The Ford Mustang II was a much-maligned creature for many years, but it has developed a cult following within a sector of the classic community. Although the reason may not seem immediately apparent, it is worth considering. A new generation of enthusiasts is hunting for a car to park in their garage, and First Generation Mustangs are becoming expensive. However, the Mustang II offers the iconic badge in a more affordable package. For those considering committing to the scene without wishing to become on a first-name basis with their Bank Manager, a V8-equipped Mustang II represents a viable alternative. This 1977 version presents well for its age, but its ace could be the engine upgrades that unleash performance gains. It is listed here on eBay in Morgantown, Pennsylvania. Current bidding sits below the reserve at $5,050, although there is a BIN option of $13,500.
Ford introduced the Mustang II for 1974, and the bold move to downsize proved a winner on several fronts. First, it gained public acceptance as buyers recognized it was more nimble and fuel-efficient than the car it replaced. The motoring public rewarded the bold move by giving 296,041 cars a new home that year. Secondly, the motoring press was impressed with the bold venture, with Motor Trend awarding it their Car of The Year trophy. Sales figures deteriorated in subsequent years, but they remained healthy. This car rolled off the line in 1977 and is a tidy and solid vehicle with no pressing needs. The seller indicates it underwent a repaint in its original Polar White in 2020, which helps explain why it still presents nicely. The paint holds a consistent shine, and the only defect of note is some fading on some black trim components. There is also one small rust bubble at the bottom of the driver’s door, but the remaining panels are clean. The seller provides a good view of the floors, and apart from the surface corrosion on some mechanical components, it looks pretty clean. This little Ford rolls on aftermarket 14″ alloy wheels, but the factory 13″ items are included. The glass looks excellent, and there are no apparent reasons why a new owner couldn’t enjoy this classic from Day One.
The Mustang II alienated performance enthusiasts upon its release due to the lack of a V8 engine option. The company soon recognized this shortcoming, and this car features a 302ci V8 under the hood. It would have produced a modest 139hp in its prime, and coupled with the three-speed automatic transmission, it saw this car wander through the ¼-mile in 17.3 seconds. That was never going to set pulses racing, but the owner performed some changes to this motor that should help it improve on the original figure. They treated the V8 to a rebuild, commencing the process with a .030″ overbore. They added new pistons, rods, GT40 cylinder heads, and an Edelbrock Performer cam before blueprinting and balancing the lot. Externally, the engine wears an aluminum Edelbrock intake, a 4-barrel carburetor, Hedman headers, and dual Flowmaster exhaust. There are no indications on the output from the fresh V8, but you can be sure it will pump out a lot more than 139hp! The seller says the car is in excellent mechanical health. It runs and drives perfectly, and they state that it corners like it’s on rails. If the successful bidder wants to fly in and drive it home, that is a viable approach.
The original owner ordered this Mustang II with an interior trimmed in White vinyl, and it presents well for its age. The vinyl shows no significant marks, although slight imperfections may require attention in the future. The carpet is free from fading and wear, and there are no problems with the dash or pad. That doesn’t mean it is perfect because the headliner is stretched and sags. I’m unsure whether it is salvageable or the new owner may need to splash $100 on a replacement. There are no aftermarket additions, with the interior featuring air conditioning, remote exterior mirrors, white-faced sports gauges, and an AM/FM stereo radio.
Ford received considerable criticism when it released the Mustang II, with many considering it an injustice that it carried the badge which had graced its predecessors so proudly. However, like the First Generation, it proved to be the right car at the right time. The harsh reality is that by the time the last Mustang rolled off the line in 1973, it had morphed from lithe and lively to obese and lackluster. The Mustang II took the badge back to its roots, based on humble underpinnings with an affordable entry-level version. The figures don’t lie, with first-year Mustang II sales reaching a level the First Generation hadn’t enjoyed since 1969. Although this car is tidy with no pressing needs and values have climbed recently, the seller might be aiming high with their BIN. I expect bidding to hit the reserve at around $11,500, although the engine upgrades could push that figure slightly higher. If a Mustang II is on your radar, monitoring the auction and dropping a sneaky last-gasp bid could be the perfect strategy.
Well-done, thorough write-up Adam. This looks like a very good Mustang II. I don’t remember the black trim, maybe it was added during the repaint. In any case, it looks striking against the bright white. The white upholstery with the blue contrast is attractive.
