FORD MUSTANG II - Learn why it saved the Mustang brand
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 ต.ค. 2024
- The Mustang II was produced from 1974-1978. The brief, however impactful second-generation Mustang continuously sparks a bounty of passionate debates and shifting emotions among the muscle car community.
Sandwiched between the first and longest Generations, the Ford Mustang II represented a transitional period for one of the best-selling cars in the United States and a crossroads for one of the largest American automotive manufacturers in the world.
Today we’ll take a look at whether or not the Ford Mustang II was a success or a failure, let’s take a closer look at how the Second Generation came to be and its lasting legacy.
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They actually look more like a Mustang than the fox body did.
At least the current Mustang has some classic/vintage Mustang style to it. Camaro and Challenger, not so much. After 2022, no more Camaro.
atleast under the hood the Foxbody looked more like a mustang lol
Until you got inside, and your elbows and knees fought for the same space around the steering wheel (and don't even mention back seat space). Fox fixed all that, brought car back closer to the original.
Mustang II really should have been the first Ford Probe, selling alongside a big brother.
But I do agree, Mustang II styling had a nice appearance.
@@sergeantmasson3669 GM is probably keeping a close eye on how the new electric Mustang is selling, and possibly come out with one using the Camaro name in a later section of this decade.
@@robmcgowan4034 Camaro isn't selling well at all. Likely the name Camaro will be dropped altogether and replaced with an all electric sedan, or an all electric SUV.
My first car was a 76 Mustang Cobra II, V8, 4sp, black with gold stripes. I purchased it because it was different from the run of the mill Trans Am/Camaros of the time. With a 4bbl carb & header upgrade, and once I learned how to drive stick, it was unbeatable on the street. I still own it, and will be restored once I retire.
Did you happen to buy it from a waitresses with a sketchy abusive relationship story back in '78 or '79?
Hilarious!
I owned 4 different ones, v6, two 4 clys. Last v8 76 year model love it!!!
Wow!
I was never a lover of M-II but used a '76 MPG model as driver for over a year(I think it's only option was a AM radio). Also had several other 4 cyl bought at auction to flip. Best was a V6, 4-speed '74 Mach-1, that one had all the bells & whistles.
Poor Speedy, where the Mustang 2 hurt you?
I had a 77 coupe in high school. It ran well and was fun to drive.
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My dad had a brown 74 Mustang 2 notch back with the 6cyl. It was given to him as his first car in the early 1980’s. He graduated high school in 1983 and kept it until late 1999. I was only 3 years old when he got rid of it but this video brings back memories of it and my early childhood.
I used to own a 1976 mustang 2 with a 302. It was loaded and it was fast. When I drove it on the highway it got great gas mileage as long as I didn't go crazy. But in town it got the mileage of a big car. It was one of the best cars I've ever owned and I've owned over a hundred!
4 speed too?
I too loved my Mustang with the 302. It was super quick. It was a good car
a 302 in a car that light..jeebus,that had to go like stink on stuff
it was NOT fast or even quick from the factory
@@bloodsling you high? a 1976 302 or ANY American motor made NO POWER, after 72...you guys dont know jack about cars
I love the Mustang II. Think they are some of the best looking models produced.
You need to fire your optometrist.
@@jeffjackson9679 I know people hate on them, but for what they were, they really were stylish for the time.
I agree. I don't get why Mustang fans aren't fans of this car. If I were the opportunity, I would've driven a Ghia coupe.
Your smoking some good shit
@@bigstillow91 I think so. If it came with a V8 engine, I'd have a more powerful V8 engine, hopefully of similar displacement.
They were good cars for the times. Economical and sporty for small cars. They also sold pretty well. The V8 cars were quick, for the times. They definitely kept the nameplate going through a rough time for carmakers.
At the time, the Mustang II was considered by enthusiast as a joke, but it's like comparing Godfather III to the first two movies. Looking back, the Mustang II was a nice-looking car and Ford was just changing with times. By 1973, the muscle car era was over and personal luxury cars were in. The Mustang II was right for the times and when compared to the 3rd generation Mustang, it's so much nicer.
I have owned 3 really fast Mustangs. A 2013 Shelby GT500, an 88 GT Fox platform, and a 74 with a 302 swap. The 74 was so light that with around 300 hp, it would crush Chevelles, Firebirds and Corvettes. The big late 60s, early 70s muscle cars would always be amazed when they got their butt handed to them by a Mustang II. It's still one of my favorites.
