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We ship world wide.
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1969 – Who’s The Boss?
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Sam Auxier, Jr.’s 1969 Mustang ran in
NASCAR Ultra/Stock with a Tunnel Port
427 for power.
“Ohio George” Montgomery used his
red 1969 Mustang as a test bed for
innovations while he ran the blue
Mustang at most major events. (“FE
Bob” Fermier collection)
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In keeping with an unusual penchant for simultaneously producing diverse engine families with
similar displacements, Ford introduced the 385-series engine during 1968. At 429 ci and bearing
no resemblance to the 428-ci FE-series engines, the “429 Thunder Jet” was mated to Ford’s big
luxury cruisers, the Thunderbird and Lincoln. For 1969 the 429 would undergo a transformation
into Ford’s newest performance engine, the Boss 429. With an eye toward NASCAR stock-car
racing, Ford fitted the 429 with aluminum cylinder heads that featured hemispherical combustion
chambers and massive round ports for intake and exhaust. In order to meet NASCAR requirements
for competition, the new engine would have to be an available production option. Ford turned to
subcontractor Kar-Kraft with a mission to convert a series of 1969 Mustang fastbacks into the “Boss
429 Mustang.”
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Boss 429 relied on
0.050-inch O-rings instead
of conventional gaskets to
seal the cylinder heads to
the block.
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Between 1960 and 1970, 1,358 Boss 429 Mustangs were constructed. As a street performer, the
new Mustang was limited. The engine had hydraulic valve lifters, intake ports which were far too
large for good low-end performance, and a newly introduced factory-installed engine-RPM limiter
that tended to shut things down prior to reaching the revs needed to really get the engine
breathing. The average 428 Cobra Jet Mustang could easily embarrass the big Boss. However,
what the Boss 429 Mustang lacked in stoplight performance it more than made up for in visual
impact when the hood was popped at the local drive-in. Drag racers soon came into possession of
the new engines and began transforming the Boss 429 into a winner. Ford built three Boss 429
Mustangs for Pro/Stock competition. The recipients were Mickey Thompson for driver Butch Leal,
Dave Lyall, and Hubert Platt. Of the three, the Going Thing of Lyall had the most success recording
the first 9-second Pro/Stock run at Bristol, Tennessee.
As early as August 1968, the Stock Vehicles Department submitted recommendations for making
the Boss 429 Mustang competitive in Stock and Super Stock drag racing. For “common” stock and
“common” super stock it was suggested that the cars be equipped with a “good” hydraulic
camshaft, a minimum of 12.5:1 compression ratio, an option to delete sound deadener, a trunk-
located battery, 3,300-lb shipping weight, the option of a “good” automatic transmission with a high-
stall torque converter, and fresh-air induction (only the trunk-mounted battery and fresh air
induction would come to fruition in production cars).
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This photo shows the
aluminum hemispherical
combustion-chambered
cylinder head for the
1969-’70 Boss 429.
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For “unique super stock” a V-8 intake manifold with two 720-cfm carburetors, delete heater and
sound deadener, and fresh-air induction via the cowl were requested.
For “unique stock” it was suggested that an improved single 4-barrel intake manifold and an 850-
cfm carburetor be utilized. It was apparent that at least one person at Ford recognized the fact that
the proposed 735-cfm carburetor for the Boss 429 would be woefully inadequate, and the choice of
that carburetor was particularly unusual in light of the fact that a 780-cfm unit was chosen for the
smaller Boss 302 engine.
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Here is a photo
of the Boss 429
head showing
massive round
ports, which
made it less than
a killer on the
street but was
unbeatable at
high RPM.
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In the July 1969 issue of Car Life magazine, it was reported that their test of a Boss 429 Mustang
weighing in at a hefty 3,870 lbs and equipped with a 3.91 rear axle resulted in a quarter-mile time of
14.09 seconds at 102.85 mph and although not as fast as many other cars tested by the magazine
they reported that the Boss 429 Mustang was “the best enthusiast car Ford has ever built.”
Another Boss appeared on the scene in 1969 as well. The Boss 302 would prove to be the boldest
approach to small-block performance rolling out of Dearborn during the decade. Ford increased
the 289 engine to 302 ci in 1968, and while the Boss 302 shared displacement with the standard
engine, that’s where the similarity ended. The Boss 302 was an all-out race engine. The most
striking external feature of the new engine was the cylinder heads. Huge ports and splayed valves,
pushrod guide plates, adjustable rocker arms all topped with cast aluminum valve covers. A
matching intake manifold and Holley 4-barrel carburetor gave the Boss 302 a HP rating of 290. The
Boss was available in Mustang and Cougar models during 1969 and 1970. As with the Boss 429,
the 302 was best suited to high-RPM operation, so the cars suffered the same woes as the 429 on
the street.
