I believe Ford called this unusual color Medium Blue Metallic, but the seller refers to it as turquoise. It’s pretty dull as far as the shine goes, not dull as in a dull or boring color. I’d like to go at this one with some polishing compound to see how it would shine up. The seller has this 1974 Ford Mustang II posted here on craigslist in impossibly beautiful Newport Beach, California, and they’re asking $5,300. Here is the original listing, and thanks to Scott H. for the tip!
The photos are pretty unusual with a mix of dark images, vertical images, and everything in between. Some of them were lightened a bit so you could see the car when it didn’t look like it was midnight. You can see that there are a few issues with the exterior, but I don’t see any rust. The seller says it’s original, and the paint could be buffed, and I’m sure it would look much better. One thing is that there is a salvage title, but the seller says they don’t know why.
Now that’s a “color-keyed” bumper! Bumper guards were a big thing in this era, and these have a stainless steel piece in the middle that Ford calls a “rub strip”, although I’m not sure how a person would keep any damage confined to that tiny stainless strip. These wheel covers, or three of them, were standard on the standard two-door hardtop Mustang II. The Mustang II Ghia received fancier “spoke” wheel covers, and either slotted aluminum or “styled steel wheels” were also available. I can see why people liked the aluminum and/or styled steel wheels; they not only look great, but you’re really in trouble if one falls off, as with the right front wheel cover on this car.
The matching Medium Blue interior includes low-back vinyl bucket seats on the hardtop in front, and they look great from what we can see in the photos. The back seat does, too. The carpet may be a bit faded, but that shouldn’t be hard to change. The cracked dash top is a bummer, but that relentless California sun wreaks havoc on just about everything it touches. The trunk photo is unusual in showing more of the underside of the trunk lid than the trunk itself.
The engine is Ford’s 2.3-liter OHC inline-four with 88 horsepower and 116 lb-ft of torque when new. Thankfully, this one is backed by a four-speed manual sending power to the rear wheels, and the seller says it runs great and the engine has potential, but I’m not sure what that means. The transmission works as it should, and this car has new struts, shocks, and brakes. It was purchased from the original owner when she went into a nursing home, and the car sat in her garage for 12-15 years before that. Any thoughts on this faded blue-over-blue II?
Has a faint smell of Benson & Hedges, but never mind that
Better than Virginia Slims…
A military bud of mine had this exact car, except his had the styled steel wheels with trim rings. We took it to our first school after boot camp. Brings back the memories, Scotty! Thanks! GLWTS!! :-)
A very basic Mustang II. More than a few like this went out the door, but not many survive. Some straighforward work might turn it into a decent and fun little driver. Find that missing wheel cover or change to another tire/wheel package, replace the carpet and dash pad, find the missing F-O-R-D emblems, and (especially) see if the paint can be revived.
Actually Scotty, the seller calls the color “tarquise”…….
Bob, I know you’re a very knowledgeable guy when it comes to Fords. So….. exactly how many ’74 Mustangs were painted in “tarquise”???
I’m sorry, I just couldn’t resist. It would be neat to see this compounded out. You just might get some shine to it. This might not be one to go nuts on a restoration, but its definitely worth cleaning up and cleaning. Like Bob said not many left. I went to school woth a kid who had one this color too. Base lodel 4 cyl. And a stick. It was a fun car.
Great memories for me too here Scotty. Thank you
I’m sorry. Not cleaning up and cleaning. ( Unless your obsessive compulsive in cleaning then knock your socks off..) It was supposed to say cleaning and driving.
Long day…. Brain slipped out of gear while typing.
Calling out the owner for his misspelling of turquoise, and then you misspell model. People who live in glass houses….
I wouldn’t pay anywhere close to $5,300 for a car like this with a salvage title, no matter the reason for it. I’d also want the title to be in the sellers name.
Even without a salvage title the asking price is a stretch.
