Doing cars is for fun. Many years ago I was doing Pintos. Loved them. I road raced a '71 for a while, did a couple of pickups. Got them for $50 to $100, put a couple together for some family members. Doing a couple of Fox bodies now.
I've listened to people's drivel since the mid 80s. I don't hear it so much nowadays, but there are still people out there - especially on the internet.
I started messing with cars at 15 years old, 38 now. I see so many mistakes guys make trying to build a car. They get their first project and strip it down and then it sits because it's overwhelming. I made that same mistake with my first one I ever did. Gotta have something that can move around when you're first starting out. They think I'm making big money by doing this but all I'm doing is breaking even to build my next project. It's a love thing. I've had maybe 3 cars that I got lucky and actually made "money". Still not sure how much money because I put my time in it and that's valuable too
The Mustang || doesn't really lend itself to performance mods. The engine compartment is small for a V8, and the rear wheel wells absolutely need mini tubs to put decent width tires under it. If you want a 5-speed manual trans, your best bet is a Tremec TKX. You need to replace the rear end if you swap in a stoutly-built 8.2-inch deck stroker (and you intend to romp on the throttle with any kind of regularity). The best thing a Mustang II has going for it is the IFS suspension. It's my personal opinion that the 2010-14 S197 Mustangs are the best looking of the marque since the 1965-69 cars.
Don't need a v8 to go fast. Lots of performance oriented cars use the Mii front suspension. Go with reasonable width tires and get flares. A T5, tkx, or M5OD should not be a problem.
Well. I'd say it doesn't lend itself zero-effort bolt-on performance mods. You can do anything you want to with a Mustang II, you just have to really want to do it because it's going to be a lot of work.
@@billsgarage - Is there any such thing as "zero-effort"? :) It's just that the car requires so much more effort than pretty much any other model. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate or even dislike the M2 - I just think there are better options if you want to build a fast Mustang with regards to the level of effort required. It's unfortunate that the Mustang 2 was largely disregarded by the aftermarket...
Why does it have to have performance mods? That is kind of the point of the II. The mustang became an ugly fat knuckle dragger and the II set it straight again. The Mustang I concept was a rear engine 1.7L V4 taunus from Ford in Germany, which is why many mustang models feature the side vent design queue. The mustang concept was closer in spirit to a miata than a muscle car. The II came with the 2.8L V6 Taunus that was as fast as a '73 with a 302 v8. Now all neurotic infants do with mustangs today is saw the muffler off and do donuts. That is what is ruining mustang sales because nobody wants a car that only a mullet-head would buy. Most first generation mustangs were not big block monsters. Most were simply sporty fun cars. That is what the II was supposed to be. Yes the tire wells are small. That does limit tire size somewhat. Even so, my II has 10.5:1 compression, TW 11R heads, cam, headers, etc.. It has all the performance any fox had. It also has an appropriate muffler.
@@mortimersnerd9991 I almost thought this was gonna be some bullshit, but I feel you. Plus a v6 can be built to make decent hp, not everything needs a v8 or 900hp, want wider tires; fender flares. I wouldn't mind having one, I like them.
Hate is a pretty personal feeling. So it doesn’t make any sense to hate a car that most people can’t even identify or have even seen. I picked a II for my project because it was my first car. I already knew every bolt, so I could relate. I think I have managed to keep cost on parity with worth. I’m about $7k into it and besides some knick-knack stuff I only have AC and locking diff to go. I’ll probably go with new disk brakes all around, but that is surprisingly less expensive than I imagined. I just put “Mustang II” suspension in it with coil-overs. It seemed like a perfunctory obligation to respect this weird echo of engineering for the II suspension. I got the car as a roller, no motor or transmission. I did the body and paint myself. Now it has a roller 302 with trick flow 11r heads and a T-5 with a hydraulic clutch. Its tagged and insured. Sure, its not going to keep up with a new mustang. I didn’t want a knuckle dragger. It’s a small RWD car with a bit too much power and its easy to work on. Whats to hate? People are dumb.
i had a 78 II back in the day, it was a 302, had a top-loader 4 speed with the wide ratio gears, and a 7 inch rear and 4 hole 13" wheels , it would blow the rear tires away in first and second but 3-4th was like direct drive. . it broke the rear diff a couple times. sort of a pinto with a small v8. it did have power rack and pinion and lots were chopped up to complete v-8 cobra kits in the 90s . had it had full size tires 15" and a big rear like a 9" and reasonable gear ratios for the trans things could have got interesting
Yeah, I had a lot of similar experiences with my '77. But the '78 is getting a TKX transmission and a built Nodular 8 inch with steel axles,16" wheels, and big Wilwood brakes in all four corners. It's definitely going to be interesting!
