As a kid, I loved seeing Cheryl Ladd driving the Cobra on TV. I thought it was pretty cool looking. The other Mustangs like the Ghia were so boring by comparison. I remember seeing them in parking lots compared to other cars and thought it was so cool as it was so much smaller than other cars of the era. I was definitely an import guy and loved cars like the 240Z. So it may not have been the best gen, but it was the right car for the time.
@@Atomwaffen-y3s the Mustang 2 allowed the nameplate to exist in a troubling time. It may not be desirable today but in the fuel crisis, a gas guzzling Mustang would have gone the way of the dinosaur. Had the Mustang 2 not shown the viability of the nameplate, we most likely would not have gotten the fox body or any following Mustangs.
I never really understood why people hate these so much ...good looking small car kind of like the original Mustang . I did not know the sales numbers were so high on these .
The Mustang II was the most important generation of the Mustangs. Without it being downsized it would have probably gone the way of the dinosaur but it paved the way for the foxbody and beyond.
Plus it was the most successful Mustang ever from sales volume. Granted, the proportions (especially the front overhang) were unfortunate, but this car was still faithful to the Mustang's true economy car platform roots.
That's a myth. With the exception of '74 mustang 2 sales werent that impressive. In fact it was during that time that camaro outsold the mustang for the first time.
@chrisxa1222 Camaro finally passed up Mustang II towards the end of it's run in 77 ,when the popular Z28 came back. Chevy also beat the final year of the Mustang II. The Fox body then clobbered the Camaro untill the third gen one debuted for 82. It's a fun rivalry I haven't done much on yet!
That was a good and reasonably objective summary. The muscle car era was killed in 1971 with government bureaucracies attacking the sport/community on economics, pollution control, and even through insurance rates. The Mustang became a warped icon on steroids, but as with my beloved Challenger, the rug was pulled out from underneath them: no more steroids. All of the real muscle cars died. The pathetic Challenger II was some re-badged Mitsubishi everyone now pretends never existed. The Mustang II was my first car and I liked it. At only 10 years old, the body was rusting out, but the engine and drivetrain were worth the $500 price. A year later, I found a good, complete body at a nearby junkyard. My dad fixed up a few minor spots, he painted the car - original off-white, but still better than red of rusted body - and we swapped everything. I learned quite a lot and ended up with a very nice looking car. It was great.
@TXGRunner Thank you for the review and sharing your personal Mustang II experience! I'm not surprised your not a fan of the 78 Gallant....I mean Challenger LOL.
My Aunt had a Mustang II hatchback. I always loved Kelly Garrett's Mustang II Ghia on Charlie's Angels. It was kinda sporty because it was a smallish 2-door, kinda classy with the vinyl top and luggage rack on the trunk, and kinda casual...all at the same time.
I absolutely love the Ford Mustang II (especially the 1975-1978 Ghia version), and I'm not ashamed to admit it! It definitely was the right car at the right time, and it spawned a series of imitators (Chevrolet Monza, Buick Skyhawk, Oldsmobile Starfire, Pontiac Sunbird, & the second generation Toyota Celica)!
If Ford had not downsized the Mustang the pony cars would probably have gone the way of the dinosaur, The only reason Chevy and Pontiac kept making the Firebird and Camaro was because they had to keep challenging the Mustang, If ford had not made the Mustang II there would be no Cobra Or Hell Cat today. In 1975 there was no such thing s a performance Car. The cars that used to have 400 hp had less than 200 hp. I never found the Mustang with the handling package to bad, but the Brakes left alot to be desired. I liked the fact that the Mustang 2 had Rack and pinion Steering that was a huge improvement over My 1971 boss 351.
@@autochatterAbsolutely correct. And just think, the Mustang is the only car Ford sells today. EverythIng else bearing the Ford name is a truck, SUV, van, or crossover. Every Lincoln is an SUV, too. And the Mercury division was killed off early in 2011.
My first brand new car was a 1974 Mustang II fastback in silver metallic with a dark blue interior. Believe me, I had so much fun with that car, and those wheels were going all the time! After that came a white 1976 Cobra II with the 302 and blue interior. I added some BF Goodrich Radial T/A 50s that gave it a great look. I really believe that without the Mustang II there would be no Mustang today.
I worked at a local tire shop for a number of years and the owner had been good friends with another local guy that had been purchasing and collecting cars since the late 60's. So that friend brought all of his cars there to get tires, brakes, etc. taken care of. The one I recall the most was a 76 black and gold King Cobra Mustang II with like 300 something miles and the original bias ply tires from the factory still on it. Even those still looked brand new themselves. Even looking as good as the tires did he wasn't foolish enough to trust them and got some radials on it. Really gave me a new perspective on those ugly economy Mustang II's. King Cobra's are sweet. Must have been a 78 I guess, it was back in 06 and that was a lot of bowls ago.
@@tonywestvirginia I noticed that, appreciate though. I was starting to wonder if it was just a Cobra II but after I sat and thought then chatted at a buddy he confirmed it was indeed a black and gold King Cobra II with the decals and extremely underwhelming interior. My whole life I had, up to that point, INSTICTUALLY regarded Mustang II's as the definition of what an ugly car is. Even very young with no thought, no taste developed at the age of probably 4 or 5 but I knew down to my little baby bones that thing was a blight on the face of all that is holy. After working on that KCII at the shop though it brought me around. Now I still don't think they are lookers in non cobra form but I can't figure out what I found reprehensible about them. It was clear to me at the time that even thought it was a cool car, it wasn't nice or would be nice to have as a dd. I was driving my 1985 Mercury Capri 5.0 and I felt that even that was extremely lux and advanced in comparison.
Thank you for the video. I watched and thought it was interesting. I appreciated the Charlie's Angels information. That show was the show back in the day. That show like many others back in the day were a Ford fest. They sponsored a lot of shows back in the day. Cannon drove a Lincoln Mark III and Mark IV, Barnaby Jones drove the LTD, and Steve Mc Garrett drove a Mercury Grand Marquis and they had Pintos/Bobcat , Mustangs and Thunderbirds on Charlie's Angels. I liked how you talked about The Falcon origins and how the many models were spawned from there. The 70's were a tough time for muscle cars. People really did not like this generation, but I had no issues with them. They were just under powered. I like how you talked about the Ford/Mercury Capri and the Cougar. The guy that designed the early 70's Mustang was from GM. I think his name was Larry Shinoda. GM competed against this Mustang II with the Chevrolet Monza, Pontiac Sunbird, Oldsmobile Starfire and Buick Skyhawk. There was your chance to mention Oldsmobile. LOL! Thank you again.
Yeah I know...I should have mentioned the other Monza variants! Shinoda...Same guy who designed the Mako Shark Corvettes? Thanks for watching again Olds!
@@autochatter Here is Larry Shinoda's info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Shinoda Yes, the same guy. Thank you for another great video. Keep it real. Keep it honest. Keep digging up that great content footage. You Tube is a vast warehouse.
I owned one with a 302. It was a great little car for it's day. Power steering was so over boosted that I once drove a Mark IV that I thought had better steering feel, lol, but it was reliable, reasonably quick and had a near luxury interior. Yes, mine was a Ghia. haha.
Yeah...Thats there because YOU reminded me ! I haven't seen that movie in 20 years at least. Was good though. Like E.T., but with interstellar hanky panky.
Lincoln-Mercury began selling the Capri in April 1970. Ford sales of the Mustang II began over 3 years later, September 1973. The '77 Cobra II continued to display the "II" in its side decals. It's directly above the rear side marker lights.
My mom had a base '76 in the mid-late 80s. Sold it shortly after I was born for a family car. I currently have a 2008 GT. My 6yo loves riding in "daddys race car"
Being born in '77, my early childhood was filled with malaise and brown. Always liked the Mustang II, along with other things from that era. No, they weren't the tire frying monsters their forebears were, but every piece of malaise iron I've had, had it's own charm. The larger examples I owned were comfortable, still fairly easy to repair, (mostly) reliable, and stands out in a sea of silver jelly bean shapes and angry-faced grilles. Great vid.
Shortly after graduating college, my sister traded in her well-worn ‘67 Beetle which was on its third engine (sis had an aversion to adding oil), and bought a brand new ‘74 Mustang II, red with huge white stripes right down the middle of the hood and roof, white vinyl seats, blood red carpeting, and a 4-speed manual. Monthly payment = $93.76. She adored that car but only had it for about four months she accepted a territory sales role at Eastman Kodak which came with a company car (a pea green ‘74 Impala four-door). Keeping the Mustang made zero financial sense, so she sold it at a slight loss with a whopping 2K miles on it.
