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1969 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Project

Every project car is going to have its positive and negative attributes. This 1969 Boss 302 Mustang is no exception to that rule. It has some pretty significant positives, but there is also one pretty considerable negative. It holds a lot of promise as a project car, but it will be a matter of choice as to how the next owner chooses to address its one glaring omission. The Mustang is located in Mount Hope, West Virginia, and has been listed for sale here on eBay. The BIN for the Mustang is $27,999.99, but the option is available to make an offer.

The body of this Mustang shows a lot of promise for any potential restorer. It hasn’t been consumed by rust, giving the buyer a sound foundation from which to commence. You can see a small area of rust in the bottom corner of the door, and there has been some work performed around the rear wheel arch. It isn’t clear what is hiding under the primer, but since I suspect that the next owner will probably “bare-metal” the vehicle, they will soon find out. The Mustang is structurally sound. The owner provides an excellent array of photos, and all of the usual suspects (frame rails, floors, torque boxes) appear to be free from problems. The transmission tunnel has been cut at some point, but a replacement is being included in the sale. The Boss was optioned with a rear spoiler and sport slats, but both of these items are missing. All of the trim and chrome seem to either be in good condition or could potentially be restored. The glass also appears to be quite good, and the Magnum 500 wheels are original.

Now we get to the point where we hit the Mustang’s significant negative attribute. The engine bay would have originally housed the glorious little Boss 302 engine, which was backed by a close-ratio 4-speed manual transmission. Both of these components are now gone, although the original 31-spline Traction-Lok rear end is still in place. The 302 would have produced 290hp, which was enough to propel the car to a top speed of 133mph. The owner has a set of 1970 Boss heads, along with a close-ratio top loader, a ’69 Boss aluminum intake, and an alloy bellhousing. He is willing to include these items in the sale if the buyer hits the BIN button. He will also include a genuine Boss engine block. This is damaged from a blow-up, but it isn’t clear how bad it is. It might be repairable, which would be a bonus. Otherwise, it will be a case of scouring the classifieds, eBay, and other resources to locate a replacement engine. An alternative could be to slap down the cash for a Ford Performance Boss 302 crate engine. These sell for just shy of $9,000, and while it isn’t original, there is the potential that this is as close as you are likely to get. Original 1969 Boss 302 engines aren’t exactly thick on the ground.

As is the case with the rest of the car, the Mustang’s interior is going to require a full restoration. The dash is complete, and the seats are included, but there is not a lot else inside the vehicle. What we can see in this photo is just how clean the floors are. However, I suspect that this is going to be another one of those Mustangs that is going to benefit from a trim kit. I know that I mention these reasonably frequently, but some of the kits that are on the market today are so nicely made that it is hard to go past them. They recreate the original look, color, and texture exceptionally well. It’s also a pleasant experience to install one of these and to find that every clip, screw, and nut that is required is included in the kit. Alternatively, the buyer might choose to search for a ’69 Mustang that someone is parting-out, and to source all of the required components from that.

Growing up in Australia during the late 1960s and early 1970s, the 1969 Boss 302 has a place in my heart. An ex-pat Canadian gentleman by the name of Allan Moffat used a Boss 302 Trans Am that was developed by Kar Kraft to compete in Australian Touring Car Racing. That car has become one of the most iconic vehicles ever to grace an Australian race track, and it scored an incredible 101 wins from 151 starts. Listening to that beautiful 302 howling at full noise was enough to make the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, and will live with me for the rest of my life. That is just one of the many reasons why I would love to see this classic restored. It deserves it.

Comments

  1. Avatar grant

    Floor on the driver’s side doesn’t look very clean at all.

    Like 0
    • Avatar 86_Vette_Convertible

      Can you say Swiss Cheese?

      Like 1
  2. Avatar Classic Steel

    Okay its a Mustang and not like the clean sweet georgous Kentucky Boss listed yesterday.