I kind of have to agree. I was always fixing mine. On the flip side, I picked a II for my project because it taught me how to work on cars. Once you get rid of all the vacuum hoses and put in a decent radiator, and some other modern bits, it’s a lot better. In'fact, I expect mine will survive another 50 years at this point.
People who question doing anything with a Mii are ignorant or dumb, it's that simple. The 71-3 are still smaller than Chargers, they're still pony cars. Let people hate them and let them keep being cheap. Cars aren't suppossed to be investments. I've never got a car I had no intentions of keeping, other than the Neon.
I'm pretty sure your real name is charlie..and having the three ladies perform"Very hazardous duties"is whats really going on..(positive comment number 3)
@@billsgarage I wish I had a LS powered Camaro, I did have a Big block Chevelle SS and a small block Camaro years ago, I didn't mean to insult your Stang, but I did work on a lot of them and that's what we used to say.
Doing cars is for fun. Many years ago I was doing Pintos. Loved them. I road raced a '71 for a while, did a couple of pickups. Got them for $50 to $100, put a couple together for some family members. Doing a couple of Fox bodies now.
You road raced a Pinto? Awesome!!
@@billsgarage It was a blast.
Thanks for the memories! My first car purchase in High School was a 78 Mustang II RootbeerBrown. It was a great car.
Glad to take you down memory lane!
I bought a brand new White with Blue Cobra in 1976 right after I got my first full time job. I loved that car and kept it over a decade
Awesome, I'll bet you miss it!
I've listened to people's drivel since the mid 80s. I don't hear it so much nowadays, but there are still people out there - especially on the internet.
Yeah, there's still plenty of nonsense out there, almost always from people with no creativity or originality. Thanks for watching!
I started messing with cars at 15 years old, 38 now. I see so many mistakes guys make trying to build a car. They get their first project and strip it down and then it sits because it's overwhelming. I made that same mistake with my first one I ever did. Gotta have something that can move around when you're first starting out. They think I'm making big money by doing this but all I'm doing is breaking even to build my next project. It's a love thing. I've had maybe 3 cars that I got lucky and actually made "money". Still not sure how much money because I put my time in it and that's valuable too
Yeah, I bought my current Mustang II from a guy that was overwhelmed. Those shows on TV make it look so easy!
The Mustang || doesn't really lend itself to performance mods.
The engine compartment is small for a V8, and the rear wheel wells absolutely need mini tubs to put decent width tires under it.
If you want a 5-speed manual trans, your best bet is a Tremec TKX.
You need to replace the rear end if you swap in a stoutly-built 8.2-inch deck stroker (and you intend to romp on the throttle with any kind of regularity).
The best thing a Mustang II has going for it is the IFS suspension.
It's my personal opinion that the 2010-14 S197 Mustangs are the best looking of the marque since the 1965-69 cars.
Don't need a v8 to go fast. Lots of performance oriented cars use the Mii front suspension. Go with reasonable width tires and get flares. A T5, tkx, or M5OD should not be a problem.
Well. I'd say it doesn't lend itself zero-effort bolt-on performance mods. You can do anything you want to with a Mustang II, you just have to really want to do it because it's going to be a lot of work.
@@billsgarage - Is there any such thing as "zero-effort"? :)
It's just that the car requires so much more effort than pretty much any other model.
Don't get me wrong, I don't hate or even dislike the M2 - I just think there are better options if you want to build a fast Mustang with regards to the level of effort required. It's unfortunate that the Mustang 2 was largely disregarded by the aftermarket...
Why does it have to have performance mods? That is kind of the point of the II. The mustang became an ugly fat knuckle dragger and the II set it straight again. The Mustang I concept was a rear engine 1.7L V4 taunus from Ford in Germany, which is why many mustang models feature the side vent design queue. The mustang concept was closer in spirit to a miata than a muscle car. The II came with the 2.8L V6 Taunus that was as fast as a '73 with a 302 v8. Now all neurotic infants do with mustangs today is saw the muffler off and do donuts. That is what is ruining mustang sales because nobody wants a car that only a mullet-head would buy. Most first generation mustangs were not big block monsters. Most were simply sporty fun cars. That is what the II was supposed to be. Yes the tire wells are small. That does limit tire size somewhat. Even so, my II has 10.5:1 compression, TW 11R heads, cam, headers, etc.. It has all the performance any fox had. It also has an appropriate muffler.
