Faded paint and a dented roof won’t stop die-hard Ford fans from eyeballing this 1970 Ford Boss 302 Mustang. For a model named after its engine, though, the missing high-power mill raises the front suspension and lowers the eagerness to jump into what might be a daunting and metal fabrication-filled restoration. On the upside, the Tyler, Minnesota classic’s listing includes a VIN picture that matches the also-included Marti report documenting a true Boss 302 Mustang. The No Reserve auction here on eBay has at least 13 bidders considering ownership, with over $12,000 pledged as we go to press.
So, what’s so “Boss” about a Boss 302? While the classic muscle car era evokes visions of straight-line racing on drag strips, stoplight to stoplight, and young gas-o-holics lining them up on rural two-lanes, another battle raged on the road courses of the Trans-Am series. Ford had built a high-revving Tunnel-Port 302 for 1968 that didn’t have what it took to catch General Motors’ own 302, the Z/28. In response, Ford borrowed the heads from the upcoming Cleveland V8 and made them work on the 302 block. That and other changes resulted in a highly specialized 302 called the “Boss.” That name gave a nod to Ford President Bunkie Knudsen who recruited designer Larry Shinoda. Check out more details on this exciting period of factory-backed road racing at gatewayclassiccars and onallcylinders. If you’ve got a lonely ’70 Boss 302 engine one sitting in your garage, this might be the car for you.
Three pedals and a proper four-speed manual gearbox were the only option on the racing-inspired Boss. The all-business black interior suits this classic, with nothing fancy adding weight or distracting you from reaching the next corner at maximum velocity. Dealers sent Boss 302 cars onto the streets with many of the modifications developed for racing. This was one special Mustang.
Styling treatment on the Boss included blacked-out hood, rear window louvers, and a functional rear spoiler and front air dam. Shinoda took a less-is-more approach, knowing that adding frivolous cosmetic frills to the Boss ran against the stripped-down racer theme.
Body filler cracks suggest the dented roof is worse than it looks, but nothing to keep a real Boss 302 from being restored. Credit the seller for describing rusty areas that need attention and including undercarriage photos. One thing’s certain; glorious fresh paint in the original Calypso Coral hue turns heads wherever you go. With pro-touring cars sometimes bringing more than restored originals, what’s next for this rust-belt speed racer? How would you put this once-potent corner carver back on the road?
Simple, purchase one of the many high output crate 302 / 4speed setups out there, if you don’t have one laying around, and get this beauty back up and standing tall. It’s gonna be 60K plus depending on what’s discovered underneath. But these are appreciating daily and if setup “correctly” will fetch near the 6 figure mark.
Unfortunately, this one doesn’t look that simple. Go to the auction page and check out the photos of the underside. The frame portions and bottom of the shock towers are totally gone. Not just rusted, but we’re talking literal disintegration. I’m not sure how you’d fix that. I guess someone has a plan, bidding is over $18k with time to spare.
I’m guessing that, because of the rust, someone bought this car cheap, just for the engine and tranny. They got what they needed and are selling what’s left. Whoever “wins” this auction? At that price, hope they have deep pockets.
A whole new chassis is needed.
Not to mention a half pound of black tar at the bass of that wheel arch in the trunk,… This thing says ‘walk away’ unless you have really deep pockets and arn’t looking to get your money back.
A shame that the original driveline is gone, but luckily it seems like most of the affected sheetmetal (except for the ’69-’70 floor pans with correct ribbing) is being reproduced. Still seems like this would only make sense if it went really cheap or all the work could be done by the purchaser.
It’s not that easy. A Boss 302 is light-years different than the standard generic crate motor. The heads were similar to 4bbl 351 Cleveland heads but with different manifold bolt holes. There’s ways to fake it but that would greatly reduce its value to someone shopping for a genuine Boss 302 Mustang.
Emphasis on “plus”. Been there, done that.
I wonder what kind of vehicle the previous owner thought deserved a Boss 302 than a real Boss 302? I would hate to know the total number of desirable over the past 50 years that lost their original engine.
The silver lining of a “well used” but desirable car like this is there are options for those that have the time and money. Go the museum route $$$$ and trailer around to car shows. Or, my preference would to build a restomod with what I would like drivetrain-wise while making it look original on the outside. Then drive and enjoy like it was meant to be!
Looks like it was parted out about 1976 with those old tires and Cragers. These bring close to six figures done correctly. Gonna take that much to bring this one back. Pass.
It’s a real 302 Boss minus the engine. This will fetch big bucks if put back correct. Resto modding this would be an insane approach. Check the price on them.
