Description:
Mustang fans, have we got a treat for you! Every once in a while, you run across a special car. One that immediately comes to mind is the original dealer-owned black on black 1968 Shelby GT500KR we stumbled across a couple of months ago, with its original body, interior, drive-train and documents. That car lasted a whole 12 hours after we rolled it out, and was snatched up for $165,000.00. We could have sold that one ten times over. Now here’s another.
In October, 1982, Bruce M. Strachan of Eastlake, Ohio, purchased a 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 302 from Michael Allensen, of Bemus Point, NY. We’re not really sure whether Mr. Allensen was the original owner of the Boss, but he was from the area where it was sold new, McFadden Ford, of Jamestown, NY, so there’s a possibility he was.
What we DO know is that when Bruce purchased the car, it was an untouched survivor with only 25,882 original miles showing in the Odometer. Over the next 26 years, Bruce used the car sparingly, for local shows and cruises only, rolling up a whopping 225 miles on the car. In October, 2008, Bruce walked into our showroom, looking to trade in his prized Boss 302, with only 26,107 miles on the odometer.
When Bruce told us about the car, we were a little skeptical. After all, what are the odds of finding a 26K original mile 69 Boss only a few miles from your shop, and one that had not seen the light of day for nearly 10 years? Undaunted by our skepticism, Bruce picked out his intended new ride and offered to run home and drive back up in the Boss.
An hour later, we heard a nice rumble and watched a Bright Yellow 1969 Boss 302 pull into our parking lot. Skepticism quickly turned to amazement as we went over the car. Wow …. All original sheet-metal! Original interior! Original drive-train! Sure, it has the patina of a 39 year old survivor, but what a nice survivor! We quickly struck a deal with Bruce and then laid out a master plan to cosmetically enhance this incredible survivor, while keeping it as original as possible.
Before we get into the restoration project we undertook, let’s take a peek at how this Boss 302 was constructed by Ford. For those non-Boss experts out there, 1969 Boss 302s are much rarer than 1970 models. The total produced in 1969 was a little over 1600, with more than 7000 produced in 1970.
This 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 302 was ordered by a customer of McFadden Ford, Inc., in Jamestown, NY. The order was received by Ford on April 21, 1969 and was scheduled for Build on May 29, 1969. This Boss was actually built on June 5, 1969, released on June 6, 1969 and sold on June 12, 1969. As per the original, internal Ford Gate Release & Accounting document, Ford charged McFadden Ford $3,280.25 for this Boss, which carried a retail price of $4,036.69.
Here’s how this Boss was built by Ford, based on the Serial Number 9F02GXXXXXX and the Door Plate:
9 = 1969
F = Built at Dearborn
02 = Mustang Sportsroof
G = 302-4V Boss
63A = Mustang Sportsroof
9 = Bright Yellow Paint, Ford #3217-A
2A = Black Kiwi Vinyl Standard Bucket Seats
29E = Scheduled for Build May 29, 1969
37 = Buffalo Ordering District
V = 3.91 Traction-Lok Axle Ratio
6 = Four-Speed Close Ratio Manual Transmission
In October, 1982, Bruce M. Strachan of Eastlake, Ohio, purchased a 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 302 from Michael Allensen, of Bemus Point, NY. We’re not really sure whether Mr. Allensen was the original owner of the Boss, but he was from the area where it was sold new, McFadden Ford, of Jamestown, NY, so there’s a possibility he was.
What we DO know is that when Bruce purchased the car, it was an untouched survivor with only 25,882 original miles showing in the Odometer. Over the next 26 years, Bruce used the car sparingly, for local shows and cruises only, rolling up a whopping 225 miles on the car. In October, 2008, Bruce walked into our showroom, looking to trade in his prized Boss 302, with only 26,107 miles on the odometer.
When Bruce told us about the car, we were a little skeptical. After all, what are the odds of finding a 26K original mile 69 Boss only a few miles from your shop, and one that had not seen the light of day for nearly 10 years? Undaunted by our skepticism, Bruce picked out his intended new ride and offered to run home and drive back up in the Boss.
