Since it feels like it’s been too long since I stirred up trouble and ire, I bring to you a Ford Mustang II Cobra II, a 1976 model in black and gold. Don’t celebrate all at once now. I’ll join you in admitting that brand new, these were pathetic: 140 horsepower out of a 302 is shameful, I don’t care if it was in between the two gas crisis or not. It’s even worse when you consider that in Cobra guise, the Mustang II was actually a pretty decent looker. (Hey, at least it isn’t a Ghia, with it’s diaper-thick padded roof. Thanks, Iacocca.) What had been a fearsome nameplate, the Mustang to end everybody on the streets, was now like a baby garter snake: it wasn’t scaring anybody, was a bit too small, and lacked teeth worthy of mentioning.
But every 1970s product that is worthy of ridicule has an easy fix if you live outside of California: power increase. Remove crap motor or build the hell out of it, address other known weak points, and congratulations, you just might succeed in polishing a turd into a chocolate diamond. This Cobra II is one such example of that philosophy going right. The 302 is a factory remanufactured block, but now sports a .060 overbore, 351 heads that have been ported and polished, cam, a high-volume oil pump, MSD distributor, spark box and coil, and more. The exhaust is full length Hookers into Flowmasters, dumping out of the rear duals. The trans is a four-gear, the suspension has been lowered two inches in front and one inch in the rear, and the axle sports 4.10 gears, just to make sure the little Pony gets out of the way quickly.
Inside, the carpet and headliner were replaced, the floor was painted with a rust sealant, and ProCar seats that the owner felt closely matched the factory originals went in. Finishing up the look were 15×7 Ansens on BF Goodrich T/As for the right look.
Obviously the seller has shown a lot of love to this Mustang II, but considering that this is the car they freely admit they didn’t want to sell, that leads you to wonder what will be replacing it in the garage. Many a Mustang II has been the butt of jokes for one reason or another, but this little black hatchback seems about as good as you can get for a driver.
Should have been a Mustang ll CobraH as its a dead ringer for the GT350H decal set. No matter this may be the best ever Mustang ll and apart from those hideous slot mags is absolutely gorgeous. Full marks for persevering with one of the least popular Mustangs and I wish it would appear in my garage on Christmas Day!
So he’s got a pile of receipts that add up to $30 or $40 K and he’ll take just under $12 K? Not real keen on the exhaust. If the fuse is all that’s bad for the radio why not fix that too? Nice car perhaps, but I’d need to see it in person before I’d even make an offer.
I had a buddy with one when I worked at Rockwell. I had a 2.2 Plymouth Turismo. We’d race Thursday nights after work. He told me once, “I was running 130 when you passed me!” I told him to get his speedometer checked…a few months later, he bought a turbo Shelby Charger…and was a happy man.
For that kind of money you don’t expect to change the steering rack. The fame is wet, fluid is on the swaybar in the ebay pics. The rack boots are wet. The rack has bad seals and is spewing fluid.
I see other things I do not like. Exhaust being one. Anyone buying it will need to spend a few grand to de-goof-troop it.