@kcindc5539 I do kind of miss some of the wild interior colors cars used to offer. Poor Beetle....At least engine swaps was easy! Surprised that Kodak is still around today!
@@autochatter lol yeah… easy for my sister - she had two engines replaced compliments of the Mobil credit card my Dad gave her “for emergencies only”. I guess running the engines dry until they seized in the middle of the NY State Thruway met her definition of “emergency”. Imagine his surprise when not once but twice he got the bill for a VW 1500 crate engine + labor. LOL
@@autochatter she used to, uh, entice exactly four members of the Syracuse University football team (one for each corner) to lift and scoot the Beetle out from the snowbanks in front of her sorority house where the plows had inevitably buried it, and into the middle of the street. I choose not to think about what may have been bartered in such an arrangement, but it went on for three full winters.
@@autochatter haha could have been either. Most likely Kodak as they had the bigger campus, most of which was sold off between 1990 and 2015. Yeah my sister lived in Rochester after graduating with a degree in Phys Ed. She approached Kodak hoping they’d have fitness services there at HQ where she could work as a trainer or nutritionist or something. But when they interviewed her they saw something more - the end result is my sister Karen was only the 5th female territory sales rep hired during Eastman Kodak’s then 94-year history (company was founded back in 1880 and until the 1970’s women were never considered for anything beyond admin roles).
I bought a new 1975 Mustang II Mach I with the v6 and 4 speed and LOVED IT! I kept if two years and traded it in on a 1977 Chevrolet Monte Carlo Landau! Wish I had them both back!!!
I’m 65. I clearly remember seeing my first Mustang II with its “diamond like finish” (Ford actually said that, and added diamond like sparkles in their print ads). I was willing to see that, and their Gaia’s were modern with the digital clock and euro style door arm rest cum grab bar. Today, the electric version makes sense, but they really should have called it the Mach E. Similar to T, and nails the “it’s electric “ in its name. Sad to see where Ford is headed now.
Hey, i just noticed that you only have 5k subscribers. Thats ridiculous. Youre doing a great job with this channel. I look forward to your new videos. Thanks for what you do.
A loooong time ago a former girlfriend of mine bought one used. It got great mileage and was easy to work on. These were indeed the right car for the time. Trivia - the Barracuda actually beat the original Mustang to market by a few weeks. Thanks, great coverage.
I had both.....a 1964 Barracuda, factory 273 Commando solid lifter 4 barrel, 4 speed.in the late 1970s and a 1976 Mustang II in the early 90s, V-6 with a 4 speed. The Barracuda was more fun and much quicker, but ate clutches as they used the small slant-6 clutch in them.
I did own one of these. It was a 1975 coupe with all Ghia equipment, except the opera window. I loved the way it looked, and having the upper line interior, was relatively luxurious. My only issue with it was that it had the 4-cyl. At that time, I needed approval from my father for the car and he would only let me buy a 4-cyl. If it had been the V-8m I would have loved it. My mother had bought a Mach 1 in 1974 and it was quite luxurious, too. I think these were great for the time. You got style and economy.
Thats cool! Ive been in and around a few, mainly when I was a kid not old enough to drive. There was a few folks that had them in High School too, but FOX bodies were out over 10 years by the time I graduated, so I saw alot more of those in the parking lot..
We had friends that worked at Bennett Ford, and Colonial Ford in Utah, and what I remember was that the II attracted a completely different buyer than previous Mustangs, and that the remaining hi performance buyers were either holding on to their old cars or switching to General Motors F bodies. This all changed in 1978 when the '79 Fox bodies were released and Ford started to bring their traditional Mustang buyers back into the fold.
@@larryjex6485 That makes sense as Mustang IIs seemed to be cross shopped more with Monza and Sunbird then. I'm doing the first two gens of Firebird this week.
@larryjex6485 For the time I'd say it was. Was a 82 Camaro with a Iron Duke 4 cylinder a Camaro? 0 to 60 in around 20 seconds! Good question to bring up!
@autochatter The big difference was that Iron Duke (same engine that I had in my Fiero) was still attracting the traditional Camaro buyer. The people who were trading in their Mustang for a new one every couple of years started switching to GM F-Bodies, and even imports like VW Scirocco's, Toyota Celicas and Datsun 240-Z's when the II came out. The II was a fantastic sales success, but during those 4 years from 1974-78, people were trading in Vega's, Mavericks, and gas guzzlers like Galaxies for them.
@larryjex6485 Oh I agree Ford was targeting more imports then, but the Stang still offered a V8 at least. Sad that it was only about 21 hp down from a Corvette at one point in the 70s. Such a bizarre automotive time in history.
@@autochatter The 302 Mustang IIs had "V8" badges at the nose of the fenders. The irony of the Fox 5.0 badges is that guys with LXs equipped with them often took them off for that "sleeper" look. Today people with V6 Chargers slap Hellcat badges on them, so some things never change!
@lunaticfringe8066 so true! Trying to fool people who likely don't know or care anyway. I know the Cobra IIs had the V6, but I didn't know a 2.3 was available as well! I've never seen a Cobra II with a 6 let alone the 4.
My girlfriend had a 240 Z back in 1977 and I had My Cobra II, We used to autocross for fun! My Cobra II would turn quicker times than Her 240 Z. We would swap cars and the Mustang was all ways quicker, We attributed it to My car having a bunch mor power. Becky didn't like my car but She always run quicker with the Mustang II.
I have always wanted a first generation K car. Maybe someday. The Mustang!! was right for the time. It was a luxurious little car when it was a Ghia model. Had that '70's SHAG carpet!!! It was also a quiet car, for being an economy car! The Mustang II rack and pinion steering is still used today for custom rods!
I was in college during this. I thought the Mustang too was his ugly as a little car could get. No matter what they tried, the wheels and tires always look too small for the car. A good friend of mine had a Toyota Celica then and it was an amazing car compared to the Mustang too. It explained why I bought foreign in the 70s.
It was the right car at the right time. I remember it coming out at 16 1/2 around early October of '73. I'd recently just started 11th grade, and my classmates were pretty enthused about it, really only expressing disappointment the convertible was gone, but (the guys) also realizing the only conv's still left were the 5 large Chevy to Cadillac models from GM at that point & the Corvette.
There is a Cobra II in my town, Identical to what you picture white with blue stripes. The name has been further berated by the golf cart and soon a 4 door. Very good referring to the 'Fox Platform' as so many incorrectly say 'Fox Body'.
A friend of mine traded his 1973 Pontiac Ventura hatchback in on a 1974 Mustang II coupe. This was about 1980-1 It was brown with a tan vinyl roof and interior. 2.3 automatic. He went to fix a small rust spot that turned out to be half of metal of the rear of the car. And the vinyl top disintegrated shortly after buying the car. He treated it to an Earl Scheib paint job. He later sold it to another one of my friends, when he bought a 1983 Ford Ranger. Me, I never owned a mustang. Almost had a 1968 But got a 1973 Olds Omega. Then there was a time I tried to buy one (fox body) and ended up with a Grand Marquise. That car was a horror story.
Its funny with so many sold (1+ million), so few survived. I think I've only seen one or two in the last 30 years, and then only at car shows. I understand the Mustang II is not welcome at most Mustang shows, and most Mustang owners prefer to forget the 1974-1978 period altogether. And now they have the Mach E to exclude too.
I grew up and got my liscence in the 80s. A Mustang II then for the most part wasn't the coolest used car to get...and if you did, it's because it was cheap.
I liked the Cobra II and King Cobra in the looks department, but comparing them to a Camaro Z/28 or Trans Am is laughable. In the mid 80's my best friend's grandparents bought him a Mustang II Coup with a V6, it actually ran decent and got him where he needed to go. It finally clonked out and his grandparents bought him an Escort lol. When he finally got a good job and could buy his own car, he bought a Camaro IROC-Z.
@@autochatter I think I rubbed off on him a bit. I had a 1984 Mustang SVO, absolute blast to drive, but I had so many issues with that car I traded it for a 1985 Camaro Z/28, it got totaled when a guy ran a red light. Then I bought a 1987 Trans Am 305 TPI, then added a 1988 Camaro IROC-Z 350 TPI and later got a 1991 Z/28. Wish I still had the 87 Tran Am and 91 Z/28. The Trans Am was just a thing of beauty and the 91 Z/28 looked good too, but it had the power. I don't know if I had a special 91 Z/28 or if GM underrated the HP, but completely stock it ate Mustang GT's through the 1/4 mile and most of those GT's had mods done to them. Oh the memories from back then, cars were affordable and fun to drive. So glad the Mustang GT came back in 1982.
