| In 1967 the first big-block Mustang was | | | | somewhat small carburetor. |
| introduced, the S-code 390 which was rated at | | | | Starting with the 1969 model year the Ford |
| 320 hp. This Mustang was not able to compete | | | | brought the road racing Mustang program in |
| with the hot new SS 396 Camaro , so in 1968 | | | | house by creating the Boss 302 with styling by |
| the 428 Cobra Jet engine was introduced, giving | | | | Larry Shinoda, suspension was design by Kar |
| the Mustang true muscle car status, but then why | | | | Kraft. Engineer Matt Donner was the man |
| stop there? In February 1968 when Bunkie | | | | responsible for the excellent Boss 302 chassis, |
| Knudsen arrived in Dearborn he brought with him | | | | which quickly impressed the critics with the way it |
| some strong ideas concerning the Mustang. He | | | | hugged the road. The engine was a Ford 5.0L |
| believed the popular pony car was a good looking | | | | block with the new 351 Cleveland heads. The car |
| automobile, but that there were a tremendous | | | | was originally to be called the Trans Am, until Ford |
| amount of people out there that wanted a good | | | | found out GM had already licensed the name from |
| looking automobile that could perform. He also | | | | the SCCA. |
| knew that the Z/28 Camaro, created with SCCA | | | | The Boss 302 was rated at 290 HP because |
| Trans-Am road racing in mind, could handle and | | | | insurance companies were beginning to penalize |
| stop as well as it could accelerate. Big block pony | | | | the muscle cars by tacking on higher charges to |
| cars were faster, but left something to be | | | | any car rated over 300 HP. Actual horsepower |
| desired going through the curves with all that | | | | was closer to 350. (These are Gross HP figures, |
| weight up front. | | | | not Net, as used today). Race versions made 450 |
| Bunkie was able to lure several GM Design | | | | HP at over 8,000 RPMs. |
| Engineers over to Ford in 1968. One of them was | | | | Boss 302s also ran in Nascar's Grand American |
| designer Larry Shinoda, the man who had drawn | | | | (GA) series. The car came with a wide-ratio or |
| up the Z/28's sport image in 1967. Shinoda was | | | | close-ratio 4-speed top loader. A 3.50:1 rear gear |
| tasked with besting a performance legend that he | | | | was standard with 3.91 and 4.30 optional. Front |
| had helped to create. Shinoda contributed the new | | | | discs are rear drum brakes and 15-inch wheels |
| cars stripes, spoilers and window slats, as well as | | | | were standard. Road tests at the time put 1 |
| its name. Two Boss Mustangs were born in 1969, | | | | 4-mile performance in the upper 14-second range. |
| both originally developed concurrently by Ford's | | | | However, Super Stock magazine tweaked a '70 |
| performance contractor, Kar Kraft Engineering, in | | | | Boss 302 and put slicks on to get a time in the |
| Brighton, Michigan. | | | | mid-13s. |
| The Boss 429 was also built in response to | | | | How did the Boss 302 compare to the Chevy |
| Chrysler's 426 Hemi and it's success in Nascar. | | | | Z28? Well it seems that is was very close indeed. |
| Ford built a 427 Hemi-headed single overhead cam | | | | Chevrolet's Trans-Am Camaro took home the |
| motor first, but it wasn't considered stock enough | | | | SCCA racing championship in 1969, while Ford's |
| for the series so along came the "semi-Hemi" | | | | Boss 302 put the Mustang back on top in 1970. |
| head 429. Kar Kraft was given the task of | | | | As for street performance, both machines relied |
| wedging a 429 into the Mustang. Quarter-mile | | | | on specially built 290 horsepower 302 cubic inch |
| times were reported to be in the lower 14s. | | | | small block V8's. Performance was so close as to |
| Although another of the hot rod magazines, Car | | | | be a toss-up in most street or track encounters. |
| Craft, slightly modified the stock 429 and got a 1 | | | | In late 1970 Ford stopped all factory-sponsored |
| 4 mile in the mid 12s. The street cars came from | | | | racing. So regrettably the fun had to end ... for |
| the factory with a conservative cam and a | | | | now. |