Many say the First Generation Mustang was the right car at the right time, and that sales success was almost guaranteed. Although it has been criticized, the Mustang II shares that trait. Its release coincided with the Oil Crisis and fuel rationing, making the four-cylinder version extremely popular. This Mustang II emerged in 1977, and it is begging for TLC. The seller has replaced many parts and included additional mechanical components for the winning bidder to install, ensuring the car is in tip-top mechanical shape. They have listed this classic here on eBay in El Dorado, Arkansas. Bidding sits at $2,500 in a No Reserve auction.
Ford returned to its pony car roots with the Mustang II. Its predecessor had grown significantly during its production life, and the last cars weren’t as light or as lithe as the earlier examples. The Mustang II’s dimensions were much closer to the original Mustang than many people realize, and sales success followed. Volumes dropped from the 1974 peak. Still, with 153,173 buyers taking one home in 1977, its showroom performance was respectable. Our featured Mustang II is the base 2+2, which found favor with 49,161 customers. It would have been a sweet little thing in its prime, and its Bright Red paint was shining. Those days may seem far behind it, but we must delve deeper to unearth its potential. Wherever the paint has worn away, surface corrosion has developed. However, the seller states that penetrating rust is limited to the rear hatch and the battery tray. Otherwise, this beauty is rock-solid. The corrosion means that stripping the exterior to bare metal would be wise, but if the buyer is into DIY, that won’t cost a fortune. The trim should look nice once cleaned and polished, and the glass is clear. The first owner’s decision to order this classic with optional forged aluminum wheels enhances its visual appeal.
Ford wanted to give even the most basic 1977 Mustang II a sporting feel, and a faux aluminum dash fascia, a factory tachometer, and a sports wheel helped convey that impression. This baby also left the line with air conditioning, although the seller confirms that a previous owner removed most of its components. The interior needs as much love as the exterior, exhibiting wear and overall deterioration. The carpet is faded, but if the winning bidder replaced the carpet and threw slipcovers over the seats, it would look quite presentable. The seller replaced the driver’s side door rubber, window rubber, and window tracks. They haven’t done the passenger side, but will include the parts for the buyer to fit.
If you hoped to lift this classic’s hood to discover a V8 that will pin you in your seat, you’ve come to the wrong place…big-time. This Mustang II features the 2.3-liter Pinto four, teamed with a three-speed automatic transmission, power steering, and power front disc brakes. The motor will only generate 89hp and 120 ft/lbs of torque, meaning it will struggle to break the 20-second barrier for the ¼-mile. Still, there’s plenty of good news. The seller has replaced almost the entire braking system, wheel bearings, steering components, tires, the fuel tank, and the hoses and belts. That’s a respectable list, but it doesn’t end there. The sale also includes new motor and transmission mounts, a new steering rack, power steering hoses, and a few sundry parts. The buyer can install these items, and while the Mustang II is roadworthy and runs and drives well, they’ll improve the situation.
The original Mustang was a winning formula, letting customers get behind the wheel of a car with stunning styling that was affordable if they were willing to compromise on outright performance. The story of the Mustang II was slightly different, as manufacturers spent the 1970s battling emission regulations while trying to improve fuel economy. Its styling drew criticism, with one journalist describing it as a caricature of the original Mustang that looked like Warner Brothers had drawn it. The Mustang II remained in the wilderness for decades, but it has recently “found its legs” in the classic market. Values have climbed strongly during the past three years, and there is no evidence that the trend is slowing. So buying now could be a wise move, though I hasten to add that purchasing a vehicle as an investment is always risky. This Mustang II has received a single bid, and the listing statistics suggest the action won’t become too intense. Are those thoughts enough to tempt you, or can’t you warm to a four-cylinder pony car?
The only thing that Might have made this interesting, AC, is long gone: so with that 3 speed auto and 88HP it’s a firm ‘NO’ for me,…
Best of luck to the seller.
Those piddly little wheels & tires make it look almost comical, to my eye.
So, you weren’t alive in the 70’s, eh?
Big tires are a fuel suck. That’s not what this car was about.
You probably all know my thoughts on a 4cyl Mustang (an automatic, no less!) after the last Fox that was on here. It’s an abomination, is all I can say. It goes against the very nature of the Mustang.
I had a 66, that I put a 351C in.
Then an 86 for my daughter to use for college.
To each there own, But this is just a Pinto and not even a good clean one at that.
This gets tiresome. Let’s put it this way. The Mustang II is like a Pinto, like a Chevelle is like an Impala.