@theplayernkc I like Fox bodies, but the 80s F Bodies looked alot sportier. I was into Datsun/Nissan Z cars when alot of people I knew had their Ford vs Chevy debates LOL.
After owning a few MGs, my next car was a Cobra II. Black with gold accents/stripes. 302 with a Borg-Warner 4-speed manual transmission. I took out the power rack and pinion for a non power version, put a Holly 4bbl and turned the fake hoodscoop into something that actually let air in the air cleaner. This was one of the funnest car I drove. Sadly next car was a 4 door Subaru.
@hlafrond965 I'm sure those modifications woke the car up quite a bit! As someone who has personally driven a few 70s and early 80s Subarus, I know where your coming from there (I still want a BRAT though).
Technically no. There was no 1983 Corvette....but that was due to delays on the 84 model. There was no Z in the U..S. from 97 to 02 ( Japan 2001-2002),. Mustang was...if you consider it a "sports car".
First car I bought was a 2 year old well used 1974 Mustang II Ghia. It had the nices interior, was pretty quiet. Got me through college. It had Firestone 500s on it, there was a was a recall on them which was 2 for one. Nice car only problems were 2800 timing gear went, the treasmition, most of the electrical system. Also the rear suspension did not have much downward travel, got me stock on an icy parking lot a few times. Still liked the car, nice steering system. Freind had one with a old built 289 v8 in it, much faster, but drank gas. That was a problem when no good gas could be found.
Sounds like she had a few issues LOL, but I'm glad you still enjoyed the car. Your post reminds me of the scene in Ghostbusters when Ray first got the Eco One. ". Everybody can relax, I found a car. - Needs some suspension work and shocks and brakes, brake pads, linings, steering box, transmission, rear end.” -Ray “How much?” -Peter “Only $4800. - Maybe new rings, also mufflers, a little wiring.” -Ray
I saw a Ghia in a car show years ago It was one of the Special Silver Models that had been made into a convertible By a Florida Coach builder. The thing that really popped was silver deluxe interior with a Red Strap on the seats
I think it was quite forward-thinking of Ford to make a relatively upscale subcompact. These things got a lot of hate and I get they don’t appeal to many now, but they were strong sellers for a reason.
This car definitely was not cared for by enthusiasts, but it absolutely was the right car at the time. They sold very well. Because it was produced and that it sold, is why Ford delivered the Fox body Mustang.
We have 5 Mustang right now, down from 7. Our 1975 Mustang II Ghia coupe had one owner before us, it was her wedding gift. It has been featured at the 'Ponies in the Smolies' Mustang show in 2023 and 2024. She is unrestored but excellent condition. V6, white with red interior. Small note. You mixed your terms. There were no hatchback first gen Mustangs. Also Mustang II were coupe and hatchback. You had them reversed. Small issue......just wanted to clear. Happy to see Mustang II getting some attention. Decent little cars really. Thanks
@davevan8864 Yes...I know I flubbed the earlier Stangs calling the Fastback a hatch. The Mustang II hatch was referred to as a Fastback though,from sites I researched like Car Gurus. Glad you enjoyed it and Thank you! Sweet you still have a Ghia on the road!
I still have the one that I bought in 1978. The biggest issue is Ford did not size the cooling system correctly for the V8 in the Texas heat where i live.
While the Mustang II is often unloved today, no one can deny that it saved the Mustang nameplate. However, I think it would have been even better for Ford if the Maverick would have been the new Mustang II. They could have had the 71-73 carry on as the Mustang, while the Maverick could have been sold alongside them as the Mustang II. It would have made the phaseout of the big Mustang an easier pill to swallow, and we might not have had decades of Mustang II hate later on. Of course, none of that really matters now, now that we have an electric crossover wearing the name...
Original Mustang was perfect. I'd love to own one, but I don't think I'm up for maintaining an old car. I'd love to buy a new mustang, but bro culture just turns me off completely. The mustang has such a great story, and history.
No, the perfect platform for the new '74 Mustang was the Ford Maveric. Can't believe Ford dropped the ball on this one. The pinto was an embarrassment!!! Musinto!!! Ugggghhhhh!!!!
I got a new 73 2 door Maveric with a 250 six and remember it being painfully slow. The 72 Grabber with a 302 was closer to the original 64 Mustang 289 than most people realized. It's been years since I've seen a Maveric.
@briansearles4473 Friend of mine in high school had a 73 or 74 Maverick with the straight 6 and a automatic. It wasn't fast, but blew the doors off my 79 Toyota truck.
I actually like the style of the Mustang II compared to the model it replaced. Unfortunately, they were sorely underpowered at the onset, and the public just looked at it as a weak comparison to the old Boss models from the 60's.
Yeah it had to be tough seeing alot of nameplates that used to be known for serious power under the hood, and less than a half decade later we're reduced to such low levels.
@@autochatter i remember the disappointment in what was available in 1972 after the sky was the limit. The 1972 Mustang was a discase they had no power and the body loked like a stationwagom
Ford said "It's a Mustang too!" but everyone knew it wasn't- especially gearheads who suddenly began to horde the good older (real) Mustangs that actually performed as well as they looked. The "too" did hit the bullseye on styling and interior room for four, but lacking power or handling relegated it to no longer being anything special. Those who did try to make it fast quickly discovered that everything was against you- this car was never meant to handle much power and you could do 2 or 3 V-8 Chevy Vegas for what it cost to do one V- 8 "too" which still wouldn't be as fast as they were. By the time Ford offered a 302, that engine was a slug and not worth having. The right car for the times? Maybe- they were popular and did sell well. The idea and most of the execution was right but they smeared a once-great name in doing that. Had they called it a "Falcon" I don't think the sales would have been different; in fact that was more of the kind of car this was. I've always thought a redesigned Maverick would have made a better Mustang than this but I guess we'll never know now.
Great post as usual! Yeah I liked the Grabber Maverick myself. I think it could have pulled off being a Mustang. What new Domestics did gearheads have to look up to as the 70s wore on? Maybe Trans Ams?
@@autochatter Mostly as by then the Camaro was becoming a smog-choked small-block while Pontiac still had a smog-choked 455 which was faster. It would take the "Fox" body Mustang to return high performance to new domestic cars but not right away.
@P_RO_ Yeah...The HO engines for the Fox was around 83? I had a roommate with a 86 GT...First year they are fuel injected if memory serves.It was fast..Or seemed so for the time. Clutch pedal was heavy though. Cruising around town too much made my left leg hurt LOL. He would often borrow my Celica GT because it was just easier to drive.
Before I watch this video, or read any other comments, I have to say that you could throw used Mustang performance parts at a 2-door Maverick, and have a sexier car.
@@autochatter My dad and grandfather had several Falcons and Mavericks, and my wife's first car was a Maverick. I guess you can say that I have a sentimental attachment to them.
I think the 2 has been given a bad rap. If Ford had offered it with a ho 302 from the beginning i think it would have had a better reception by the performance oriented public. They were definitely nice looking.
the fact that the Mustang 2 sold over 1 million cars in its 5-year model run says Ford made the right decision. You can look back in 2024 and say it was wrong, but Ford would be glad to sell 200 thousand Mustangs a year now. I personally liked the Mustang 2 a bunch better than Squair box fox body, at least the Mustang 2 looked like a Mustang.
@mylanmiller9656 My biggest gripe with the Mustang II styling wise, was the 13 inch wheels just looked tiny on the car. Fox Mustangs got better looking as they aged IMO. Always seemed a little tall and narrow for me.
@@autochatter The 13-inch wheels were sad, but the Brakes were the saddest part. I bought a kit to install Front discs from a Maverick and Rear Maverick drums. When I up graded the brakes, it also upgraded to 5 bolt wheels and 14-inch tires. i found a set of the same style, 5 slot Mags that were stock on my car off a Maverick. what is a real downer is parts are hard to get for the mustang II. Not a lot of aftermarket parts out there.
2 weeks yes. From what I read, Chrysler knew the Mustang was coming, (it was a terrible secret), so they slapped a snoopy rear design to a Valiant....and gave it it's own name. It wasn't advertised as aggressively as the Mustang or perceived as the sporty car everyone wanted then. It would be like Nissan taking their Sentra today, slapping a hatchback design on it, call it a Pulsar, and wonder why people were not trading in Mustangs for it.
It doesn't get the love it deserves neither does the Maverick. Throw a 390 big block in either car and you have a decent sleeper car. The Mustangs I don't like are the bloated 71 to 73 models. The fox bodies revived the brand. I would rank the new edge and the SN 95 as worse than the Mustang II.