An hour later, we heard a nice rumble and watched a Bright Yellow 1969 Boss 302 pull into our parking lot. Skepticism quickly turned to amazement as we went over the car. Wow …. All original sheet-metal! Original interior! Original drive-train! Sure, it has the patina of a 39 year old survivor, but what a nice survivor! We quickly struck a deal with Bruce and then laid out a master plan to cosmetically enhance this incredible survivor, while keeping it as original as possible.
Before we get into the restoration project we undertook, let’s take a peek at how this Boss 302 was constructed by Ford. For those non-Boss experts out there, 1969 Boss 302s are much rarer than 1970 models. The total produced in 1969 was a little over 1600, with more than 7000 produced in 1970.
This 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 302 was ordered by a customer of McFadden Ford, Inc., in Jamestown, NY. The order was received by Ford on April 21, 1969 and was scheduled for Build on May 29, 1969. This Boss was actually built on June 5, 1969, released on June 6, 1969 and sold on June 12, 1969. As per the original, internal Ford Gate Release & Accounting document, Ford charged McFadden Ford $3,280.25 for this Boss, which carried a retail price of $4,036.69.
Here’s how this Boss was built by Ford, based on the Serial Number 9F02GXXXXXX and the Door Plate:
9 = 1969
F = Built at Dearborn
02 = Mustang Sportsroof
G = 302-4V Boss
63A = Mustang Sportsroof
9 = Bright Yellow Paint, Ford #3217-A
2A = Black Kiwi Vinyl Standard Bucket Seats
29E = Scheduled for Build May 29, 1969
37 = Buffalo Ordering District
V = 3.91 Traction-Lok Axle Ratio
6 = Four-Speed Close Ratio Manual Transmission
The Boss 302 Package included the following as standard equipment:
Special Handling Suspension
Wide Oval Belted Tires
Magnum 500 Style Steel Wheels
Special Cooling Package
Functional Front Spoiler
But McFadden Ford’s customer wanted just a little but more, so he checked off the following options:
Rear Deck Spoiler
F60X15 Belted Tires w/Raised White Letters
Sport Slats
Power Front Disc Brakes
Color Keyed Racing Mirrors
So there you have it … the grounds for one incredible car: a 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 302 in Bright Yellow, with a four speed, 3.91 axle, front & rear spoilers, front disc brakes and sport slats. I was only five years old in 1969, but if I’d had some dough back then, I would have been down at the Ford dealer buying one of these! Imagine the shock on my dad’s face when the dealer delivered my new Boss 302! Come on Dad, only 11 years until I can drive!
So that’s how it was built. We already know what happened to the Boss over the next 39 years. Now let’s find out what we did to it. As we stated earlier, our goal was to keep this Boss 99.99% original … no reproduction parts allowed.
The interior was easy --- we kept it original. That’s correct, outside of a headliner replacement (sagging), the Black Kiwi Bucket Seat interior is 100% original, from the carpet, to the dash, to the gauges, to the seats, to the seat-belts, to the shifter and console, to the door panels. Check out the sill plates … those are originals! Guys, if you want to achieve a perfect score at the next MCA National Event for an interior in a 1969 Boss 302, come study this car … it’s exactly the way it left the factory 40 years ago. And it’s NICE. There are no rips, cracks or deformities to be found. All gauges operate perfectly. The original AM radio sounds crisp and clear. Need to drive this Boss up in cold weather? No problem … crank the heat … it operates as new!
Not pictured is a brand new set of correct reproduction black rubber floor mats, which arrived after we shot the pictures. This was a car that very obviously never spent any time sitting out in the sun getting weather beaten. So, the interior was easy. Likewise…the glass was just as easy. It’s all original to the car and it’s all perfect. No replacements needed. We did allow one concession in here—the cool rim blow steering wheel on the car is a 1970 piece, installed in the early 1970's by the original owner as he liked the style better than the stock piece. For those ultra picky judges the original is in the trunk—that's the best of both worlds!
