Pristine '70 Mustang Boss 429 Brings $200K

Good as (MCA Concours) Gold

Worldwide Auctioneers didn’t include the judging sheets in its description of this 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 429 they sold for $200,000 at their Global Headquarters in Auburn, Indiana, on August 30-31, 2019. But given the fact that it was restored by “noted Mustang expert” Kevin Manley and scored an incredible 994 points (out of 1,000) in Mustang Club of America judging, they weren't exaggerating when they called it “outstanding in every possible respect.”

All images courtesy ­­­­­Worldwide Auctioneers

Better built than brand new

If you have a time machine large enough to fit a car, travel to Rome, Georgia, a few days before March 23, 1970, and visit Ford dealer Julian Harrison Inc. with at least $4,500 in time-appropriate money. This car—tagged KK2346—should be there, still showroom-fresh. Buy it and bring it back to today and straight to an MCA judging event. The chances that you’ll best 994 points are razor-thin at best, as Ford racing subcontractor Kar Kraft was in the business of bolting these beasts together, not prepping them for Concours judging. 

>>Join the conversation about this stunning Mustang Boss 429 here in The Mustang Source.

The elephant in the (engine) room

In 1968, Ford had a problem. A big one. They wanted to homologate a massive engine by mounting it in a Mustang, but it simply wouldn’t fit. And as they were talking about building hundreds, not thousands, the job of building Boss 429s in 1969 and 1970 was passed off to Kar Kraft. There, mostly by hand, they reshaped the regular Mustang’s engine bay to accept the 429-cu in V8 and reinforced its structure so it could handle the engine’s 500-plus horsepower. (If you believe it put out just the stated 375 hp, we have a bridge to sell you!)

>>Join the conversation about this stunning Mustang Boss 429 here in The Mustang Source.

There’s more to the Boss than the 429

To complete the transformation, Kar Kraft included such special high-performance features as a stout ‘Toploader’ close-ratio four-speed manual transmission, nine-inch Traction-Lok rear end, 3.91:1 gears, engine-oil cooler, trunk-mounted battery, competition suspension with front and rear anti-roll bars and staggered rear shocks, power front disc brakes, chrome Magnum 500 wheels, and fat F60X15 belted raised white letter tires. All that came at a price, and at $4,087 it was the priciest non-Shelby Mustang offered. Which is funny as—adjusted for inflation—that’s just $28,572 today.

>>Join the conversation about this stunning Mustang Boss 429 here in The Mustang Source.

An authentic (ex-)track assassin

As the Deluxe Marti Report verifies, of the five paint colors on offer that year, this car wears its original Grabber Blue, along with its similarly as-built white interior (black was the other option) with a tachometer, deluxe seat belts with warning light, console, deluxe steering wheel, AM radio, and electric clock along for the ride. And what a ride it must have been, given these turned 12-second quarter-mile times with slicks, basic tuning, and only a few minor tweaks. Unfortunately—for this car—that’s unlikely to ever happen again.

>>Join the conversation about this stunning Mustang Boss 429 here in The Mustang Source.

A storied past, a show pony future

Despite what most vehicle valuation sites and publications will tell you, the typical 1970 Boss 429 sells in the $100k-$150k range. But even if you were given one, there’s almost no chance you’ll use it in the manner for which it was intended as it’s one of just 500 built and even fewer survivors. That’s a shame considering this car spent its first few years as a drag racer in Michigan, after which it was tuned by Jack Roush—yes, that Roush—and “lightly raced” until retired to storage until 2016, the year its restoration—and likely permanent retirement—began.

>>Join the conversation about this stunning Mustang Boss 429 here in The Mustang Source.

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