The Mustang II, and the GM version the Monza, were great little cars for about 80k miles, then the poor quality of construction became apparent as they fell apart and rusted to pieces. There was nothing wrong with the cars themselves, they could have been classics if GM or Ford gave a crap about quality when they were building them. Just try and find a survivor that's not totally rusted out today. It's easier to find a nice car from the 1950's than one of these little disposable junkers.
Camaro is "a small, vicious animal that eats Mustangs." my 78 went hungry because it wouldn't waste it's time w/those embarrassments to the name Mustang.
Right car at the right time? Well if you want to talk about sells. Did you know the 1978 Oldsmobile Cutlass sold 520,279 units? The F body (Camaro/Firebird) sold over 1.5 million in the same time period 74-78, also in 77 and 78 the Camaro itself outsold the Mustang. If GM could make 2 better looking, more powerful and better handling cars during the same time period, I think Ford could have done the same with the Mustang and not had the Mustang II blemish on the Mustang's history. Plus GM having a rival Ford car during the same period, we might have gotten more powerful F body cars. In all honesty, the Mustang II probably sent performance cars backwards instead of the performance wars we started getting in 1982 when the Mustang GT "The Boss Is Back" came into our lives. Two side to every story I guess.
Good points. Alot of people don't realize how big Oldsmobile was with Cutlass sales. I think at least one year in the 80s, it was the best selling car in the U.S ? I applaud GM, and especially Pontiac then for keeping some muscle car availability in otherwise dark times. Had Ford tried to do the same then, would sales have been taken from the F Bodies? The rivalry kicked off again in the 80s, and it wasn't untill around then the malaise era emissions and other factors were getting workarounds so power levels could get better again. I don't know if a HP war in the mid to later 70s could have happened....Look how bad even the Corvette ponies was then. I get that F bodies sold more in that period.....Using two different models. If GM didn't have full size Chevy and GMC trucks, Ford wouldn't be able claim being the best selling one for decades straight.
@@autochatter Dark times for sure on American cars, like you said, look at the Corvette during that time. All it had to do was be quicker and handle better than the F bodies and we all know daddy GM would not let another GM product beat the Vette. If the Mustang had ate into the sales number of the F body, but brought us better performance, which would have trickled up to the Vette, I wouldn't have an issue with that at all. Rivalry brings innovation and there was no real rivalry or innovation going on at that time. I saw in your other comment about Datsun/Nissan Z cars, those cars were innovative. They were fighting for market share, not just existence like the Mustang II, Camaro/Firebird and Corvette were doing.
Mispoke on gen one being a hatchback, but a 74 hatch was referred to as a Fastback according to CarGurus www.cargurus.com/Cars/1974-Ford-Mustang-II-Trims-c29633
See you forgot one big thing about the Mustang two if it weren't for the Mustang two the Mustang wouldn't have survived it would have been dead and it's grave the Mustang 2 saved the Mustang from Extinction and the name even though it wasn't considered much of a Mustang you have to give it some credit
As a kid, I loved seeing Cheryl Ladd driving the Cobra on TV. I thought it was pretty cool looking. The other Mustangs like the Ghia were so boring by comparison. I remember seeing them in parking lots compared to other cars and thought it was so cool as it was so much smaller than other cars of the era. I was definitely an import guy and loved cars like the 240Z. So it may not have been the best gen, but it was the right car for the time.
Now I miss the Datsun Z's I had again!
Kelly and Sabrina needed the "boring" cars so they wouldn't be spotted tailing a suspect! 😀😀😀
@@BDUBZ49 Makes sense!
It may not be so beloved, but it deserves respect as the Mustang name probably wouldn't have survived without it
Agreed 100%!
@@autochatter The pony Car would have been just a memory GM kept building their Pony car because the mustang was there.
It would have been better without it. The Mustang II was/is an embarrassment.
@@Atomwaffen-y3s With Mustang II, there would be no more Mustang at all. if you don't like mustangs. What kind of 4 door car do you own.
@@Atomwaffen-y3s the Mustang 2 allowed the nameplate to exist in a troubling time. It may not be desirable today but in the fuel crisis, a gas guzzling Mustang would have gone the way of the dinosaur. Had the Mustang 2 not shown the viability of the nameplate, we most likely would not have gotten the fox body or any following Mustangs.
I never really understood why people hate these so much ...good looking small car kind of like the original Mustang . I did not know the sales numbers were so high on these .
Small car, expensive gas prices, and large familiar Domestic Dealership networks. Recipe for $$$
it is the same bunch of guys that created the Mith that, if you bump into a Pinto with a Shopping Cart it will explode.
The Mustang II was the most important generation of the Mustangs. Without it being downsized it would have probably gone the way of the dinosaur but it paved the way for the foxbody and beyond.
Plus it was the most successful Mustang ever from sales volume. Granted, the proportions (especially the front overhang) were unfortunate, but this car was still faithful to the Mustang's true economy car platform roots.
Excellent statements Gentlemen.
That's a myth. With the exception of '74 mustang 2 sales werent that impressive. In fact it was during that time that camaro outsold the mustang for the first time.
@chrisxa1222 Camaro finally passed up Mustang II towards the end of it's run in 77 ,when the popular Z28 came back. Chevy also beat the final year of the Mustang II. The Fox body then clobbered the Camaro untill the third gen one debuted for 82. It's a fun rivalry I haven't done much on yet!
I like the style of all mustangs until the 2015 one. The Mach 1 from 1970 and the fox body is great. Also the sec gen too
I owned 2...a '76 notchback and a '77 fastback. They were EXCELLENT cars! Nuff said.
Cool!
Very very good video!
Having grown up during these years, the Mustang II was one of the first cars I had.
Thanks for the memories. 👍
@CarlosPerdomo You are welcome. I'm glad you liked it!
I had a girlfriend in 1983 who had a ‘78 Mustang II with the German V6 motor. I liked the car. It was a fun a drive. No complaints!
Absolutely the right car for the time, SUBSCRIBED.
Thank you!
Actually the 1974 Mustang II was available with a 302 V8, but only from the Ford factories in Mexico.
The Mexican 302 had 4-barrel carb as well.
@@mylanmiller9656 I didn't know that, thanks. Wish I could find one, but I understand it is hard to transfer titles between the two countries.
That was a good and reasonably objective summary. The muscle car era was killed in 1971 with government bureaucracies attacking the sport/community on economics, pollution control, and even through insurance rates. The Mustang became a warped icon on steroids, but as with my beloved Challenger, the rug was pulled out from underneath them: no more steroids. All of the real muscle cars died. The pathetic Challenger II was some re-badged Mitsubishi everyone now pretends never existed.
The Mustang II was my first car and I liked it. At only 10 years old, the body was rusting out, but the engine and drivetrain were worth the $500 price. A year later, I found a good, complete body at a nearby junkyard. My dad fixed up a few minor spots, he painted the car - original off-white, but still better than red of rusted body - and we swapped everything. I learned quite a lot and ended up with a very nice looking car. It was great.
@TXGRunner Thank you for the review and sharing your personal Mustang II experience! I'm not surprised your not a fan of the 78 Gallant....I mean Challenger LOL.
My Aunt had a Mustang II hatchback. I always loved Kelly Garrett's Mustang II Ghia on Charlie's Angels. It was kinda sporty because it was a smallish 2-door, kinda classy with the vinyl top and luggage rack on the trunk, and kinda casual...all at the same time.
I absolutely love the Ford Mustang II (especially the 1975-1978 Ghia version), and I'm not ashamed to admit it! It definitely was the right car at the right time, and it spawned a series of imitators (Chevrolet Monza, Buick Skyhawk, Oldsmobile Starfire, Pontiac Sunbird, & the second generation Toyota Celica)!
If Ford had not downsized the Mustang the pony cars would probably have gone the way of the dinosaur, The only reason Chevy and Pontiac kept making the Firebird and Camaro was because they had to keep challenging the Mustang, If ford had not made the Mustang II there would be no Cobra Or Hell Cat today.
In 1975 there was no such thing s a performance Car. The cars that used to have 400 hp had less than 200 hp. I never found the Mustang with the handling package to bad, but the Brakes left alot to be desired.
I liked the fact that the Mustang 2 had Rack and pinion Steering that was a huge improvement over My 1971 boss 351.
This what we needed all along. Im number 1 for the II! Ive always wanted to build a road course Maverick. Such a good looking body.
Groovy!
The Maverick was a good looking car, it just had an "economy" reputation.
Agreed! They were good looking cars. The next gen was hideous. 😬
If it wasn't for the Mustang II, The Mustang wouldn't exist today.