To Answer your question, I wouldn’t get it back on the road, I don’t think my back yard stuffing V8 engines into Datsun pickup mechanic skills would do this car the justice it deserves so I would do the same as the seller and post it to move on to someone who has more money than me to fix it.
A few tidbits: “A” plan car, which if in 1970 means what it does today, indicates an employee (or employee family) purchase. Original Vermillion seats, which would have matched the exterior. Built late in the model run. Someone’s pride and joy back in the day.
Lots of work here. But given their desirability (and price, when restored) it might be a viable project.
Boss, no 02….
It looks like they painted the drums and rotors orange to match. The last 4 bids are by someone that has (0) feedback, and all within a few minutes.
Without the engine it’s just another crappy mustang.
It would be worthless as a Boss 302. A lot of customs have gone for more than the original or restoration. Just the first order with a 001 got high six figures. It could be epic. A first generation Mustang with supercar performance. It wouldn’t be zero miles. All its miles would be on a track getting publicity; even if only TikTok or YouTube. BJs would save it for the right timing. You could also do what AMC did and have that engine and axle location modified so that the wight of the engine is behind the centerline of the front axle and with the driver’s position farther back in the cockpit. It’s going to cost a lot anyway so might as well take some liberties. Ship it to Canada and have the Throttle House compare it a diverse group of cars. Hagerty would have a ball with at the desert tracks.
Needs a lot of work – btw It’s true Ford sold the 4bolt main 302/351 specs to GM which is the improved LS engine & LS heads will bolt onto an old Ford 302/351 w/very slight machining – way better air flow than the Boss heads & bigger valves.
An LS swap into a retromod Boss ?
100% since it’s pedigree us FROM the OG Boss block.
Parts way cheaper in many junk yards.
Better power band more reliable etc
Did they legalize weed in your state?
So let me get this straight, Beauwayne5000. GM could not design their own 4-bolt main setup and had to buy the specs from FORD? And you want me to put cheebie heads on my rare BOSS 302 block? Are you high? Do you know how big the valves are on a BOSS 302? Too big to drive the car on the street anyway, but you want better air flow, ha. And a better power band, whatever that means. Stick to your X box games and leave the vintage muscle cars to us old gear heads.
I think this mustang Boss 302, it’s going to take a lot of money to put it back together. I think what I would do is get a chassis fix up the body and interior set it on the new chassis and if you have enough money put a coyote engine in it or find a boss 302 they’re out there for sale. But I think taking the body off of that chassis replacing the floor pans trunk pans and getting a new chassis one that will ride better outperform that old chassis would be the way to go. But I don’t have that kind of money. I’m working on a 67 mustang coupe that someone set up for racing like Street outlaws, got a full roll cage in it I put a 351 Cleveland 4 barrel motor in it with over 500 horse, and that’s starting to eat my wallet up but it’s not too bad yet I do most of the work myself so I’m saving on labor. But the boss, I don’t know it might be a deep pocket build and I might not but one thing’s for sure you better have money on hand to do it
It’s a unibody car not a body on frame car. It’s not a frame swap, unless your gutting it, to build a race car, then why would do that to a boss and destroy all of his value. It has to be restored to be considered a boss mustang. Another engine fine, you can swap the engine around later if you come up with one. But the body and chassis as original, is also a major part of what makes it a boss.
I have an 1970, 302 Boss Block,
New, Never Used. Anyone interested, send me an E-mail. Thanks
Looks like a flood car.
I have one of these in my back yard in alot worse condition. Every part of these cars is reproduced by multiple manufacturers; even the Boss-specific parts like the shock tower reinforcements, staggered rear shock mounts, and rolled-lip front fenders.
Was a cool car at one time. Would have been a lot of fun to drive. Too bad the shaker and magnums are missing.
Looks tine that mousetang was run hard and abused for sure maybe a outlaw used it
When I used to work in the shop, a guy had a 1973 Pontiac Super Duty restored. A desirable car in its own right. What I got education on, and I think that people don’t know this unless you’ve done it, know someone who has or do it for a living, is the amount of money and time that goes into restoring a classic car. And this one here with it being a very desirable vehicle with needing a great deal of work, were are looking at a lot of both.
Stick with me here. The original engine is gone. So no, we aren’t talking crate motor, or even tossing on a pair of 351C heads on a 302 block and calling it good. No. We are talking about period correct parts. A Boss 302 block had 4 bolt mains and screw in frost plugs. Heads were a bit different than the 351C 4V heads. Point is these are very expensive items and we haven’t even gotten into the body work yet. And people with these parts know what they are and what you are trying to do. You could have over $20K in the block, heads, crank and rods really easily. Google Chevy DZ 302 engine and you’ll see what I mean.
