I have always wondered by Ford didn’t call the next generation Mustang the Mustang III? Anyone? Hello? Is this thing on? Maybe after a car like this 1974 Ford Mustang II they wanted to go back to a proven thing. This great looking example can be found on Craigslist, or here on the CL archive, and it’s located in the San Fernando Valley in California. The seller is asking $5,500 or offer. Rocco B. comes through again by tracking down this surgically-clean Mustang II!
Yes, this is a second-generation Mustang, but most of you knew that already. It’s also not exactly the most popular generation of Mustang. As always, I like them but it could be because I had a Revell model of a 1975 Mustang II as a kid. Um, it’s funny that you should ask, I actually do still have the completed model and no, I’m not a hoarder, I prefer collector. The Mustang II design was influenced by one of Ford’s recent purchases, a little Italian design house that you may have heard of: Ghia. Yep, that one.
This car looks fantastic. The seller says that it’s in “good condition” and they must be pretty low-key, I don’t see a flaw in this car anywhere inside or out, other than a missing “R” on the rear end. And, “everything works”. 1974 was the first model year for the Mustang II and they continued until 1978. I really like these cars for another reason, they looked basically the same for their 5-year run. The first-generation Mustang changed so much in its 9ish-year run that it didn’t even look like the same family of cars let alone the same model and same generation of cars.
Oh yeah, a 4-speed! You knew that there would be an automatic in this car, admit it. I did, too. There are only two interior photos but again, I don’t see any flaws at all, do you? Not design flaws, come on! I know that most of you don’t like these cars at all, but any car that has survived in this sort of condition is nice to see. That’s about the shortest-throw shifter that I’ve seen, I don’t remember them being that stubby but it looks like a fun car to drive, despite the 4-cylinder under the hood.
Darn near as clean as the rest of the car is, this legendary 88 hp, 2.3L 140 cubic-inch inline-four looks great other than some surface rust to take care of. The seller has this car listed for $1,500 above Hagerty’s #2 excellent value – with a 20% reduction off of their $5,000 value given this car’s 4-cylinder engine. Let me run through that again, ok, so Hagerty.. aeehh, never mind. This is one of the nicest examples that I’ve seen. Do any of you have even a tiny smidgen of love for the Mustang II?
The Mustang II is my all time favorite car. Seriously! Through the years it has been so sadly misunderstood. It was literally the perfect car at the perfect time- a brilliant move by Ford. No doubt, today’s Mustang owes its existence to this car. For that we should be thankful.
Aside from all that they’re fun to own and a blast to drive. I’ve had three of ’em and have recently been considering another on Craigslist here in the Detroit area. It also is a ’74 notch, but a V6 automatic with low miles in immaculate condition, also for $5500. This one’s pretty nice too. Wish I could have one of each, lol. Thanks for the ad.
I agree. It’s among my favourite Mustang I’d ever seen. I was born in 1973, so I was too young to really remember this car when it first debuted. But I’ve seen quite a few of these over the years, and I’ve always found them more attractive than the 80s generation, or what’s being offered today.
Some people also like AMC pacers and Yogo’s!
Obviously I am one of the “not a fan people”. However I do appreciate that there are some fans of all cars…..I can respect their opinions….just don’t quite understand any passion for these terribly made cars and how they almost ruined the Mustang name. I know a few people that worked at the plant and all of them said that they were building pure junk…so I do find in interesting how some people today think that they were good dependable cars even for the time, They were not!
Well it appears that the ‘R’ is missing from both the front and rear of the car. Must have been a pirate.
Pirate. . . A pirate walked into a bar with a large ship’s steering wheel attached to his groin. He walked to the bar and the bartender told him “Hey! You have a large ship’s steering wheel attached to your groin!”
To which the pirate replied, “A-r-r-r-g-h. . . Yea, it’s driving me nuts.”
http://instantrimshot.com/
A-r-r-r-g-h de a-r-r-r-g-h Billy. Have you ever been to sea?
Arrrgh de arrrgh Billy. I be needin’ new cabin boy.
I’m ok with the Mustang II. Naturally, I’d rather have a 64 – 65 convertible with 289 and a four speed. But I can’t afford one of those so the Mustang II would certainly allow me to own a Mustang.
What I don’t like is the 4 cyl. But still a nice find.
Hey Scotty – regarding the fine line between collecting and hoarding… they say the first step to solving a problem is recognizing it! Ah the Mustang II… Rodney Dangerfield of Mustangs. Almost weird enough to pique your interest? A buddy of mine had one in high school, V6 fastback with a four? speed standard. It was, well, OK. I also met a girl in Pittsburgh with a Cobra version packing a lopey non-orig 351W. I’m guessing that one had more than 88 HP. Nice write-up!
