By Tim Odell
The Mustang II gets too much crap. It’s viewed as an embodiment of the malaise era (though the C3 Corvette begs to differ), an embarrassment by nostalgic baby boomers. From my point of view, it best embodies Boomers selective nostalgia and ability to gloss over important details of “their” time. I’d rather start with any Mustang II over any ’71-73 Mustang, as well as the vast majority of the ’69-70s as well. For some reason five years of bloated pathetic Mustangs get a pass and the II is relegated to whipping boy. Besides, it returned to the Original Mustang Formula: a sporty car based on the run-of-the-mill compact car of the day (Falcon, then Pinto) and maintained sales in an era where almost every other pony/muscle car brand died.
Looking at this ’74 V6 manual fastback, I kinda get it. Sure, it’s pure ’70s: avocado on avocado, 4-lug slot mags and an engine wheezing two-digit horsepower. However, you could drop any number of powerplants under that hood, and with about 2700lbs to move, it’d move. Remember, too, that Mustang II suspension and rack-and-pinion steering are the go-to front end upgrades for countless crappily engineered classics. In short, this is a pretty sweet starting point for what could be a stereotype-challenging build.
$3100 with some fender rust? Huh. Maybe we’ll do that build with a Vega instead.
Jeff Glucker
I see that the breaks were adjusted – aren’t they still broken?
at least he spelled Camaro correctly
I’ve recently started looking at Mustang IIs with a gleam in my eye, it’s true. They have outsider, underdog appeal and aren’t bad looking.
Put it this way, I’ll never look at a Maverick without disdain, and it’ll be another 15 years before the pinto starts to look good.
This hatchback is too Pinto-ey for my tastes, it’s only the coupes that grab my eye. The green paint from this era is actually a very nice color. There’s a little old lady in my neighborhood with a well used coupe in green with a vinyl top. It makes me smile.
$3100 though, sheesh. I suppose a Cologne V-6 with a manual and Traction-Lok out back would be worth it, especially with little rust.
Agreed on the colour, it’s beautiful. What I don’t understand: How can 3k$ for a driving, relatively well-kept classic be too much? What’s this one worth, to a buyer?
Basically because of what else you could get for that kind of money:
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/search/cto?hasPic=1&min_price=800&max_price=3200&auto_transmission=1
It’s not too far off, but for $3-3500, you can get much handsomer, funner, faster or generally better cars (hence the Vega reference).
I’d say this is more like a $2-2500 car, and that’s only for someone who really really wants a green Mustang II.
Don’t do that to me. It’s about bed time here… A lot of fun to be had for very little money here, I agree.
Huh? I paid $3700 for mine when it was NEW! Yeah, I want another, V6, 4 speed, 4:10 diff. Got rubber in all 4 gears with headers, racing clutch, and re-jetted carb.
I’m of the opinion that anything running, driving, registered and passing inspection is worth $2000. (Running would include good tires, steering and suspension and no through rust.)
$3000 isn’t that bad for this car, actually. Given its condition, mileage and options. “Classic” would be pushing the limits of the word, though.
You know that the cars least revered will eventually turn around and be loved by someone – hence, “classic” in a very generous sense. The demand of no serious rust is harsh, trying to think of what you could get here fitting that description, from what level. I’d say in Norway 4000$ should be the bottom level for good, unloved cars – if you’re lucky.
You know, divorced from the experience of owning them, Mavericks are good looking cars.
You will never convince me of that.
I’ve seen some road race mavericks and they can be made to look very good, and go good to w all the mustang stuff available.
I still maintain that the Maverick 2-door is what the Mustang II should have been. The proportions just work better to my eye.
This is almost a car I’d be interested in. Ironically, the 6 now is a worse engine in the car than the 4, because there’s 40 years of 2.3 engine upgrades to install in a 4cyl Mustang II. But man, oh man, that avocado gut. It’s a parts car, unless you have a junk Mustang II hatchback with a complete perfect interior in a non horrid color.