Thanks for sharing and thanks for serving Michael. Make sure and subscribe.
Of course they were surprised. They were expecting the craptastic engines the Mustang IIs were known for. I am a fan of the 302. I owned a 68 Cougar with one.
@@BobZed Nice! My step mother owned one of those Cougars when I was little. It had a 351C; I think it was a 70. Of course, back then nobody in our family knew what we had.
@Speedy rapacki clueless and uninformed or just too young to appreciate what it was like before computers.
@@BobZedI’m buying two 78s tomorrow with 302s, I plan on either pulling it or building it to around 3-400hp end goal nothing crazy but but the cars don’t weigh much
My brothers and I learned to drive in our moms 1976 Mustang II. It was NOT a fast car. It had the 4 cylinder engine with 4 speed manual transmission. It was a great car to learn in.
My mom used to buy me models of this car when I was a little boy at the hobby shop... Wow A-blast from the past
Only 153000 sold! Today that would be a major hit.
Yes it would.
I bought, off a neighbor a 74 hatch back in 1983 to use as a winter beater, I paid $500.00 for it, it had a very clean body for a New York salt car, I would have loved to have yanked out the 4 banger and installed a 351 Windsor, but as a broke teenager could not afford to, man, I would love to have that car now, I've never been a huge fan of the Mustang, but have owned two, the 74 and a 92 5 liter hatch which was in a league all it's own!
You'd have also needed a transmission, driveshaft & rear end that could handle the power.
I had a 75 Mustang always hated the ll at the end of the name. While it wasn't a tire burner neither was anything by any other auto makers, government made sure of that. The 70's Mustang was a good looker, I thought better looking than the Fox bodies.
The M-II was not a result of the gas shortage, Ford decided two years prior to place it in direct competition with Celica and other similar imports models. Hot Rod had likened the new '71 Mustang to your homecoming queen, that after graduation, gained 40 lbs. The '71 could be had with real balls and were best selling of the large Stang, still sales were approx 1500 short of '77 M-II.
New M-II were in showrooms a full two months before gas shortage. Thanks to gas crunch, 1974 became the fourth highest selling model ever. Because of America's ever short memory, the '77 sales were down because gas shortage had eased(rinse, repeat in '81). The fact there was almost no sheet metal difference in the five model years did not help.
I'm weird because I like both the big Stangs and the the 2s.
You are correct about the Mustang, but gas crisis two was 1979 not 1981.
The Mustang II was a result of the imposable EPA ratings the the Great Richard Nixon handed us ! That Canceled every trace of a performance Car!
@@mylanmiller9656 EPA mandates did not kill the performance cars, that was mostly due to insurance companies penalizing high HP vehicles. Except for Pontiacs SD 455 Firebirds, performance vehicles were fast dying by '73(lasted thru '74). Plus John Pubic was clamoring for smaller vehicles, even befor gas shortage. Chevy built & sold Camaros in the same period. Ford managed to keep barges like LTD, Mercury Marquis & Lincoln Town Cars in production. Full size, the '77 Chevy Impala killed everything FoMoCo was selling. By early '80s performance was coming back. Stock vs stock, the 5.0 Mustangs were soon as fast as the previous decade offerings. PLUS offered gas mileage the 60s/'70s models could only dream of.
@@rickloera9468 Uhhh yea that's correct, dayum messed up a otherwise perfect year.
I had a 1976 Mustang 2, 2 tone brown 2+2 hatchback with T-Tops and a v6. That car was awesome, it was so pretty, cute, small. With the tops off in the summer. It got looks, at least for the early 80s. I wish I still had it. Not fast, very slow 4 spd, but 10 dollars to drive every where all week long on gas. Very comfortable bucket seats.
Loved my 1976 Mustang. Somebody hit from behind. And I was standing right there. Took a long time to get over that. 1st car I could say I paid for.
I own a 77 Ghia. You need to keep these cars in the context they lived in. Major EPA emissions shit, the OPEC issues starting in 1974. That's why the 5.0 was 130 HP. Thank the government for that....
True!
@@ThisOldCarChannel I'm not sure I would've given this car a V8 engine, particularly given its Net hp rating. I would've given the car a V6 engine. The V8 would've been fine for the Maverick, which was larger.
