We’re no strangers to stalled project builds crossing our desks at Barn Finds, but classics where the process has stalled twice are slightly less common. Hopefully, this will be a case of third time lucky, not three strikes and you’re out, for this 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302. It requires deep commitment to recapture its former glory, but the fact that it retains all of its original factory steel and is rock-solid offers the new owner a solid foundation to work from. The seller has listed the Boss here on eBay in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. They set their auction to open at $20,000 but have received no bids. However, the listing statistics suggest that this classic has generated plenty of interest.
The seller’s father purchased this Boss in 1988 in a dismantled state, and nothing has changed in the intervening thirty-seven years. The vehicle is a sad and sorry sight, and, as confirmed by the Marti Report, it is missing quite a few parts. These include the Shaker hood, Sport Slats, rear spoiler, and the Magnum 500 wheels. The Report confirms that it left Ford’s Metuchen Assembly Plant in Edison, New Jersey, finished in Wimbledon White with contrasting Black hood stripes. Much water has passed under the bridge since that day in October 1969, with not a hint of the original shade visible in the supplied photos. There is obvious surface corrosion that will undoubtedly prompt the buyer to strip the exterior to bare metal. It is a similar story under this car, although the news isn’t as bad as it could be. There is plenty of corrosion, no evidence of steel penetration, and the seller states that this classic retains all of its original sheetmetal. Therefore, a trip to a media blaster and a rotisserie approach would be the best way to do this classic justice.
The seller supplies no engine photos for a very sound reason: That beautiful 302ci V8, which was this car’s defining feature, disappeared before their father purchased the car in 1988. However, it retains its original four-speed close-ratio manual transmission and 3.91 Traction-Lok rear end. It should be possible to locate a date-correct V8, placing the car’s original 290hp and 290 ft/lbs of torque at the driver’s disposal once again. The seller’s photos reveal that the Black interior was removed at some point, and it appears that most of the parts are intact. They will require a deep clean to determine what pieces, if any, are suitable for reuse. It is a similar story with the exterior trim and chrome, and I think that the winning bidder will be compiling an extensive and potentially expensive shopping list if their aim is a high-end result.
Although this 1970 Mustang Boss 302 hasn’t received any bids, the view and Watch List tallies of 547 and 50, respectively, suggest that enthusiasts are tempted by this classic. Whether that translates into a successful sale is difficult to say because there is an unspecified reserve that is the first hurdle for potential buyers to overcome before they consider how they would approach the revival. It is disappointing that the engine is gone, and sourcing a replacement would be required for a faithful refurbishment. I scoured the usual online auction sites before commencing this article and located almost every part to recreate a Boss engine. The process won’t be cheap, but is it one you would consider?
This would have been a beautiful car when new. The NOM will hurt value, but so few of these cars retain their original engines it’s often not a deal breaker due to the ability to verify authenticity by other means.
This is the same seller whose 1969 Cobra was featured on this site last week.
Steve R
Hmmm, 20 K is a pipe dream
Steve, I thought that’s the way a Boss 302 is supposed to look. Just kidding, but I’m into 69 Z/28 Camaros. I remind Boss 302 owners that the last year (1969) Penske and Donahue ran Camaros against the full factory backed Ford teams in the Trans Am series, they won. I admit that Penske had a bit of Chevy back door support.
In the mid 1970’s there was a 302 Ford on a display stand in the back of one of the classrooms in the Mechanical Engineering building at Queen’s University. I ignored it for most of the three years I was in the building because it said Ford on it.
In the winter of my senior year, class was delayed because of an Ice storm and the professor didn’t show up on time. With nothing else to do, I read the sign on the Ford display motor. It said “302/290 HP. That got my attention because that’s what the 302 in a first generation Camaro was rated at.
As far as I could tell it was a real Boss 302. It had an aluminum intake, big four barrel carburetor, and big valve heads. The block and one of the heads were cut out, so they were useless. But everything else appeared to be usable. I wouldn’t trust any of those parts without checking them, my guess is that Ford put mostly junk parts on the display engine. But you can fix anything if you really need to.
If anybody wants to look for it, it was in a classroom on the second floor of McLaughlin Hall at Queen’s University in Kingston Ontario last time I saw it.
But that was 1975. Who knows, it may still be there somewhere.
Home of the “Golden Gaels”! I owned both a 1969 Z-28 and a 1970 Boss 302, and the Camaro just seemed a little more “Trans Am-ier” to me. Probably because I came from a GM-centric family in a GM-centric area of Western New York dominated by the GM Tonawanda Engine and Axle plants and Harrison Radiator.
I passed on a 70 Boss 302 at an estate auction 6 months ago. Sat in a garage for 30 years with original motor being rebuilt in pieces. Body was mint, paint was mint, interior was mint. Sold for 22,000. Big pass on this “project”
If the body and paint were really mint condition, you messed up.
After fees and shipping, I’d be at 25k. It came with an extra motor, and there were no guarantees on the original block being good. Car was 1500 miles away and they weren’t offering any help to ship the 2 motors…
No way Jose on $22k, someone is eating gummies. At $22k it better have an engine and most of its assigned parts. Figure this, $22k, then you need to source the shaker hood, rear spoiler and magnums before you even lift one finger on the restoration. Now you are at $30k. At $30k you can find a way better example out there to restore. These prices now a days are freaking just stupid numbers. Hard pass on this.
A museum piece example just sold at Mec this weekend for $90K. But it was perfect.
I don’t see a transmission in the inventory picture
Why do people do this to cars? This car is worthless! I had a beautiful 69 dodge GTS 4 speed convertible I sold to a guy in CT he took the engine out left it outside smashed the windshield in anger parted it out and left the destroyed shell in his garage for decades using it as a shelf and a beer can stand!
I’d love to know what he paid for this basket case back in ’88.
Sorry Adam but looking at this ad does not equal interested buyers. I think that nearly all are just like me, reading about it just to see how stupid the price was. As far as the 90K example at Mecum that was mentioned, that was an all numbers matching rotisserie restored 99-point car. One would be about 110K into this thing to make it that nice and it still wouldn’t be numbers matching.
It’s too bad Ford made such a drastic design change in the body in 70. This Stang is not worth the cost of restoration when done. But good luck to the seller hope someone looking for this year has the $ to give for your sake.
20K for a vehicle that looks like it spent time in a mud bog? I don’t think so. No interior pictures, no trunk pictures, no engine bay pictures – plus high price – means no sale. What’s the redeeming quality of this no engine, unseen transmission crate?
What makes a Boss a Boss is the engine, and this car doesn’t have one. At $20K (at least) this is an easy pass.