Second generation · Mustang II · 1974–1978
1978Ford Mustang
The Mustang II — a smaller, more economical Pinto-based car for the oil-crisis era, built 1974–1978.
Photo: “1978 Ford Mustang Cobra II (28337688226)” by Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0. Cropped to 16:9.
Quick facts
- Engines
- 3offered140 cu in (2.3 L) I4 (base) → 302 cu in (4.9 L) V8 (2-bbl; required for the King Cobra)
- Production
- 192,410unitsmodel year
- Base price
- $3,824base coupe
- Today
- ≈$18,400inflation-adjusted MSRP, not market value
Body styles2-door coupe (hardtop) · 3-door hatchback (2+2)
Start here
What do you need to know?
This page covers the whole 1978 Ford Mustang model year. Choose your task first; exact trims and engines are separated where the factory offered different versions.
Documented lineup
Find your exact 1978 Mustang
Start with a family, body style, or engine. Every card opens the facts and maintenance information for that factory version.
Exact factory pairings documentedHow this lineup was verified
These source-backed records identify published body, engine, and transmission combinations. Exact pairings do not by themselves assert that every factory option or special edition is represented.
No factory configuration matches those filters.
The 1978 model year
Overview
The Mustang II's send-off year, and its most theatrical. Ford launched the limited-edition King Cobra — a deep front air dam, bold stripes, and a Trans-Am-style snake decal sprawled across the hood — available only with the 302 V8. It was more show than go, but it gave the generation a memorable finale before the all-new Fox-body Mustang arrived for 1979. (Horsepower figures are SAE net; the 302 V8's 1978 net rating is reported inconsistently across period sources and is omitted here.)
Specifications
- Engines
- 140 cu in (2.3 L) I4 (base)
- 171 cu in (2.8 L) V6
- 302 cu in (4.9 L) V8 (2-bbl; required for the King Cobra)
- Transmissions
- 4-speed manual, C3 3-speed automatic
- Body styles
- 2-door coupe (hardtop), 3-door hatchback (2+2)
- Dimensions
- Wheelbase 96.2 in · Length 175.0 in · Width 70.2 in
- Base price
- $3,824 (base coupe)See what that's worth today →
- Production
- 192,410 (model year)
Year over year
What changed
- The limited-edition King Cobra debuted — a deep front air dam, bold side and hood stripes, and a large Trans-Am-style snake decal on the hood; offered only with the 302 V8 and a four-speed manual.
- The Cobra II carried the revised single-stripe, "COBRA"-lettered graphics introduced late in 1977.
- A Fashion Accessory Package added striped "Fresno cloth" seating aimed at a different buyer.
- Final model year for the Mustang II; the Fox-body Mustang replaced it for 1979.
Worth knowing
Notable
- The King Cobra is the headline Mustang II collectible — only 4,313 were built, marketed as Ford's answer to the Pontiac Trans Am.
- Production rose to 192,410 for the final model year.
- Last year before the Fox-body redesign, giving 1978 "end of an era" appeal for the generation.
Living with it
Reliability & ownership notes
- The King Cobra's value rests heavily on originality — verify the decals, air dam, and that it is a genuine V8 car, since the package was decals-and-trim over standard Mustang II mechanicals.
- Standard generation checks: rust in floors, lower body, and subframe; condition of the V8 and four-speed.
- Parts support remains good through shared Mustang II/Pinto components.
What it costs now
Price today
Current market value
We don't publish a market estimate for the 1978 model year yet. A valuation ships here only when it can be sourced and dated — we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.
Original MSRP adjusted for inflation (CPI, 2024); not the car's current market/collector value. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI-U (U.S. city average, all items), annual average.
Maintenance & service parts
Keep your 1978 Mustang on the road
Start with the service interval, then match the engine or exact version you own. Order links appear only when a catalog-backed part number is available, and every listing still needs a fitment check.
Service desk
What this car needs & when
Use this as a service-planning checklist for 1978 Ford Mustang. Start with the interval, confirm which engine or configuration you have, then use an exact ordering reference when one is verified.
- Service topics
- 7
- Factory intervals
- 6
- Fitment-scoped
- 7
- Exact references
- 1
Before orderingIdentify your engine, options and build date.Part numbers and sizes can change within one model year. Shopping links appear only for catalog-backed references; still verify the listing against your vehicle before ordering.
Engine oil and filter
Sourced interval available
Source: MustangSpecs — 1978 Mustang maintenance-table transcription · Maintenance Schedule table, 7,500–60,000-mile columns; replacement-task list independently corroborated by U.S. DOT/NHTSA report DOT-HS-805-565, Appendix D, page D-25 · checked
Engine oil filter
Exact reference available
Manufacturer application-catalog fitment only; this does not establish an oil-change interval.
2.3-liter inline-four
Baldwin B2
Source: Baldwin Filters — Automotive Applications catalog (2017) · Pre-1980 Applications section — Ford 1978, Mustang 2.3-liter inline-four row · checked
Verified ordering references
- Service replacementBaldwin B2
Qty. 1 · Engine oil filter · catalog-listed
Baldwin's manufacturer application table lists this filter for the stated model year and engine. Confirm the VIN and installed engine before ordering.
Catalog: Baldwin Filters — Automotive Applications catalog (2017) · Pre-1980 Applications section — Ford 1978, Mustang 2.3-liter inline-four row · checked
Search this part on Amazon
Spark plugs
Sourced interval available
Source: MustangSpecs — 1978 Mustang maintenance-table transcription · Maintenance Schedule table, 7,500–60,000-mile columns; replacement-task list independently corroborated by U.S. DOT/NHTSA report DOT-HS-805-565, Appendix D, page D-25 · checked
PCV valve
Sourced interval available
Source: MustangSpecs — 1978 Mustang maintenance-table transcription · Maintenance Schedule table, 7,500–60,000-mile columns; replacement-task list independently corroborated by U.S. DOT/NHTSA report DOT-HS-805-565, Appendix D, page D-25 · checked
Crankcase emission filter
Source: MustangSpecs — 1978 Mustang maintenance-table transcription · Maintenance Schedule table, 7,500–60,000-mile columns; replacement-task list independently corroborated by U.S. DOT/NHTSA report DOT-HS-805-565, Appendix D, page D-25 · checked
Engine coolant
Sourced interval available
The recovered transcription's time wording is ambiguous, so only its unambiguous 30,000-mile table mark is encoded.
Source: MustangSpecs — 1978 Mustang maintenance-table transcription · Maintenance Schedule table, 7,500–60,000-mile columns; replacement-task list independently corroborated by U.S. DOT/NHTSA report DOT-HS-805-565, Appendix D, page D-25 · checked
Engine air-cleaner filter
Sourced interval available
Source: MustangSpecs — 1978 Mustang maintenance-table transcription · Maintenance Schedule table, 7,500–60,000-mile columns; replacement-task list independently corroborated by U.S. DOT/NHTSA report DOT-HS-805-565, Appendix D, page D-25 · checked
Accessory drive belts — inspect
Sourced interval available
Source: MustangSpecs — 1978 Mustang maintenance-table transcription · Maintenance Schedule table, 7,500–60,000-mile columns; replacement-task list independently corroborated by U.S. DOT/NHTSA report DOT-HS-805-565, Appendix D, page D-25 · checked
Collect
Bring this model year home
Find a scale model using the exact year, make, and model—not a generic generation search.
Famous variants this year
Sources
Other Second generation years
Explore the Mustang II generation →All Second generation · Mustang II years →