Although second-generation Mustangs haven’t yet received the level of love that other classic Ford pony cars have enjoyed over the years, Ford enthusiasts who actually know Mustang history know that the Mustang II was big sales success that more than held its own against comparable sporty cars from the mid-1970’s. One Mustang II owner, Sal Mancuso, has never had a problem with his car earning respect, dating all the way back to when he purchased his blue-over-white “Charlie’s Angels” style Cobra II in 1976. You think that perhaps replacing the II’s small-block V-8 with a Cobra Jet 351 Cleveland had something to do with it? Check out his story below to find out:

“Hello, Ford Performance! This is Sal Mancuso from Ohio. It was nice to see Ford Performance at so many club shows over the past few years supporting the Mustang ll owner family. Your ongoing work promoting Mustang II reunions and dinner events and the special attention you give us is very nice. We feel a new sense of pride at the big Mustang Memories show in Dearborn each summer, and Mustang Alley at Detroit’s annual Woodward cruise is awesome.

“You should know that experiencing Ford Performance involvement at club shows and reading your Fast News email and seeing Mustang II’s in the Enthusiasts section of FordPerformance.com has encouraged me to get involved in the Mustang and Ford Performance enthusiast community. Many of us from Northeast Ohio have come to shows in Elyria and Columbus, Ohio, just because Ford Performance supported a Mustang II reunion at these events. I’ve seen the Ford Performance Meet & Greet tent at multiple shows and admire the work that you do.

“I purchased a ‘Charlies Angels’ 1976 Mustang II Cobra II in May of 1976 while in high school. This car was just two months old with about 2,000 miles on the odometer and it already had undergone an engine swap with a broken 1968 289 cubic inch V-8 in it. My father and I towed it home and immediately installed a 1970 Cobra Jet 351 Cleveland V-8 with a T-10 top loader manual transmission and 4.11 rear-end gears.

“I must have been one of the first to do this kind of swap application, because at the time, the big thing was to install small- block V-8s into Pintos and Vegas. Some people have put 351 Windsors in Mustang II’s in place of the 302 Windsor, but nobody installed the bigger Cleveland V-8 into the Cobra ll back the day. I have owned this car ever since the swap. There is currently the same Cobra Jet 351 Cleveland but now with dual four-barrel carburetors and a five-speed transmission and 3.80 rear gears. 

“Thank you, Ford Performance, for the efforts you make for the recognition of the Mustang ll’s.”

How YOU can Get In The Spotlight: For the past decade, one of the most popular features on FordPerformance.com and in our weekly Fast News e-newsletter continues to be "Ford Fan Spotlight," where readers can send in their own reasons why they're fans of Ford Motor Company and its vehicles. You know who they are: Ford "superfans;" grassroots Ford racers; unique Ford vehicle owners; loyal Ford enthusiasts; notable Ford club people; special Ford families; and/or any avid supporter of Ford, Ford vehicles, Ford motorsports or Ford Performance who deserves a little bit of special recognition.

All you need to do to get you, your car or candidate considered is to send in a brief description (200-500 words or less) and a few photos (in .jpeg format, preferably around 1 mb in size) with the owner’s full name and hometown, please. Just tell us about the vehicle(s) and why you think Ford Performance should feature it (them) in the "Ford Fan Spotlight" for an upcoming installment of Fast News as well as for posting on FordPerformance.com. Then email it to: ClubHub@Ford.com with your contact info. Should you wish to send a video, you simply need to post it on www.YouTube.com (preferably 1-2 minutes long) and send in the link, along with a brief description, to that same ClubHub@Ford.com email address. We'll choose one submission each week. We hope to see YOU and your Ford in our Spotlight soon!