74 Mustang II had no V8 option.
Also by then they had switched to net hp ratings instead of gross hp. If you were to compare the hp ratings of the 302 in 71 vs 75 measuring both by either gross or net hp, they probably wouldn’t be all that different
On Charlie's Angels, Jill and Chris Munroe (Farrah Fawcett and Cheryl Ladd) drove a 1976 Mustang II Cobra (white/blue) and Kelly Garrett (Jaclyn Smith) drove a 1977 Mustang II Ghia (tan/brown).
Kate Jackson got stuck in a Pinto.
@@jeffrobodine8579 ah yes the orange Pinto Runabout. At least it was inconspicuous. Good for tailing people.
My Mom had a 1976 Mustang 2 Ghia. Was a beautiful car!
Hated the II back then, but now it's not that bad, especially in the Cobra models. It was the right car at the right time.
That's funny, I felt the same way. Used to hate it. But now I want one for a restomod.
I always liked the styling of the cobra 2s ,they just needed more power to back up the good looks.
Not hard to do when you look to the aftermarket.
Some dude has one around here.
White base black lettering ,nice fat chunky slot mags all around and side pipes.
And it definitely doesn't have that low compression smog exhaust note ,I'm sure he's got some work in it.
My favorite one is the 1969 mach 1, with the 351 cleveland with four speed i remember my uncle had one back in 1972 this machine had a lotta horse power he was fast the tires were smoking first second and third by the time he got to four gear we were going over 115 miles flying I love this Beautiful mach 1 i wish we could go back to the good old days I miss the 70's
Same here. The good old days. I don't want to sound like me dad but the older we get, the more the days of past were simpler. It's a crazy world we live in today. Thanks for watching!
A Cleveland in a '69 Mach-I had to be swapped. Regardless of popular belief, the Windsor was only 351 available in '69, Cleveland introduced for 1970 models.
I have a bad history with the Mustang II. In 1978 I had a girlfriend. It's been so long I don't even remember her name. We were dating for around six to nine months when she decided she needed a new car. Not a new-to-her used car, but a new car. We shopped around and she decided on a black Mustang II with gold pinstriping. Honestly, it was gorgeous. But the down payment was pretty heavy. She needed a lot of cash because we were both still pretty young; I was late teens and I think she had just turned 20. So she asked if I could lend her enough to make her apartment rent until her paychecks caught up; one or two months tops. I did. The amount was something like $1500 - $1800, I don't remember exactly. That was a lot of money for me, but she's my girl, right?
So she gets the car, and I don't see her for about a week. I worked days, she worked nights, so that wasn't unusual. This was obviously decades before cell phones, so I also wasn't worried when she didn't pick up the phone for a few days, either. Finally, I just went to her apartment to check up on her. It was empty! She moved out and never told me! I went to where she worked and she ghosted them, too. Just up and quit without any notice. In fact, she never officially quit and just stopped showing up for work. Her manager and coworker were pretty happy to see me when I walked in the door, but were just as mystified as I was concerning her actions and whereabouts.
Six or eight months later, I was driving around a different part of town and I spotted the car in the parking lot of a restaurant. I recognized it because the black and gold color scheme wasn't rare, but wasn't common, either. I pulled in and double checked the plates. It was the car! I walked into the restaurant and asked for her at the hostess stand. The girl said something like, "I think she's here," and left to go "find" her. Well, a moment later I hear squealing tires and the bitch has run out the back door, jumped into her car, and high tailed it out of there. Turns out she was working there as a waitress. The hostess comes back to me and said she would call the police if I made any trouble. I asked her what she meant, and my old girlfriend had told everyone that I was violent and she had to "escape" me. What? I was calm as hell, and really honestly just wanted to make sure she was OK. I told my story to the hostess, and it turns out she had told them some long sob story about how she was in an abusive relationship and how lucky she was to get away. They believed her, but when I walked in and behaved like a normal person, they said they doubted the veracity of the story.
I never saw her or the car again. I drove by many times but never again saw the car in that lot. I didn't go in to inquire about her because, well, that would look pretty stalkerish and I sure didn't need that hassle. I always wondered whatever happened to that psycho. But every time I saw a Mustang II, regardless of the year or color, I thought of her. Still do, even though it has been nearly 45 years since that all went down. Definitely the strangest thing that ever happened to me.
