1978 was the final year before the Fox platform began carrying Ford’s pony car, and this second-generation Mustang II appears to be a very nicely preserved example all the way around. This is one of those scenarios where the seller doesn’t go into great detail about the car’s history, leaving the photos to do most of the talking. Fortunately, the pictures seem to show a very solid and well-cared-for subcompact, with the asking price of $11,500 sounding reasonable given the condition, especially if the odometer reading is accurate. Reader Jack M. spotted this 1978 Ford Mustang II here on Craigslist in Leitchfield, Kentucky, and we’d like to thank him for sending us the tip here!
By 1973, the first-generation Mustang had grown in size from its early days, and the release of the smaller Mustang II couldn’t have been planned much better. The all-new 1974 model hit dealer lots around the time of the ’73 oil embargo, and buyers welcomed the redesigned, downsized pony with open arms, since fuel efficiency had become a priority for many consumers. Three engine options were available in 1978, including the base 2.3-liter inline-4, plus an optional V6 and the 5.0 V8. This one’s powered by the middle-of-the-road 2.8-liter, and while things look to be in good order under the hood, there’s no word on whether it’s ever had a rebuild or if the 22,964 miles showing are actual.
Yellow isn’t typically a color on my top-ten list for most cars, but for this particular body style, I think the subdued shade works great on the outside. The white Landau vinyl roof and body-side moldings complement the panels perfectly, which all appear very straight and are confirmed by the seller as being rust-free. The only information we get about the paint is that it’s nice, and while that’s a given, it would be helpful to know if this one’s had a respray or if the finish is original.
Also working well here is the black-and-white combo interior, and with such a strong condition, it’s making me lean toward believing that the mileage reading is likely correct. This one’s said to be ready for car shows and cruising, but with just 90 horsepower and an automatic transmission, I’d stay far away from the race tracks. The seller throws out the idea of a possible trade for an older Ford or GM truck, but also mentions that cash is king. How much currency would you be willing to shell out for this 1978 Ford Mustang II?
As long as one approaches this car for what it is, it is perfectly fine. Specifically, a very nicely trimmed economy car, a car in the mold of a smaller version of the then-popular personal luxury coupe (think Thunderbird). In fact, one of the Mustang II’s at my local small town dealer I specifically remember was this same car: yellow/white Ghia, white/black interior, wire mesh wheels.
I liked the one I remember. Seeing another one, I still like it, all these years later. This example appears to be in good shape.
Thanks Mike.
Nice to see someone approach this car that way. This is a really nice example of a Mustang II and we have to realize where the car industry was at this time. Someone obviously liked these cars or they wouldn’t have sold so many. Wouldn’t be my first pick for a classic car, but one has to admire the condition it’s in. Very nice little car.
I remember the local Ford dealer being among the dealers bringing cars out to our business for my Mom to select as she sought a new ride. Of course, she was looking for a big family sedan, but the Ford salesman showed up with this exact car (yellow Ghia, but seems like it had a V8). Having test driven a new Thunderbird in the 50’s, she could really see herself in that car. But, I was child number eight and I had a little sister. That, and the price tag over $5,000 killed that fantasy quickly. She ultimately bought a loaded Plymouth Fury III. I hope she’s driving both the T-bird and the Ghia in Heaven.
@Uncle My
Great story! I loved it. I can’t imagine a dealer personally bringing a car or two right to your house for you to decide. I grew up in the country, but that’s REALLY country. Im NJ country but that sounds like Iowa or Illinois country.
You made me think, my father always bought $50, $100 cars that he would fix for my mom to drive. I swear every six months she had a different car.
After she totalled the 1967 Checker Marathon, the one relatively newer car he bought, she was working and now had her own money and bought herself a 1962 Buick Invicta convertible. Sat in the driveway right next to my 1962 Buick Electra 225 convertible.
Then pops bought a brand new 1970 Checker Marathon, but at least this time she had some say in the engine, trans, color and options
But like you, I see her driving the golden streets in her Buick Invicta with the top down. 😇
Thanks for YOUR story, Angel! The stories are the best part of Barn Finds, in my opinion. Here in NW Florida, dealers do that – there’s even one in a nearby town whose slogan is “If you can’t come to us, just give us a call – we’ll drive it to you! The local Ford dealer was a nationally known political figure in the 70’s, but Mom was his insurance agent in the 50’s when he was just a car salesman – hence the T-bird test drive. He would have sent a limo for her if she’d asked for it!