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The standard/optional engine list for the 1969 Mustang read like War and Peace, starting with the
base 6-cylinder, the standard 302, the newly introduced 351 Windsor, 390 FE, two versions of the
428 Cobra Jet (ram air and non-ram air), and, of course, the Boss 302 and 429 models. On the
drag strip it was the 428 Cobra Jet and other FE-series engines that would continue to carry the
banner. The CJ Mustangs, Cougars, Torinos, and Cyclones rolled up innumerable victories in
Super Stock and Stock Eliminator classes from coast to coast.
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Boss 429 Engine Specifications
Cylinder block: Cast iron 385 series with four-bolt main caps
Bore and stroke: 4.36 x 3.59
Compression ratio: 10.5:1
Horsepower: 370 @ 5,200 rpm
Torque: 450 ft-lb @ 3,400 rpm
Ignition: Dual points, dual vacuum advance
Camshaft Hydraulic: (C9AZ6250-A) Lift: Intake: 0.445
Exhaust: 0.495
Duration: Intake: 282 degrees Exhaust: 296 degrees
Camshaft Mechanical: (DOAZ6250-D) Lift: Intake: 0.458 Exhaust: 0.509
Duration: 300 degrees intake and exhaust
Crankshaft: Forged steel (cross drilled)
Connecting rods: Forged steel (two different connecting rods
available: 820S (NASCAR rod with 1/2” bolts) and 820T (light
rod with 3/8-inch bolts)
Pistons: Forged aluminum
Cylinder heads: Cast aluminum, combustion chamber
volume 85-95 cc
Valve sizes: Intake 2.28 inch Exhaust 1.90 inch
Intake manifold: Cast aluminum high rise
Carburetion: Holley 4-barrel 735-cfm vacuum secondary
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Boss 302 Engine Specifications
Cylinder block: Cast iron with four-bolt main caps
Bore and stroke: 4.00 x 3.00
Compression ratio: 11.1:1
Horsepower: 290 @ 5,800 rpm
Torque: 290 ft-lb @ 4,300 rpm
Ignition: Dual points, dual vacuum advance
Camshaft mechanical: 0.477 lift intake / exhaust 290 degree
duration intake / exhaust
Crankshaft: Forged steel
Connecting rods: Forged steel (same as high-performance 289)
Pistons: Cast aluminum
Cylinder heads: Cast iron, combustion chamber volume 58.0 cc
Valve sizes: Intake 2.23 (1969) 2.19 (1970) Exhaust: 1.71
Intake manifold: Cast aluminum high rise
Carburetion: Holley 4-barrel 780-cfm vacuum secondary
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Ford Takes the Show on the Road
In a novel follow-up to the brisk sales of performance cars in the showrooms, Ford formed two
teams of professional drag racers to visit dealerships and present performance clinics. The team of
Hubert Platt and Randy Payne covered the eastern part of the country. In the West, Ed Terry and
Dick Wood got the call. Platt and Payne’s cars were blue with white stripes and lettering while the
Terry and Wood vehicles were white with blue. In between race dates the teams were booked into
dealerships where they shared their secrets to racing success with the hoards of young men who
showed up in the hopes of gaining an edge for their own hot Ford.
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Sam Auxier, Jr.’s 1969 Mustang
was a top-running machine in
the NASCAR Ultra/Stock ranks.
Sam used 427 Tunnel Port for
power. (Sam Auxier, Jr.)
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1970 Drag Clinic Cost Estimates
In a report dated March 4, 1970, the Performance Events Department at Ford submitted an
estimate of costs to continue the Drag Clinic program for 1970. The estimate was for the support of
the six program vehicles consisting of three Pro/Stock and three handicap Super Stock cars.
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Engine build costs at Holman-Moody-Stroppe:
10 – SOHC 427 engines @ $5,500.00 each
6 – 428 Cobra Jet engines @ $3,500.00 each
3 – 429 Cobra Jet engines @ $2,000.00 each
4 – B&M automatic transmissions @ $450.00 each
6 – B&M torque converters @ $500.00 each
10 – 2.32 ratio low-gear top-loader 4-speed
transmissions @ $230.00 each
5 – 2.54 ratio low-gear top-loader 4-speed
transmissions @ $920.00 each
10 – Ring and pinion gears @ $38.50 each
4 – Nodular cases for 9-inch rear @ $100.00 each
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Engines provided to drag teams with build and blueprint costs at sources of their choice:
10 – SOHC 427 engines @ $2,000.00 each
Estimated blueprint costs and parts necessary for repair
Total cost: $100,485.00
10 – Used Boss 429 engines @ $3,000.00 each
Estimated blueprint costs and parts necessary for repair
Total cost: $110,485.00
Update of Hubert Platt’s handicap Mustang $1,500.00
Estimated build costs of handicap or stock class car for Dick Loehr $6,000.00 (car was not built)
Total cost: $7,500.00
The estimated cost for operation of the Ford Drag Clinic program for 1970 was $337,955.00.