Let’s move on to the body. Did we mention that this is a 100% original sheet-metal car? Well, it is. First, we removed the drive-train, rear axle, suspension wiring and lines. Next, the body tub was stripped to bare metal and epoxy coated. A few minor steel patches were applied. All body panels were dipped and e-coated, including the fenders, front valance, rear valance, doors , hood and deck lid. When we re-hung the doors, the door hinge pins were replaced. All body panels were blocked with 180 and blocked with 320 and blocked with 400. The body was then painted in the correct shade of Bright Yellow with PPG base coat/clear coat enamel, and wet sanded with 800,1000, 1500 and, finally, 2000 grit sandpaper. Where Satin Black was called, PPG was used as well. The engine bay was refinished to OEM standards.
While the paintwork was being done, all of the stainless steel trim and chrome was sent out for re-plating and/or polishing. Likewise, the original Sport Slats and original Rear Deck Lid Spoiler (plastic) were repainted.
After the body and paint were complete, the shiny new bright-work was reinstalled, correct new reflective 1969 Boss 302 striping was applied and new weather-strip was placed in every nook and cranny. Last, but not least, the correct and original Sport Slats and original Rear Deck Lid Spoiler (plastic) were remounted.
The end result is, shall we say, spectacular! The body on this Boss 302 is perfectly straight, perfectly aligned and the paint is nicer than Ford Motor Company ever dreamed of. With all of its original trim, chrome, glass, Sport Slats and original Rear Deck Lid Spoiler, the exterior of this Boss 302 is amazing!
Let’s talk about the wheels and tires. Sure, we had to use brand new Firestone F60x15 Belted Tires with Raised White Letters. After all, who wants to roll on 40 year old tires. But, we mounted those tires to ORIGINAL 1969 Ford Magnum 500 wheels. That’s right … this car has its original road wheels, restored, and are they nice!
Let’s get the trunk out of the way …. It’s 100% original and we didn’t touch it. The ORIGINAL B. F. Goodrich space saver spare is present, with the ORIGINAL Ford Motor Company scissors jack mounted on top of it. Neither have ever been out of the car and we didn’t want to break the 39 year chain. We did install a new trunk mat. After all, we said that the car was 99.9% original, not 100%!
Now let’s move on to the all important Boss 302 drive-train. As we pointed out earlier, we removed the engine and trans to paint the car. While the original engine was out of the car, it was gone through, with all seals and gaskets replaced. The engine was repainted in the correct, original color. The original heads were rebuilt, treated to new valve spring retainers and keepers. The original intake manifold was bead blasted and painted. The original exhaust manifolds were blasted and painted. The proper and original Holley carburetor was rebuilt, and treated to new floats and jets. Also reinstalled was the original (NOT a reproduction) rev limiter. Speaking of original (we use that term a lot on this one), we re-used the original fuel pump and the original distributor. We had the original radiator re-cored and rebuilt. Last, but not least, we installed all original, restored emissions equipment (these are NOT reproductions).
New items in the engine bay include: battery; bolt kit; cap and rotor; hoses, belts; spark plug wires, and; coil. So there you have it, a perfectly and properly restored original 1969 Boss 302 engine, nearly 100% correct in every way. And yes, this is the original engine that came in the car, as verified by all numbers.
The original transmission was stripped, gone through and then refinished as per original. Likewise, the original and numbers matching Nodular differential and axle were blasted and refinished. The rear axle assembly was rebuilt and reset.
Mechanically, no expense was spared on the underside of this Boss 302. The following items are correct and new: shocks; leaf springs; fuel lines; brake lines; grommets; body bumpers; upper control arms; lower control arms; inner and outer tie rods; sway bar bushings; u-joints, and; factory correct transverse exhaust and mufflers. Could we have re-used some of the tired, 40 year old suspension and brake parts? Sure. But would it have been wise and could you safely drive this car? Probably not. All of the correct and/or original factory hardware was used during reassembly.
Now let’s talk about the underside. We scraped and sanded the underbody, to reveal the original floor pans, trunk pan and frame rails. As the pictures will detail, the correct factory Epoxy coat was applied as needed. Proper over-spray was blown under the car where appropriate. With the help of Bob Perkins, the noted Boss 302 expert (Bob physically inspected the car and offered his personal assistance), we properly detailed the undercarriage with all of the correct and original factory markings.