Hell is not calm.
@@georgewettig1860 You know this how?
She got ya.
@@badbiker666 From my friend "The Word", no harm intended.
@@georgewettig1860 I disagree. Pretending to know about the afterlife because you read something in some book somewhere is vicious. Christianity is a death cult that seeks to bring about the end of the world. I'll take a hard pass on anything a christian says is true.
Had two GFs that each had 1974s, one a coupe & one with a hatch. Both rides were V6s, not bad for get up a go.
Released in fall of '73 right as the first oil embargo started, the Mustang II's better mileage than the competing pony cars made it a success. Not fast enough to be an actual racer, it's V6 was strong enough to make it satisfactory to be a fun, peppy car for the street for 90% of it's drivers. The real gear heads preferred the earlier Stangs with the big V8s.
@Speedy rapacki You're crapping all over this comment section. Did a Mustang II take your girlfriend away or something?
These were no doubt the most luxurious felt like driving a yacht and the seats are like the recliner at home
My dad had a 77 or 78 mustang 2 V8 white with blue racing stripes 4spd his first car. I love the 78 king cobra paint colors
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I love my '65 coupe and I love my 78 II LONG LIVE THE IIs
They were less bad than "monza town coupe," which was just vega chassis, but with an engine that worked. Scads of those things got sold -- and went to the wrecker quickly. Back in those days, automagic transmission put a huge penalty on performance and efficiency. Floor it on the highway -- you might get to 65 MPH before your exit, especially on domestic four-cylinder.
Lol....Thanks for your input!
Never owned a M-II V8, but did have two V8 Monzas(auto & 4-speed), were a lot of fun.
I suspect a big-engine mustang 2 would "skid well," what with Ford's notorious light rear-ends. With front-wheel drive that's largely forgotten, but one of the ST models has a Drift button..
I had two mustang2s and loved them both v8 and the 4 cyl the v8 had plenty of power but the 4 was puny it delvepoed vapor lock and didn't run right after that and went through 4 starters two on that car that's the only thing I hated about it gas wise it was great 👍
I had the 2.3 engine in a 1994 ranger. It held up better with fuel injection, but still sluggish on acceleration.
You should play the commercial "Another bright idea from Ford". The 2nd generation was a great transition from the 1st. Improvements in the suspension and safety and helped in the development of the fox body. The 70's should be considered the worst decade in automotive history.
My mother in law had a 78 Cobra. It was difficult to keep from breaking traction, especially on concrete. The service department did it every time..Mary adored that car. She was a speed demon 😈 her previous cars were A Oldsmobile with a 455 and Ford Rancharo with a Lincoln 460 swap. Her last car was a souped up Ford Tempo. But the Cobra was her all time favorite.
There's a dude around here with a nice one, white with black graphics ,nice period correct slot mags and side pipes.
It sounds healthy , not some weak tone from a low compression smog engine so I'd wager its tweaked a little.
Rolling past his place last week I think I spotted another one in blue, maybe his newest project.
This is identical to the car my dad bought me for graduation! 1974 mustang II ghia, had a half vinyl top. I loved that car😊
I always liked these, ever since I was a kid and watched Starman. An orange and black 1977 Mustang. Yeah performance wasnt great, but no cars really performed in the 70s, even the Camaro/Firebird. As far as being based on the loley Pinto... the original Mustang was based on basic transportation the Falcon. Im still loooking for one.
Memories. Charlie's Angels drove Mustang Ii's.
They sure did David. Merry Christmas and thanks for watching. Make sure and subscribe!
Ford was a sponsor, wonder if it helped sales?
That the Mustang II was based on the Pinto is simply NOT TRUE!!! Lee Iococca says says so in his autobiography. The only engineering they shared was that they both used 4-cylinder engines- and not even the same one. And my first new car was a '78 M2. The Mustang purists may look down their noses at it, but I say fuck 'em. I loved that car and was damn proud of it.
Thanks for watching and your interesting comment Michael!
Actually the '74 Pinto used the new 2.3 half motor as well(owned two), though some still had the German 2.0 overhead cam. In '75 the 2.0 was history. The 2.0 was later revived(as destroked 2.3) for base Ranger engine.
Watch the video at about 4:10. I owned a '76 Mustang II. If I was a smoker when I was rear-ended in that car, I woulda been cremated.
