BOSS 302's and Mach1's For Sale


 In 1967 the first big-block Mustang was introduced, the S-code 390 which was rated at 320 hp. This Mustang was not able to compete with the hot new SS 396 Camaro , so in 1968 the 428 Cobra Jet engine was introduced, giving the Mustang true muscle car status, but then why stop there? In February 1968 when Bunkie Knudsen arrived in Dearborn he brought with him some strong ideas concerning the Mustang. He believed the popular pony car was a good looking automobile, but that there were a tremendous amount of people out there that wanted a good looking automobile that could perform. He also knew that the Z/28 Camaro, created with SCCA Trans-Am road racing in mind, could handle and stop as well as it could accelerate. Big block pony cars were faster, but left something to be desired going through the curves with all that weight up front.

 Bunkie was able to lure several GM Design Engineers over to Ford in 1968. One of them was designer Larry Shinoda, the man who had drawn up the Z/28's sport image in 1967. Shinoda was tasked with besting a performance legend that he had helped to create. Shinoda contributed the new cars stripes, spoilers and window slats, as well as its name. Two Boss Mustangs were born in 1969, both originally developed concurrently by Ford's performance contractor, Kar Kraft Engineering, in Brighton, Michigan.

 The Boss 429 was also built in response to Chrysler's 426 Hemi and it's success in Nascar. Ford built a 427 Hemi-headed single overhead cam motor first, but it wasn't considered stock enough for the series so along came the "semi-Hemi" head 429. Kar Kraft was given the task of wedging a 429 into the Mustang. Quarter-mile times were reported to be in the lower 14s. Although another of the hot rod magazines, Car Craft, slightly modified the stock 429 and got a 1/4 mile in the mid 12s. The street cars came from the factory with a conservative cam and a somewhat small carburetor.

 Starting with the 1969 model year the Ford brought the road racing Mustang program in house by creating the Boss 302 with styling by Larry Shinoda, suspension was design by Kar Kraft. Engineer Matt Donner was the man responsible for the excellent Boss 302 chassis, which quickly impressed the critics with the way it hugged the road. The engine was a Ford 5.0L block with the new 351 Cleveland heads. The car was originally to be called the Trans Am, until Ford found out GM had already licensed the name from the SCCA.

 The Boss 302 was rated at 290 HP because insurance companies were beginning to penalize the muscle cars by tacking on higher charges to any car rated over 300 HP. Actual horsepower was closer to 350. (These are Gross HP figures, not Net, as used today). Race versions made 450 HP at over 8,000 RPMs.

 Boss 302s also ran in Nascar's Grand American (GA) series. The car came with a wide-ratio or close-ratio 4-speed top loader. A 3.50:1 rear gear was standard with 3.91 and 4.30 optional. Front discs are rear drum brakes and 15-inch wheels were standard. Road tests at the time put 1/4-mile performance in the upper 14-second range. However, Super Stock magazine tweaked a '70 Boss 302 and put slicks on to get a time in the mid-13s.

 How did the Boss 302 compare to the Chevy Z28? Well it seems that is was very close indeed. Chevrolet's Trans-Am Camaro took home the SCCA racing championship in 1969, while Ford's Boss 302 put the Mustang back on top in 1970. As for street performance, both machines relied on specially built 290 horsepower 302 cubic inch small block V8's. Performance was so close as to be a toss-up in most street or track encounters.

 Boss Mustangs were intended for the consumer market, but they also had a higher goal: to compete in the Trans-Am racing series. The Boss duked it out with the Camaro Z28, Firebird Trans-Am, AMC Javelin, and various other racers with its underrated 290-horsepower 302 V8 with upgraded cylinder heads from the Cleveland 351 engine. Its suspension was modified for racing and the Boss 302 featured power front disc brakes to slow it down quickly for the corners.

 The Boss 302 racing program was a success, with Bud Moore winning the championship in 1970, fielding two Boss 302s out on the track.

 The Boss 302 is known not only for its performance, but also for its flashy and distinctive appearance. It features reflective"hockey stripes" down the sides of the doors and fenders, with "Boss 302" displayed proudly on the upper front fender area. It also featured front and rear spoilers in black, special wheels, rear window shades, and of course the "Shaker Hood" scoop, which moves and rumbles along with the modified 302 cubic inch V8 under the hood.

 It was available in distinctive colors such as orange, red, blue, and green, as well as more subtle white and black options. There were 1,629 Boss 302 Mustangs produced in 1969, along with 7,013 in 1970. Its base price in 1970 was around $3,300.

 The Mach 1 has been called the supercar of the masses- how could you resist the styling? Those put off by the flash of the Mach 1, could get the exact same engine options and other equipment on the GT.

 For 1970, the Mach 1 was as flashy as ever, with a special hood stripe arrangement replacing the blacked-out hood and aluminum rocker panel covers replacing the side stripes. The Boss 302 Sport Slats and rear wing became optional on the Mach 1 as well in 1970.

  In terms of engines, the 390c.i. V-8 was dropped for 1970 as was the 351c.i. V-8 four barrel. Two new 351 V-8 were added; the two barrel carburetor version was rated at 250 while the four barrel was rated at 300hp. Both of these engines are known as the 351 Cleveland, as they were both made at Ford's Cleveland engine plant. The block and heads were of an entirely new design- the heads were almost identical to those used on the Boss 302. Complicating thing a bit, the ports and valves of the two-barrel carburetor version were smaller than the four-barrel's. Finally, the 250hp 351 Windsor was still available as well. Some Mustangs had the Cleveland engine, while others got the Windsor. 
Because the Mach 1 overwhelmed the GT (only 4,973 sold in 1969) the GT option was also dropped and the Mach 1 became the premier performance Mustang in 1970.

 Ford would continue using the Mach 1 name until the 1979 model year.

SPECIFICATIONS

Wheel base : 108"

Track , f/r : 58.5"/58.5"

Width : 71.8"

Length : 187.4"

Weight : 2980-3910lb.

ENGINES:

351 c.i. V-8 2V Carburetor(Windsor)

C.R.: 10.0:1

Horsepower : 250@4600

Torque : 355 @2600

351 c.i. V-8 4V Carburetor(Windsor)

C.R. : 10.7:1

Horsepower : 290@4800

Torque : 385@3200

351 c.i. V-8 2V Carburetor(Cleveland)

C.R. : 10.0:1

Horsepower : 250@4600

Torque : 355 @2600

351 c.i. V-8 4V Carburetor(Cleveland)

C.R. : 11.0:1

Horsepower : 300@5400

Torque : 380@3400

390 c.i. V-8 4V Carburetor

C.R. : 10.5:1

Horsepower : 320@4800

Torque : 427@3200

428 c.i. Cobra Jet 4V Carburetor

C.R. : 10.6:1

Horsepower : 335@5200

Torque : 440@3400

PERFORMANCE:

1970 Mach 1

Engine: 300hp 351C V-8

Transmission : Three speed automatic

Axle Ratio: 3.00:1

Weight : N/A

Acceleration Sec.

0-30 mph : 3.5

0-60 mph : 8.2

0-100 mph : 21.4

Standing 1/4 mi : 16.0 @ 86.2 mph

Top speed : 120* mph

Source: Motor Trend, 4/70

1969-1970 Mustangs Return!