companies but are BLANTANLY ignoring this huge story. How much is Toyota paying you guys that it can’t even get into a morning dump? David? Matt? Torch? ANYONE?!
Considering my wife adores the GX550 and is on the waitlist, I very much would like to know more about this issue. We’ve already resolved to wait for the 2025 model, I think.
They claim it’s done with the 2024, but theres videos of 2024 tundras blown. I love the look of the new GX, but I would wait until 2025 or a big statement from Toyota that its fixed, right now they say they know the problem, but not the fix.
Yeah that’s where our heads are at. We also want a very specific package and color combination (Overtrail+ in Nori Green w/black roof with Mark Levinson and the cool box.) I have a feeling we’d be waiting until 2025 model year regardless.
This is fucking cool and if any of you love me, you will buy it for me.
how many subscription upgrades to get this truck and watch you race the hell out of it all over the place?
If that argument had worked on my parents I’d have had a chimpanzee, a dirt bike, a color tv, my own phone (way before cell phones), my own detached apartment over the garage, and girls allowed in my bedroom. Didn’t get any of that. I don’t rate your chances as high.
If you had a chimpanzee, you still wouldn’t have had any girls in your over-garage apartment.
Ungawa!
IDK man… Tell a girl you’ve got an adorable primate back home and they’ll undoubtedly come by just to see.
I mean, I’m a dude and I’d go for it.
Maybe you & Canopysaurus should go monkey around.
I’m way more lovable than you though.
You’re up late. Oh, that’s right, you’re one of the Children of the Night.
Rather have this than a Cybertruck.
I’d take a flaming wheelbarrow full of moldy cat turds over the Cybertruck…
Ironically enough I would have considered getting it if it was a Maverick Hybrid.
Wow. This takes me right back to high school in 1988.
Scott Willingham had a Chevy S10, lowered to the ground, blue with white Enkei wheels. Classic 80s graphic stickers placed all over it with no rhyme or reason.
I think he had removed all the speakers and replaced them all with a sound system made of only sub woofers.
It was an amazingly bonkers machine. This Maverick just adds a small amount of cohesive design direction to what was a chaotic and haphazard creation of 80s youth.
It is absolutely awful. An assault on my adult sensibilities. Why do I love it so much? As always, use nostalgia responsibly.
Love the color scheme. I’d say they could have at least sourced some Focus ST seats and maybe the gauge pods instead of just leaving the bog standard interior. Its a Ford dealer, they must have access to that stuff right?
loved my focus st. Sold it and two weeks later the kid (whose father bought it for him off me) totaled it and a random dealer was calling to see if I knew the door code.
I’m always pointing out how 10 years ago you would constantly see Focus STs everywhere around here and now they are few and far between. Guessing the motors were either blown from over boosting or they ended up in a ditch.
I live in a college town, and I still see them relatively often, all being driven by 18-22 year old’s, all visibly getting rougher year after year, and none of them stock. These will certainly be worth strong money in 5-10 years in clean, unmolested form since nice ones are disappearing quicker than everyone realizes.
Guess it’s the equivalent to this generations Neon SRT. Last Neon SRT I saw on the road was maybe 5 years ago.
mine was stage 2. Changed out almost everything on the damn thing. First time I ever dipped into that world, I think back on the car quite a bit. I almost never see them either, maybe 1 a year.
I know that feeling. First car I modded damn near everything was a 2001 Focus ZX3. Now I have a Fiesta ST that is completely stock except for a short shift kit. Used to be I’d NEVER see another Fiesta ST on the road, but countless Focus STs. Now the inverse is true and seems the Focus ST is a rare bird.
when I went to the ford school in utah for owning the focus st, I had a fiesta ST as my rental. On the forum at the time someone had info on where to rent it from and I took them up on it. That car was awesome, and I am not convinced any less fun than the focus. I went well over 100 all over mexico. Sadly, it was in April and the wife and I drove out to the flats only to find them too wet to use.
Enjoy that Fiesta, I think they might be the most underrated sports car around.
I could build a 10x better Maverick for $85k.
do it, show the world how great you are, and then profit off the sale.
If you sponsor it, I’m down.
And I’ve
modifiedruined enough cars to know that mods reduce value, not increase it.In a word… No.
A minitruck that looks like this needs more power than what a Maverick is packin’. No dice.
That’s an awesome $35k truck. CP at $85k.
Heck, even at $45k I wouldn’t be interested, but it would seem somewhat reasonable. But $85 seems like a joke.
Gotta factor in those dealership labor rates.
It’s actually kind of appealing for a truck. Reminds me of one of my neighbors s10 projects.
Dealers: “Well we can’t give you KBB trade-in value because the car is modified, and that will take away from the value of the car on the used market”
Also Dealers: “Hey we slapped a bunch of one-off, niche, showy, and impractical crap at this $25k truck as a marketing stunt for SEMA, and these mods really add to the value of the truck so we’re asking you to pay to cover the entire cost of the build thanks”
$85K? LOL.
I like it conceptually. Definitely not for me to use as a DD. And I’m sure there are some very specific and expensive mods, but it seems wildly overpriced.
I cold take a top trim Maverick with a few options at around $40k, and add another $25k in wrap, wheels, accessories, and some suspension work and still be way ahead of the game.
Sure it’s not a real “SEMA” vehicle, but how many of those are in super demand and are holding their value.
I love the color and graphics. Could do without the pink on the tailgate though. Either convert the white accents on the graphics to pink or don’t half ass it ya cowards. I like that it exists. I don’t like it’s cost.
This isn’t for me at all.
But, the proportions between the wheels, body work and the lowered suspension are fantastic.