I just can never get my head around, or my interest up on a mustang with a 4 cylinder.
I remember seeing one on the street of London vack in 75, was a two tone bown, dark brown vinyl roof, was a stunted ugly duckling that never turned into a swan then and now. Was driving a red ’72 124 Fiat sport 1.8 better looking, 4cyl, twin ohc, 4 webber carbs, 11000 rpm if I rememver correctly, more power and faster than this sorry looking ugly ducling coud muster. The Mustangs that stir the soul are the 60s. The 70s Mustangs gave up there gym memberships, became bloated with heart problem, or lack of. They lost that true American spirit that made make a big man weak at the knees. Sorry its ugly
Needs a Coyote motor
I think it was a Mustang II that a local used dealer had on his lot that was bright green with T tops? Does T tops ring a bell with anyone? They might not have been the best cars but it seems half the hot rods made in the last twenty years have a Mustang II front end. I can’t count the times I heard that on all the auto auctions on TV these days.
I have a friend with a dark green Mustang II with T-tops sitting in their shop.
At least in my opinion this generation of mustangs was worthless when they were made and still are! They certainly did nothing to carry on the existence of a Mustang as a “Muscle Car”, all they did was preserve the name. I drove a friend of mines one time and that was plenty!
If I am going to drive a Pinto, I much prefer the body style of the Pinto.
I have had a few of these and none of them, no matter which engine it had, had any power.
My parents had a 74 Mustang II Ghia with vinyl top, plush seats and carpet. Like a Mini Mark. Baby blue with dark blue.
Pretty car, but the back seat was tragic for anything but pets.
That is the ultimate Mustang ll. I just wish Ford had offered the 302 in 74. Also prefer the roofline of the 74 Ghia vs the 75-78.
This car is probably more comparable to a 1960 Falcon rather than the 1st generation Mustang which was built off the Falcon. Take 12″ off the wheelbase and length of a Falcon and you basically have the same size car as the ’74 Mustang II and almost the same displacement engine as the Falcon with about 20 more HP. I agree the car was ill cast as the Mustang replacement, but was a good economy car that I would crown the Falcon II. It was just mislabeled and I like it better than the Maverick or the Pinto which were supposed to follow the Falcons shadow. Just my take on this car.
This car is crying out for one of my re-built 289’s or the 302 that that are sitting in the garage waiting for the proper host. Talk about the perfect sleeper ! Trans and differential swaps would be a must…leave the rest alone (ok, maybe 5-lug steelie’s with stock wheel covers). Replace the “RRRR’s.
Ya’ll get where I’m going with this :)
What are RRRR’s?
Scotty Gilbertson wrote:
“I have always wondered by Ford didn’t call the next generation Mustang the Mustang III? Anyone? Hello?”
Why? Probably because Ford had used the Mustang III name back in the mid-‘60s on a custom fastback 2-seat Mustang that they had Dearborn Steel Tubing build for their Custom Car Caravan in 1964. The basis for this car was number 9 (a convertible) of the 15 pre-production Mustangs that were built in 1963. The car still exists and is owned by well-known New York collector Howard Kroplick.
Here’s a link to an article that Mr. Kroplick wrote for the Vanderbilt Cup Races website in 2015:
http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article/mustang_iii_at_the_1964_1965_ford_custom_car_caravan
The Mustang III was also the cover car for the May 2018 issue of Hemmings Classic Car magazine and its history is spelled out in a very nice article by Thomas A. DeMauro in that issue.
One more comment:
I was new-car shopping in 1976. I test drove a Mustang II, along with a half-dozen or so other sports/sporty cars. After considering all the cars I drove, the Mustang II was at the bottom of my list.
I ended up buying a Capri II with a V6 and a 4-speed. It was my daily driver, autocrosser and TSD rally ride. It was an excellent choice for me, since it would hold an amazing amount of cargo while still providing a very rewarding driving experience.
Over my six years of ownership, I modified it with a performance exhaust, Koni shocks, urethane suspension bushings, American Racing Trans-Am wheels shod with performance Pirelli rubber and a few other mods. I was NEVER sorry that it picked it over the Mustang II.
To all you Mustang II haters: Ford sold over half a million of them; don’t criticize the back seat compared to the spacious expanse of a 911’s “rear seat”; power can always be improved in any car; the crisp styling is far more distinctive than just about anything built today; the original Mustang was a rebodied Falcon and many of those “muscle cars” came stock with a 170 cu. in. straight six – a monster motor if there ever was one.
