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Original Paint: 1978 Ford Mustang Cobra II

Putting Farrah Fawcett on the hood of your car will always get readers’ attention, but so will a clean Mustang Cobra II with original paint and graphics. This unloved version of the upgraded Mustangs was hiding in a Southern California garage for 36 years before being exhumed and listed for sale here on eBay with bidding just under $5K and the reserve unmet. It benefits from $2,500 in recent mechanical work and said to run well. 

Just finding one of these with the original graphics still in place is a major achievement, let alone original paint with color-coded wheels and rear window louver. To say this is a survivor probably isn’t doing the Cobra justice, especially considering how many have been stripped for their drivetrains and left for dead. The fact that this one has been hiding in a private garage has much to do with its high state of preservation, along with having just one female owner from new.

The interior is even better than the exterior, with clean bucket seats that are just starting to split down the middle. The three-spoke steering wheel is one of the best features of a Mustang Cobra of any generation, and this example is equipped with an automatic transmission. Some of the recent maintenance addressed by the seller includes a new gas tank, fuel pump, fuel lines, battery, brakes, hoses, belts, plugs, and plug wires. The stereo features an original eight-track player.

Speaking of, the seller is including a collection of period eight-track tapes with the sale, which is just one of those things smart sellers do to set the mood for potential buyers. There’s some minor body rust on the bottom of the passenger-side rear quarter and edges of the doors, but noting you can’t fix in time while still driving and enjoying the car. The seller says a cosmetic restoration could be justified, but I think I’d leave this one as-is and just enjoy driving a survivor-grade Mustang Cobra II.

Comments

  1. Avatar Moparman Member

    I like the car and the louvers, but I don’t care for the graphics. I know, I know, but I’m older now, and I don’t feel the need for loud flashy advertising ( or as it came to be known, “tape stripe packages”, LOL!) GLWTS :-)

    Like 5
    • Avatar Classic Steel

      She was an angel who was also married to lee majors the six million dollar man .

      Sad on early departure in life.. a beautiful sweet lady 😇

      I like the Cobra 🐍 too

      Like 4
  2. Avatar bobhess Member

    There really is something to be said about Farrah Fawcett with a car attached…

    Like 15
    • Avatar Moparman Member

      Just remember, that was Farrah, 42 years ago, LOL!!! :-)

      Like 8
      • Avatar 86_Vette_Convertible

        She was a beautiful lady, unfortunately cancer took her early.

        Like 8
  3. Avatar leiniedude Member

    As much as I enjoy seeing Farrah, is this post ever going to page one? Been bumped by many cars. Whats up with that?

    Like 0
  4. Avatar Dave Suton

    With a massaged 302 and a 4sp, these could have potential

    Like 3
  5. Avatar Chuck

    LOL, that Farrah Fawcett poster hung in my father’s shop from when it was released until we finally cleaned it out after my mother’s death in 2015. Now it hangs in my brother’s shop. It’ll probably be there when he dies.

    Like 13
  6. Avatar benjy58

    The dog is worth more.

    Like 2
    • Avatar robert kirk

      Farrah is a picture the pet is emblematic of the car ; ^)

      Like 7
  7. Avatar Jeff

    We had a ton of these at carlot bodyshop people were dumpin em super cheap when gas hit the magical price of a buck a gallon in 1979 only real problem was the automatics were dogs manuals were only slightly Better due to fact that FORD only put 4 speeds in em cars ran out of motor we had to drive em about 40 miles to auction across PA turnpike if they had a 5 gear. Im sure it would have made a big difference but all in all the black KING COBRAS were the nicest ones

    Like 1
  8. Avatar Del

    He has certainly done a pile of work getting everything smoothed out.

    Not sure its worth much tho

    Like 2
  9. Avatar Glenn Schwass Member

    Farrah yes, the dog yes, but I hate those years of Mustangs. Junk.

    Like 4
  10. Avatar Tort Member

    At least everyone knew what you were driving! I couldn’t see me driving in the daylight back then and now with the graphics.

    Like 1
  11. Avatar Arby

    He probably would do better with a live girl on the hood.

    Like 1
  12. Avatar Comet

    Mustang II’s. Looking back now, maybe the “good old days” were just the “so-so old days.”

    Like 3
  13. Avatar Lc

    Wow, I sold my 78 Mercury Bobcat last year with those exact period wheels. I bought them off of EBay. They were refurbished and looked new. However the Mr. that bought the Bobcat changed the wheels later on to chrome. I thought it looked better with the white ones because the car was white.