@@russshafer1171 Maybe my '78 had been approved, because multiple sources said mine was OK, that the gas tank was protected.
I saw a feature some years ago on the Mustang II going back to the concept cars of mid-late 1971. Even at that point they were about 95% what the production '74 looked like hitting the showroom in late '73. They couldn't have predicted the oil/gas shocks that were to come in the '74 model year, yet they unwittingly did. It was the right car at the right time, and was never out of production because of the Mustang II. By the way, when the Camaro was canned with the 2002 model, it was meant to be permanent. It was because of the 2005 Mustang and later the Dodge Challenger's return that GM was "forced" to bring back the Camaro. The '23 though, is supposed to be the last (again) unless revived as an electric vehicle in a later section of the '20s.
Picked the new Mustang II up from the dealer, only made it about 1/2 mile and it quit. 13 tows in the first year. Road service suspended for abuse. Only kept it about 14 months and got rid of it. Worst POS we ever owned.
I had two of them. One with a 302. I should have kept it.
I owned one of the last (at the time) Mach 1's, to which I added the King Cobra appearance package. Best of both worlds!
I had a 75Mustang2 hardtopwith a V8 302 and it was light and quick, I could stomp it at 40mph and it would catch rubber, loved the car wish I still had it. But really always wanted a Cobra Jet just couldn't affirdy but was my first car and fun to drive.
I had a V6 powered, ‘74 model. Loved that car!
The 1974 - 1978 mustang was my favorite mustang!
I've always liked the cobra mustang ll. It looks much more different than any other cars on the road.
The Maverick and the late model Chevy Corvair were 2 of the prettiest cars back then.
Under appreciated.
There is a 4 door maverick I saw for sale on Facebook. Guy wanted $450 for it. Doesn't run but I'm tempted but afraid it will just sit on my driveway. lol
A 302 four barrel is a straight forward transplant. A 351 with some work can also fit. Smokey, one wheel burn outs all day long!
Good information, thanks a lot. With or without debate, there is only one fact: To live, or to die. There was not other choice left, caused by oil embargo and OPEC rising prices. Iaccoca was a real car creator it self, with a vast knowledge and wisdom. Being the father of the car, he made any thing what it takes to keep this wondeful machine on the streets. What about no gas shortage or OPEC embargo rising prices? ... The original model was gettin fat and so big to be a sports car. Just take a look what Porshe did with the 911. Evolution rather than gettin big and heavy. Great lesson.
My 78 cobra is a 302 4speed. It’s actually more fun to drive than my 66.
Thanks for watching! We'd like to see that 78! Join our FB group! facebook.com/groups/bocabrothers
Love it! My favorite Mustang! It wasn't based on the Pinto!
Thanks for watching Mark. Make sure and subscribe!
Tired of hearing it was based on the pinto, how did that myth get started ?
I was there, working in engineering at Ford; Mustang II did not save the brand, the Fox platform did, due to its flexibility/utility.
Mustang II was pretty much a Pinto with a trunk. Without the Fox on the horizon, which was used on MANY Ford cars, Mustang was gone.
Then gas prices declined, to save the Fox Mustang.
(So glad the Probe never became a "mustang".)
My mustang 2 , out handled my fox body by
Fare, U must have worked
In the wrong dept.
@@chrislollich525 I worked in powertrain and chassis engineering. Your Mustang II was a Pinto, dressed up. And it was a cramped up little car inside. I rode in and drove many of them.
Lol, Pintos actually were fun to drive, handled well.
You must have bought your Fox-body Mustang before the rear suspension was modified to correct the rear-wheel hop. That change totally improved handling. Rack-and-pinion steering on the Fox was also a great improvement over the Mustang II, but glad to hear you liked both cars.
I do agree the Mustang 2 isn't as good looking as other generations of Mustang but I still think they are cool. They can be pretty nice when done up right and there is one that races at my local drag strip that runs pretty good. I get why people hate them but to me they are very over hated.
A former neighbor and friend, Mr. Byron White, owned this model 40 yrs ago w/the 4-cyl., 4-spd. man.! Uncle Donald Sr. had a similar one in Fall '85 w/a 5-litre V8 & auto trans.; but it had a faulty shift modulator!!
Had a '74 notch back. It had four wheels and got me from point A to point B. No excitement.