@@mortimersnerd9991 I almost thought this was gonna be some bullshit, but I feel you. Plus a v6 can be built to make decent hp, not everything needs a v8 or 900hp, want wider tires; fender flares. I wouldn't mind having one, I like them.
Hate is a pretty personal feeling. So it doesn’t make any sense to hate a car that most people can’t even identify or have even seen. I picked a II for my project because it was my first car. I already knew every bolt, so I could relate. I think I have managed to keep cost on parity with worth. I’m about $7k into it and besides some knick-knack stuff I only have AC and locking diff to go. I’ll probably go with new disk brakes all around, but that is surprisingly less expensive than I imagined. I just put “Mustang II” suspension in it with coil-overs. It seemed like a perfunctory obligation to respect this weird echo of engineering for the II suspension. I got the car as a roller, no motor or transmission. I did the body and paint myself. Now it has a roller 302 with trick flow 11r heads and a T-5 with a hydraulic clutch. Its tagged and insured. Sure, its not going to keep up with a new mustang. I didn’t want a knuckle dragger. It’s a small RWD car with a bit too much power and its easy to work on. Whats to hate? People are dumb.
I checked out your videos - sounds great, I hope you have a blast with it! Thanks for watching.
i had a 78 II back in the day, it was a 302, had a top-loader 4 speed with the wide ratio gears, and a 7 inch rear and 4 hole 13" wheels , it would blow the rear tires away in first and second but 3-4th was like direct drive. . it broke the rear diff a couple times. sort of a pinto with a small v8. it did have power rack and pinion and lots were chopped up to complete v-8 cobra kits in the 90s . had it had full size tires 15" and a big rear like a 9" and reasonable gear ratios for the trans things could have got interesting
Yeah, I had a lot of similar experiences with my '77. But the '78 is getting a TKX transmission and a built Nodular 8 inch with steel axles,16" wheels, and big Wilwood brakes in all four corners. It's definitely going to be interesting!
Do what you like. Who cares what other people think?
Agreed!
Mechanically, they were a nightmare. But they had character. I wish I had mine again.
Yes, definitely a love-hate relationship in some respects! Thanks for watching.
I kind of have to agree. I was always fixing mine. On the flip side, I picked a II for my project because it taught me how to work on cars. Once you get rid of all the vacuum hoses and put in a decent radiator, and some other modern bits, it’s a lot better. In'fact, I expect mine will survive another 50 years at this point.
People who question doing anything with a Mii are ignorant or dumb, it's that simple.
The 71-3 are still smaller than Chargers, they're still pony cars.
Let people hate them and let them keep being cheap. Cars aren't suppossed to be investments. I've never got a car I had no intentions of keeping, other than the Neon.
Yup, you should do whatever makes you happy. Thanks for watching!
Heat issues the V8 would make the battery explode .
They had V8 south of the boarder do to not having emission, the catalytic converters were to blame
I've never heard of that being a problem, but my battery is in the trunk, so that wouldn't be an issue for me.
Cause they didn't have a Pinto!
🤣😂 Ok, I'll give you that one. Thanks for watching!
That car will be valuable one day it’s just not right now
Possibly, but I don't think it will ever be worth what I've invested in mine. But I'm happy with it!
I'm pretty sure your real name is charlie..and having the three ladies perform"Very hazardous duties"is whats really going on..(positive comment number 3)
Good morning Angels...😂🤣
Mustang II GHIA/ 8CYC. A/C powerstering
I made the mistake of converting my '77 to manual steering but I'm not doing that again - I had a custom Bosch Hydroboost system built for the '78.
@@billsgarage these cars will always be special to me. Many were sacrificed to the local dirt tracks.
It's leftover Pinto parts.
I think I hear your LS-powered Camaro calling.
@@billsgarage I wish I had a LS powered Camaro, I did have a Big block Chevelle SS and a small block Camaro years ago, I didn't mean to insult your Stang, but I did work on a lot of them and that's what we used to say.