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II COOL !
This '77 Mustang II is knockin' 'em dead at the car shows.
by John Hedenburg
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How many people do you know who bought brand new sports cars only to bring them home and tear them apart? Well, that's just what Michael Yakubics from Parma Heights, Ohio has done. You see, Mike is a pattern maker at a Ford plant, and after seeing countless Mustang IIs roll down the assembly line, he decided to grap one for himself. After driving the car for a few short months, he began thinking of ways to make his Mustang perform more to his liking.
Mike started as most of us do by adding the usual bolt-ons, but soon thereafter he started to get serious. First on Mike's to-do list was building a powerful engine that looked as good as it ran. He kept the stock 302 short-block as a starting point, but added a Melling high-volume oil pump for some extra insurance. Next cam a set of aluminum Trick Flow cylinder heads complete with a full port job by Racing Head Service in Memphis, Tenn. RHS installed a set of Manley stainless steel 2.02 intake and 1.60 exhaust valves for improved strength and some extra airflow.
Complementing Mike's new heads is a Weiand tunnel-ram intake with two Holley 650s on top. Of course, hood clearance becomes a concern with a tunnel ram, so Mike cut open the hood to show off the big polished carbs. He then popped in a custom Comp Cams camshaft with .540 inches of lift and added a set of Hooker stainless steel headers, which direct the dirty stuff into a pair of Supertrapp tunable mufflers.
Supporting the Hurst shifter from underneath is the factory four-speed that the car came with, though Mike did install a Ram single-disc clutch in the bellhousing for some extra clamping force. Mike also used the factory driveshaft to connect the transmission to the 8-inch rear end. Most hot rodders upgrade the factory rears for strength, and Mike's car is no exception. He installed a Traction-lok differential and a set of Ford Racing Performance Parts 3.55 gears in the factory housing for worry-free operation.
It was a couple short years later that Mike and his son started to focus on the car's appearance. "Racing is fun, but car shows are what my son and I really enjoy," he explained. "Over the years, we've managed to keep the car's mileage down so poor condition would not become a concern." The first thing one notices when looking at this beauty is the striking two-tone paint scheme. Mike had a friend spray his car bright red in the rear and a striking yellow up front to guarantee that it would have no problem standing out in a crowd. Custom Centerline wheels wrapped in Goodyear tires give the Mustang a stance all its own, and the custom-built polished scoop on top of the intake does a great job of keeping the street racers away.
Mike and his son set out to create a one-off show car that's also fun to drive. By the looks of it, we'd say they've done just that. Most people would do anything to own a car like this, but Mike's the only one who does. And that indeed makes him II cool!
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