Being a fervent '87 - '91 5.0 Mustang enthusiast the 2nd generation never appealed to me. Too many appearance packages and not enough performance options. But to be fair, all the other makers were in the same boat. The mid 70's to mid 80's was a dark time for domestic cars. Poor build quality, poor performance, and iffy reliability spelled doom for the domestic buyer.
Both camaro and Firebird sold like hot cakes in the late seventies and didn't damage their reputation like mustang 2
We built 58 units per hour at the San Jose Assembly Plant. Both Pinto & Mustang combined. Identical unibody construction. In 1974 we added entire 2nd shift to keep up production. Often 6 days per week 2 shifts. Assembly penetration was normally Mustang every 5th job +/-. Later years Capri was added as well. Original V6 motors were from Germany. 302 came later. They were excellent cars made very well. Not a race car as the oil embargo entirely changed the car market. MPG was the focus not HP. IMO these cars would sell today.
The Ghia models were very plush. Half my family worked at FORD. The wives drove Ghias, I picked them up cheap & loaded with lacey speed wheels, tinted crank open moon roofs, stereo/tape,leather, 302 v8, posi axles, performance packages only employees could get. Ohio rust killed them all.
I loved the Ghias Paul. Make sure and subscribe.
I had a 77 for my first new car off the showroom, at the time the brown with chamois roof was popular, the downfalls was at the time it had no power steering, rough turning, and the shield off the muffler vibrated and they could't figure out to silence it?
I owned two of them...in 1981, White with a green top...Until I wrecked in later that year...and the second in 1984...Green with a white top...for about two years, when it stopped working.....
I can remember my dad borrowed mustang 2 from a friend of his while our family car was being fixed
My dad had the hatchback version of one of these when I was a kid. It was white with red interior. little 4 banger with a manual and no exhaust! I don’t remember what year it was
My dad's company Citation was ugly tan with tan interior. We were teens at the time and asked if his company could give him another car. lol
@@ThisOldCarChannel I honestly think they’re some cool looking cars, especially the cobras. I wouldn’t mind having one with a mildly built 302 or something! Would be a fun little car!
@@invisiblekid7374 I absolutely agree, especially the King Cobra were beautiful with built 302 or possibly a 351.
Haters just hated the Mustang 2 because of the engine hp.Like every car is supposed to be a muscle or sports car.
My bro and I did like the Mustang II Cobra! Bad ass!
I had a 77 1.8L from my brother,hand me down..whatever,the thing ran like a champ,several years I only ever had to replace a fan belt and a starter relay,and with a '77 someone as mechanically inept as I am could even do it by myself.
Could have been worse, the Ford Probe was originally supposed to be the 4th Generation Mustang in 1988
Now if only we could unload our 1978 factory V8. We just finished getting her done enginewise (and her body is solid) when my wife wanted a pair of St Bernards. No way we're lugging those in a registered collector car. So, now we're trying to sell her. All that's left to do is put in a lickdown lever and sew up the seems on the ceiling and replace the driver's side seatbelt.
I have ptsd from wrenching on turd fords. Henry Ford is the only one that could save that company. My v8 mustang II was the exception. You couldn't scale down a 302 more than this stock version. I was at a 3 lane red light in Santa Clara California when 2 adorable 4 cylinder Hondas rolled up next to me acting like race cars. They paid no attention to me. I thought..."what the hell...let's see how this thing measures up." They start revving and staring each other down. Imagine the look on their faces when the light turned green and my rusty bone stock '78 mustang II blew both of their doors off. There's a saying in racing..."there's no replacement for displacement. "
Right on I hate Honda cars.
If they sold that now, I would want that. They have gotten too big, now.
Wait, people like the Fox Body? Say what you want about the Mustang II. It at leasts kind of looks like a mustang.
Liked the fastbacks. I'd be happy to find one with the 302 manual
I think the Mustang II was more like the original Mustang then any other after. 71-73 were to big I think and not sporty looking at all . I do like the Fox body styling alot .
Yeah...I agree. 71-73 were husky looking but that Mach 1 was awesome.
It might have looked better if the wheelbase was stretched a bit, looked kind of chunky. 96 inch wb is too short. The Fox body wb was 4 inches longer - about right.
🐎🏁 thanks! i enjoyed that video
Thanks for watching!
I read this same exact article in cj pony parts. How is this channel related to cj pony parts?