These indeed have developed more of a following in recent years, for the reasons Adam cites, plus due to a recognition of their importance in the nearly 60 year Mustang lineage. Five figures for examples in good condition is now the norm.
Wow!….that’s a lot of White!,inside & out.I’d almost
call that color “Repo Man” White.
I had a Mustang II fastback.It was a Maroon Red color,
2300 with a 4 speed.I bought it from a guy who bought it new,
& was going to trade it in,for $1250.I thought it was a nice
looking car,and thought I could make some money on it,as it
needed a valve job.I ended up making about $200 on it.The
more I drove it,the less I liked it.Also didn’t care for the bulky
shift knob.
I however,find these with V8’s in them interesting cars,
but realize that you’d have to get rid of a lot of junk under the
hood to wake them up,which is probably illegal anyway.
The engine-matching blue dash and carpets along with those all-red taillights (of questionable legality?) aren’t helping in the coloration department.
Put in a 90s 5.0 V8. It’s cleaner and at 225 HP a lot faster.
Where the heck do you live? On a 1977 vehicle? You could do anything to the engine, or put any engine in that car. Oh, wait. There is one state that has Stalinist rules like that. Sorry. How’s the weather out west?
I DID live in California,But sometimes I can’t avoid thinking
that way.
I’ve always said there is nothing wrong with the II that more power can’t fix.
My 77 Mustang II coupe has a 332″ stroker engine with 530hp, a race built C4 and 5000 rpm converter. It weighs 2450 lbs on the scale. It’s obviously quick and handles very well. It has humiliated a lot of “muscle” cars (and sport bikes) over the last 33 years I’ve owned it. The II has huge performance potential in the right hands.
Nicely presented. I also do not remember any with black trim or all red lens tail lights- or were the Ghia models the only ones that included partial amber and clear in those lenses?
i ordered a new II in 1978. King Cobra.. all of the trim was blacked out but. there was a Rallye pkg too, with the blackout treatment. the all red taillights are not factory. The center taillight on each side was partial amber for the turn signal. I replaced the stock 302 heads with those from a 1967 289. a little bit smaller combustion chamber which I ported and polished. the biggest problem was lack of rear water journals so those didnt last long. I then used some 1972 302 heads.. p/p and CC’d. Added a 302 Boss steel crank.. Boss rods and pistons.. top loader had it all balanced and then ran 12.9 @ 109mph. Added a Versailles rear for grip. Still handled like a charm. Still miss that little car.. plus, the t-tops never leaked.
Nice lines, white rims on a white car looks great. 😎
Beautiful looking car. I see nothing about the Mustang II to justify being maligned.
I’ve like the Mustang II since they were new , love all the Mustang models and while deuce may not be my favorite it looks like a mustang , handles well & had good build quality by the standards of the 70s. Just needed more power. This one solves that.
Mustang II outsold the Camaro 2 to 1 in 1974. Even if you add in firebird sales it wasn’t close. I still wonder what would’ve happened if they’d based it on the maverick. Somehow the big bumpers look a little better than other cars of this era.
Good morning Angels, your car is ready!
Classic Auto Mall has this car. They are located in Pennsylvania and a lot (or most) of their cars are also from PA. And they usually are or were rusty. So beware of that.
The Mustang II was the right car for the time. It did lack power, even with the V8 but that was easily remedied. The 2.3 could be massaged to produce close to 200HP & still be a very streetable motor & the 302 could be made hairy. The cars handled fairly well & were a nice appearing unit too. I never owned one, but I worked on a lot of them. Wouldn’t mind owning this one.
I have been wanting a Musyang II for a long, long time. I love this one, V8, coupe, no stupid wings or stickers almost perfect.
Except the automatic elephant in the room. I would have to weigh the hassle factor of a manual swap in this. An automatic is simply unacceptable under any circumstance.
It wouldn’t be big deal to put a stick shift in it. A four speed from the era or a late model T5. It is just a matter of gathering the pieces & bolting them in. BUT, an automatic is faster than a stick if the performance angle is what you’re thinking about.
I’m surprised the top of the console is white – is that stock?
Steering wheel should be darker & shinier, i think.
I wonder if the change to the middle tailites means they all now have been modified to blink sequentially when turning. If not, i would make that change!
I most seriously doubt you would get pulled over anywhere these days for not having backup lights, considering that the cops today, unlike in the old days, do nothing if your “car” no longer has muffler(s), or has a nightclub sound system playing.