The second-generation Mustang is a controversial series, there’s no doubt about it. And while we’re not here to reignite the dispute, a 1976 Cobra II that has recently been posted on Facebook Marketplace hopes someone out there would be willing to pay the price of an iPhone 13 and bring it back to the road.
One of the biggest complaints regarding this second-generation Mustang was the early engine lineup.
Ford offered the car without a V8 option and given the performance focus of the first-generation pony, you can imagine how unexpected this turned out to be.
But on the other hand, the American carmaker had no option but to go for smaller displacement engines, especially because the oil crisis forced everybody in the industry to invest in economical driving rather than in big-blocks only interested in horsepower.
Ford more or less addressed the complaints in 1975 when it introduced the 302 (4.9-liter) rated at 140 horsepower. It wasn’t much, but with the crisis easing off, a boost in performance was very well received.
The same engine was also available on the Cobra II appearance package that was introduced a year later with new front and rear spoilers, cobra emblems, and so on. The idea was to make the Mustang sportier, and with a 302 under the hood, to actually provide a boost of adrenaline to the driver.
A 1976 Mustang Cobra II is also hoping for a better life after the owner posted the car on Facebook. Selling for pocket money, this Mustang clearly doesn’t come in a very solid shape, and unfortunately, most details are missing. The best way to go is to just inspect the car in person, though at $800, it could easily be used as a donor anyway.
The engine is still there, but of course, you shouldn’t expect it to be running. It remains to be seen if this Mustang ends up returning to the road, but hopefully, whoever buys it has the time, money, and know-how to preserve the original coolness.