The truth is that the Mustang 2 was planned years before the oil embargo as larger Mustang sales were well down and consumers wanted a Mustang closer to the original model which the Mustang 2 was.
I bought a mustang in the late 70’s but I can’t remember which year. I do remember it had a turbo charged 4 cylinder engine, a 5 speed manual, and a hood scoop. It was okay, but not very memorable. I think 78 or 79?
Hey John! Yes even big block engines were made with LOW horses. Thanks for watching. Make sure and subscribe!
Once a Mustang...always!
yup!
Good memories , in 1978 my mom bought a brand new V-8 Mustang II , did I wash and shine this car . I was 15 with no drivers license but mom after each wash let me drive the Mustang alone around the neighborhood .
4:47 That is actually a picture of my car. The one I own.
Broadened my historical automotive education. Very good. Thank You
You're quite welcome. Thanks for watching.
I actually like this version. The big Mach style is probably the best looking. But this is better than the new ones for sure
I remember dating a girl in high school who had a Mustang 2 Cobra and I drove a VW Super Beetle…I still felt I had the better car.
Ha! Thanks for watching!
Well you were wrong
Looks like a ride that escaped from Disneyland
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the Mustang II wasn't a bad wasn't a great car. I had someone give me a 78 V6 car. Repaired the water pump and radiator. Once I got it running my shock was everything worked. I drove it 3 years and got 1200 trading it in on my 85 GT.
A lot of people don’t know the Ford Mustang horse was made by Bill Swan at international fiberglass and ford gave him 100 for horse which is the exact horse the emblem was copied from but there was an artist who worked at Ford he is the man who made the emblem therefore everyone thinks he made the Ford horse but it can be seen being made in Bill Swan’s page.
The Mustang 2 was a Pinto with a different body. Putting in the 302 in the Cobra was a plus.
I liked the King Cobra.
I did also!
Didn't Farrah Faucet drive a white & blue striped cobra in Charlie's Angel's era?
At least it has a moonroof
hahaha!
I had a corba 11y cousin still has it years ago we put an ho 302 on it
Because it actually looks like a mustang! But don't worry, Ford is always willing to shoot themselves in the foot and ruin a good design! They are masters at it!
The Camaro of that year still look like a sports car so why couldn't they make the Mustang look a little bit better than what we got
When Ford built the Mustang II they were aimed at the market of the time, they were not concerned about what people 50 years later liked! Mustang II was built during a oil Crises and Small and economical was more important than Fat with Horse power! if the Chevy was so great why was it discontinued, only to be brought back because Mustang proved there was a market for that kind of car!
@@mylanmiller9656 my point is the Camaro of that time also was thinking about that but they still made their car look a lot better than the Mustang 2
@@brianzelch4734 Mustang 2 out sold the Camaro by double so who was right!
@@mylanmiller9656 the Mustang named carried a lot of weight back then and still does but it sure wasn't because of the looks of the car.
@@brianzelch4734 The 1974 out sold the 1973 mustang and the Camaro by more than double so it proved it was the right choice at the right time, Ford was not concerned with what people 50 years later thought! EPA standards set by the President of America are what caused the horrible cars of the mid 1970's. The Mustang II did a better job of meeting that target than the other cars of 1974! It had sales numbers that proved they were right!
I had a 78 Mustang II V8 and T Tops.
I the only person to love this look of mustang?
The 1974 Mustang was available with the V8, just not in the United States.
That is correct the 1974 Mustang II sold in Mexico had a V8 Option!
lunatic fringe, that's false. No V8 option for 1974 Mustang II. '75-'78 Mustang II's had the V8 option though.
@@mylanmiller9656 FALSE ! No V8 option for '74 Mustang II, period.
@@sergeantmasson3669 I don't know when you had your Period, but the 302 V8 was available in 1974 Mohican Mustang II
Just because you didn't have one don't mean Ford Mexico didn't sell one!
@@mylanmiller9656 I'm 50+ years master-level factory-certified auto/truck tech. 37 of those years with the largest Ford dealership in my state. I don't recall ever seeing a '74 V8 Mexico Mustang II. A bunch of 4 cyl and V6 units though.
NOT based on the Pinto!!!!
They share a trunk pan and steering components. That's it!!!
Thank you for your comment and for watching!
