The seller of what’s left of this 1970 Boss 302, available here on eBay mentions it’s been “sitting for decades” and has suffered “typical rust damage.” Question: what body parts are most prone to rust on a vintage Mustang? Answer: only those that still exist! Missing a rear quarter panel, trunk lid, driver side door, and hood the seller suggests the car might also be “perfect for a Dynacorn replacement body.” However, his disappointingly brief description of the car (20 words to be exact) also reveals the drivetrain is long gone and there’s no motor. Located in Red Lion, Pennsylvania the seller’s starting bid of $5,000 has already been met. Is anyone other than me surprised by that?
In keeping with the theme of brevity, the seller provides only one photo of the car’s ghastly corpse in the eBay listing. The photo quality is poor but I’m venturing a guess that the original color of the Mustang was dark aqua metallic. As a frame of reference, I’ve posted a picture of a similar 1970 Boss painted in that color, courtesy of motor1.com. Do you think I’ve made a good stab at the car’s paint color? From an optimist’s perspective, there are still some decent parts to be had here despite the fact that the car has been cannibalized. But even a true optimist would have a difficult time holding out hope that a proper exhumation of the car would reveal floor pans and perhaps the frame itself in anything but an advanced state of deterioration.
Mustangs Unlimited sells a Dynacorn body shell for $18,499.64. If a motor and drivetrain can be sourced, do you think that’s the best direction to take this project? Or do you think there’s enough good metal left here to attempt to restore this Pony? Please crunch some numbers in the comments section and let’s see if our readers think there is any way to come out right-side-up on what would certainly be an ambitious project in attempting to bring this Boss back to life!
With title and tags an aftermarket body can be “original” in no time.
Dynacorn bodies are not exact reproductions. They make great foundations for a Pro-touring build but not a high dollar restoration. The VIN on this car will wind up on an original body.
Steve R
I do not agree. The only people saying that are the people who want big profits from “original” cars. Rebodies are for the rest of us who could care less if some kid puked in the back seat after a kegger in 1972. History means rot and road miles to stress the metal, while new pristine metal will out live us all. People don’t want replicas because they want the big profit party to keep going on so they can profit, but even the biggest drunkard, eventually sobers up. Time the general public drank some coffee and got back to reality. I say, keep the replicas coming, fast and strong! This is a reasonably affordable way for an average guy to have a car he can work on and make as he wishes, without some trust fund baby driving up the prices out of reach on a whim. He will actually drive it too.
All I’m saying is that nobody will put this VIN on a reproduction body. There is nothing wrong with someone doing a build based on a dynacorn body. It’s just foolish to do a high dollar “restoration” with one. Someone with real knowledge will easily pick it up. Those bodies make sense in many cases, this isn’t one. I’m not in favor of changing VIN’s, but it’s something that is done, and will likely happen with this car. It’s buyer beware, unfortunately too many people put money ahead of principle.
Steve R
Unsure if a Dynacorn body at $18,499.64 is.’This is a reasonably affordable way for an average guy to have a car he can work on and make as he wishes’. At that price it is not reasonably affordable in my neck of the woods for an average guy. This rig is parts.
you know what the people that own southern wrecking yards have got to be laughing their asses off at fools paying big bucks for scrap metal! a lot of stuff on here looks like it was dragged out of a wrecking yard , did you ever consider what might be living in these cars that have sat for years? black widow spiders or god knows what else you find in the south or out west!
The best direction to take would be away from this scrap pile.
For $19,000 plus tax for my money I would add a few thousand and spend it on a real car I could drive now. Certainly not an empty reproduction hollowed out body that isn’t even exact. I would simply import a R32 Nissan Skyline GTR AWD supercar that I have had my eye on. Too funny.
Forget the remains of a dead Mustang. I do not care if it was born as a Boss 302. It’s dead and gone. It meant very little to the farmer who used it for parts years ago who was obviously too lazy to haul the carcass to the scrap yard. Why would you care now?
The poor sap that buys it beware. Can’t hide the vin if it’s posted in the ad. Regestry and vin hounds will pick it up and associate the as found picture to it forever. So the guy planning to take it to BJ at the end of the year beware you could have Jerry Seinfeld lawsuit on your hands trying to pass it off as anything more then what it is.
I think the most surprising thing is that there is an actual bid for $5,000.00 on this piece of scrap…
a shill bid perhaps?
big ticket price for a VIN tag and possibly a few hundred worth of parts.
why would anyone considering the Dynacorn body want to spent $5K + for this junk?
pure trash!!
I’ve heard that about Dynacorn bodies too – that they’re a little off and not recommended if you’re looking for perfect…
I am out then!
Allegedly this is a Mach 1 with just the VIN of a BOSS for sale…….. Note the auto transmission, AC vents in the center of the dash pad….
