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A Closer Look at The Mustang Boss 429

The Mustang Boss 429

There are muscle cars and then there are cars that make your heart soar, regardless of your tendency to enjoy fast cars. The Mustang Boss 429 is certainly one of the cars that fits in the latter category. Built between 1969 and 1970, anyone who laid eyes on this car back then had to know that it was something special. Today, it is one of the most sought-after automobiles in the world. As you might have guessed, it's extremely difficult to find one, especially given the fact that more than 50 years have passed since the last one rolled off the assembly line. If you're lucky enough to get your hands on one that is still in relatively good condition, you should definitely not let that chance pass you by. To be honest, you would be foolish for passing up a mere shell of a car that needs tons of work because it's still going to be something special. That's how special this car really is. Take a closer look in order to find out why.

The Birth of a Legend

In the late 1960s, Ford, the automaker responsible for the Mustang, was working on developing a new engine that would ultimately be used in NASCAR. In order to do proper research, they needed to put that engine in a street-legal automobile. They chose the Ford Mustang. The engine was so big that it barely fit (more on that later) but ultimately, a legend was created. The Boss 429 was only built for two years, 1969 and 1970. During that time, only 1,359 cars of this type were manufactured. As you might have guessed, that made the car a rare find, even back then. The funny thing is, they really weren’t that popular back then. Five decades later and counting, it's almost impossible to find one that is in top condition. If you do, you can bet that you're going to pay a significant sum of money for it. More often than not, they currently sell for about $200,000. There are many reasons why this car is so special. In the following paragraphs, you will learn just a handful of those reasons. You see, there are some things that just can't be described on paper. You have to experience them for yourself. Sure, you can learn all about the horsepower that a car has or how fast it is able to travel from 0 to 60. However, none of that gives you the first-hand experience of driving it yourself. In order to truly appreciate the Mustang Boss 429, you have to be behind the wheel. Considering the fact that this isn’t a possibility for the overwhelming majority of the public, we'll do our best to help you visualize what that might be like.

The Heart of a Lion

Obviously, this is a car that was made for people that like to go fast. After all, why else would you put an engine being tested for NASCAR into a Ford Mustang? The truth is, the original car had a massive engine, a 7.0 liter V8 that was capable of producing an astonishingly large amount of horsepower, 375 to be exact. In fact, some rebuilt models now claim to be capable of producing 800 horsepower, more than most drivers could even fathom in their wildest dreams. Married to a standard six-speed transmission, the car was capable of outperforming just about anything on the road, especially in the hands of a skilled driver. Rounding out the package, the car featured a rather menacing looking lower scoop that was attached to the front grille. Coupled with its fastback design, the car looked unlike anything else that was available on the road. In fact, there hasn't really been anything like it available since production stopped on the Mustang Boss 429. By the way, if you're wondering how the car got its name, it comes from the engine itself, which is 429 cubic inches in size. That seems like a fitting tribute to a car that was able to outrun anything on the road. Truth be told, one of these cars could still outrun just about anything that you would care to put it up against, provided that it's still in good condition.

Big Engine, Big Problems

There are a lot of things that made this car stand out and one of the biggest was the fact that the engine was so large it didn't even fit in the engine bay. The car actually had to be sent to another company that Ford routinely worked within the same Dearborn, Michigan area in order to have extensive modifications made. Otherwise, there was no hope of getting the engine to fit. The end result was a car that had a stronger sway bar, a differential capable of taking a lot of punishment, engine mounts that were moved and reinforced to accommodate the engine, and several cosmetic modifications that were needed in order to make everything fit and look good at the same time. At the end of the day, the engine did fit, but just barely. In fact, it was such a tight fit that this car doesn't even come with an air conditioner because there is no room to put it.

Most people consider themselves very lucky if they're able to own either a 1969 or 1970 Mustang Boss 429. There are key differences between the two. The earlier version has the big scoop on the hood as well as air ducts on the rear quarter panels. The 1970 version eliminated those quarter panel air ducts. In addition, all of the air scoops on the hoods were painted flat black. Another major difference between the two is that for the majority of the 1970 models, the interior was white as opposed to being black. Either way, these cars are not easy to come by so if you're fortunate enough to have the opportunity to drive one, you should definitely take it.

Benjamin Smith

Written by Benjamin Smith

Benjamin Smith is one of the managing editors of Moneyinc. Ben's been focusing on the auto and motorcycle sector since 2005. He's written over 1000 articles in the space and continues to learn about it each day. His favorite car is "any Bugatti" and he's a die hard Harley Davidson fan.

Read more posts by Benjamin Smith

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