Last month in Street Machine we took a look at the Pinto V6 Stallion and made the comment that this is one pony that has eaten his oats. Well, this month's version the Mus- tang II VB Stallion is the result of what happens to a Pinto that grows up! In all seriousness, the Pinto V6 was fun and sporty but the Mustang II Stallion with its VB gives you that extra power, driveability and much better looks. .

To say the Mustang II Stallion looks better could really get one in trou- ble so let me clarify. The silver and black paint scheme on both cars appears to be the same at first glance, not so. The Pinto is painted with a non-reflective flat black paint treatment, which looks good and is very easy to wash and dry. But the Mustang II Stallion while painted with the same appearing silver uses a very high gloss black instead of the flat black. It is this gloss black paint that really adds something to the overall package. In fact the Mus- tang II really benefits from the gloss black paint in terms of a more eye appealing presence. Also the use of the black and silver makes the car appear very sleek, low and "racey" which again adds to the total eye appealing package.

So much for the beauty what about the beast? The 302 V8 with automatic drives well but a four-speed is very much in need. Of course, if you are one of the lucky ones who lives out- side the state of California this prob- lem can be solved quickly enough. California in their limited wisdom has seen fit to "outlaw" the four- speed V8 version. And at the same time the four-speed car will get bet- ter gas mileage, which translates into conserving fuel and less total quan- tity of pollutants emitted to the air . Ar.d as if that weren't enough the four-speed car would cost less than an identical car with an automatic. This could be translated into more units being sold because of the lessening of the price and the fact many people would find it more fun to drive. This in turn to lead to stimulated economy through more jobs and etc. ...But then nave any of us ever known law makers ever to do anything the easy and right way the first time around?

So much for my soapbox let's get back to the subject at hand. The cornering is a little soft but this is mostly due to the compromize with the shock absorbers and spring com- bination. Remember the car must ride well going down the road. And it does do that very well. Some of the "bad" feeling generated in a fast corner must be done away with if a four-speed was available as this would give the individual better con- trol. The mag wheels help in the cosmetic approach and the radial tires do improve all those things we have come to take for granted about radials. Although the tires aren't too small for the vehicle a step up in tire size could be very beneficial. Not only in the improved handling char- acteristics, but in the looks depart- ment as well. And by now everybody is aware of the Stallion decal which immediately lets passers-by know this is a Stallion version. Very frankly, I am still not so sure that the decal doesn't really detract from the total appearance of the car. It has struck me as being a bit contrived and going a little too far with a nice approach. The color scheme can very easily stand on its own merit without the aid of a stallion's profile.

As for the interior. This to me has always been a plus factor of the Mustang II. That is from the front seats forward. As with any sloping roof styled small car the rear seat headroom starts to suffer. However, with the hatch back opening and the fold down rear seat this tends to

As appeared in Street Machine

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