At $8,300, Is This 1977 Ford Mustang Ghia A Heavenly Deal?
Provenance is a good thing when it can be proven. Today’s Nice Price or No Dice Mustang II Ghia is said to have once played a role on Charlie’s Angels, the hit TV show of the ’70s. With nothing backing that up, we’ll just have to see how much an unproven claim might be worth.
Unless you’re as rich as Post Malone or as intimidating as Mike Tyson, showing up at your prospective in-laws’ house sporting a face tattoo is probably not the best idea. Any kind of major and, let’s face it, less than universally appealing modification is going to have its detractors.
The 1977 Toyota Hilux pickup we looked at on Friday had two major mods. One was an aftermarket extend-o-cab and the other was the replacement of its drivetrain with a Chevy 350 and associated automatic transmission. Based on the comments, neither of those mods went over very well. Neither too did the modded truck’s $6,000 asking price. In the end, that came away with a 73 percent no Dice loss. Maybe along with our calls for the Right to Repair, we might also want to ask for a Right Not to Crazy Mod bill?
The Ford Mustang II Ghia we’re looking at today is from the same year — 1977 — as Friday’s Toyota, but it appears to be all stock and original. That’s an important factor because it’s also claimed to have a bit of Hollywood history.
According to the ad, this Mustang may have been used by Jaclyn Smith’s character, Kelly Garrett in the 1970s ABC TV show Charlie’s Angels. Now, take that with a grain of NaCl since there’s absolutely no documentation supporting that claim, just heresy from a prior owner.
All that being said, Ford did supply the Charlie’s Angels production company with cars, and Kelly Garrett did drive a Mustang II Ghia in this exact color combo on the show. Just for shits and giggles, Farrah Fawcett’s Jill also got a Mustang, although she rated a Cobra II. David Doyle’s Bosley got a big-ass Thunderbird while Kate Jackson’s Sabrina was saddled with a Pinto. That last one’s totally out of character since Sabrina was supposed to be the “smart one.”
Disregarding whether or not this Mustang had anything to do with the show, it, at the very least, seems to have aged with a modicum of grace. This appears to be the epitome of a 10-foot car, showing reasonable paint from afar — or on moonless nights — but suffering upon closer inspection.
It was originally from Colorado, as evidenced by the original sales receipts and paperwork that accompany the sale, and that explains the rust poking through behind the rear wheel arches. Now offered in Phoenix, that’s matched with some wear-through on the paint covering the corners of the roof. On the plus side, the toupee-like landau top appears to be intact and to have all its surrounding trim. Down below, the car wears handsome, if seemingly overly-small, color-keyed basketweave alloys.
The interior has its plusses and minuses. The most egregious issue is the dash cap which is cracked and warping. Other than that, though, the cabin seems to have held up admirably. And who doesn’t love the tufted vinyl upholstery on those seats? The working A/C is also a plus.
Now, I’m sure you all got pretty excited to see the V8 badge on this car’s front fenders. Not to burst your bubble or anything but that means nothing more than a Windsor 302. And even more disheartening, in this model year that 5.0 only managed a smog-strangled 134 horsepower and 213 lb-ft of torque. With the three-speed C4 automatic behind it that means that from a standstill and with a tailwind, sixty’s a full 11 seconds away.
Ok, so I may not have painted the most flattering picture of this car. To be fair, the Mustang II does get a bit of a bum rap for having been tasked with soldiering the Mustang nameplate through what arguably was the automobile’s darkest hour here in America. To its credit, the Mustang II did return the model to its original size after years of bloat, and it was the first to offer both rack and pinion steering and an available hatchback body. This one comes with a clean title and the possible lore of having once been a TV star. What might all that be worth to somebody?
Well, to the seller, it’s worth $8,300 since that’s the price they have set. It’s now up to you to overcome your aversion to this model of Mustang and let us know if that’s a deal or a ripoff. What do you think, does $8,300 make this Mustang ready for its closeup? Or, does that price tag have you shouting “Cut!”?
You decide!
Phoenix, Arizona Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to Joe S. for the hookup!
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