Selling commercial vehicles we regularly brought vehicles to customers to see and test drive. Because many commercial customers didn’t have time to come to the dealership. Naturally, when bringing a new vehicle (usually a pick-up or van) someone there would inquire about a SUV or a passenger car. So it ended up as several trips. One of my ” partners in crime” had a customer who owned several brothels. (Legal here in Nevada) So he also wanted “his girls” to see them too. So it was a small parade of vehicles to the brothels once a year. My partner always made 2 or 3 sales with each trip. It was always a bit of crazy time at the zoo when the parade showed up. And many test drives. Fun memories!
See – the stories just keep coming! A car on Barn Finds may be considered mundane, but can catalyze SO MANY great stories. (I hope these aren’t a nuisance to the nostalgically challenged.)
When i first started looking at Barn Finds, i never looked at the comments—I only really cared about the cars. Then one day i forwarded a listing to my SIL, and he thought I had written a comment, because i am the spitting image of Bob_in_TN! (I’m not a member, so i don’t think I can post my picture.). My name IS Bob, and I also live in TN. Well now, I always read the comments and see what i had been missing.
As for the Mustang II, my father bought one with the V6 and an automatic. It had no guts at all! But it was a nice little package. Just now power
I’m going to agree with Bob. ( He beat me to it) I don’t normally go for yellow cars, but this just works, especially with the white vinyl top and black and white interior. The rims and whitewall tires really look great too. The V6 auto combo I’m sure was a popular combination with the more upscale Mustang II models. Nice write up Mike!!! And great find Jack M.
Thanks Bob and Driveinstile, I’m glad I wasn’t the only one here who appreciates this car! I agree, all these years later the styling has held up well.
It really has Mike ( the styling). When I was young, Mustang II’s were litterally inexpensive used cars that were 10 years old. And even in the 80’s, they were usually used up and beat up by then. I think now, at least for someone like me, I absolutely appreciate them more now. And I think other people do as well. And especially if you find one as nice as this, it really deserves to be preserved. Ford came out with this at just the right time as you pointed out already.
I enjoyed Mike’s write-up and the comments above. How many Mustang II’s can be remaining in this original condition? It is a unique time capsule from a unique time in automotive history.
I honestly don’t remember this color yellow but agree that it works here. We refer to the 70’s as a Malaise era but at least cars still came in a variety of exterior and interior colors.
Very tidy, especially in tough spots like the sill plates and the faux wood dash. I’d be tempted to believe the mileage. Price isn’t bad either, in these days of sky high values.
Nice deuce 👍
Looks like the one driven by Jaclyn Smith (Kelly Garrett in Charlie’s Angels, and my favorite angel), though all of them were beautiful.
I will say of I were car-casting that show I’d have gone for lighter option loads, to make the Ford product placement work for it since they were company cars in-story.
I guess I don’t remember correctly. I thought that the 2.6 was never in the Mustang II or Pinto bodies. Only the 2.8 .
And if in fact I’m wrong. Then the age may be lurking to get the plastic/nylon cam gear. As all 2.6 V6s came with that wretched cam gear. Nice car. But a 2.6 makes me leary because of the aged cam gear.
You are absolutely correct, it’s a 2.8- thanks for pointing this out!
The problem with these wasn’t the notch back styling, but rather the look of the fast back.
Best i can say about the fast back design is a former Pinto owner would feel right at home.
nice clean pony. these colors work for this rather well
The Good: Well preserved example, no rust. The Bad: Not a V8, the 2.8L V6 had issues. The Ugly: The “Landau” half-vinyl roof. The Verdict: A well preserved daily driver that can be upgraded as time and money permit. The paint is slightly oxidized (common on yellow cars) that might be saved with some light buffing with mild rubbing compound.
The plastic timing gears aren’t great, but all-metal replacements are available for not too much money and replacing them is a relatively easy job.
I don’t believe that any of the Mustang IIs had plastic/nylon timing gears on their 2.8 V6s. I think the factory change over to steel/aluminum gears happened at the same time the Mustang II was released.
And yes, easy fix.
It’s Easter!
Sweet looking Mustang II. Would be a fun cruiser. Nice colors in our now gray world.
Nope, not for me at all. I would consider the price high for what it is.
