Gas weighs under 6.5lbs..... cannonball!

[Maverickman74]

I know, illegal, dangerous. Irresponsible, expensive, impossible, think of the children, etc, ect, ect.... but the Maverick is capable of hauling about 250 gallons of gas. With a light pair of drivers, a tuned 2.3 swapped AWD XL and enough room in the back seat for various electronics and other sundries and toiletries. It's possible that a Maverick whose speed limiter has been removed and drivetrain appropriately upgraded for sustained high speed. I think it is possible for a Maverick capable of 160 mph could make the Cannonball run in a record time.

It would require many modifications such as active shocks, and possibly a Focus RS transmission. Added cooling and some hood reinforcement.

But the thing is that so many regular people don't see the Mavericks. A lot of my friends and neighbors don't notice us in ours. I always get a "I thought I saw a red truck" from them. Our island has at least 20 Mavericks by now and people still say they haven't seen one even when they have been looking. It's just a small unassuming truck. I don't think much of the theatrics of other Cannonball run vehicle disguises will be necessary. Just get a gray XL and put much better tires on the stock steelies and maybe a small landscaping sticker on the tailgate. Extra lighting can be hidden in our stock light housings. Radar can be hidden in a grill taken from a copilot Mav.

If they could manage 12 or so mpg at speed they could make the run with zero stops. I have personally driven several times without rest for over 20 hours. So I think 2 good drivers could manage easily.

Best of all a run in a Maverick would bring the title back to an American (north) produced vehicle.

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[RonFLA]

Despite all the Fudd Boomers here, I like your thought process! Good thing there is a Brembo brakes upgrade, going to need Fast Mavericks help!

 

[Maverickman74]

Despite all the Fudd Boomers here, I like your thought process! Good thing there is a Brembo brakes upgrade, going to need Fast Mavericks help!

Under the bland exterior it's gonna need the works!

 

[Decayed]

Why stop at the 2.3? Will the 2.7 fit?

I don't actually think the mav is anywhere near aerodynamic enough to run at those speeds. And if you could it might need a lot of help with the suspension and tires so it's stiff and sticky enough to handle.

I wish they could do that run legally - close the roads or something so bystanders don't get hurt if someone wrecks.

 

[catshreds]

"Cannonball Run Sea to Shing Sea?" You do know that Maui is an island, don't you?

 

[TheSEARCH]

Are there illegals races like that anymore? Back in the day when cop cars were slow and helicopters were few it was doable. I doubt it anymore. My old Trans am could outrun a gasoline chopper not jet powered though. The good old days

 

[Maverickman74]

Why stop at the 2.3? Will the 2.7 fit?

I don't actually think the mav is anywhere near aerodynamic enough to run at those speeds. And if you could it might need a lot of help with the suspension and tires so it's stiff and sticky enough to handle.

I wish they could do that run legally - close the roads or something so bystanders don't get hurt if someone wrecks.

Could probably leave the 2.7 stock ish. I think the aero will do it with enough tweaking and taping.

 

[LM42]

I know, illegal, dangerous. Irresponsible, expensive, impossible, think of the children, etc, ect, ect.... but the Maverick is capable of hauling about 250 gallons of gas. With a light pair of drivers, a tuned 2.3 swapped AWD XL and enough room in the back seat for various electronics and other sundries and toiletries. It's possible that a Maverick whose speed limiter has been removed and drivetrain appropriately upgraded for sustained high speed. I think it is possible for a Maverick capable of 160 mph could make the Cannonball run in a record time.

It would require many modifications such as active shocks, and possibly a Focus RS transmission. Added cooling and some hood reinforcement.

But the thing is that so many regular people don't see the Mavericks. A lot of my friends and neighbors don't notice us in ours. I always get a "I thought I saw a red truck" from them. Our island has at least 20 Mavericks by now and people still say they haven't seen one even when they have been looking. It's just a small unassuming truck. I don't think much of the theatrics of other Cannonball run vehicle disguises will be necessary. Just get a gray XL and put much better tires on the stock steelies and maybe a small landscaping sticker on the tailgate. Extra lighting can be hidden in our stock light housings. Radar can be hidden in a grill taken from a copilot Mav.

If they could manage 12 or so mpg at speed they could make the run with zero stops. I have personally driven several times without rest for over 20 hours. So I think 2 good drivers could manage easily.