So there you have it … a properly and thoroughly restored 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 302, with its original drive-train, 99% original trim, original glass, original sheet-metal, original and hard to find parts including Emissions equipment, Sport Slats, Rear Deck Lid Spoilers, Magnum 500 road wheels, space saver spare, jack, etc., etc., etc.. Perfectly documented and never offered for public sale, ever, this is a unique opportunity for a Mustang collector to purchase a true investment grade car which will absolutely stand out from the vast sea of restored and over-restored cars. This Boss 302 has never been shown in any public setting and is ready to take the world by storm.
As with our 1968 Shelby GT500KR which sold in 12 hours back in November, this isn’t a car to think about … or a car to mull over for a few weeks while you wonder how the stock market is going to do over the next year … or haggle over … this is a car you grab up as quickly as you can and hold on to for the long-term. This is one of the coolest cars you will see on the market in 2009. This one is special and this one is a keeper! Don’t wait!
Color Keyed Racing Mirrors
So there you have it … the grounds for one incredible car: a 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 302 in Bright Yellow, with a four speed, 3.91 axle, front & rear spoilers, front disc brakes and sport slats. I was only five years old in 1969, but if I’d had some dough back then, I would have been down at the Ford dealer buying one of these! Imagine the shock on my dad’s face when the dealer delivered my new Boss 302! Come on Dad, only 11 years until I can drive!
So that’s how it was built. We already know what happened to the Boss over the next 39 years. Now let’s find out what we did to it. As we stated earlier, our goal was to keep this Boss 99.99% original … no reproduction parts allowed.
The interior was easy --- we kept it original. That’s correct, outside of a headliner replacement (sagging), the Black Kiwi Bucket Seat interior is 100% original, from the carpet, to the dash, to the gauges, to the seats, to the seat-belts, to the shifter and console, to the door panels. Check out the sill plates … those are originals! Guys, if you want to achieve a perfect score at the next MCA National Event for an interior in a 1969 Boss 302, come study this car … it’s exactly the way it left the factory 40 years ago. And it’s NICE. There are no rips, cracks or deformities to be found. All gauges operate perfectly. The original AM radio sounds crisp and clear. Need to drive this Boss up in cold weather? No problem … crank the heat … it operates as new!
Not pictured is a brand new set of correct reproduction black rubber floor mats, which arrived after we shot the pictures. This was a car that very obviously never spent any time sitting out in the sun getting weather beaten. So, the interior was easy. Likewise…the glass was just as easy. It’s all original to the car and it’s all perfect. No replacements needed. We did allow one concession in here—the cool rim blow steering wheel on the car is a 1970 piece, installed in the early 1970's by the original owner as he liked the style better than the stock piece. For those ultra picky judges the original is in the trunk—that's the best of both worlds!
Let’s move on to the body. Did we mention that this is a 100% original sheet-metal car? Well, it is. First, we removed the drive-train, rear axle, suspension wiring and lines. Next, the body tub was stripped to bare metal and epoxy coated. A few minor steel patches were applied. All body panels were dipped and e-coated, including the fenders, front valance, rear valance, doors , hood and deck lid. When we re-hung the doors, the door hinge pins were replaced. All body panels were blocked with 180 and blocked with 320 and blocked with 400. The body was then painted in the correct shade of Bright Yellow with PPG base coat/clear coat enamel, and wet sanded with 800,1000, 1500 and, finally, 2000 grit sandpaper. Where Satin Black was called, PPG was used as well. The engine bay was refinished to OEM standards.
While the paintwork was being done, all of the stainless steel trim and chrome was sent out for re-plating and/or polishing. Likewise, the original Sport Slats and original Rear Deck Lid Spoiler (plastic) were repainted.
After the body and paint were complete, the shiny new bright-work was reinstalled, correct new reflective 1969 Boss 302 striping was applied and new weather-strip was placed in every nook and cranny. Last, but not least, the correct and original Sport Slats and original Rear Deck Lid Spoiler (plastic) were remounted.