Possibly...Or we would have had a span for close to a decade without one. F body sales in the 80s would have dictated a Ford response.
@@autochatterAbsolutely correct. And just think, the Mustang is the only car Ford sells today. EverythIng else bearing the Ford name is a truck, SUV, van, or crossover. Every Lincoln is an SUV, too. And the Mercury division was killed off early in 2011.
My first brand new car was a 1974 Mustang II fastback in silver metallic with a dark blue interior. Believe me, I had so much fun with that car, and those wheels were going all the time! After that came a white 1976 Cobra II with the 302 and blue interior. I added some BF Goodrich Radial T/A 50s that gave it a great look. I really believe that without the Mustang II there would be no Mustang today.
@davidfrania8990 I feel that way too. Good to hear you had fond memories in a few of them!
I worked at a local tire shop for a number of years and the owner had been good friends with another local guy that had been purchasing and collecting cars since the late 60's. So that friend brought all of his cars there to get tires, brakes, etc. taken care of. The one I recall the most was a 76 black and gold King Cobra Mustang II with like 300 something miles and the original bias ply tires from the factory still on it. Even those still looked brand new themselves. Even looking as good as the tires did he wasn't foolish enough to trust them and got some radials on it. Really gave me a new perspective on those ugly economy Mustang II's. King Cobra's are sweet. Must have been a 78 I guess, it was back in 06 and that was a lot of bowls ago.
@user-wu2pg5zh2r Yeah I liked the look of the Cobra II's and King Cobra!
King Cobra was a 1978 only.
@@tonywestvirginia I noticed that, appreciate though. I was starting to wonder if it was just a Cobra II but after I sat and thought then chatted at a buddy he confirmed it was indeed a black and gold King Cobra II with the decals and extremely underwhelming interior. My whole life I had, up to that point, INSTICTUALLY regarded Mustang II's as the definition of what an ugly car is. Even very young with no thought, no taste developed at the age of probably 4 or 5 but I knew down to my little baby bones that thing was a blight on the face of all that is holy. After working on that KCII at the shop though it brought me around. Now I still don't think they are lookers in non cobra form but I can't figure out what I found reprehensible about them. It was clear to me at the time that even thought it was a cool car, it wasn't nice or would be nice to have as a dd. I was driving my 1985 Mercury Capri 5.0 and I felt that even that was extremely lux and advanced in comparison.
I own a 1978 Mustang ii Ghia with the V-8 engine and 64k original miles on the clock and I love it ❤
@@troistishadeluxe8240 cool!
The Mustang has had such a history behind it. Cool car. 😎
Thank you for the video. I watched and thought it was interesting. I appreciated the Charlie's Angels information. That show was the show back in the day. That show like many others back in the day were a Ford fest. They sponsored a lot of shows back in the day. Cannon drove a Lincoln Mark III and Mark IV, Barnaby Jones drove the LTD, and Steve Mc Garrett drove a Mercury Grand Marquis and they had Pintos/Bobcat , Mustangs and Thunderbirds on Charlie's Angels. I liked how you talked about The Falcon origins and how the many models were spawned from there. The 70's were a tough time for muscle cars. People really did not like this generation, but I had no issues with them. They were just under powered. I like how you talked about the Ford/Mercury Capri and the Cougar. The guy that designed the early 70's Mustang was from GM. I think his name was Larry Shinoda. GM competed against this Mustang II with the Chevrolet Monza, Pontiac Sunbird, Oldsmobile Starfire and Buick Skyhawk. There was your chance to mention Oldsmobile. LOL! Thank you again.
Yeah I know...I should have mentioned the other Monza variants! Shinoda...Same guy who designed the Mako Shark Corvettes? Thanks for watching again Olds!
@@autochatter Here is Larry Shinoda's info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Shinoda Yes, the same guy. Thank you for another great video. Keep it real. Keep it honest. Keep digging up that great content footage. You Tube is a vast warehouse.
@OLDS98 It is that and thank you again!
I thought it was a decent looking car, especially the hatchback. 👍. Thanks for posting.
Glad you liked it.Thanks for the view.
Great video man. I owned an SN-95 but only ever saw one or two of these in person.
@MotorMaster_Stunticon Thanks Rob! It's been awhile since I've seen a Mustang II out in the wild myself.
I owned one with a 302. It was a great little car for it's day. Power steering was so over boosted that I once drove a Mark IV that I thought had better steering feel, lol, but it was reliable, reasonably quick and had a near luxury interior. Yes, mine was a Ghia. haha.
I hate the drive with one finger power steering!
Great episode, thank you for taking the time to make these for us to enjoy!
I appreciate it Hawk! Glad you could stop by!
@GreenHawkDrive Hawk..I watched your latest vid, and commented....But the comment keeps disappearing on it.
13:14 - Sweeeet! Starman!
Yeah...Thats there because YOU reminded me ! I haven't seen that movie in 20 years at least. Was good though. Like E.T., but with interstellar hanky panky.
@autochatter I like the red light/green light/yellow light clip you added. I need to go back and rewatch it. Such an 80s movie!
@doug6191 Yeah..There was actually quite a few funny scenes in it from what I recall. The traffic light conversation I remembered best.
Lincoln-Mercury began selling the Capri in April 1970. Ford sales of the Mustang II began over 3 years later, September 1973. The '77 Cobra II continued to display the "II" in its side decals. It's directly above the rear side marker lights.
I should have reworded the II part differently...They toned down how big it was !
My mom had a base '76 in the mid-late 80s. Sold it shortly after I was born for a family car. I currently have a 2008 GT. My 6yo loves riding in "daddys race car"
@@vistaredgt Good friend of mine had a 05 GT . Car was fun and held up well for him.
As usual, great video! I think I agree with everything you had to say, but I’d add that I’ve always wanted a hatch model since the second grade. (82)
Thanks! Growing up, I liked how the Cobras looked and thought the coupes looked frumpy.
I had one in the early 90’s. It was a fun car that got me thru some tough times. Never regretted having it
@larryoneill7432 I still was seeing them around on the roads at that time fairly regularly.
Being born in '77, my early childhood was filled with malaise and brown. Always liked the Mustang II, along with other things from that era. No, they weren't the tire frying monsters their forebears were, but every piece of malaise iron I've had, had it's own charm. The larger examples I owned were comfortable, still fairly easy to repair, (mostly) reliable, and stands out in a sea of silver jelly bean shapes and angry-faced grilles. Great vid.
@michaellorenz7177 As a product of the 70s myself, I can relate! Glad you enjoyed the vid!
Shortly after graduating college, my sister traded in her well-worn ‘67 Beetle which was on its third engine (sis had an aversion to adding oil), and bought a brand new ‘74 Mustang II, red with huge white stripes right down the middle of the hood and roof, white vinyl seats, blood red carpeting, and a 4-speed manual. Monthly payment = $93.76. She adored that car but only had it for about four months she accepted a territory sales role at Eastman Kodak which came with a company car (a pea green ‘74 Impala four-door). Keeping the Mustang made zero financial sense, so she sold it at a slight loss with a whopping 2K miles on it.
@kcindc5539 I do kind of miss some of the wild interior colors cars used to offer. Poor Beetle....At least engine swaps was easy! Surprised that Kodak is still around today!
@@autochatter lol yeah… easy for my sister - she had two engines replaced compliments of the Mobil credit card my Dad gave her “for emergencies only”. I guess running the engines dry until they seized in the middle of the NY State Thruway met her definition of “emergency”. Imagine his surprise when not once but twice he got the bill for a VW 1500 crate engine + labor. LOL
@kcindc5539 Ouch lol. My nephew went to College in Rochester NY I remember him telling me the apt he lived in was a old Kodak or Xerox one?
@@autochatter she used to, uh, entice exactly four members of the Syracuse University football team (one for each corner) to lift and scoot the Beetle out from the snowbanks in front of her sorority house where the plows had inevitably buried it, and into the middle of the street. I choose not to think about what may have been bartered in such an arrangement, but it went on for three full winters.
@@autochatter haha could have been either. Most likely Kodak as they had the bigger campus, most of which was sold off between 1990 and 2015. Yeah my sister lived in Rochester after graduating with a degree in Phys Ed. She approached Kodak hoping they’d have fitness services there at HQ where she could work as a trainer or nutritionist or something. But when they interviewed her they saw something more - the end result is my sister Karen was only the 5th female territory sales rep hired during Eastman Kodak’s then 94-year history (company was founded back in 1880 and until the 1970’s women were never considered for anything beyond admin roles).
I bought a new 1975 Mustang II Mach I with the v6 and 4 speed and LOVED IT! I kept if two years and traded it in on a 1977 Chevrolet Monte Carlo Landau! Wish I had them both back!!!
