RIDE OF THE WEEK: 1964-1/2 Mustang, 1976 Cobra II

by Michael Golubiewski
Production Editor

A family of Mustangs

These days, many stores are having clearance sales in which you’re able to get two items for the price of one. Following those stores, this week’s column has a buy-one-get-one special of its own: two Ford Mustangs. One is a 1964-1/2 Mustang, and the other is a 1976 Cobra II, both owned and restored Joe Marrone and his son Joey.

The Mustang created the “pony car” class in America. Although original runs and revivals of cars like the Corvette and Charger have come and gone, the Mustang is the only original pony car produced without interruption for nearly five decades.

The Marrones bought both Mustangs on eBay. The 1964-1/2 came from California, and the 1976 Mustang came from New Jersey. The 1964-1/2 version features the original rebuilt 260-cubic-inch, 8-cylinder engine. (The 1965 Mustangs, which came out a few months later, replaced the 260-inch engine with the more popular 289-cubic-inch engine). Its interior has been completely restored, and the exterior was repainted using 2005 Ford Black Cherry paint and Ford Silver Gray for the stripes.

Joey purchased and restored his 1976 Cobra II and knows the second generation Mustangs — those produced from 1974-1978 — are not remembered fondly by most car enthusiasts. The oil embargo and more stringent pollution requirements were not friendly to the muscle cars of the mid to late 1960s, but he found the Cobra II to be “unique” and realized there wouldn’t be many around.

Marrone says the car needed more work than he had originally anticipated, but he still pursued his dream of restoring it.

The 1976 Mustang has an original 308-cubic-inch V-8, 3-speed automatic engine. The exterior was completely repainted with Ford Performance White paint and has original Cobra II blue stripes. The interior has been restored with new carpeting, dash and headliner, but the seats are original with custom Cobra stitching.

Joe’s 1964-1/2 Mustang is garage kept and will only be out when it goes to car shows, but Joey’s 1976 Mustang can be seen around the area as a daily driver.

w