Steve R
Good point on title… But, it is a 4 speed… Lol
Already featured on this site last summer (July 27, 2024). It’s been on CL regularly since then (and maybe even before that) and like the ’41 Plymouth discussed earlier there’s just no interest in it at the asking price. I think they lowered it to $4,900 at one point and still had no takers.
https://barnfinds.com/old-lady-1974-ford-mustang-ii/
To be polite, the seller’s description is inaccurate.
https://bid.cars/en/lot/0-31789680/1974-Ford-Mustang-4R02Y242908
The bid.cars site indicates the salvage title is due to a fire loss. There’s no apparent fire damage but there are signs of water damage. The water staining in the trunk and on the floor mats show this. The lower back of the passenger seat also shows likely water damage.
Already written up here in July 2024 by Russ. It’s been on CL regularly since (or maybe even before) then with no takers even with a price cut to $4,900 (IIRC).
Arrrgh! Thanks for catching that, Vance. I thought I had searched for this one; my apologies to Russ for not mentioning his article.
We don’t mind Barnfinds “reruns” Scotty!!!
The reruns are kind of interesting, especially when they happen years apart. You get a completely different group of comments and sometimes the comments are a complete 180 from the first time around.
” notchback “
If this was a typical 20 year old never waxed
water based painted Honda with clearcoat, what would the paint (& plastic headlight covers) look like? So many never waxed learcoat eyesores on the road today. Today’s drivers must think clearcoat is a substitute for wax. Or there simply s no time to wax anymore since 2007 – u know who’s phone takes precendence.
One of my pet peeves. How hard is it to get out some Turtle wax paste a few times a year? Actually it is pretty good exercise, you get fresh air, and your car looks great and is protected. I live in salt country, but for decades rarely experienced too much rust. I wash my cars monthly in the winter, apply paste wax biannually, and garage keep them. Not all that strenuous.
I can’t but feel awed at the stupidity of not doing this. I often see fairly new pick ups that are rusting away. I imagine these were $50-90K new. Are they even done with the payments on a now rusting truck? I made all our children learn how to wax a car, made them help me, or they were not allowed to drive them. That was enough inspiration at the time, but now they all do the same for their cars and they all look nice. Part of raising a child to an upright adulthood is stressing that hard work is sometimes required for a good end result.
In the early 1980s I had a 55 chevy I was driving on a busy street at night and a M2 pulled out in front of me I hit. it broadside from the driver side door back was smashed in It bent my fender a little and broke the directional It cost me 250 dollars for a new fender and paint it to match
88 horsepower?
I’m finally looking to buy, and shocked at the prices being asked for cars with R titles. Not to mention the overall pieces of crap offered like they were gold.
$5300??!!
Might not be buying another old car, the classic motorcycle market looks much more inviting. We’ll see what Carlisle looks like this month
I grew up with my Dad buying 65-66 mustang from New to just a good used car , (think he had 5 different ones) then he bought a 76 mustang II hatchback. 4 banger and auto. As a kid I thought it was a cool looking car and still do. It didn’t keep it more than a year or so. Said “wouldn’t blow the hat off your head” I am sure the 4 speed would help. And I’ve Always wondered how hard it would be to swap one out to a more modern 4 and a five speed.
It was not long ago that this was a 1000 dollar car, and I mean less than a decade ago. Prices are just insane these days.
My sister bought a 74 Mustang Fastback new. Like this, 4spd. 4cyl. It proved to be not very durable, and didn’t last. Not one of Ford’s better ideas for sure.
At the risk of hell, fire and damnation, I gotta say it: this car screams malaise (rhymes with mayonnaise) and is about as exciting. I guess they had to do it, but this looks like a car designed by an accountant. Sorry for any hurt feelings, but the phone in design just doesn’t get a pass ; ) My neighbor had one and if you closed your eyes during a ride in it, you couldn’t tell it apart from the Pinto. I wonder how many still survive as restored and cared for. An acquired taste ; )
This car brings back some memories, except these memories are not so good. My buddy Jay had one of these in the same color and drive train. It was the winter of 1982 and I borrowed it to make a beer run and I never made it back, I had already had too much beer and I spent the night in jail. He never let me borrow it again I might add. It took another 6 years for me to finally have enough beer. I am so glad I survived being a teenager and my early 20’s
It’s the manual transmission that does it for me. But not at 5k+!
Lots of potential with the motor tranny/combo. That motor has been the basis for a variety of factory hot rodded Fords for ages.