Best of all a run in a Maverick would bring the title back to an American (north) produced vehicle.

Wut? I could also modify a Pinto to do the same thing. But why would you?

 

[Maverickman74]

"Cannonball Run Sea to Shing Sea?" You do know that Maui is an island, don't you?

The California/Hawaii state line is one the cops won't chase you over. They will send the Dog .

Sometime I'm gonna post the record for doing a figure 8 around the island!

Are there illegals races like that anymore? Back in the day when cop cars were slow and helicopters were few it was doable. I doubt it anymore. My old Trans am could outrun a gasoline chopper not jet powered though. The good old days

The last record that I know of was during the pandemic. There was a few good runs made then. Some say it's cheating though. They also use planes and other cars for spotters and even decoys. I just think it would be awesome for a unassuming looking pickup truck to make the run. I did it solo once in 49 hours but the start and stop locations werent the official ones. It was brutal but awesome. My average speed was like 45 or something but I did hit 100 for a good stretch in NM in that old Econoline van.

 

[LM42]

Are there illegals races like that anymore? Back in the day when cop cars were slow and helicopters were few it was doable. I doubt it anymore. My old Trans am could outrun a gasoline chopper not jet powered though. The good old days

They still happen every year. As well as some legal ones like the Silver State classic which helped to make RJ Gottlieb and the Big Red Camaro famous

 

[Maverickman74]

Wut? I could also modify a Pinto to do the same thing. But why would you?

Why would someone spell what as wut? Because they wanted to. And honestly a Pinto wagon with a modified Mustang II front suspension and a 3.5 Ecoboost with and good overdrive and low numerical gear ratio wouldnt be too bad really.

 

[TheSEARCH]

They still happen every year. As well as some legal ones like the Silver State classic which helped to make RJ Gottlieb and the Big Red Camaro famous

I did one a much shorter one averaged 2 MPG. Won best time Long long time ago.

 

[Baloo]

The current record averaged 110mph, so no need for 160mph.

Using a conservative average of 30mph, due to speed and starting weight, you would need a total of 629.6... gallons of gas to make the run in a hybrid. To beat the current record you would have to run from start to finish averaging more than 110 for over 26 hours with no stops.

You would also need more than one other, as someone besides the driver has to be awake to run counter measures, night vision, binoculars, radios, the math associated with the run, plus communications for those running interference and spotters.

Could it be done, yes.

Would I like to see it done, yes.

However, I doubt it could happen without Ed Bolian or Arne Toman being involved.

Hmmmmm.... I live close to Travis Bell and he knows both Ed and Arne, maybe I need to get ahold of Travis.

 

[BearyArizona]

Funny enough I was in Honolulu a year ago exactly, and that was my very first time seeing a Maverick out and about: two parked right next to each other under an apartment building.

 

[Maverickman74]

The current record averaged 110mph, so no need for 160mph.

Using a conservative average of 30mph, due to speed and starting weight, you would need a total of 629.6... gallons of gas to make the run in a hybrid. To beat the current record you would have to run from start to finish averaging more than 110 for over 26 hours with no stops.

You would also need more than one other, as someone besides the driver has to be awake to run counter measures, night vision, binoculars, radios, the math associated with the run, plus communications for those running interference and spotters.

Could it be done, yes.

Would I like to see it done, yes.

However, I doubt it could happen without Ed Bolian or Arne Toman being involved.

Hmmmmm.... I live close to Travis Bell and he knows both Ed and Arne, maybe I need to get ahold of Travis.

You will definitely need more top speed time to account for traffic, ramps, and everything else. Honestly as far as the new modern method of spotters, blockers, and planes. That disinterests me more. If it were to be something I ever attempted or was involved in it would only be a pure run attempt. No help from anyone outside the vehicle other than circumstance or available data. I got interested in this stuff long before I the modern guys got doing it, and I did my western run at 18 before i even knew about the races.

Only the luckiest of souls could do it without all the assists, but I still Believe it's possible as someone who has both gotten caught at speed and gotten away at speed. It's all luck.

With my current life, time, and location I doubt I ever would. I am just musing about how good a Mavericks could be. Who knows maybe one will set the pickup truck record. It's light, it handles like a car, it has racing in its DNA, and it is unassuming. Would definitely be a joy to see a plain Jane XL Maverick going 130 down the highway with what looks like a weed Wacker sticking out of a tonnoaue cover!

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