At least it’s not a Juke or an Element…
I still laugh and just shake my head when I see one of these. What was Ford POSSIBLY thinking. 😂😂😂
I’m guessing that they were thinking small compared to the previous Mustang.
385,000 sold in 1974 alone…I would surmise Ford was thinking about selling cars. No real performance across the board in the US from 73-83. Even the Corvettes were weak. Love it or shove it, can’t argue with it’s beautiful condition. I have an extra 2.3 turbo engine on the stand. Would love to put it in something like this, keep the look exact…nice find !
This car did sell well when it first came out before the consumer realized what junk it was…by the end on its run from 74-78 the Camaro’s took over out selling the mustangs with a much older body style. And when a competitor over takes you in sales with an older model it’s a wake up call! And believe me we at Ford noticed!
I agree with you. At the time, performance, at least acceleration, wasn’t a priority.
I drove one just like this to my first duty station (it was blue & had the styled steel wheels). It was a decent car, and I’d love to have this one…even MORE if it were a fastback!! :-)
You mean hatchback, right?
@Miguel: Yes, the hatchback.
I’m thinking 3.7L ecoboost when it’s time to put in a new power plant. Would be a definite upgrade. This is a really clean example, I just don’t think I’d be the one to pony up that kind of cash for it.
For some reason, the Mustang II even to this day doesn’t seem to get the respect and enthusiasm from car collectors as did the 1st gen Mustang or the 3rd generation Mustang.
Because Mustang II’s are horrible cars
Were they really that bad?
That is because we have driven them.
My mother-in law had a 65 Mustang that was a great car that she loved. She traded it in on a new Mustang II. What a mistake and what a piece of junk. We called them disposable cars back in the day. Saying that it wasn’t just Ford it was all makers at that time.
I would be hesitant to use the word “influenced by Ghia” even though Ford had recently acquired them. There is a design there, hardly “coach built,” and I have to admit the landau coupes with the Ghia badge had some damn comfy bucket seats in them! But dressing up the Pinto in Mustang garb had a lot of us shaking our heads back then. The next generation Fox body cars more than made up for it, and they arrived on the scene just as I entered my senior year in highschool.
“I just can never get my head around, or my interest up on a mustang with a 4 cylinder.” as said by a ‘Boomer’?
I’m 1 and had a similar attitude till I saw them (along w/some Japanese econo boxes & upscale 1s) hot rodded around here by the ‘younger set’. I’m of the opinion that money can B made by following the trends. Music, autos, etc…
The beauties of the 30s no longer command the prices they did (the WWII Gen is no longer seekin those). The ‘muscle car era’ R just now beginning to fade (Boomers also aging out). These will B next to sell. Hop on if U wanna stay inda cash. The next generation is just beginning to seek out the cars of their youth/childhood. Get a head start!
Foolishly bought one brand new. The only fun moment in the one year I kept it was trading it in for a ’75 Buick. Had that car for 5 year and 200,000 miles.
My in-laws bought a used 1973 Mustang II hatchback in an ugly pale blue. It had blue vinyl seats, 4spd (to be driven by my MIL, (now former MIL, named Ella, who is now nearly 89 years old and remains one of my favorite people). She drove it to work and to haul grandkids around. One winter, I think 1984, she wasn’t working and let me borrow it for a couple of months–long story. She drove it for several years and my daughter, born in 1982, was her passenger much of the time, sitting on a little booster in the back seat. Safety seats? NAH!! One day, they were going to see her mother, and she made a wrong turn, the Mustang rolled down a short embankment and on to its top. Someone following her saw what happened and ran down to see if there were any survivors. My daughter, about 3 then, was crawling out the hatchback that popped open and grandma Ella got out…she didn’t remember how she did it. Sadly, the Mustang had to be retired after that and I forget what she drove then. She still drives now, only in daylight and will only make right turns and has been an amazing great grandma to 5 kids, age 15 down to almost 6, who still love going to her house. She never spoke baby talk to them and if I may say so, they are all very smart kids. She’s driving a 2005 Focus now, about 50,000 miles, lots of scratches and dings. But she still goes out and makes right turns.
No such thing as a 73 Mustang II hatch back.
They didn’t start making them until 1974 model
I have fond memories of that generation of Mustang. It just kills me to know that it’s based on the Pinto of that same era. When you look at the front end straight on and squint you can see the family resemblance. This is a great example of how low humidity and dry climate can make a car a survivor. My all-time favorite is actually the ’78-’79 Cobra. Specifically white with blue racing stripes.