@@barryhickman6911 I can think of a few former rides I wouldn't mind having again.
I’m 65. I clearly remember seeing my first Mustang II with its “diamond like finish” (Ford actually said that, and added diamond like sparkles in their print ads). I was willing to see that, and their Gaia’s were modern with the digital clock and euro style door arm rest cum grab bar.
Today, the electric version makes sense, but they really should have called it the Mach E. Similar to T, and nails the “it’s electric “ in its name. Sad to see where Ford is headed now.
Hey, i just noticed that you only have 5k subscribers. Thats ridiculous. Youre doing a great job with this channel. I look forward to your new videos. Thanks for what you do.
Lol..Thanks! I don't know how the Y Tube God's operate. Channel is moving in the right direction thanks to folks like you, so Thank You!
I find these Mustang II fastback look good when done up street machine style. Have seen a few over the years and it looked right to me
That's cool! I never cared for the coupe ones.
A loooong time ago a former girlfriend of mine bought one used. It got great mileage and was easy to work on. These were indeed the right car for the time.
Trivia - the Barracuda actually beat the original Mustang to market by a few weeks.
Thanks, great coverage.
Didn't know that about the Barracuda and thank you!
I had both.....a 1964 Barracuda, factory 273 Commando solid lifter 4 barrel, 4 speed.in the late 1970s and a 1976 Mustang II in the early 90s, V-6 with a 4 speed. The Barracuda was more fun and much quicker, but ate clutches as they used the small slant-6 clutch in them.
@donreinke5863 I suspect it was a pretty heavy clutch pedal too.
Excellent research, narration, writing and editing. Subscribed.
@j.santiago7022 Thank you! New one is coming either tonight or tommorow morning. Jeep CJ!
The Mustang 2 could have been worse. They could have been an electric cute-ute with the same name.
Yeah....Glad that has not happened yet 😜
I did own one of these. It was a 1975 coupe with all Ghia equipment, except the opera window. I loved the way it looked, and having the upper line interior, was relatively luxurious. My only issue with it was that it had the 4-cyl. At that time, I needed approval from my father for the car and he would only let me buy a 4-cyl. If it had been the V-8m I would have loved it. My mother had bought a Mach 1 in 1974 and it was quite luxurious, too. I think these were great for the time. You got style and economy.
Thats cool! Ive been in and around a few, mainly when I was a kid not old enough to drive. There was a few folks that had them in High School too, but FOX bodies were out over 10 years by the time I graduated, so I saw alot more of those in the parking lot..
People forget but even the Corvettes of that era struggled to give you 200 HP. The Mustang II was competitive with its peers.
1978 Mustang King Cobra: because one of the Ford designers saw Smokey and the Bandit too many times at the drive in.
Yeah...Ford owed Pontiac a check for sure!
I agree the Fake Trans /am was kind of a joke, they even reversed the Hood scoop, to make it look more like the Smokey Car.
We had friends that worked at Bennett Ford, and Colonial Ford in Utah, and what I remember was that the II attracted a completely different buyer than previous Mustangs, and that the remaining hi performance buyers were either holding on to their old cars or switching to General Motors F bodies. This all changed in 1978 when the '79 Fox bodies were released and Ford started to bring their traditional Mustang buyers back into the fold.
@@larryjex6485 That makes sense as Mustang IIs seemed to be cross shopped more with Monza and Sunbird then. I'm doing the first two gens of Firebird this week.
@autochatter
Which begs the question: Was the II really a Mustang at all?
@larryjex6485 For the time I'd say it was. Was a 82 Camaro with a Iron Duke 4 cylinder a Camaro? 0 to 60 in around 20 seconds! Good question to bring up!
@autochatter
The big difference was that Iron Duke (same engine that I had in my Fiero) was still attracting the traditional Camaro buyer. The people who were trading in their Mustang for a new one every couple of years started switching to GM F-Bodies, and even imports like VW Scirocco's, Toyota Celicas and Datsun 240-Z's when the II came out. The II was a fantastic sales success, but during those 4 years from 1974-78, people were trading in Vega's, Mavericks, and gas guzzlers like Galaxies for them.
@larryjex6485 Oh I agree Ford was targeting more imports then, but the Stang still offered a V8 at least. Sad that it was only about 21 hp down from a Corvette at one point in the 70s. Such a bizarre automotive time in history.
Had a 1976 Cobra bought new (Black Gold) I loved that car. Wish I had it back after trading it in on a 1981 Granada.
Nice color combo! Up untill about 10 years ago, I thought all Cobra II's were V8s.
The Cobra IIs could be had with the base 2.3 4-cylinder motor too.
Really?...Thats a scary thought!
@@autochatter Yes, some customers wanted the performance look, but economy fuel mileage.
@@lunaticfringe8066 I get it, but it reminds me of guys who bought 4 cylinder Fox Mustangs and put 5.0 badges on them.
@@autochatter The 302 Mustang IIs had "V8" badges at the nose of the fenders. The irony of the Fox 5.0 badges is that guys with LXs equipped with them often took them off for that "sleeper" look. Today people with V6 Chargers slap Hellcat badges on them, so some things never change!
@lunaticfringe8066 so true! Trying to fool people who likely don't know or care anyway. I know the Cobra IIs had the V6, but I didn't know a 2.3 was available as well! I've never seen a Cobra II with a 6 let alone the 4.
My Cobra II has been a great Autocross race car. With minor modifications; a four-barrel carb, manifold and dual exhaust, they are quite lively.
I bet it is!
My girlfriend had a 240 Z back in 1977 and I had My Cobra II, We used to autocross for fun! My Cobra II would turn quicker times than Her 240 Z. We would swap cars and the Mustang was all ways quicker, We attributed it to My car having a bunch mor power. Becky didn't like my car but She always run quicker with the Mustang II.
@@mylanmiller9656 I loved my 240 and 260zs I had.
I have always wanted a first generation K car. Maybe someday. The Mustang!! was right for the time. It was a luxurious little car when it was a Ghia model. Had that '70's SHAG carpet!!! It was also a quiet car, for being an economy car! The Mustang II rack and pinion steering is still used today for custom rods!
@maxr4448 Yeah...Alot of Mustang IIs front end racks made their way into them!
I was in college during this. I thought the Mustang too was his ugly as a little car could get. No matter what they tried, the wheels and tires always look too small for the car. A good friend of mine had a Toyota Celica then and it was an amazing car compared to the Mustang too. It explained why I bought foreign in the 70s.
I loved the styling of early Celicas too. Yeah they "borrowed" some of their styling aspects from 60s muscle cars...and Mustangs, but what a fun car.
It was the right car at the right time. I remember it coming out at 16 1/2 around early October of '73. I'd recently just started 11th grade, and my classmates were pretty enthused about it, really only expressing disappointment the convertible was gone, but (the guys) also realizing the only conv's still left were the 5 large Chevy to Cadillac models from GM at that point & the Corvette.
@@bobpierce115 Lee Iacocca usually had good intuition on what would work!
There is a Cobra II in my town, Identical to what you picture white with blue stripes. The name has been further berated by the golf cart and soon a 4 door. Very good referring to the 'Fox Platform' as so many incorrectly say 'Fox Body'.
@daveblock4061 thank you!. Yeah..Fox Body is what you tend to hear.
A friend of mine traded his 1973 Pontiac Ventura hatchback in on a 1974 Mustang II coupe. This was about 1980-1 It was brown with a tan vinyl roof and interior. 2.3 automatic. He went to fix a small rust spot that turned out to be half of metal of the rear of the car. And the vinyl top disintegrated shortly after buying the car. He treated it to an Earl Scheib paint job. He later sold it to another one of my friends, when he bought a 1983 Ford Ranger. Me, I never owned a mustang. Almost had a 1968 But got a 1973 Olds Omega. Then there was a time I tried to buy one (fox body) and ended up with a Grand Marquise. That car was a horror story.
@theprinceofsnj Vinyl tops seem like a invitation for future rust problems! Hopefully they just ripped it off when he got that $199.95 special.
@@autochatter I think he got the upgraded paint job
Its funny with so many sold (1+ million), so few survived. I think I've only seen one or two in the last 30 years, and then only at car shows. I understand the Mustang II is not welcome at most Mustang shows, and most Mustang owners prefer to forget the 1974-1978 period altogether. And now they have the Mach E to exclude too.
I grew up and got my liscence in the 80s. A Mustang II then for the most part wasn't the coolest used car to get...and if you did, it's because it was cheap.
