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RED BARON
by Jim Aberts
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Mustang II owners are quick to point out that if it were not for the second generation ponies, there would be no Mustangs today. No Fox-chassis Mustangs, no 5.0 Mustangs, no SN95 Mustangs, nothing. The missing link that would continue the pony car legend for Ford was the Mustang II.
Our Mustang II was delivered to Sloan Motors Ford in April 1978. Covered in Bright Red paint with white wheels and red vinyl and checkered cloth interior, the little Mustang instantly grabbed the attention of every passerby.
Our daughter, Sandy, was six years old when my wife, Joan, buckled her in for trips around our West Chester, Pennsylvania, neighborhood. But this Mustang was treated specially from the first day we tucked it into the garage. Its wiper blades rarely felt bad weather and trying to mush through snow was out of the question. It was a fair weather Mustang much to our delight.
Powered by a 302, the V8's muscle is linked to the rear wheels with a four-speed transmission. Front and rear sway bars make fun of tight, twisting turns that straighten out after being laughed at by the gas-filled shocks. Make no mistake - this Mustang II is all sports car.
The power rack and pinion steering is turned by a leather-wrapped steering wheel - one advantage of ordering the Rally package. Inside are contoured buckets seats, a full complement of gauges, and a folddown rear seat.
When Sandy took to the road in 1988, she could hardly wait to drive "her" Mustang. She quickly dubbed it the Red Baron and they headed out for new adventures.
Not every road was without its bumps, however. I hit a deer, Joan was hit by a driver making an illegal turn, and Sandy hit a tree learning to drive. All three bumps were fixed and the Baron kept on going.
A King Cobra front air dam has been installed and the sun-faded carpet has been replaced. The odometer is showing just over 58,000 miles and it's still a pleasure to drive. We often take the Baron to car shows and cruise nights where at least once a night we hear, "I used to have one of these Mustangs."
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