Why do you put two different generations of Mustangs in your last comment?
1978 was this style and the 1979 was the new style.
Had a metalic green with white leatherette interior 74 with a V6. Used it for work to save my T Bird. Never had an issue with it. Lots of power and good on gas. A young fellow made me an offer I could not refuse so sold it. Should have kept it
Thia is a mustang II as well all ford Carsile,pa.
Mustangs ll is one of the all time worst cars ever made, I know a lot about these cars, they are pure junk….and I am a big time Mustang fan but these junks are an embarrassment to the Mustang name.
Sorry if you own one but please tow it or drag it to the crusher (you will feel much better after its crushed) ….I was unfortunate enough to own 2 of these ugly junks….
These car are worthless.
1 they are not dependable at all
2 they have no performance
3 they don’t handle as well as other cars of the same time period
4 they have no collector car value.
5 they were made very poorly even for the standards of the time.
6 when I was a youngster a Ford executive described them as a waste of a good t top. He told me not to get one and I didn’t listen.
Back in the day these were crap. Engines lacked power and durability. My father bought one hoping to get good gas mileage but on the only ride I had in that car it tacked nearly 4k at 70 MPH. He only got 14 or 15 MPG…This is a nice car (affordable) to take to the DQ on shoe & shine night.
Any other non mustang name and who knows, it’s ancient history now, came out at a low point in automotive history anyways. Odd way to look at the hate or lack of interest would be a hypothetical situation- say GM kills the Camaro and firebird after the ’73 model year and in it’s place they debut the all new Camaro II and Firebird trans am based on the Vega platform, great big V6 being the top engine choice, with a standard 4 cylinder engine. No more real Z28’s or SD 455 TA’s, just badged up econo boxes pretending to be something special. Burt Reynolds running blocker car in a pukey Sunbird with big decals?
Maybe this is all BS, but it may help a few out there understand the dislike for the II.🙅
You could say the Chevy Monza/Pontiac Sunbird were the equivalent GM products, and they’re not exactly remembered fondly either.
Great way of looking at it Troy!
Also If the car handled well and would run for at least 10,000 miles without a major repair some of us hater’s may back off.
Garbage
A Pinto wearing Mustang pants. A terrible waste of a Pinto. Terrible build quality, no power, and you had to have your seat belt fastened before the starter would engage. A blasphemous time for Mustang. I will admit that the styling of the fastback looked good enough, just clunky.
W9BAG, You can’t blame Ford for that seat belt interlock system.
The federal government forced the car companies to do something, and that was their answer.
It was just lucky it didn’t last too long.
I had a 75 Mustang II when I was 18. 2.3 auto, loved it for about half a minute. I bought it from a private seller, fuel line ruptured on my way home, not a huge deal. Got it on the road a few days later both headlights went out at the same time, it was the bulbs, few days later the exhaust fell off behind the axle. What I didn’t realize is that it was the over axle pipe was laying on the brake line, until the brake line broke. Fixed the brakes and exhaust, few days later the transmission went out. Being young and foolish, when I put a transmission in it, I ran neoprene hose for trans lines, from trans to cooler… right next to the manifold. car caught on fire the next day. That was the first of 3 Fords I have owned in over 30 years of driving. But I do love the body style.
Should have called it the “Mustang 1/2…
PAUL !!!
The whole world’s a circus…Don’t be the clown !!!
Point taken. No one should own 74-78 Mustangs, all should be crushed.
After 40 years, most collectors have corrected the issues.
Please advise us on the great American muscle cars from 1971 thru 1981 !
The Trans AM 400, 403(olds) and 455 were pathetic. No big block Corvette after 1974. Chrysler had the police interceptor 360 & 400 you could get in the Fury and Magnum/Cordoba with fine corinthian leather.
John,
Yes I am having fun!
Please save your 2.3 turbo for a better car, Firebirds, Camaro’s Oldsmobile’s, Corvettes and Fury’s are all worth more, are more collectible and desirable today then the Mustang II!
That should also tell you something. Yes crush them Mustangs II’s
John,
There is no debating that the muscle car era was well past it’s prime by the time 1974 came around, but the main issue here was that the Mustang II was still a rolling piece of trash even by 1970’s standards. These cars were rusting on the showroom floor. Whether it be looks, performance, build quality, whatever … there are no redeeming qualities to these cars. Their legacy is that they are an embarrassment to the Mustang name.
For the record though, there are many great American muscle cars from 1971 to 1974, and the Trans Am 400s and 455s were far from pathetic. The 1971 TA 400 HO and 1974 TA 455 SD cars are some of the best muscle cars ever produced. Even the later 70’s TAs still had V8 engines that you could warm up with a little bit of effort.