I liked the Cobra II and King Cobra in the looks department, but comparing them to a Camaro Z/28 or Trans Am is laughable. In the mid 80's my best friend's grandparents bought him a Mustang II Coup with a V6, it actually ran decent and got him where he needed to go. It finally clonked out and his grandparents bought him an Escort lol. When he finally got a good job and could buy his own car, he bought a Camaro IROC-Z.
@theplayernkc IROC was one of the "it" cars then!
@@autochatter I think I rubbed off on him a bit. I had a 1984 Mustang SVO, absolute blast to drive, but I had so many issues with that car I traded it for a 1985 Camaro Z/28, it got totaled when a guy ran a red light. Then I bought a 1987 Trans Am 305 TPI, then added a 1988 Camaro IROC-Z 350 TPI and later got a 1991 Z/28. Wish I still had the 87 Tran Am and 91 Z/28. The Trans Am was just a thing of beauty and the 91 Z/28 looked good too, but it had the power. I don't know if I had a special 91 Z/28 or if GM underrated the HP, but completely stock it ate Mustang GT's through the 1/4 mile and most of those GT's had mods done to them. Oh the memories from back then, cars were affordable and fun to drive. So glad the Mustang GT came back in 1982.
@theplayernkc I like Fox bodies, but the 80s F Bodies looked alot sportier. I was into Datsun/Nissan Z cars when alot of people I knew had their Ford vs Chevy debates LOL.
After owning a few MGs, my next car was a Cobra II. Black with gold accents/stripes. 302 with a Borg-Warner 4-speed manual transmission. I took out the power rack and pinion for a non power version, put a Holly 4bbl and turned the fake hoodscoop into something that actually let air in the air cleaner. This was one of the funnest car I drove. Sadly next car was a 4 door Subaru.
@hlafrond965 I'm sure those modifications woke the car up quite a bit! As someone who has personally driven a few 70s and early 80s Subarus, I know where your coming from there (I still want a BRAT though).
I had 3 and loved them , Mustang II the best Mustang at the time.
@@MikeKiminas-e5z Cool!
Am I correct that the only continuously produced sports cars since 1970 are the Corvette, Mustang, and Nissan Z?
Technically no. There was no 1983 Corvette....but that was due to delays on the 84 model. There was no Z in the U..S. from 97 to 02 ( Japan 2001-2002),. Mustang was...if you consider it a "sports car".
First car I bought was a 2 year old well used 1974 Mustang II Ghia. It had the nices interior, was pretty quiet. Got me through college. It had Firestone 500s on it, there was a was a recall on them which was 2 for one. Nice car only problems were 2800 timing gear went, the treasmition, most of the electrical system. Also the rear suspension did not have much downward travel, got me stock on an icy parking lot a few times. Still liked the car, nice steering system. Freind had one with a old built 289 v8 in it, much faster, but drank gas. That was a problem when no good gas could be found.
Sounds like she had a few issues LOL, but I'm glad you still enjoyed the car. Your post reminds me of the scene in Ghostbusters when Ray first got the Eco One. ". Everybody can relax, I found a car. - Needs some suspension work and shocks and brakes, brake pads, linings, steering box, transmission, rear end.” -Ray
“How much?” -Peter
“Only $4800. - Maybe new rings, also mufflers, a little wiring.” -Ray
I saw a Ghia in a car show years ago It was one of the Special Silver Models that had been made into a convertible By a Florida Coach builder. The thing that really popped was silver deluxe interior with a Red Strap on the seats
I think it was quite forward-thinking of Ford to make a relatively upscale subcompact. These things got a lot of hate and I get they don’t appeal to many now, but they were strong sellers for a reason.
I think they made the right call then. Even Corvettes were getting pretty laughable performance wise by the mid 70s.
This car definitely was not cared for by enthusiasts, but it absolutely was the right car at the time. They sold very well. Because it was produced and that it sold, is why Ford delivered the Fox body Mustang.
@g-mang-man7924 The collectabilty of Mustang IIs isn't as endearing as other ones unfortunately.
My mother had a red hatchback model with a manual transmission. It was the first car i remember when i was little.
@PHXez7939 Earliest car I remember my folks having,was their 78 Sunbird they bought new.
I had a white 1977 coupe - base model all around! It was a lemon...
And they say some cirtus in your diet is a good thing!
That 351, 429 & all that were no longer a Mustang, but a hot rodded Torino.
Pretty much
By 1974 there was no such thing as a Hot rod all cars were slow unless you built it yourself.
Everyone of my favorite cars are the cars people hate on like the Mustang II, the original Maverick, the Aztec, the Samurai.
I personally love the Samurai too. Did a vid on them awhile back. I did one on the Aztek too, but I dont share your...enthusiasm for them.
We have 5 Mustang right now, down from 7.
Our 1975 Mustang II Ghia coupe had one owner before us, it was her wedding gift. It has been featured at the 'Ponies in the Smolies' Mustang show in 2023 and 2024. She is unrestored but excellent condition. V6, white with red interior.
Small note. You mixed your terms. There were no hatchback first gen Mustangs. Also Mustang II were coupe and hatchback. You had them reversed. Small issue......just wanted to clear.
Happy to see Mustang II getting some attention. Decent little cars really. Thanks
@davevan8864 Yes...I know I flubbed the earlier Stangs calling the Fastback a hatch. The Mustang II hatch was referred to as a Fastback though,from sites I researched like Car Gurus. Glad you enjoyed it and Thank you! Sweet you still have a Ghia on the road!
I still have the one that I bought in 1978. The biggest issue is Ford did not size the cooling system correctly for the V8 in the Texas heat where i live.
Wow thats cool! (The fact you had the car still and NOT its cooling system defect LOL).
Very good video, keep it up
@@davidk8830 Thank you!
While the Mustang II is often unloved today, no one can deny that it saved the Mustang nameplate. However, I think it would have been even better for Ford if the Maverick would have been the new Mustang II. They could have had the 71-73 carry on as the Mustang, while the Maverick could have been sold alongside them as the Mustang II. It would have made the phaseout of the big Mustang an easier pill to swallow, and we might not have had decades of Mustang II hate later on. Of course, none of that really matters now, now that we have an electric crossover wearing the name...
Excellent points!
Original Mustang was perfect. I'd love to own one, but I don't think I'm up for maintaining an old car. I'd love to buy a new mustang, but bro culture just turns me off completely. The mustang has such a great story, and history.
@@raymond_sycamore They really do. First Mustang one I've done, so I figured I'd start with the infamous II model!
Personally, I’m a fan of the V8 hatchback version of these. They look good and can be made to perform.
@NickTarterOKC Agreed 💯
That outro music. Says “chatter connections” to me. 🤣
😀
Well they sold over a million of them and it was Motortrend’s car of the year. So it was a success.
All true!
I had a 78 4 cylinder 4 speed coupe and a 77 v-8 automatic fast back
better than the 71-73 ,it saved the name plate , my fav @6:47 was the mach 1 fastback . like a 75-76 with the opt V8
@@youtubecarspottersguide1 It was a little cleaner than the Cobra II's, but it's the 70's...So give me the guady Cobra!
charlie's angels had mustang & pinto.
@kc0lif Had to be a marketing thing. Saw alot of Fords overall in that show.
No, the perfect platform for the new '74 Mustang was the Ford Maveric. Can't believe Ford dropped the ball on this one. The pinto was an embarrassment!!! Musinto!!! Ugggghhhhh!!!!
@@JamesWilson-bw5uq I did like the Grabber Maverick!
I got a new 73 2 door Maveric with a 250 six and remember it being painfully slow. The 72 Grabber with a 302 was closer to the original 64 Mustang 289 than most people realized. It's been years since I've seen a Maveric.
@briansearles4473 Friend of mine in high school had a 73 or 74 Maverick with the straight 6 and a automatic. It wasn't fast, but blew the doors off my 79 Toyota truck.
I actually like the style of the Mustang II compared to the model it replaced. Unfortunately, they were sorely underpowered at the onset, and the public just looked at it as a weak comparison to the old Boss models from the 60's.
Yeah it had to be tough seeing alot of nameplates that used to be known for serious power under the hood, and less than a half decade later we're reduced to such low levels.
@@autochatter i remember the disappointment in what was available in 1972 after the sky was the limit. The 1972 Mustang was a discase they had no power and the body loked like a stationwagom
My ‘78 Mustang was constantly breaking down 😞
The angle at 2:09 is straight on Maverick.
I can see that.