This car deserves a 1000 point, rotisserie concourse level restoration for what it is. This is no plain Jane 70 Sportsroof mustang. We are in holy grail territory and this car demands it be done right. What I am getting at is the time and cost of such a restoration is out of the scope of most gear heads. The shop a lot of times doesn’t break even and the person paying for it will never see a roi. I would love to have this car, but the amount of work it needs, one might be better off finding one one for sale and buying it
DZ was actually cheap to build even with trick flows
You pretty much Have to go after an already restored car because at the level of attention you claim this chassis is deserving of a nasty thing tends to happen, that being that the phrase ‘numbers matching’ gets mentioned more and more. Anyone willing to pay that much for a legit Boss 302 is going to ask if it’s numbers matching car and when they find out that it’s Not, they will use that information as leverage to drive the asking price down a lot. It’s a simple fact of life at this level so unless you can somehow locate the block that this car was born with, you always have that hovering over your head because the people willing to pay at that level demand perfection.
Canadian half year or next year Mustangs won’t necessarily match.
The name “Boss” was the idea of Larry Shinoda. Everything we’ve read from back in the day, it did NOT refer to his boss, Bunkie Knudsen, contrary to some later posts we’ve seen. It was slang with the kids at the time, meaning something was hip, or cool… the market he wanted to reach with this car.
We read an interview with Larry back in ’69. I’m sure he respected Knudsen, but he had his own dreams and aspirations in the Ford Motor Company… something about being the “first Japanese -American president of Ford”.
Here’s a tid bit only appreciated by the trust….. The car is called a Boss 302. Technically the engine is not. It is called a 302 H. O. Maybe not picking, but factual. This car is easily restored. Typical Mustang rust. You won’t be upside down if you can handle the metal work yourself and enjoy finding pieces for a correct restoration. If not and turn it over to a shop… Leave a blank check. Signed Pete, a Mustang Restorer
Never owned a Mustang but if I were going to, a ‘70 Boss 302 with a 4-speed would be the one.
Excellent candidate for someone that has a correct Boss 302 and Top Loader, all the sheet metal can be replaced with new stuff very easily nowadays if looking for a restoration project. Or drop in a non correct high performance 302 or 351, stroker maybe, something around 550-600 hp,a nice modern 5-speed, and as long as everything else is roadworthy with the chassis and suspension and brakes, go out and drive the wheels off it, do burnouts, take it to the track, have Fun with it, fix the body work when you can.
Idk Todd. There’s more aluminum in those Minnesota plates than on this car in many places. It’s really stripped too. Even the console is gone. Up to 18k tho, so I dunno. Someone has a dream other than MLK.
Yup, once you start cleaning out the rot you’ll be amazed at how Little viable metal your left with in the end,…
Since it will be a custom: Voodoo swap and IRS. The original GT 350 was not high revving as the original Boss 302. The 5.2 Flatplain is more suited in this real Boss 302 than the GT350R. It should have been the Boss 315. It would be 7 figures at BJs as a BOSS 315.
If you have 100K sitting around, this might be an interesting way to spend it. Great color, crazy interior, real deal Boss 302. What a hoot to own and drive and you ( or your shop) built it yourself so you know what you have. There can’t be many, or any, in this combination still around.
Using the Boss 302 registry I was able to locate my original block last year.
It is still possible. I am surprised at the bidding too-that is some serious rot.
23K is pushin it IMO.
Price down 5K today? 23K yesterday……………
23K bidder probably took a good look at what he was bidding on and saw that there’s nothing there to justify spending 23K. Money’s getting tighter and people arn’t simply throwing cash at a thing to purchase it like they were 2-3 years ago, especially with rust piles like this. The same thing happened with a 66(?) GTO that was in worse shape than this last week, the bidding went up like crazy for a while and then suddenly several bids were withdrawn and it looked like the Goat didn’t sell.
Its back up to 23K? I might have to list mine here pretty soon and it has NO rust. I can’t see 23K when Ive seen nice cars go for 60K
Yeah saw that, makes me think that the bidding is, shall we say, a little ‘fishy’,…
Had a 70 Mach 1. Had to remove motor to replace shock towers. Done by local welding shop.
Well years ago I parted out several Boss 302’s and still have several engines if it’s not rusted out im interested