Andy
John
Please save your 2.3 turbo for a better car! The point that I was making is that these cars are much worse then most other cars of the times.
Only exception I can think of is the Pinto! And it shows in the sales figures fall off once the public realized what they were getting for the money.
Camaro”s out sold Mustangs with a much older body style for the first time not to mention what the firebirds did as well. Those are the cars that collectors of that generation want today. Not a Mustang II! Yes all cars lacked power at the time however others handled, drove, stoped and lasted longer then the Mustang II.
Yes I am having fun…but I really do believe these car should all be crushed.
Keeping it short and sweet this time. Love them, always have.
I really love my all original 11,300 mile 78 Cobra II. Everyone knows the 302 and C4 trans could easily be modified to make this a very fast car. The Cobra’s in 78 had the heavy duty springs and sway bars so this car actually handles very well. Build quality is no worse than any other car built in that era, and Paul I have to say you really sound like a prick, but I’m just having fun too.
Whatever turns you on!
In defence of Paul, I too from across the pond also found these miserable so called Mustangs unappealing anyway you look at them even then in 1975 when I saw one solitary two tone brown parked in Nottinghill Gate London. I think a three wheeler Robin Reliant has more character and umph. Sorry
I am! And I know I am taking my hate for these cars a little too far!
I did a in-depth three month study on these cars years ago so I know what I am talking about when I tell you to junk it! The build quality is much lower then you think it is.
They are unsafe, unreliable, ill handling, pour performing worthless cars even for the times that they were build in… and if you own one you also know this….you just won’t admit it! An AMC Gremlin can out perform your car!
I can give you some facts 408 Inceptercepter that you may not want to see. Then maybe you will crush yours and do the world a favor. I am just trying to inform everyone to stay away from these horrible cars. Because they are JUNK! The facts back this up!
Did you know that this car is considered amoung many as the number one lemon of all time? (Even ahead of the Pinto in stats)…I know hard to believe because basically this is just a Pinto with a Mustang name plate.
So please call triple A before you take you car out for a spin because you will most likely need them especially if your car is as original as it looks!
I will admit you car does look very nice.
And I am sure you are sick of people like me putting them down and trashing them.
However I have felt the pain of ownership on these cars myself and I feel it’s my duty to get the word out.
I know there are a few people like you that for some reason have passion for these cars and are tired of all the trash talk on them. It’s not our trash talking that is keeping the value down on these cars…..it’s the cars themselves.
Ouch! I thought that I was reading my mind on my laptop through the power of mental transfer.
Don’t expect a Christmas card from the owners of these affront to the Iconic 60’s Mustangs anytime soon.
Paul you is alright guy, plain honest, the truth hurst some people
In response to the authors of the last two comments.Trying to insult someone’s personal tastes or choices from behind a keyboard is cowardly and another form
of cyberbullying. I’m not offended by your Troll behavior, not even a little. Of all the cars in my collection this extremely clean example of the Cobra II generates the most interest and by far the best offers. Enthusiasm in the Mustang II is growing yearly and when the time comes to let it go I expect to realize a healthy return on my original investment. Have a nice day.
408interceptor…..I simply am stating the true facts about these cars!
Not sure why you take this as a personal attack on you.
As I said I do know these cars very very well.
however you are personally attacking me.
I enjoy this sight, and believe it’s very well done! I also am having fun.
I have leaned many things from other enthusiasts whom know a lot about models that I do not know about.
The Mustang II is a car that I know very well, I am not the only hater of these horrible cars. If you really knew why I know so much about these cars and what I do know about them you would sell your yours!
These cars and Pinto’s are the only cars that I post negative comments about. I Didn’t know one could cyber bully a car!
Sorry if I hurt your cars feelings! Maybe that’s why it won’t run!
Yes…..they were that bad
Reading these comments, you’d think that *everyone* who has owned a Mustang II hated them like poison, and wouldn’t touch another one with a 10 metre pole. While I’m sure there are people who indeed hated the Mustang II, you’d think there were people who *loved* their Mustang II, who took care of the car, either performed their own maintenance on the car, or who took their car to a local dealer for maintenance, and who had positive experiences with their car, and would buy another one if an offer came up. I’d buy one if it were in decent, well-maintained condition.
Hi i have a 1974 Mustang 2 302 v8 here in New Zealand great cars and good to drive on ow roads and it was a barn fine.
Beautiful looking car. Although not popular with today’s classic car collectors, I would buy one if it was driveable and safe to drive.