- Seller: Walter E
- Location: Fallbrook, California
- Mileage: 84,000 Shown
- Chassis #: 8R04F137472
- Title Status: Clean
- Engine: 302 V8
- Transmission: Automatic
Ford’s Mustang II takes a lot of heat from some people for being a gussied-up Pinto, which it is not. Those rumors hang around longer than they should sometimes, sort of like the one about Bigfoot or any other urban legends. Ford had another best-seller on its hands with the second-generation Mustang, the Mustang II, and this 302-powered example is listed here as a Barn Finds Exclusive!
The original Mustang was said to be the best-seller in its class and the Mustang II followed that tradition. They were made from 1973 for the 1974 model year until the end of 1978 and they only came with two doors, unless you count a hatchback model as having a third door. There was no four-door, no wagon, and most surprising for me, there was no convertible. This example appears to be in really nice condition and the Centerline-type aftermarket wheels are a nice touch.
As a California car, I don’t see any rust issues and the seller doesn’t mention the word rust at all in their description, so I’m hoping for the best. Also in the realm of California, they say it just passed the smog test so that’s good news, right? Ford may have lucked out in bringing out the Mustang II right as the energy crisis was sweeping across the U.S. and people were dropping their big cars for smaller ones such as the Mustang II.
The interior presents well, with maybe a deep cleaning needed in a few areas. There don’t appear to be any areas of concern inside or outside that we can see. This car has a three-speed automatic with a console selector and a fancy woodgrain dash that goes well with the interior color. I don’t see this seat pattern in Mustang II brochures but there’s no mention of them having been reupholstered.
The King Cobra was available in 1978 but this car isn’t that, other than having a 302-cu.in. OHV V8 engine, which would have been factory-rated at 139 horsepower and 250 lb-ft of torque when new. It shows some surface rust, maybe due to its location between San Diego and Los Angeles, but they say this car has a lot of new parts and only 84,000 miles. Sure to draw a crowd at almost any gas station or grocery store, be sure to get your bids in on this 1978 Ford Mustang II here as a Barn Finds Auction!
It looks like it would be a fun car to own without having a big car payment. I don’t want to criticize the owner, but I would take those wheels off in a heart beat!
I luv it 😎
This screams 1970s and a 302 to boot.
Good luck with sale!
Ford Mustang never stopped production!
Classic case of California dreaming, would be better to shop around for a newer mustang with EFI,bring this car to Texas and get maybe 7500
Nice looking II. Period correct colors. A weekend of detailing underhood would be well-spent. Prices for clean examples have been creeping up for a while now, partly because so few were saved.
Nicest looking one of these that I have ever seen was the one with Farrah Fawcett in a bikini sitting on the hood. Of course, she could make a Citroen look good!
Back in the day my girlfriend had one in a lighter tan color, no 302. I got her matching mudflaps for the car for her 18th birthday. Shortly thereafter I was sent packing.
Mudflaps will do that.
i actually laffed out loud at your reply… :D
That’s the kind of girl that would not appreciate a blender as an anniversary present.
Had a girlfriend back in the 90’s that had a 76 (I think lol) bought her a am/fm tape deck for it, one day I reached to change the station, well y’all know how the ladies get with their cars, she was like “what are you doin, that ain’t your’s” and I said ” well, it’s got my damn name on it” by the way, the brand name of the stereo,,,, JENSEN of course lol.
His price is ridiculous….and I like Mustang II’s, having at one time owned a Mustang II Cobra II.
It is a very nice looking car. I hope he gets his price.
“Ford’s Mustang II takes a lot of heat from some people for being a gussied-up Pinto, which it is not.”
People who make comments about the Mustang II being a gussied up Pinto tend to forget the original Mustang was just a gussied up Falcon. They also tend to forget the previous generation Mustang was a bloated Ford Torino with a shorter trunk.
True. And they also forget the Fox body Mustangs were nothing but a gussied up Fairmont.
The original mustang had less in common with the falcon than any of the others pairs you mentioned. Different wheel base, steering and transmission ratios, gas tank, windows. Other than using common engines and parts bin, the mustang had little interchangeability with the falcon.
The entire drivetrain was the same , the windshield and the gas tank were also the same , at least by 1966.The Mustang was built using the Falcon platform so while it didnt share body and interior parts, it was essentially the same underneath
Those are actually great cars. The rack & pinion steering was a monumental upgrade over the old slop-boxes and the front disc brakes I believe came standard when this car was introduced.
I had a buddy that had a hot little coupe like this with a 351W transplant and that was a scream. Until a big ol’ tree limb caused it’s untimely demise and the automotive gods called the poor thing home.
Crying shame.
I had a 1976 sportback. Fun car to drive until the wife got it in the divorce.
A WEEKEND to detail the underhood? Ya gotta be kidding! Detailing an engine bay under the best of conditions is a major undertaking. There’s a lot of stuff here that will require refinishing/repainting, and it will take weeks. Many weeks!
I really like this car. I’d like it better if it had the third pedal on the left. The price is pushing it, but what can you get for $12,500 anymore? In this condition? I’ve recently seen AMC Rambler Classics go for more.
I’m gonna agree with Bob in TN on this one. This is not a 70 BOSS 302. It’s a 1978 hatch back roof with Landau windows for pete’s sake. Just get a can of degreaser and a parts brush, scrub it down a little, rinse it off, shut the hood and go to town. Don’t spend more than two, maybe three hours on it and move on with your life, for pete’s sake.
Now that you mention it, these would have made a good looking convertible. So would the Colonnade cars. With the raft of safety standards and other mounting legislation it wasn’t worth the effort for the small take rate of sales.
Wonder if there were any aftermarket companies that successfully converted these into convertibles??? Seems like the notchback would lend itself well to some judicial roof pruning, body reinforcement and cladding. Lots of these were cannibalized for their steering rack, suspension and disc brakes. Common street rod upgrade.
First thing I would do is can that big air breather. If you have a gas leak under it–you wouldn,t know it. It can catch on fire and cause a bad accident. I found out the hard way. Ended up in the burn center. Now I use a small air breather and I can see around the car if it has a leak. The price of this car–is way over priced . For $12,000. You can buy better for alot less.Plus get one with nicer wheels too.