The end result is, shall we say, spectacular! The body on this Boss 302 is perfectly straight, perfectly aligned and the paint is nicer than Ford Motor Company ever dreamed of. With all of its original trim, chrome, glass, Sport Slats and original Rear Deck Lid Spoiler, the exterior of this Boss 302 is amazing!
Let’s talk about the wheels and tires. Sure, we had to use brand new Firestone F60x15 Belted Tires with Raised White Letters. After all, who wants to roll on 40 year old tires. But, we mounted those tires to ORIGINAL 1969 Ford Magnum 500 wheels. That’s right … this car has its original road wheels, restored, and are they nice!
Let’s get the trunk out of the way …. It’s 100% original and we didn’t touch it. The ORIGINAL B. F. Goodrich space saver spare is present, with the ORIGINAL Ford Motor Company scissors jack mounted on top of it. Neither have ever been out of the car and we didn’t want to break the 39 year chain. We did install a new trunk mat. After all, we said that the car was 99.9% original, not 100%!
Now let’s move on to the all important Boss 302 drive-train. As we pointed out earlier, we removed the engine and trans to paint the car. While the original engine was out of the car, it was gone through, with all seals and gaskets replaced. The engine was repainted in the correct, original color. The original heads were rebuilt, treated to new valve spring retainers and keepers. The original intake manifold was bead blasted and painted. The original exhaust manifolds were blasted and painted. The proper and original Holley carburetor was rebuilt, and treated to new floats and jets. Also reinstalled was the original (NOT a reproduction) rev limiter. Speaking of original (we use that term a lot on this one), we re-used the original fuel pump and the original distributor. We had the original radiator re-cored and rebuilt. Last, but not least, we installed all original, restored emissions equipment (these are NOT reproductions).
New items in the engine bay include: battery; bolt kit; cap and rotor; hoses, belts; spark plug wires, and; coil. So there you have it, a perfectly and properly restored original 1969 Boss 302 engine, nearly 100% correct in every way. And yes, this is the original engine that came in the car, as verified by all numbers.
The original transmission was stripped, gone through and then refinished as per original. Likewise, the original and numbers matching Nodular differential and axle were blasted and refinished. The rear axle assembly was rebuilt and reset.
Mechanically, no expense was spared on the underside of this Boss 302. The following items are correct and new: shocks; leaf springs; fuel lines; brake lines; grommets; body bumpers; upper control arms; lower control arms; inner and outer tie rods; sway bar bushings; u-joints, and; factory correct transverse exhaust and mufflers. Could we have re-used some of the tired, 40 year old suspension and brake parts? Sure. But would it have been wise and could you safely drive this car? Probably not. All of the correct and/or original factory hardware was used during reassembly.
Now let’s talk about the underside. We scraped and sanded the underbody, to reveal the original floor pans, trunk pan and frame rails. As the pictures will detail, the correct factory Epoxy coat was applied as needed. Proper over-spray was blown under the car where appropriate. With the help of Bob Perkins, the noted Boss 302 expert (Bob physically inspected the car and offered his personal assistance), we properly detailed the undercarriage with all of the correct and original factory markings.
So there you have it … a properly and thoroughly restored 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 302, with its original drive-train, 99% original trim, original glass, original sheet-metal, original and hard to find parts including Emissions equipment, Sport Slats, Rear Deck Lid Spoilers, Magnum 500 road wheels, space saver spare, jack, etc., etc., etc.. Perfectly documented and never offered for public sale, ever, this is a unique opportunity for a Mustang collector to purchase a true investment grade car which will absolutely stand out from the vast sea of restored and over-restored cars. This Boss 302 has never been shown in any public setting and is ready to take the world by storm.
As with our 1968 Shelby GT500KR which sold in 12 hours back in November, this isn’t a car to think about … or a car to mull over for a few weeks while you wonder how the stock market is going to do over the next year … or haggle over … this is a car you grab up as quickly as you can and hold on to for the long-term. This is one of the coolest cars you will see on the market in 2009. This one is special and this one is a keeper! Don’t wait!
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