    I am surprised the ask is not “one million dollars” said in the the “Spy Who Shagged Me voice” of “Mr. Evil” 😂

    Good luck on the NOM roller car price and if it doesn’t sell there’s always Barret Jackson auctions 🤔👌

    Like 3
  3. Avatar Bob Wojdyla

    Just not worth it… maybe 8k

    Like 4
  4. Avatar Stangalang

    What made the boss the BOSS was that sweet 302..well it ain’t there sooo its basically just a mustang..the seller has a damaged block so there’s that to consider..too much $ for this

    Like 4
  5. Avatar Raven351

    I agree with the rest. Cool that it’s a real Boss. But that’s all you have. I’d a roller in need of too many expensive items to justify a near $30k ask. Never going to happen. I think it’s closer to a $15k reality. If he’s lucky

    Like 1
  6. Avatar TimM

    Another high priced roller!!! People need to get real when there selling a car with the entire drive line missing!!! It’s only a boss 302 if the boss 302 motor is there!!!!

    Like 4
    • Avatar Raven351

      100% agree TimM!

      Like 1
  7. Avatar PRA4SNW

    Yeah, it seems overpriced, but if you want a real Boss 302, this is a very good starting point. They are my favorite Mustang by a long shot.
    Nicer than most of the 68 – 70 Chargers that we see here.

    As I understand it, the original 302s in these cars did not stand up to the abuse most owners put them through, so replacement blocks are quite common.

    Like 2
    • Avatar Dave

      Funny how the Chevy 302s had the same problem, premature block windowing. 340s have the same problem, caused by drivers buying the sales pitch that “just as fast as the big motors” is somehow true. The higher the revs, the shorter the life.

      Like 3
      • Avatar Bmac777

        I agree with you on the Ford and Chevy 302’s, but I found the 340 able to take a high rev beating and still last for years and in some cases the life of the car.
        I think it might be cause the 340 was really just a stock motor with a proven design and manufactured in high numbers. Unlike both 302’s which were designed for real high performance with a limited run that never had the benefit of finding what worked and what didn’t over the course of a few years

        Like 2
  8. Avatar Raven351

    True. Key words are, “replacement block.” These were common due to abuse in some of these high revving muscle cars. These are rare and super expensive. Still won’t justify this rollers 30K ask.

    Like 1
  9. Avatar Steve Bush Member

    PRA4SNW, agree that this one is nicer than many of the 1968-70 Chargers featured here. But hardly a “very good starting point,” at anywhere near $28k, especially with missing drivetrain and needing a ton of other work to be on the road. In addition, the seller’s idea of an excellent body and interior are vastly different than mine and he’ll only include the extra parts at his BIN price. Finally, a much nicer 1970 model failed to meet reserve here today at $48.3k.

    Like 0
  10. Avatar Troy s

    Night and day compared to that green mist colored one a few days ago here, that green one was begging to be ran hard, to just stomp it thru the gears.
    This one would make an interesting car I’ve always thought of, the 330 horse boss 351, or rather the high output Cleveland, under the hood of the lighter weight ’70 body style. The front end would look much like this one on the green light. I’m not knocking the high performance 302 but from what little I know those heads breathed way too good for the smallish engine.

    Like 0
  11. Avatar Raven351

    Bmac777 I think it was more the 302s that went into these pseudo street race engines. I have seen “normal” Ford 302s last well over 100k, some over 300k miles with no issues. My landlord has a 302 in his F150 with way over 300k on it

    Like 0
    • Avatar Bmac777

      I fully agree with you on that, but I was referring to the post’s topic, the Boss 302 when I said limited run, not the decades long production of standard 302’s which are great engines, mass produced with a proven design like the 340

      Like 0
  12. Avatar Peter White

    Did this come with and engine oil cooler, I see both horns are on the RHS or was it standard like this???

    Like 0
    • Avatar PRA4SNW

      Yes, the seller mentions this in the YouTube video.

      Like 1

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