1969 Ford Mustang BOSS 429

LMC is proud to offer for sale this Boss 429

The Boss 429, sometimes referred to as the "Boss 9" by blue oval enthusiasts, is arguably one of the rarest and most valued muscle cars from the era. The origin of the Boss 429 came about as a result of Ford Motor Company's desire to compete in the top NASCAR series. Ford was seeking to develop a "Hemi" engine that could compete with the famed 426 Hemi from Chrysler in NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series (then known as "Grand National Division"). The famous winged warriors from the Mopar camp - the 426 Hemi Charger Daytona and the Plymouth Superbirds, would become the monsters for Ford to slay to achieve their desire to rule the track. At the time NASCAR's homologation rules required that at least 500 cars be fitted with the competition motor and sold to the general public. After much consideration, Ford chose the Mustang to accept this new mega engine.

The Boss 429 engine was derived from the Ford 385 engine. It used four bolt mains, a forged steel crank and forged steel connecting rods. The engine featured aluminum cylinder heads, which had a modified Hemi type combustion chamber which Ford called "crescent". These heads used the "dry-deck" method, meaning no head gaskets were used. Each cylinder, oil passage and water passage had an individual "O" ring style seal to seal it tight. The Boss 429 engine used a single Holley four barrel carburetor rated at 735 CFM mounted on an aluminum intake manifold. 1969 cars featured a hydraulic lifter camshaft, later dropped in favor of a mechanical lifter setup.

Mustangs' were simply too small to accept the massive Boss 429 engine. Ford then hired Kar Kraft of Brighton, Michigan to modify existing 428 Cobra Jet and Super Cobra Jet Mach 1 Mustangs to properly fit the new Boss 429 engine. Kar Kraft was also in the process of creating the Trans-Am Boss 302 as well.

Boss 429 production began at Kar-Kraft's factory after the Mustang arrived from the automaker's plant. Kar Kraft made extensive modifications to the Mustang including widening the shock towers and extending out the inner fenders to allow this monster engine to fit. The mounts for the front suspension were chopped and displaced to create room for the block and exhaust manifolds. The battery was repositioned to the trunk and a stiff 3/4" sway bar was added to rear end to improve handling since the car was now nose heavy. It was also equipped with a 3.91 ratio rear axle with a "Traction-Lock" limited slip differential. In addition, a hole was cut in the hood, and a manually controlled hood scoop was added to these cars. Other features included a front spoiler that was shallower than the Boss 302 spoiler, color keyed dual racing mirrors, and an engine oil cooler.

The Boss cars were rated very conservatively at 375 hp and 450 lb·ft of torque. Actual output was believed to be well over 500 horsepower. The manufacturers and dealers only listed 375 hp because of legal issues and rising insurance costs so customers would be lured into buying these cars without the stiff fees from an insurance company. Though no manufacturer has ever stated this to be true, assumingly to prevent possible lawsuits. Despite the high horsepower and torque ratings, the car was at home in the high RPM range as the engine is said to be able to rev up to 9,000rpm for extended periods of time, which is impressive given the engine's massive 7.0L displacement, though were factory limited to 6,200rpm for insurance purposes, and suffered a poor by today's standards 0-60 time because of this. However, it quickly made up for that once it got moving. The car unrestricted is said to be able to exceed speeds of up to 175mph, though no actual claim has been verified. The rarity, value and collectability of the car, makes anyone who owns one reluctant to try it. When you open the hood you can appreciate how this massive 429 had to be wedged into place. The engine bay is clean and reflects very well the detail of the muscle car era. This is a "S" Code Boss. As an explanation, some early cars were known as "S" code cars and as such had a slightly different engine. These cars had magnesium valve covers, NASCAR style forged internals, nearly no smog or emissions equipment and are said to be more powerful than the later "T" and "A" code engines which had the emissions related equipment to satisfy government regulations. All these cars were a 4-speed manual transmission, and there was no air conditioning available due to the size of the engine. Power to the asphalt is delivered through raised lettered Goodyear Polyglas on Mustang 5-spoke Steel Wheels that features very good chrome.

All Boss Mustangs are simply big block power with few options. There were only five different colors available in 1969 - Raven Black, Wimbledon White, Royal Maroon, Candy Apple Red, and Black Jade. This Boss is still featuring the original Candy Apple Red from the factory and considering the years the paint is in very good condition. Paint still has good depth and shows off great character. Both model years featured a toned down exterior, as compared to other Mustangs of the era such as the Boss 351, Boss 302 and Mach 1. Just a very plain external identification of the car were the Boss 429 decals on the front fenders behind the front tires. These Mustang's featured a very clean look that some fanatics refer to as the look of a 'sleeper'"¦no flashy racing stripes to announce the power. The fully functional hood scoop was the same color as the car, and noticeably larger than anything else offered on any Ford product at the time. This original car has a good solid fit all around. Chrome bumpers have great shine and the stainless trim is also very good. Remarkable, welcomed patina is evident wherever you look on this beast.

These special cars were given NASCAR identification that was placed on the driver's side door. Each car was given a "KK" number which stood for Kar Kraft. KK #1201 was the first Boss 429 and KK #2558 was the last Boss 429 made. All cars after KK#1480 no longer had the much more desirable "S code" engine. The interior is what you the expected from the Mustang of that year and the only color available was black. The original interior of Black Clarion Knit Vinyl is in very shape with conveniences such as AM Radio, Wood-grain Steering Wheel, Clock, Console and Dual-Body Tone Racing Mirrors/Driver-Remote Mirror. Marti Report confirms the details of the build of this Boss on March 6, 1969.

Over the past several years, "Hagerty's Cars That Matter" has observed unrestored cars sell for prices that would have astonished in the recent past. Preservation Classes are being added to concours nationwide to showcase well preserved and mostly unrestored, un-refinished, and unaltered cars. The old car hobby is headed in the direction of the fine art, decorative arts, and antique furniture markets, where a premium is placed on originality.

Truly a beautiful survivor! This is a very unique opportunity to purchase an extremely desirable, original, fully documented, early production numbers matching "S" code Boss 429.