We had a baby blue mustang 2 when I was a kid we walked a lot
😆
Ford said "It's a Mustang too!" but everyone knew it wasn't- especially gearheads who suddenly began to horde the good older (real) Mustangs that actually performed as well as they looked. The "too" did hit the bullseye on styling and interior room for four, but lacking power or handling relegated it to no longer being anything special. Those who did try to make it fast quickly discovered that everything was against you- this car was never meant to handle much power and you could do 2 or 3 V-8 Chevy Vegas for what it cost to do one V- 8 "too" which still wouldn't be as fast as they were. By the time Ford offered a 302, that engine was a slug and not worth having.
The right car for the times? Maybe- they were popular and did sell well. The idea and most of the execution was right but they smeared a once-great name in doing that. Had they called it a "Falcon" I don't think the sales would have been different; in fact that was more of the kind of car this was. I've always thought a redesigned Maverick would have made a better Mustang than this but I guess we'll never know now.
Great post as usual! Yeah I liked the Grabber Maverick myself. I think it could have pulled off being a Mustang. What new Domestics did gearheads have to look up to as the 70s wore on? Maybe Trans Ams?
@@autochatter Mostly as by then the Camaro was becoming a smog-choked small-block while Pontiac still had a smog-choked 455 which was faster. It would take the "Fox" body Mustang to return high performance to new domestic cars but not right away.
@P_RO_ Yeah...The HO engines for the Fox was around 83? I had a roommate with a 86 GT...First year they are fuel injected if memory serves.It was fast..Or seemed so for the time. Clutch pedal was heavy though. Cruising around town too much made my left leg hurt LOL. He would often borrow my Celica GT because it was just easier to drive.
So little power. My mom had one and to pass someone on the road you had to lay back, accelerate, and then pass. A very long process.
Yeah...passing was definately more of a procedure you had to plan ahead more for!
Before I watch this video, or read any other comments, I have to say that you could throw used Mustang performance parts at a 2-door Maverick, and have a sexier car.
Agreed 💯. I did like the Maverick!
@@autochatter My dad and grandfather had several Falcons and Mavericks, and my wife's first car was a Maverick. I guess you can say that I have a sentimental attachment to them.
I had 2 of these.
@@ventues9751 Cool!
A buddy had a Cobra II and thought it was hot. I let him drive my 79 Z-28. He sulked.
@@anthonygray333 LOL...I bet he did!
Bound to 76 Cobra and a 77 Cobra
I think the 2 has been given a bad rap. If Ford had offered it with a ho 302 from the beginning i think it would have had a better reception by the performance oriented public. They were definitely nice looking.
They may have moved a few more, but at the time the 2.3 liter for the gas mileage was hot.
I remember how this car was hated when it came out. In retrospect, I think that was an overreaction. The Mustang had become bloated by 1971 and 1972.
@@Alan-lv9rw Maybe yeah!
the fact that the Mustang 2 sold over 1 million cars in its 5-year model run says Ford made the right decision.
You can look back in 2024 and say it was wrong, but Ford would be glad to sell 200 thousand Mustangs a year now. I personally liked the Mustang 2 a bunch better than Squair box fox body, at least the Mustang 2 looked like a Mustang.
@mylanmiller9656 My biggest gripe with the Mustang II styling wise, was the 13 inch wheels just looked tiny on the car. Fox Mustangs got better looking as they aged IMO. Always seemed a little tall and narrow for me.
@@autochatter The 13-inch wheels were sad, but the Brakes were the saddest part.
I bought a kit to install Front discs from a Maverick and Rear Maverick drums. When I up graded the brakes, it also upgraded to 5 bolt wheels and 14-inch tires. i found a set of the same style, 5 slot Mags that were stock on my car off a Maverick. what is a real downer is parts are hard to get for the mustang II. Not a lot of aftermarket parts out there.
@mylanmiller9656 Its unfortunate on the lack of support.
It’s like the mustang EV of the 70s lol 😂
@@GeorgeJFW I see what you did there!
❤
Was my first car
Cool!
The Barracuda pre-dated the Mustang.
2 weeks yes. From what I read, Chrysler knew the Mustang was coming, (it was a terrible secret), so they slapped a snoopy rear design to a Valiant....and gave it it's own name. It wasn't advertised as aggressively as the Mustang or perceived as the sporty car everyone wanted then. It would be like Nissan taking their Sentra today, slapping a hatchback design on it, call it a Pulsar, and wonder why people were not trading in Mustangs for it.
It doesn't get the love it deserves neither does the Maverick. Throw a 390 big block in either car and you have a decent sleeper car. The Mustangs I don't like are the bloated 71 to 73 models. The fox bodies revived the brand. I would rank the new edge and the SN 95 as worse than the Mustang II.
I'm not a Mustang guy, but I have known quite a few people who don't like the SN 95 and restyled "Terminator" ones..
The Mustang II, and the GM version the Monza, were great little cars for about 80k miles, then the poor quality of construction became apparent as they fell apart and rusted to pieces. There was nothing wrong with the cars themselves, they could have been classics if GM or Ford gave a crap about quality when they were building them. Just try and find a survivor that's not totally rusted out today. It's easier to find a nice car from the 1950's than one of these little disposable junkers.
@wesdoobner7521 Quality control was certainly a issue then. Guess that's why older cars only had 5 digit odometers LOL.
Camaro is "a small, vicious animal that eats Mustangs."
my 78 went hungry because it wouldn't waste it's time w/those embarrassments to the name Mustang.
@KardboardKenny LOL..Yeah...We have to wait untill the 80s for the rivalry to get started again.
The original Mustang was a fastback, not a hatchback.
Yes..I mispoke.
Right car at the right time? Well if you want to talk about sells. Did you know the 1978 Oldsmobile Cutlass sold 520,279 units? The F body (Camaro/Firebird) sold over 1.5 million in the same time period 74-78, also in 77 and 78 the Camaro itself outsold the Mustang. If GM could make 2 better looking, more powerful and better handling cars during the same time period, I think Ford could have done the same with the Mustang and not had the Mustang II blemish on the Mustang's history. Plus GM having a rival Ford car during the same period, we might have gotten more powerful F body cars. In all honesty, the Mustang II probably sent performance cars backwards instead of the performance wars we started getting in 1982 when the Mustang GT "The Boss Is Back" came into our lives. Two side to every story I guess.
Good points. Alot of people don't realize how big Oldsmobile was with Cutlass sales. I think at least one year in the 80s, it was the best selling car in the U.S ? I applaud GM, and especially Pontiac then for keeping some muscle car availability in otherwise dark times. Had Ford tried to do the same then, would sales have been taken from the F Bodies? The rivalry kicked off again in the 80s, and it wasn't untill around then the malaise era emissions and other factors were getting workarounds so power levels could get better again. I don't know if a HP war in the mid to later 70s could have happened....Look how bad even the Corvette ponies was then. I get that F bodies sold more in that period.....Using two different models. If GM didn't have full size Chevy and GMC trucks, Ford wouldn't be able claim being the best selling one for decades straight.
@@autochatter Dark times for sure on American cars, like you said, look at the Corvette during that time. All it had to do was be quicker and handle better than the F bodies and we all know daddy GM would not let another GM product beat the Vette. If the Mustang had ate into the sales number of the F body, but brought us better performance, which would have trickled up to the Vette, I wouldn't have an issue with that at all. Rivalry brings innovation and there was no real rivalry or innovation going on at that time. I saw in your other comment about Datsun/Nissan Z cars, those cars were innovative. They were fighting for market share, not just existence like the Mustang II, Camaro/Firebird and Corvette were doing.
A buddy had a lime green ‘76 in high school. Constantly breaking down. Terrible car.
I had a buddy with a green Gremlin in High School, and I wasnt jealous of the car at all!
Gen 1 Mustang was never a hatchback, sportroof or fastback was the design. THE 74s were hatcbacks and not fastbacks, just reverse the two and presto.
Mispoke on gen one being a hatchback, but a 74 hatch was referred to as a Fastback according to CarGurus www.cargurus.com/Cars/1974-Ford-Mustang-II-Trims-c29633
I’d much rather have a Pinto than a 4 banger Mustang ll.
Prob quicker as the Pinto was a bit lighter.
How many did they sell???? Oh ok. That's the answer
@pauliefromphilly Yes...I took 17 minutes to answer that! 😀 They get hate like the Pinto, but both were big hits then.
The Mustang II with the 4 banger was a gutless POS.
I'd guess about 15 seconds to 60?
See you forgot one big thing about the Mustang two if it weren't for the Mustang two the Mustang wouldn't have survived it would have been dead and it's grave the Mustang 2 saved the Mustang from Extinction and the name even though it wasn't considered much of a Mustang you have to give it some credit
@cherrylove3656 I thought I was implying that throughout the vid.