Nonvenomous: 1978 Ford Mustang Cobra II
There was a glimmer of hope in the pony car world in 1978. Chevrolet reintroduced the Camaro Z28 the prior year and Pontiac sales of the Trans Am were going through the roof. Pontiac even added improved exhaust to the W72 optioned Trans Am to increase horsepower from 200 hp to 220 hp. Ford was selling Mustang II’s as fast as they could make them. Ford decided to offer the optional 302 cubic inch V8 in 1975 after dropping V8s from the Mustang line up in 1974. This 1978 Ford Mustang Cobra II is located in North Branch Minnesota. The car is listed here on eBay with 3 days remaining in the auction. It is currently bid to $5,400.
There are not many pictures of the interior but the car has white vinyl seats with black carpet and dash. The seller states that the body of the car is in great shape with no rot. The car was bought in 2012 by the current owner and used for his business to test fit Mustang II parts. The seller says the car was never driven and now that the business is sold, he wants to sell the Mustang II. The dash has been replaced with a NOS unit along with the radiator and some other engine parts.
There are limited pictures of the engine compartment but the ad says that the car is equipped with a Ford 302 cubic inch V8 engine backed by an automatic transmission. It is kind of hard to believe the how low horsepower ratings were for this 2 barrel carbureted engine. The 302 cubic inch V8 engine was the top of the line motor for the Mustang II and was rated at 139 horsepower. The base engine for the Cobra II was the 2.3 liter inline 4 cylinder engine. For this example, engine is said to turn over and start but will probably need some work to make it safe to drive on the street including rebuilding the brakes and going through the fuel and ignition system.
This was the last year of the Mustang II and only 8,009 Cobra II’s were produced. This car has faded paint and some surface rust. It has aftermarket wheels but still has the factory louvers, spoilers and hood bulge. I used to make fun of these cars but they are growing on me.
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Comments
The only dangerous bite this snake has is to the pocketbook.
Good to see a Mustang II in decent condition. Thorough description and unusual history. Has had quite a bit of work to get it in operable condition but additional work needed. I’d prefer a manual transmission. Overall, not bad and reasonably priced.
Anybody know why Ford didn’t put a 4 barrel on Mustang II v8s? If because of mpg & emissions, Ford did put a quadrajet!!(smaller primaries than other 4 bbls) on some ’70s torinos for those specific purposes!
It’s possible the Q4 barrel would even yield better mpg than the 2 bbl, if you had a light right foot, while giving good performance when needed.
My friend had a King Cobra Mustang II back in college. I remember him saying he figured he’d drive about 53 on the turnpike because the secondaries opened at 54. I never believed that he could do that; I know I couldn’t have. This was during the 55 days
Well I looked it up, motorcraft 2150 2 barrel. I wonder if his car had an aftermarket carb? Or maybe he was yanking my chain?
Your friend was in college? There’s your answer.
I smoked one of these in my dad’s 71 ford STN wagon 351 Windsor with the air cleaner lid flipped. Lol
I’m guessing that emissions and mileage had a lot to do with it. Also, a bit of marketing, trying to nudge the customer upmarket, to the Torino. The good news is that there are a plethora of performance parts for the 302/5.0L to wake it up, including a stroker crank that with an overbore, should get you 347 cubic inches!
I have a 78 mustang ll with t tops, cobra interior has the 2.8 v6 that I had rebuilt in 2017, the 4 speed stick was redone with a used one with 48000 miles and a new clutch assembly in 2019, repainted raven black in 2021. Still need to have the interior redone, new leaf springs and bushings and the ac needs to be updated and the lines replaced.
I had a ’77 Mustang 2 notchback, with the 2800 Cologne V6, and an AT. It was one of the worst cars I’ve ever owned.
It burned oil from the time it was new, and the body rattled badly. It was a poorly built car.
I started driving Japanese cars in the late 1980’s, and have never looked back.
Sorry for your loss. We had a ’74 Hatchback. V-6, automatic, and over 170,000 trouble free miles, when I sold it 10 years later.
Love all the red-blooded ‘Muricans here. Richard is 100% right, American cars didn’t have the quality that a lot of imports did back then. And the Mustang ll remains one of the biggest crap cars of the time.
I guess over 1 million buyers disagreed with your assumption.
The performance data recorder was an abacus.
Had the 76 302v8 4spd Cobra II went to junk yard found a 289 hipo 4v carb & manifold set up bolts right on – jammed a Comp 3/4 cam & lifter kit in – snapped the main leaf springs 1st pull-limped down to Axle shop new main leafs & 1 xtra sheaf each.
It pulled wheelies in 3 gears & scratch in 4th.
Chopped off the exhaust behind the resonators ran it open no mufflers.
ACDC on the cassette deck & a pheasant feather 🪶 on the antenna.
Cut a hole in the hood added the Chrome drag scoop shaker style.
Big ol double bubble bong & street raced like a mad man with 112 octane.
Fun car
Sold it to my body man after a few months.
They weren’t bad–I owned one and enjoyed it.
I owned a ’76 Cobra II. Loved it. Admittedly, acceleration was a bit weak but overall, a very fun car. And bottom line, very few cars of that era were terribly exciting, at least ones that your average citizen could afford.
” I used to make fun of these cars but they are growing on me.”
I still make fun of them!
You remind me of the Three Stooges episode, where the Stooges are firemen, in the fire chief’s car with three women, where the following exchange ensues between Curly and a large woman:
LW: “Will you be my boyfriend? I grow on people!”
Curly: “So do warts!”
We never cared for them… quite laughable at the time. The T/A and even the Camaro of the time had far higher pretensions as being left-over muscle pony cars. In retrospect, if you had one now it would be a simple matter to get more power out of it, what with all the aftermarket parts still out there for the Ford 302.
Yeah the T/A and Camaro of the time were definitely “leftovers”, and whose hoof prints did they ultimately follow? Yep, the ole Stang as usual lol
I don’t know if I’d put a 302 V8 engine under the hood of a Mustang II. Just because it can fit comfortably, that doesn’t mean it should. I’d install a V6 engine and a 4 spd. automatic gearbox.
Stick to Toyotas if you don’t think a V8 belongs in a Mustang.
Ah, you’re too modest…
It’s got T-tops so I gotta love it! I like the little Mustang II cars. A friend had one back in the 80s. Looked like the Farrah Fawcett one. Had a built 302 in it. Was a cool car to tool around in.