In April of 1977, Hot Rod Magazine showcased a Mustang II they named ‘Sudden Death’. Ten years later in 1988 another Mustang II was busy earning a reputation on the streets of Northern Kentucky. That Mustang earned the name ‘Outcast’ .
When Steve McNew was just 17 years old and working at a fast-food joint in Northern Kentucky, he purchased his first car, a 1975 Mustang II. It was a ratty, rusty, high-mileage heap that he paid $500 for at a small cash lot. The Mustang II wasn’t popular then and still not popular now, but Steve knew it was just right to build a fast street racer and also hang out with his friends who met regularly to race their Nova’s, Chevelle’s ,Mustang’s and other muscle cars of the day. The Mustang II is almost half the weight of those monsters and with the right combo, it would hurt a lot of feelings.
Each week when Steve drove up, his friends would always joke and say, “Here comes Steve in his little outcast of a Mustang”, and the name ‘Outcast’ stuck. Despite his little Mustang ll being the Outcast of the group, he was constantly spending every paycheck to add mods making it faster and faster, and often earned wins as a result.
More than thirty years have gone by, and Steve has owned many other hot rods, but Outcast is still his favorite. The list of mods are nearly endless, but Outcast runs a highly modified Ford Racing 347 Stroker with a Weiand 177 blower, a custom built Quick Performance Ford 9” rear with Track-lock, Diff. There are disc brakes at all four corners , and so much more.
Steve updated the interior with new gauges & seats and a B&M shifter changes the gears in the AOD transmission.
Outcast was named in the top ten at the Houston Hot Wheels Legends show and voted fan favorite, and the Mustang drew a ton of attention on the Hot Rod Power Tour in 2019 with plans to join again in 2021. Outcast also participated at Autorama in Houston, TX where it was specifically requested to represent the second-generation Mustang in a lineup, showcasing all of the generations and won first place in the Super Street class. Steve's Mustang has been featured in Motortrend Magazine, Performance Racing Industries (PRI) Magazine, and has been featured in numerous blogs/websites and via social media.
The story of this little gritty, determined, and defiant Mustang II is still being written. You can follow their adventures on Instagram or Facebook at ‘Outcast – Mustang II’.
Thanks Steve for sharing your story about the Outcast Mustang.
Photos courtesy of , Steve McNew 2021
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