Well, now, the Cologne V6 wasn’t exactly left to rot.
Provided bell housings and mounts are the same, you can get all the way up to a 210hp/255tq 4.0L SOHC Cologne mill, as found in the last truck-based Explorer, final iteration of the Ranger, and 5 years worth of Mustangs. If the SOHC heads are too tall, you can still get 160hp/225tq from the 4.0L OHV version, and I believe those will respond quite well to a supercharger, to boot.
It’s possible that an Essex V6 would work, too. It’s a 90-degree design, but if a 90-degree V8 fit, why not? That one can be found under the hood of the Thunderbird S/C with an Eaton M90 atop it, huffing out 230hp/330tq!
Course, you COULD always just drop in a healthy 302 and make 300hp/tq without even taxing it, but where’s the fun in that?
A…a V6 version. Anybody remember the Variable Venturi carburetors? Enough to make a grown man cry.
I think one of these would be great fun with one of the new EcoBoost 2.0 (can those be made to mount longitudinally?) or even EcoBoost 2.3 under the hood…It would be seriously powerful and get 30-35 mpg. It would be oh so boring to swing a Windsor in there…..
The funny thing is even the most mundane modern motor (say, a 3.whatever Duratec V6) would turn this into a f__ing rocket.
Hell, even a 2.3 Ford/Mazda engine would be a significant improvement. And easily found in a longitudinal orientation.
Just bringing the 2.8 liter Cologne V6 up to European spec should put you in the 150 HP range. IDK if it’s more or less work than a swap, (heads, Bosch Injection) but it would preserve the original engine block. This one’s a creampuff, anyway; I don’t think you’d want to strip it down to be an autocrosser or anything. Just a nice bump up in HP and have a ball.
The 3.0L DOHC duratec installed in countless Taurii, Sables, and Escape/Tribute/Mariners was quite a decent engine, power-wise. In Lincoln LS/Jag S-type trim, it got up to 240hp.
Also, it’s a ’74, so tossing a Windsor in there will be at least as hard as swapping in a more modern V6. This is the one year the Mustang did not get a V8, and Ford had to move the radiator to stuff one under the hood for ’75.
That’s why the grille on the ’75 and later ones is flush, instead of set back – they had to move it forward along with the radiator, to make room for the 302.
I feel really sorry for this little bugger; 41 years of survival and people are saying that they don’t like the colour.
Makes me want to check the classifieds for an Applejack Green Allegro.
A ’74 Vega, with a Ford straight six? I’d like to see under that hood.
http://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/5128529121.html
What’s up with the rust? Salt air?
I used to have a refrigerator with the same color green. Also, I still haven’t warmed up to the Mustang II even after all these years – it’s still a pretender and it will always be in my opinion.
At age 60 my mom got one of these new loaded Ghia w V6 and a 4 speed notchback w green vinyl roof over white. She eventually got tired of shifting by 1977 but it was fun watching her shift (or not) going around corners in 3rd gear. In 1977 came a new Pontiac Sunbird notchback white w red vinyl top.
In 1974 the V6 was gutless w the manual, worse w AT.
I love the Mustang II, I love hatchbacks and I like that green, but if I wanted a 70s small American RWD project I’d start with a Monza. Same basic idea, cleaner styling.
Not coincidentally going into college in 1986 I looked at a V6 4 speed Mustang hatch with t-tops in red. I passed and ended up with a Monza with the Iron Duke and a 4 speed. I still wonder about that Mustang.
Thanks for that Vega link.
Now this cheapish Cosworth will keep me up at night!
http://images.craigslist.org/00E0E_aeVeaXJ0A5A_600x450.jpg
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/cto/5102860476.html
Almost made the post about what I found behind that link instead…
The plainer ones looked very nice, like this one. The King Cobra? eye-bleach please! These allowed the Fox-body ‘Stang to exist. If they’d tried to stretch the life of the big 73 Mustang to 77-79 the Mustang would have died IMHO.