I’m with Roger it’s a nope for me, while I don’t dislike the body style everything else is screaming its a nice ladies automobile. Plus I never liked white interiors regardless of manufacturer
Nice , my wife’s first car was a ’75 v6 chocolate brown , tan interior and tan top . They were famous for using oil, her stepdad worked at the Ford dealer and they got a notice to change the oil over to 20w-50 when they came in for service from 10w-40 and it never used another qt between changes it was a fun car but they don’t handle that great .
People should have gone to prison for what they did to the mustang.
Agreed David! As the period commercials said, “Mustang II , Boredom 0”. Not true then, not true now. Boredom won! Then and now.
You don’t have to like the Mustang II, lots of us don’t, but a lot of people did, and it kept the Mustang alive, be thankful for that! If it weren’t for the success of the Mustang II, we might’ve gotten a Mustang FWD coupe instead (anyone remember the Ford Probe?), or worse, the Mustang might have been cancelled completely! Oh, the humanity! Without the Mustang II, there might not have been a Fox-Body Mustang, or the later versions that followed the Fox body, and we might all be driving around in Mazda-based Ford Probes with Mustang badges on them! I shudder at the thought!
As the author E.E. Cummings said “there is some sh#t I will not eat. That quote seems to fit this Ford.
I have a friend from high school whose grandmother had the local Ford dealer bring a 1965, 3 speed, 289 two barrel fastback to her home for him. One week later he totaled it so the grandmother had the dealer bring a 65, 4 speed GT fastback for her grandson. By the way, she always had the local Cadillac dealer bring her a new “Caddy” every couple of years. This occurred in South rural Jersey. Also, as a 45 year member of a regional Mustang Club l can attest that if anyone brings a Mustang II like this one, or a Mustang II period, to a Mustang and Fotd Show they are almost guaranteed a trophy. They are geeting as scarce as hen’s teeth!
I have a friend from high school whose grandmother had the local Ford dealer bring a 1965, 3 speed, 289 two barrel fastback to her home for him. One week later he totaled it so the grandmother had the dealer bring a 65, 4 speed GT fastback for her grandson. By the way, she always had the local Cadillac dealer bring her a new “Caddy” every couple of years. This occurred in South rural Jersey. Also, as a 45 year member of a regional Mustang Club l can attest that if anyone brings a Mustang II like this one, or a Mustang II period, to a Mustang and Fotd Show they are almost guaranteed a trophy. They are getting as scarce as hen’s teeth!
I like the style of the fast backs. The notch backs, not so much.
That also applies to the competition from GM, the Chevy Monza and its siblings at Buick, Pontiac and Oldsmobile. The Monza et al were developed in response to the Mustang II and are equally rare today. Based on the Vega platform, much like the Mustang II was loosely based on the Pinto platform, and like the Mustang II, much better cars than their ancestors, the fastback/hatchback versions were both better looking IMHO, and outsold the notchback versions, IIRC.
Thank you, Unk!
To be honest, after posting that story I cried for an hour.
My father always bought strip models. We had ’52 Chevys, ’49 Plymouth, ’53 Mercury (that was her brother’s and the only automatic) ’56 Dodge Station wagon. They were always 6 cyl., manual trans, no power anything.
Her ’62 Buick was upscale with the 401 nail head, auto trans, p/s, p/b, p/top. It was the car she picked out and she paid for with her own money. Bonus, it was a color she loved, teal green with a white convertible top. WSW tires full disc hubcaps. My Electra 225 of course had all the bells and whistles, power everything in baby blue with a white convertible top. I always go for the “loaded” cars I think because all the early family cars were basic strip models. The fact that my aunt and uncle next door always had Cadillacs didn’t help.
@Wayne. **legal in Nevada except Clark County where Las Vegas is. Many tourist end up in jail because they assume it’s legal everywhere in Nevada.
Not legal in Washoe County (Reno) or Carson City (county and city the same thing) also. The rest of the countries are wide open. However, not legal in some cities like mine. But basically zoning keeps them out of the city limits. In my county it’s legal but the zoning is the same as junkyard. But the Lyon County (my county) zoning is on the line with Carson City. So several are right there.
Not to mention that there are not many Mustang ll’s left in the wild. Their front underpinnings were very prized by the DIY hot-rodder crowd.
True. So true, in fact, that the aftermarket has taken to duplicating the design, which is widely available and known generically as the “Mustang II” front end!