By 1973, most car experts agree that the Mustang had gotten too long, too wide, and too heavy to be a proper sports car anymore. Ford’s response was the introduction of the Mustang II, a smaller, lighter Mustang that returned to the original concept, but initially did away with the V8 engine option. This caused loyal Ford fans to rebel, and the Mustang II has been banished to an oft-overlooked footnote in Mustang history.

Yet there are those who find a certain affinity for this black sheep of the Blue Oval stable, including the owner of this 1976 Mustang Cobra II, Pro-Street race car for sale on eBay. Bet you never thought you’d see a 10-second Mustang II, and now you have a chance to own one.

Make no mistake, the “Cobra” package was mostly stickers and bodykits, adding little of performance value. But as a race car, the Mustang II has a lot to recommend it, including a light curb weight and an engine bay that easily accommodates a small-block V8. In this case, the engine is a 393 cubic-inch stroker with aluminum heads, a solid-roller camshaft, and a MSD ignition.

Backing this big-displacement small block is a C4 transmission with a 5,800 RPM stall speed and a Ford 9-inch rear with 4:30 gears. Fiberglass fenders and bumpers replace steel, further lightening this unloved pony car. The seller claims this setup ran a best time of 10.95 seconds at 132 mph though, and with those kinds of time slips, even we could learn to love that ugly mug.

Would you mind driving around a 10-second Mustang II? Or would you rather drive something slower-but-cooler?