Post by ferrari512s on May 28, 2014 23:02:04 GMT -5
The Mustang Boss 429 is one of the most unique Mustangs made. Its uniqueness lies in its rarity, its engine and simply for the fact that so much effort went into modifying the basic Mustang to make the Boss 429 engine fit.
In 1969, muscle car fans, and specially Ford fans, thought that the 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429 would be the Mustang to finally rival the best of the Corvettes. They were disappointed when it wasn’t. But Ford never intended the Boss 429 as a street dominator, or as any kind of drag-racing threat.
The Boss 429 was a hand-built muscle car intended solely to satisfy the homologating rules of NASCAR. The coupe was longer than previous models and sported convex rather than concave side "lines". Ford also introduced a luxury Grande model equipped with interior wood paneling, a quartz clock, and a 351 cid Windsor engine.
Only available from 1969 and 1970, the Boss 429 came standard with a Mustang SportsRoof (the new corporate name for the fastback) and the new Mach 1 muscle car version’s deluxe interior. It sported none of the garish decals and paint schemes of the day; only a hood scoop and 15 in (380 mm) "Magnum Magnum 500" wheels fitted with Goodyear "Polyglas" tires, with a small "BOSS 429" decal on each front fender.
Holding a big block with a huge bore and hemispherical combustion chambers, the motor had staggering potential for power. However, the brainchild of this car, the late Larry Shinoda, was disappointed with the finished product. He was quoted as saying that he wanted a 10-second capable car in factory form. For several reasons, the actual production Boss 429 certainly wasn’t capable of such times. The rev limiter, a small carburetor (the Boss 302 Mustang had a larger one), restrictive intake manifold, a mild solid lifter cam, and restrictive exhaust corked up the motor and kept it from revving.
Furthermore, all of the smog equipment choked it down. The finished product was still strong, rated at 375 horsepower at 5200 RPM, but the powerband was narrow for an engine of this size, a result of the restrictions. Stoplight drag racing was prevalent in the day, and owners of these Mustangs, as well as other cars such as Chrysler’s street Hemi, could be surprised by "lesser" cars of the day that produced broader powerbands and more low-rpm torque. 100+ horsepower can easily be added with the right cam/intake/carb/exhaust selection, along with a broader powerband. While power steering was a "mandatory option" on the Boss 429, neither an automatic transmission nor air conditioning was available. In the case of the latter, there simply wasn’t enough room under the hood.
The 429 engine was unlike any other Ford motor, being much wider in the cylinder head, thanks to its semi-Hemi combustion chamber design, and this meant strut towers needed widening and the battery relocating to the trunk. The Boss used the ’Top Loader’ close-ratio, four-speed manual because the autos couldn’t handle the torque. The suspension had uprated springs and shocks plus an anti-roll bar.
Each Boss 429 Mustang came with a KK sticker placed on the inside of the driver’s door above the Ford Ford Warranty Plate which signified Kar Kraft’s production number. The first Boss 429 was numbered "KK NASCAR 1201" while the last 1969 is numbered 2059. Some Boss 429s may have this silver tape stripe missing; a small brass plate was substituted by Kar Kraft on a small number of cars.
1969 Boss 429 Mustangs were available in five colors: Wimbledon White, Royal Maroon, Raven Black, Black Jade, and Candy Apple Red. 1970 versions were painted Grabber Blue, Grabber Green, Grabber Orange, Calypso Coral and Pastel Blue. All 1970 Boss 429s came with a gloss black painted hood scoop.
1969 Boss 429 Mustang Performance
Engine: 375hp Boss 429 V-8
Horsepower @ rpm: 375 @ 5200
Torque @ rpm: 450 @ 3400
Transmission: Four-speed manual
Axle Ratio: 3.91:1
Weight: 3,870
Acceleration
0-60 mph 7.1
0-100 mph 13.6
Standing 1/4 mi 14.09 @ 102.85 mph
Top speed 118 mph
Source
www.topspeed.com/cars/ford/1969-ford-mustang-boss-429-ar32774.html
1969 Ford Mustang BOSS 429
To compete with the Mopar HEMI engine in NASCAR, Ford launched the BOSS 429 V8 in 1969. It was built as a limited production Mustang Fastback to meet the required homologation of 500 units. The '69 BOSS became the ultimate Mustang after the 'clydesdale' body was used for the 1970 version.
Ford prepared the 429 for inclusion into NASCAR's Grand National Division. They modified a version Ford's big block V8 design known as the 'Ford 385 engine' and changed the stroke from 3.85 inches to 3.59. Built as a full-on race engine the exhaust ports were so large, it was nicknamed the 'Shotgun engine'.
Power was legally rated to 375 horsepower (280 kW) although 500 horsepower (370 kW) was possible. To meet emissions regulations, a mild cam was fitted along with a smog pump and small carburetor. With a few modifications up to 600 bhp was common.
Since the new engine was too large to fit in standard Mustang body, KarKraft was hired to modify the front-end of the car into a standard Sportsroof SCJ body. They took a 428 Mach 1 and changed the inner fenders, widening the shock towers, to made additional space. A smaller brake booster was fitted and air conditioning wasn't offered.
Also included in Boss Package was the fender decals, manually-controlled hood scoop, a front spoiler, dual racing mirrors, engine oil cooler, trunk mounted battery, power steering, power front disc brakes, a close-ratio 4-speed manual, 3.91:1 Traction-Lok differential, 3/4-inch rear swaybar, F60x15 Goodyear tires and the Deluxe decor interior with 8000 rpm and AM/FM radio.1
With everything combined, the package added nearly $2,000 to the base $2,740 Mustang Sportsroof. Available options on the 429 included the functional adjustable rear spoiler.
The BOSS 429 was only produced for two years. In 1969 cars could be ordered in Raven Black, Wimbledon White, Royal Maroon, Candyapple Red, and Black Jade. In 1970 the hood scoops were painted black and the exterior colors were Grabber Orange, Grabber Green, Grabber Blue, Colypso Coral, and Pastel Blue.
Source
www.supercars.net/cars/701.html