Ya… the M II with the 4 was slower and not as nimble as the Pinto as it was almost half a ton heavier… ;-)
mislabeled at the factory. This is no Mustang.
Mr Iacocca would disagree with you.
The Mustang II was the last Mustang that Iacocca had anything to do with witch makes the Mustang II more of a Mustang than anything that came out after it.
I guess I would have to agree with you, RedWolfGTR. This generation looks better than those following generations, but I still think that Mustangs were really Mustangs by name AND by nature only in the first decade or so of production. I appreciate the attempt at re-creating the sporty styling that came in recent years, though.
Actually Iacocca originally wanted to base the Mustang II on the Maverick platform… which could trace its roots to the original 1960 Falcon… which was also the basis for the original ’64 1/2 Mustang… Would have come full circle.
I had a 1966 Mustang in 1976 with the straight 6 and automatic. To me it was NO Mustang. A generic store brand. It’s all about perspective and opinion.
I took my drivers license test in a 74 hatchback mustang with a V6 automatic, and ironically I got my first DWI in a 74 notchback mustang with a 4 cylinder 4 speed so I have a history with mustangs, some good some bad. I am so grateful that I don’t have to do that stuff today
Not the best looking generation of Mustang. But when you look at the cars of the era, certainly wasn’t the worst looking car on the road either. Wouldn’t it be cool all tubbed out with a Coyote motor in it?
Ah yes… let’s all re-visit the malaise era shall we…
Yup, and you can tell that the buying public Knew that it had been had with this version given that sales dropped precipitously from 385, 993 Mustang IIs in 1974 to 199,198 in 1975. That initial novelty wore off quickly and the public responded by taking its money else where to things like the Camaro, which somehow managed to increase its sals from 88,243 to 145,770 in the same years: this despite the fact that the Camaro was a large fuel Inefficiant car in the peak years of the 1970s energy crisis.
Actually, Iacocca’s desire to downsize the Mustang was what was needed… as by ’73 the first gen Mustang had become more of a personal luxury car than the original concept of a sporty runabout… bloating over half a ton in 9 years… and sales numbers one quarter what they were at its peak in ’66/’67 The problem was Ford picked the Phoenix (Pinto) platform to base it on. But they corrected themselves 5 years later with the Fox platform based Mustang, which was much better received by the enthusiast community, roughly tripling the sales of the previous year Mustang II, and a much better package for chassis and powertrain development.
1975 was a low sales year overall. Recession, catalytic converters, you name it. Gerald Ford initiated the BAC (buy a car) America campaign but people weren’t buying just yet. OTOH ’78 was a record sales year, so the turn around came eventually.
Love them or hate tem, I believe it saved the Mustang from extinction.
So, was the Mustang II plagued with the same burst-into-flames-if-you-get-rear-ended problems as the Pinto?
I actually like this car for what it is and how it looks, though I might fix where the limited rust thru is, whatever issues, and drive it with the “patina”. It would be good enough for around town anyway if the engine is okay. It looks like it lived in Arkansas or somewhere in the south.
I always thought this car would look more Mustang like if it had the back tail light panel of a 77 Toyota Celica GT grafted onto it
Love when people respond to a comment and then remove the reply feature so that you can’t rebut them,….
In December of 1970 I bought a 1971 brown Pinto right after graduating from college, only because the VW Beatles were selling so fast that you had to drop a $100 deposit and sign your name in a waiting list book that already had pages of names. The 1.6 litre motor was more suited for a Go-Kart.
Not sure why anyone would want to tackle this Mustang project even if the car was given to them for free. My Pinto was a slow rust bucket that I got rid of it when it had 63,000 miles in 1978 and needed a new head gasket.
Much maligned to be sure, but of you have ever driven a 170 auto 64.5 or a 200 auto any year, you would realize this thing isn’t far off. The only dueces I have owned have been V8 models, but people gotta remember the Mustang was the everymans sports car. There have always been economy and performance versions sitting side by side on the show floor
Bob,
You are not allowed to use logic when discussing cars.
We all have opinions on our favorite cars, and I know mine are correct.
Do not confer with my wife on this or any subject.
Well said Bob Wilson! I completely agree with you.
We had one in the 70’s, auto, cologne engine, rusted hatch back.
Where you drive matters so ours raced to see if the frame or the drive train would fail first.
The engine did couple of hundred miles from 100K, one mile from the dealer we were trading with.
They said they didn’t care since the trade in was only a courtesy for what obviously was a POS from 50 ft away.