Your correct sir ..my cousin still has his to this day.. he yanked out that 4 banger & put a 1990's 305 V8 from a salvage yard 'stang he rebuilt
And rear wheel wells. They are small. :( But, I agree, its not a Pinto. Its its own car as much as any car with shared engineering. As far as steering components, that is a big plus. You can buy them after market. Mustang II suspension is on the pegs in an aisle at Summit right now. What other car has that 40 years on? Not a Fox. Not a '73, not a Camaro, not a Toyota - A Mustang II.
Very few cars in that era had good horsepower. It also enjoyed much improved handling
Everyone bemoaning the loss of large, chubby Mustang should look at Maverick. Few Know it was introduced April 17, 1969, exactly five years to day after Mustang. By end of '60s people were clamoring for small, inexpensive to operate models. First model year sales(Apr-'69-Sept '70) rivaled Mustang for '64½-'65(all Maverick referred to as 1970, but yes there is a '69½ ). Maverick sold 578,914 without a V8 option(became avail in '71). Regular gas was 32¢ a gallon, and were often Gas Wars(at least on east coast), that cut prices to 22-25¢. For 1974 Maverick sold 301,000 units which is respectable, but there were also 126,000 Mercury Comets that are nothing more than slightly restyled Mavericks. I own a '72 Comet.
Thanks for watching and for your interesting comment.
Camaro did not undergo a major redesign in ‘74 .
FALSE. Camaro 2nd generation was '70-'81. After 2002, no more Camaro again until 2010. It's being discontinued again after 2022 and will be replaced by an all-electric SUV.
@@sergeantmasson3669 yep, 2nd gen ran from ‘70 (technically 70 1/2) to 81 so no way a major redesign happened in 74.
Good Production. But make no apologies for the Mustang II. There is no “weather or not” debate. Yes, it shared engineering with the Pinto, but so what? All manufactures share engineering and style queues between models. What body parts swap with a Pinto? None! What is wrong with a lightweight rear wheel drive foundation? It’s a better idea than the Probe, for sure. The II returned to its origins very successfully. It shared the same line of Tanus / Cologne motor from the Mustang I concept from before 1964. For decades, reviews are always quick to point out that they dropped the v8 for one FRIGGIN year because everyone was tired of the tubby knuckle draggers the Mustang had become. At least they didn’t drop the entire model like corvette or Camaro. How do you count that? Zero horsepower or zero cylinders? That ’74 2.8L v6 had the SAME 115 horsepower as the 255 CID V8 in the first FOX body. What is worse? A super lame v8 or a better v6 than all the imports? Stop promulgating the same review. Say something new. I’m not saying it was the best car ever. It wasn’t. But it was better than back-handed complement the reviews always give to a modestly priced model that people actually liked. Given the price, there were no negatives. Based on sales alone, it was a far better car in ‘74 than what it replaced in ‘73 - period.
I agreed with you. The Mustang 2 looked great and more like a Mustand than the Fox body, 87 and on the Mustang was ugly and is still ugly today. However based on sales alone the 74 topped the 73 but that was all. The 73 was not my favourite but it still stood head and shoulders over what replaced it. The 73 Match 1 with the 351 CJ was a looker and still a stormer. The Cobra 2 with its 302 pumping out a staggering 140 hp might have given people a platform but thats about it. Quarter mile times were up there with school buses and farm tractors.
@@burningblue1254 Car manufacturers make money by Selling cars and the Mustang II even in its worst year out sold the
1971 -73! The Mustang II sold over a million Cars in 5 Years. the 71-73 never sold 500, 000 in 3 years! A million is more than 500, 000.
@@mylanmiller9656 Wonderful, bravo. I understand what you are saying. I like the Mustang 2. But the 73 will be forever the last real Mustang.
@@mylanmiller9656 the Mustang II was necessary at the time. Not great, by any measure.
@@josephvaldora49 No body said it was great, it was a better car for its time than any thing else offered by the competition.
You know my family had a lot of Ford Pintos, and one aunt had a Mustang 2 and I always wondered if it was just a pinto with a trunk?
ford and mustang enthusiasts know exactly why the 74 thru 78 model saved the mustang, we dont need a video. thanks for playing though.
I've got a 78 Cobra, car has black interior. 302 4 speed, car will scoot..
Wow! Wish I had one!
Unless you modded that car, that thing was a slug. Even by late 70s standards. It was a wannabe Trans Am with all the gaudy decals and plastic scoops on it.