Love the original color……..
I highly doubt that’s the original color. I have always wanted one in that color, but only 9 were built with that color unfortunately.
Huh, i wonder what I could have gotten today for the 69 Road Runner I junked in the 80’s, I’m sure the frame that almost fell out of it could be replaced ! A 4 speed 383 air grabber car in hemi orange would probably have gotten me $10,000 in these silly times ! It’s unbelievable what ppl pay for a pile of junk and a VIN !
Key word – junked – I did my share…..and regret – biggest prob was the city and code compliance…..didn’t need the little money we got for scrap – just didn’t have the room.
True, but equally problematic is that neighbors do not take kindly to eyesores. Sure if ya have 40 acres out back your okay, many of us did not back when we got these for a song. I too dreamed of keeping a few of my old cars for a day when I would have more money to make them great again, but no place to keep them for a decade or so. Well, I went to college, did well for myself, now in my sunset years I have ample security but can see no reason to pay what is now demanded for my youthful drivers. Besides, any car would not be MY car, and if it wasn’t I think I would end up kicking myself and compare to my more modern rides that are leaps and bounds ahead of anything from when I was young a half century ago. I even am looking forward to a self driving car, so maybe I am no longer a good buyer in this market. Us old farts are getting dangerous on the roads, and we need a robot to pilot us around for the safety of ourselves and others.
Another you gotta be kidding listings. With that lousy pic, how can you tell anything> listing says clear title. SMFH. Good luck…
Cheers
GPC
Nice patina!
Sorry couldn’t resist. I’m a Mustang guy and even I think it’s scrap.
So I’m wondering if the rest of it is still under the train?.
No body….No Rust!
You cannot take the vin tags and put them on another body. That was a appellate court ruling against a guy who rebodied a Shelby 350 and then sold it as an original 350. He argued that he had just changed the body just the same way you would change a transmission, or an engine, or a water pump.
The appellate court did not agree.
If the seller doesn’t say he changed it , and/or the buyer has no clue , it could have been sold over and over and no one would be the wiser. I know of several rebadged cars around and they are all registered . If some guy has a solid 6cyl base model Chevelle rolling chassis , and a complete but severely rotted out big block SS , do you think he would restore the base car or make the base car into the more desirable SS ?
I understand completely, However, if other people commit suicide and get away with it does that justify you doing it too ?
There are state and federal laws against this sort of activity, and believe me the feds can trace that car down to the person who changed the vin numbers because people talk rather then go to jail.
You have to sell the car at some location, right? Well all the feds have to do is to twist the current owners arm to reveal the location of where they bought it from, and then the feds go to that location and see who owned the property or rented it at the time of the sale.
Changing or transferring or correcting Vehicle Identification Numbers is a very risky thing to do, and I strongly advise that no one do it unless you have permission from a judge or the state licensing authority that the vehicle is titled in.
Ugliest piece of abstract art on the planet EVER
There’s always a con man out there and if you watched the Sunday morning line up of car restoration shows on TV I’m sure you can recall the real winged super bird found totaled in a junk yard brought back to life with the restoration body panels available!!! Is it right??? It’s not for me to say!! But what I do know is that it makes me sick to my stomach when I here about these cars being sent overseas or put in a museum!! It’s just one less to see on the road!!!
$5,000.00 for that? Someone has lost their mind and it’s not me.
Parted out already. Some body’s selling scrap .crack is bad..
robert g your wrong i live in ohio one of the most strict states in the union and to rebody a car or to re chassis a car and utilize a good vin plate and parts and title from an original car it came from its completely legal. I have been building and rebuilding customs and classics for over 20 years… Dont believe me just look at US code 511.b.2.b , now areas where you can and will get in trouble is techincally the car truck camper motorcycle or boat needs to be inspected and all major parts chassis body drive train all needs receipts or at least proof of legal transaction, or if the seller attempts to lie to a buyer, and in that situation if ya got a good lawyer you can get out of.
Imagine if that was the blue lady… itd get rebuilt in no time lol.
Tom, I am just telling you what three federal appellate court judges ruled on.
The seller did not disclose the fact that he replaced the body of the Shelby 350.
And the judges ruled that the vin numbers go with the donor car with all the Shelby parts which would not have made it a true Shelby.
This man took a regular rust free mustang and transfered all the Shelby parts on to the regular mustang, including the vin tag.
Also, know this, If the higher courts rule against an existing law, that law becomes void.
Now if you have permission from the state to change the body and use the original vin number you are okay. Keep in mind that different states have different laws and different interpretations of those same or similar laws. It gets complicated.
What would be more insulting to that piece of lawn art would be to make it into a chinese mustang using a Dynacorn body.