Why the Mustang II’s Front Suspension Became So Popular with Hot Rodders – Jalopnik

For most of us, the “Mustang II” conjures up images of a classic gone dirty – an unpleasant reminder of the time when Ford decided to base its next Mustang on the Pinto (whether the “rebadged Pinto” claim was justified or not, it stuck). But for hot rodders, “Mustang II” might as well be a part number. In the early 1970s, if you wanted to make a ’29 Ford Model A steering wheel like a then-modern car, there were a few ways you could do it, including welding the entire front clip off a Camaro or trying to modify the front suspension on the Corvair. There weren’t many independent suspension options that would fit the early Ford wheelbases, and it became so desperate that hot rodders started stealing the AMC Pacer suspensions.

Then, in 1974, hot rodder Chuck Lombardo (RIP) took the front suspension off a Mustang II and discovered it had the perfect characteristics for a street rod. The track width corresponded to that of old Fords, it had coil springs instead of struts (with little suspension travel), it used rack and pinion steering, it had disc brakes, and the broken models were increasingly common in scrap yards.

But wait, there’s more! Because the ‘Stang II coilovers are so low, they can accommodate a wide variety of engine sizes. The frame that held the suspension in place was also well insulated, preventing the standard 2.3-liter four-cylinder from sending its vibrations through the rest of the car. This was an off-the-shelf, bolt-on independent front suspension system that almost looked like it was designed specifically for retrofitting pre-war cars.

Despite receiving 10,000 pre-orders and building 5,000 cars, he went bankrupt in 1982. Too bad for Shay, but there was a huge silver lining for hot rodders: his warehouse of unused parts. Thousands of brand new suspension assemblies went to auction, where they sold for a fraction of what Shay paid. No more scouring junkyards for Mustang IIs and demolition derby Pintos from Ford ads.

Those who bought the suspension assemblies weren’t just hot rodders looking for a deal. Many buyers were also growing suspension companies looking to rebuild parts and offer them for sale. Perhaps the most famous of these companies to score some of Shay’s inventory was Heidt’s Hot Rod Shop, which continues to offer refined versions of Mustang II suspension to builders more than 40 years later.

Lee Iaccoca, father of the Mustang and the long-term car loan, felt the same way. When he became president of Ford in December 1970, he declared that Mustangs would shrink again. And so the ’74 Mustang II was 900 pounds lighter, 12 inches shorter and 4 inches narrower. The reception was incredible: it sold 386,000 copies in 1974. Although the ’74s didn’t come with V8 engines, the excellent front suspension and shorter wheelbase made it quite fast.

The November 1975 issue of Motor trend even declared “Ford’s Snake is Back!” The cover featured the new 302 V8-powered Mustang Cobra II, complete with a GT350-esque blue and white paint scheme. But with 139 horsepower and a quarter-mile time of 17 seconds, the stats are only impressive compared to other cars of the era with limited performance. As the energy crisis subsided, buyers wanted size and power from the car again, and the Mustang II lost its good will. Ford’s subsequent Fox-based Mustang would ultimately be the one to return the model to glory, leaving much of the Mustang II’s legacy as an organ donor for hot rods.