Back In Black: 1978 Ford Mustang

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Although warmly received and praised when it was first introduced, the Ford Mustang II has never reached the legendary status of the original Mustang hailing from the 1960s. This particular Mustang II is listed for sale here on eBay. Located in Mansfield, Illinois, it has a clear title. The seller has set an opening bid of $6,499, but at the time of writing there had been no bids.

This Mustang appears to have been cared for from new. It is a little bit unclear, but I get the impression that the seller may be the original owner. The car was the recipient of a Ziebart rust protection treatment when new, and has been kept stored in a heated and air-conditioned garage when not in use. The seller states that the Mustang only ventures out of the garage on sunny days. The car is not perfect, displaying a few little scrapes and scratches such as the ones in this photo. It also looks like the rear bumper may be out of alignment on the driver’s side, so maybe it has also had a bump there. The seller does provide some shots of the underside of the car which confirm that the car appears to be rust-free.

The interior looks to be clean and original with no real issues to report. The lid to the glove compartment is out of adjustment, but that should be quite easy to rectify. What is nice is that the seller is not making bold claims about the mileage on this Mustang. He has listed the mileage at 104,000 miles. If that is accurate then the general condition of the interior gives the impression of a car that has been well cared for.

Under the hood is the 302ci engine backed by a 4-speed manual transmission. The seller states that the car has never given him any problems and that it sports new brakes, a new exhaust and new tires fitted to the 13″ factory wheels. While the engine itself appears to be quite clean for the mileage, the engine bay looks a bit dirty, with some obvious staining and surface corrosion obvious on a number of unpainted metal components.

With no current bids on this car on eBay, I wondered what sort of money the seller was seeking for this little Ford. I went looking at current pricing and found this car listed elsewhere for $10,999. If it sells for around its opening bid price on eBay then it could be quite a good buy, but if the price being asked on the alternate listing is close to their expectations then I suspect that they are going to be more than a bit disappointed.

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Comments

  1. Bryan corey

    Nice tires

    Like 3
  2. mlm

    That old Buick in the background got my attention more so than the Mustang did.

    Like 2
  3. Max

    Not much a fan of post 73 Mustang’s but every make and model has its loyal fan!

    This is my 73 Mustang Hardtop ALL original bought 2 years ago. I only did 2 mods electronic ignition & 15″ scott drake magnum wheels with BF Goodrich tires ! just beautiful machine from past I did pay 17K for it. This link original ad by seller before I bought car
    https://www.connorsmotorcar.com/vehicles/258/1973-ford-mustang

    Not for sale just sharing love for classics!

    Like 3
    • Larry Ragans

      Max, that’s a very nice looking 1973 Mustang. I had a medium blue 1973 coupe which was very basic, because it only had the 250 cubic inch inline 6 cylinder engine, 3-speed manual transmission, radio was AM only with just 1 in dash speaker. No power steering, no power brakes. There wasn’t even a side mirror on the passenger side. I bought it brand new for $3,000. My Dad said I paid too much. Loved the car even with its shortcomings! I’m sorry I traded it off for a Pontiac Astre in 1976!

      Like 3
      • Max

        Thanks Larry ! Its part of classic collection its all in my warehouse Not daily driver anyway dont drive much maybe one short drive every month and wash ! I think 71 to 73 Mustangs are Ok Not popular as earlier but to me Its more of nostalgia and piece of auto history !

        Like 1
    • PRA4SNW

      @Max: You buy a lot of cars from that dealership. May I ask why?
      Their prices seem really high, or do they give you a really great deal?

      Like 1
      • Max

        I have bought 3 classic cars from them yes and I found them mostly above board and trustworthy their cars are mostly original low miles well maintained examples with some Restored cars also. maybe I paid bit more for specific car but I dont regret it overall . lots of classic dealerships out there I agree most them are unscrupulous scammers and you Dont exactly get what the ad says !!

        Like 1
    • Max

      Nice! I had a 73 Cougar XR7 that looked just like that. It had a 351 Cleveland. I wish I still had it.

      Like 0
  4. Miguel

    Where I am a black car with no air is a big NO NO.

    Like 4
    • steve

      A black car anywhere without air is a no go.

      Like 4
      • Miguel

        I don’t know. I see some people in colder climates tell me they don’t need air.

        I have told them if there is one day that is even warm, I need the air.

        Like 4
  5. Mike

    This car is 4 years older than I am so I can’t claim to know how these were viewed when first introduced in 74. I know they were popular and sold well but I just can’t bring myself to understanding the appeal. It’s not even the performance. This could have the factory performance of a Boss 429 and I still wouldn’t like them. I agree with others that the 71-73 was just too big and nowhere as attractive as the 69-70 (or even 64 1/2-70) but this will always be one of the most disappointing name plates. In my book anyway.

