Ford Maverick With F-150 Shifter Is A Plug-And-Play Upgrade

Ford Maverick With F-150 Shifter Is A Plug-And-Play Upgrade

But there is a little cutting required…

The owner of a Ford Maverick has swapped out the truck’s dial-type gear selector with a proper lever-type shifter from a Ford F-150, and it’s a surprisingly simple modification. The dial-type shifter makes the cabin sleeker and more neatly packaged, but it’s less intuitive and simply alien to some drivers.

While many have professed their love for it, some owners of the Ford compact truck from various internet forums and social media channels said that the dial-type shifter has some issues. One of these is the potential for accidentally changing gears with a mere brush of an arm or a leg. And, of course, some older folks will say they’re “too used to lever shifters.”

A member of the Maverick Truck Club forum who goes by the handle Fast Mavericks made a thread showing off his compact truck equipped with a lever shifter from an F-150. As detailed in his post, he cut the original center console to fit in the new gear shifter assembly, but that’s a cheap part to replace if he ever wants to go back.

Interestingly, he claims that the old dial shifter’s plug was compatible with the F-150 shifter, and so far, the vehicle “drives like normal.” It also appears that the F-150 shifter on the Mav might still have its fold-down feature.

However, this is still a temporary setup, and the user says he will add a separate mount for the vehicle’s drive mode selector and parking brake. He also hasn’t hooked up the paddle shifters just yet.

This particular truck also gained other modifications. Its engine bay is now home to a Lincoln Corsair 2.3-liter engine with a turbocharger from a Ford Ranger; Maverick engine swaps are gaining popularity, it seems. This build also features a set of brakes from a Ford Focus RS, and a steering wheel from the discontinued Ford Focus ST, among a variety of other parts.

The Maverick is truly a delight for those who like fiddling and modifying. We’ve seen instrument cluster swaps, 3D-printed accessories, and loads more aftermarket upgrades, both from within the Ford parts catalog and outside it, and we look forward to seeing what else the Maverick can take in 2024.