Tag Archives: King Cobra

Mustang Muscle in the Mid 70’s

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Are you still laughing at the title?   I know, but keep in mind in the Mid 70’s, after a couple of years of low powered 4 and 6 cylinders, the V8 returned to the Mustang!!!!  If nothing else it laid the ground for some of the best-selling and now very sought after Fox body ‘stangs. But we are going to discuss the cars before the Fox-body generation.

Model names like Ghia, 2+2, Mach 1, Cobra, Cobra II and King Cobra and cool stuff like T-Tops and front air dams and hood scoops.

It all started in 1974 when the Ford Mustang became the Mustang II and yes in some case you wouldn’t be able to pick them out of a pile of Pinto.  You all know the story…EPA, emissions, gas prices, etc.

I’ve mentioned that there was a Mustang II in the family, back in 1978, it was a 1974 Mustang Ghia the 4 cylinder version. It met its demise one evening when a Ford Econoline Van took out the rear end while it was parked (after it careened over VW parked behind the ‘stang.

1974Ghia

So let’s take it year by year and cover the most “powerful” cars of 1974 to 1978.

1974:

The most powerful engine for 1974 was the V6.  This was an option for all models but standard for the Mach 1 for that year. (The Mach 1 was hatch back.)

The Mach 1 – Hatch Back

 

The Mach 1 was powered by 2.8 L – 171 cid, V6, 2bbl, 105 hp (‘Z’ code) – the biggest engine available for the Mustang II that year (the other was the option was the I-4 2.3 L – 140 cid, 2bbl, 88 hp (‘Y’ code).

Sales for 1974 worked out like this:

69F Hatchback: 74,799

69R Hatchback – Mach 1: 44,046

60F Coupe: 177,671

60H Coupe – Ghia: 89,477

Total Production: 385,993

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

The Mustang II – Say What?

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Ok…I sorry (not really) but I have to consider what my readers like.  And to date one of the most read articles on my blog is the piece I did on the Mustang II  King Cobra  http://wp.me/pKHNM-uY . (Go ahead you know are going to go read it!!)

So I’m going to do a series on the Mustang II (after all I’m project managing the restoration of a 1975 VW, I could spend sometime on that era Mustang).  We’ll touch on the 4 and 6 cylinders and  yes there was a 302.

So we’ll start with a history lesson.

1973 was the last year for the more powerful and larger bodies Mustangs.  Ford may have thought they were going back to the original size Mustang and the 1974 version was in fact close to that size.  The 1966 Mustang had a wheelbase of about 108 inches  ( 181.6 inches in total) and the 1974 was 96.2 (175.0 inches over all).  Compare to the 1973 which (depend on which version) was 187.5-190.0 inches over all.

The generation ran from 1974 to 1978 and sported some collectible cars, the King Cobra and Mach I…yes Mach I’s in a  Mustang II.

Here is a quick look.

 

1974 Cobra II – You Love it…I know you do.

1974 Mach I ok…sure..Pinto like.

1978 Mustang Cobra II – Excellent Looking

Thanks for reading.

Tim

Feature Car – 1978 King Cobra

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This was a  4 cylinder wonder.  A common misconception was that the Mustang II was just a Pinto.  I’ve even call them that myself. But in reality they only shared a few parts.
Of course these were all either 4 (2.3L) or V6 (2.8L) powered

Ok stop right now.  I know what some of you are thinking.  A 1978  Mustang II….. oh please!!  There were no muscle cars in the mid and late 70’s.  There were no power house Mustangs on the market at that time.

While that is true, the Mustang II did sell over 1 million copies.  We had one in our family when I was in college.  A 1974 Mustang II Ghia:

It was a 4 cylinder and the picture above is an exact match.
The design of the Mustang was developed by Gene Bordiant with help from the Italy based Ghia studios. Good thing, because Ford started out looking at having Pinto as the base model Mustang II or the Maverick.
By 1975 Ford realized that offering only a 4 or 6 cylinder Mustang wasn’t going to cut it. So they made modifications to squeeze the 5.0 L (the famous 302) back under the hood.  Of course long gone (at the time) was the massive horse power of the old 5.0L.  The 1975 Mustang only mustered 122 to 139 hp’s.
By 1976 I guess Ford was feeling it oats and designed a Cobra II package for the Mustang II.  It was a looker:

1976 Mustang Cobra II

But is labeled “all show and no go” by most critics.  I like the look!!!   Just to make less exciting you could get the package on a 4 cylinder!!!  WHY??? WHY??? WHY????  Oh well.   The package was added by Jim Wangers’s Motortown company but only for 1976. (Can you say “collector status”? – yes.)  Ford began adding the kit at the plant.

1978 the company wanted to one up the Cobra II and created the King Cobra.
The “Boss of the Mustang stable” came only in a hatch back (no coupe). It held the 302 with a 4 speed manual transmission, power brakes and steering.  T-tops were an option ($587) and an automatic transmission could be added for $225.
Want to talk about the 700 pound monkey (or snake?) in the room?  Ok…what about that hood?  Oh the scoop was just fine, in fact it made it look almost normal. You either loved or hated that cobra on the hood.

The Snake!!!

1978 King Cobra

For 1978 Ford sold 4318 units.  1979 saw the first Mustang Fox body, which is now legendary.
Thanks for Reading.
Tim.