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An additional cost estimate to provide Tasca Ford with a two-car team consisting of one Pro/Stock
and one match-race car totaled $50,831.00. It was closed with a note stating: “At the present time
we do not recommend match-race cars for Ford factory drag racing program association because
they do not fall within any classes and only benefit the car owner monetarily.” Apparently someone
at Ford had not bothered to visit a drag strip where the seats were filled with fans who came to see
a match race.
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Previous | Next
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This has been a sample page from
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Total Performers: Ford Drag Racing
in the 1960s
by Charles Morris
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The 1960s was arguably the most important decade for
drag racing. It had exciting cars, thrilling races, and most
importantly, factory participation. Among the best high-
performance cars and engines were those coming from
Dearborn, Michigan. Ford Motor Company’s “Total
Performance Years” saw a breakthrough as drag racing
helped the younger, performance- and style- conscious
consumer to begin receiving some recognition.
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Factory participation in drag racing pushed the
envelope for high performance developments. Ford's
FE-series engine, Police Interceptor, GT 390, Single
Overhead Cam, Cobra Jet, and Boss 429 are all
covered in detail. See the cars and the drivers that
made them famous – Dick Brannan’s Goldfinger, Bill
Lawton’s Mystery Mustang, “Dyno Don” Nicholson’s
Eliminator Comet, Gas Ronda’s stretched Mustang, Al
Joenic’s Batcar, and more.
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Click here to view sample pages from
each chapter.
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Chap. 1 - 1960 Fords in Drag Racing
Chap. 2 - 1961 Fords in Drag Racing
Chap. 3 - 1962 Fords in Drag Racing
Chap. 4 - 1963 Fords in Drag Racing
Chap. 5 - 1964 Fords in Drag Racing
Chap. 6 - 1965 Fords in Drag Racing
Chap. 7 - 1966 Fords in Drag Racing
Chap. 8 - 1967 Fords in Drag Racing
Chap. 9 - 1968 Fords in Drag Racing
Chap. 10 - 1969 Fords in Drag Racing
Chap. 11 - 1970 Fords in Drag Racing
Chap 12 - Ford of Canada Drag Racing
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Accomplished journalist and life-long Ford aficionado
Charles Morris takes you back to the Total
Performance Years through first-hand accounts as well
as over 400 rare photographs. A drag racer since
1966, Morris has run cars in both Stock and Super
Stock classes. He is currently the owner of the original
Norristown Ford 1963 _ lightweight Galaxie and races
the car in Nostalgia Super Stock as part of the 422
Motorsports Drag Racing Team. This book is a must
read for all drag racing fans, not just Ford enthusiasts.
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Hardbound
10 x 10"
192 pages
130 color & 290 b/w photos
Item # CT407
Price: $Discontinued
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Click here to buy now!
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This is a great book any Ford
enthusiast will love!
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Other items you might be interested in
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Gasser Wars: Drag Racing's Street Classes: 1955 to 1968
Author Larry Davis combined his own image archive with many rare,
never-published images from racers, fans, and track photographers all
over the country. He also did extensive research and interviews with
former drag racers. The result is a comprehensive, entertaining, and
nostalgic look at drag racing history.
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Price:
$22.95
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Factory Lightweights: Detroit's Drag Racing Specials of the '60s
Among racers it has never been a secret that a lighter car is a faster
car—particularly in drag racing. When Detroit’s automakers got
involved in organized drag racing, they paid heed to this principle,
issuing a series of rare race-only cars that became legends in their
own time. Factory Lightweights: Detroit’s Drag Racing Specials of the
‘60s chronicles these rare cars that still inspire admirers and imitators
today, like the Ford Fairlane 427 Thunderbolt.
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Price:
$22.95
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Mustang Muscle Portfolio 1967-1973
Road and comparison test, specifications, and model introductions on
the Shelby GT 350 & 500; 390 GT; 428 Cobra Jet; Tunnel Port; Mach
1, 351, 428, 429; Boss 302, 351, 429; Grande; and 351 HO. 140 pgs.,
over 250 b&w photos. Sftbd.
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Price:
$22.95
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Shipping is combined and discounted for multiple item purchases!
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MRE
PO Box 47
Grinnell, IA 50112
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