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27-Year Abandoned Ford Mustang II Cobra Gets Saved, Eventually Agrees to Run

He’s not the most famous YouTube star of them all, but Dylan McCool and his namesake YouTube channel occupy a very special place in the hearts of classic car aficionados. That’s because he’s got a knack for rescuing abandoned and derelict wrecks that no one would even dare look at. And yet, with love, attention, and mechanical knowledge, some of them get a new lease of life.
Dylan McCool finds and rescues abandoned Ford Mustang II Cobra that sat for 27 years 18 photos
Photo: Dylan McCool/YouTube
Dylan McCool finds and rescues abandoned Ford Mustang II Cobra that sat for 27 yearsDylan McCool finds and rescues abandoned Ford Mustang II Cobra that sat for 27 yearsDylan McCool finds and rescues abandoned Ford Mustang II Cobra that sat for 27 yearsDylan McCool finds and rescues abandoned Ford Mustang II Cobra that sat for 27 yearsDylan McCool finds and rescues abandoned Ford Mustang II Cobra that sat for 27 yearsDylan McCool finds and rescues abandoned Ford Mustang II Cobra that sat for 27 yearsDylan McCool finds and rescues abandoned Ford Mustang II Cobra that sat for 27 yearsDylan McCool finds and rescues abandoned Ford Mustang II Cobra that sat for 27 yearsDylan McCool finds and rescues abandoned Ford Mustang II Cobra that sat for 27 yearsDylan McCool finds and rescues abandoned Ford Mustang II Cobra that sat for 27 yearsDylan McCool finds and rescues abandoned Ford Mustang II Cobra that sat for 27 yearsDylan McCool finds and rescues abandoned Ford Mustang II Cobra that sat for 27 yearsDylan McCool finds and rescues abandoned Ford Mustang II Cobra that sat for 27 yearsDylan McCool finds and rescues abandoned Ford Mustang II Cobra that sat for 27 yearsDylan McCool finds and rescues abandoned Ford Mustang II Cobra that sat for 27 yearsDylan McCool finds and rescues abandoned Ford Mustang II Cobra that sat for 27 yearsDylan McCool finds and rescues abandoned Ford Mustang II Cobra that sat for 27 years
Well, sort of, considering his latest project car, a Ford Mustang II Cobra that’s been sitting idle for no less than 27 years. Interestingly, he uncovered the classic very close to home, as it was recently moved to a driveway after the holding estate was sold out.

Now, just like McCool said at the beginning of the long video embedded below, “hold on (and) don’t leave.” We’ll have the most interesting chapters labeled with the appropriate time stamps very soon, and the infamous Mustang II might still be worth a few minutes of our life... if only to see if Dylan manages to perform his signature magic tricks and get the Cobra running (and for how long).

That’s because in the beginning, even he doesn’t know the outcome of this rescue, which involves one of the most hated Mustang versions of all time. Of course, for some, it really won’t matter that it was the necessary sacrifice for the nameplate to live past the Clean Air Act and the period’s oil embargo, no matter what.

For the rest of us, it’s highly entertaining to check out what happens with this heap of junk that needs to be towed with extreme caution by a Ram 1500 at first because the Blue Oval doesn’t even have any braking power left inside.

Luckily, it was a manual transmission, and the host shares a secret tip—he controlled the pace with help from the clutch assembly. Once safely on the farm premises, we’re served the story of the car from the 3:50 mark before we embark on the arduous journey of discovering what’s underneath the hood.

That would be a fairly original 302ci “fun little ripper” engine and lots of nature elements (including spiders), which occupy a lot of his time. So, we can easily skip to the 15-minute mark for the first attempt at an engine start (unless you love the TLC), which is a failure, as expected. More work, and from the 23:54 mark, he’s ready for another go, which this time is half successful.

As always, the third time’s the charm, so let’s marvel at the sight of a running Cobra engine that sat abandoned for 27 years, and even get shocked by the unimpressive exhaust soundcheck from the 27:40 mark.

Things don’t precipitate afterwards, but so it will seem after jumping to the 32:20 mark for the interior walkaround, a surprising five-minute idling time without being surrounded by a cloud of smoke, and even a “test drive” trial from 38:35. The latter ends after a few hundred feet at the garage doorstep following the thorough clean-up seen from the 42:29 mark. Incredibly, this thing really moved on its own power.

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About the author: Aurel Niculescu
Aurel Niculescu profile photo

Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution.
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