    Like 0
  14. Avatar Paul

    The card board cut out is made with far better materials then the car was made from!
    By 1978 most of the country knew that these mustangs II’s where poorly made junk!
    Even us die hard mustang fans knew how bad they where…although some just won’t admit it!
    The engineers that worked on cobbling these things together with the unrealistic budgets that Ford gave them at the time for this rebodied Pinto knew what garbage we had!
    Unfortunately I know these cars way too well from the inside out therefore I’m inclined to make a Snide comment anytime I see one in hopes that some poor sucker won’t decide to wast there money on one of these radio flyers.

    Like 5
  15. Avatar David Mika Member

    Ha! I had that poster in my room back in ’78 or so…had a crush on Christy McNichol too…

    Like 5
  16. Avatar canadainmarkseh

    Yes these were a bit of a piece of junk, but no worse than anything else at that time. I really hated the look of them when they first came out but it has grown on me since then. My cousin had one of these he live on a acreage with 20 miles of bad roads to the nearest highway. He pounded the crap out on that poor car every day going to work and it held up really well. As for this car a way to keep the graphics would be to repaint the car and have the graphics ghosted in so that they are there but subtle. I’m no a ford guy but I do know that these are becoming more desirable and with a v8 engine they had a good power to weight ratio and would fly along quite fast, I know I rode with my cousin in his a few times. Do you know it took 5 years of pot holes and wash board roads at 70 mph to finely kill the suspension in that poor car. As for Farrah that poor woman died a terrible death that I wouldn’t wish on anyone.

    Like 5
  17. Avatar Superdessucke

    Farrah always drove Ghias i thought? Anyway, most will get the cultural reference!

    Like 0
    • Avatar Howard A. Member

      Jacklyn Smith drove the Ghias, Kate Jackson drove the Pintos.

      Like 5
  18. Avatar Roy L.

    Wish it was a little closer, I’d take a look.

    Like 0
  19. Avatar FordGuy1972 Member

    Can’t say as I ever cared for these Mustangs. They were a huge let-down from the first gen models. The ’70s was the decade of “go-faster” graphics, a lot of cars had them to compensate for their impotent drivetrains. I never cared for all that flash with very little to back it up. I know a lot of guys who grew up with these Mustang II’s liked them but most of them probably never drove an earlier Mustang with a big block or even a K-code 289. I’m sure these will pick up in value over time but even a King Cobra will never bring the money a Mach 1 or even a GT will bring.

    Like 2
  20. Avatar Jimmy

    I better not let the wife see this, she bought a new 78 Cobra II right after we met and this one is identical to hers, same color, stripes, auto trans. She loved that car until winter hit then she kept swiping my 78 F-150 4×4. So I drove it doing donuts in the snow at work and beating the crap out of it until the trans gave out and we traded it for a 80 Bronco 4×4. I know she would want me to bid on this one.

    Like 3
  21. Avatar rebelsound72

    Got my first speeding ticket in one of these, a high school buddy had one that had a significantly muscled-up 302 and he was nice enough to let me take the wheel on a Saturday night of ripping around some back streets but unfortunately I picked a back street where the local constable was parked to put the hammer down. I remember he only owned 2 8-tracks for the factory deck so you better have liked AC/DC and Aldo Nova! Good times.

    Like 5
  22. Avatar Bob_in_TN Member

    I always liked Mustang II’s. They had a tough act to follow, but they were appropriate for their day and sold well. I don’t think they were any worse than other cars of the era. I’m glad they were around: anyone who likes 1979 or newer Mustangs and values the 55 year heritage, should at least acknowledge their importance in the historical line.

    Like 3
    • Avatar Howard A. Member

      That’s true, Bob, I liked the Mustang ll as well. For years they were considered “the forgotten Mustang”. I had a friend with this exact car too. I thought it was a lot better car than my ex-wifes V8 Monza, which was a very poor car. Tell you what, if it wasn’t for the Mustang ll, we could have lost Mustang forever, or at least until Ford brought it back like Challenger and Camaro.

      Like 2
  23. Avatar Troy s

    Like the hidden message in that first photo…yes, Farrah drove one of these dogs in a TV show. Man, all the kids had that poster back then, she really was gorgeous! Funny, when I got older I appreciated her all the more, just that lowish voice….on to cars now!
    Can’t say much for any car in ’78 except I hope we don’t have to go through all that again. Even the TA Burt Reynolds drove in Smokey and the Bandit was dubbed over for sound by that dang ’55 Chevy in American Graffiti. No late 70’s Trans Am, Camaro, or one of these tape stripe II’s could ever sound that good without major surgery.
    I don’t see why these would ever command big bucks, too much negative associated with the model.

    Like 2
  24. Avatar Erich Maas

    I’m not a big Mustang loving person but grew up in that era. These were a welcome relief from the big 72-73 models, which were the biggest Mustangs ever! I notice that the car has 4-lug wheels which seems odd for a car with a V8. In 1967, any Mustang with 4-lug wheels had a straight six in it because the V8s would provide enough torque to snap studs.

    Like 0

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