    Like 4
  6. Classic Steel

    These lil cars kept mustangs alive with no gaps in years 👍

    It’s worth it but I am a fan of the early years
    myself .

    Like 6
  7. Jimmy

    Nice little Mustang with a V8 and a manual trans, I’m afraid his asking price is too steep for the model year. If it was a Cobra or King Cobra he might get his opening bid or even a tad more.

    Like 8
    • Lance Johnson

      I agree it wasn’t worth 6,500 new. In my book the worst Mustang ever.

      Like 1
  8. Chris In Australia

    I suppose you could wake up the 302 with a cam, 4 bbl & dual exhausts, but it’s still the runt of the Mustang litter. The hatch backs are much better looking (for a Mustang II)

    Like 5
  9. Dave Suton

    If only it were a fastback. I would snap it up right now

    Like 4
    • Miguel

      Dave, that would be impossible since a fastback was never made in these years.

      They did, however, make a hatchback.

      Like 1
      • PVDave

        I agree with Mr. Sutton’s statement. From Wikipedia:

        “A fastback is defined as having a single slope from the roof to the rear of the vehicle.

        and:

        “A fastback naturally lends itself to a hatchback configuration”

        Like 5
      • Gay Car Nut

        While I find the coupe more attractive than the hatchback, I would think the hatchback more practical.

        Like 0
  10. Jimmy

    Since I drove the wife’s 78 Cobra with the 302 / automatic and it handled great I would take this Mustang over all the Vegas & Pintos that have been featured on Barn Finds. With some modifications they can be sharp little cars as I’ve seen a few at car shows that drew quite a lot of attention.

    Like 5
  11. Little_Cars Little Cars

    I actually like the notchback better than the fastback in these years, but forget about interior space. My sister had this in Ghia trim and I remember driving the car with that stick for a shifter. Basically the knob was a turned a piece of tan plastic in the shape of a hockey puck in faux wood. Completely ruined the feel of shifting gears, double clutching, etc. I will say the interior was superb and held up well for many years. I actually like the notchback from the years before this and the Fox bodies that came after. Most were thrashed years ago. This is a nice find with the exception of those oversized boy racer tires!

    Like 2
  12. Gay Car Nut

    Lovely looking car. I’ve always loved the Mustang II. I’d buy one if I hadn’t already bought a new car.

    Like 3
  13. CCFisher

    Unusual configuration of an ordinary car: V-8 & 4-speed in a base coupe. Overpriced at the opening bid, at $10,999, it’s deep into early Mustang coupe territory, and you wouldn’t have to justify an early Mustang to anybody on cruise night.

    Like 3
    • dweezilaz

      Not really. That was the Road Runner’s claim to fame: big engine, manual trans bottom of the line, two door sedan, affordable mass market price.

      A buyer could get that same combination all the time if they wanted it.

      We’re so used to “having it their way” with groups and packages we forget the freedom of choice buyers had in the 50s, 60s and 70s.

      Like 5
  14. Gay Car Nut

    @ CCFisher: I have to agree. For a car like this, I would think a V6 engine would’ve been a more appropriate engine than any V8 engine. For one thing, it’d generally be lighter in weight, which would help the front suspension quite a lot, which would help in drivability.

    Like 1
  15. poseurMember

    Whoa-oooooooh, Mustang Two, boredom zero!

    Like 4
  16. GMoparman

    To be fair, the Mustang II was necessary. Times were changing rapidly. The 71-73 Mustang was out of step with the market, and was moving deep into Torino territory. It helped the Mustang nameplate survive the ponycar apocolypse of 1974. It is rather telling that Ford sold twice as many Mustang II’s in 1974 than they did 1973 Mustangs. Oh, the price on that Mustang II, though…..

    Like 3
  17. Max

    Regarding cars with No AC I have 2 classic cars I bought Dont have AC and I live in Hot and Humid country ( 7 month summers )Beirut Lebanon ! I bought 76 Pontiac Ventura very clean original No AC , 79 Chevy Blazer K5 4×4 also original No AC !! anyway they Not daily drivers just part my classic collection to me its Nostalgia just piece of auto history !!

    Like 2
  18. Maestro1

    I agree with gay car nut and cc about engines; a V-6 would be enough. I think the price is a bit strong.

    Like 2
  19. Gay Car Nut

    I agree with Maestro1 regarding asking price. I’d pay $4,000 for the car.

    Like 2
  20. John

    Many of these cars donated their front suspension for street rods. Good set up back in the day.

    Like 0

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