Considered one of the rarest and most sought-after muscle cars that hit the road, the Ford Mustang Boss 429 went to market with only 1,359 units rolling off the line.
Created as a Ford homologation special, the Boss 429 was made available to the public at a price tag of less than $5,000. Now, their exclusivity can pull a half-million or more at auction. While the appearance of a long-lost Boss is few and far between, the internet reveals chatter about how many 429’s are actually left.
There are some known resto specimens, like this 429 showcased at SEMA, the one in Jay Leno’s Garage, or the one in Jack Roush’s collection (of ROUSH Performance). An occasional barn find will also surface now and then. But for now, while we wait for the next Boss 429 treasure to be unburied, we look back at some of the cool facts that Ford fans may have forgotten about the 1969 Mustang Boss 429.
10 Ridiculously Rare
The Ford Mustang Boss 429 is one of the scarcest muscle cars that a classic collector can hunt for. The Boss 429 only saw a two-year production period.
Its first year of assembly was 1969 when 860 hit the pavement. The 429 Mustang was discontinued in 1970 after 499 more were produced.
9 Originally Built for NASCAR
Ford developed the 1969 Mustang Boss 429 for competition in NASCAR’s Grand National Division. It was Ford’s answer to Mopar’s HEMI in the battle of brands.
At the time, NASCAR’s homologation rules required 500 production units of competition vehicles to be sold to the public. Hence, the 429 came to the streets, and just like Black Sunshine, knuckles around the country went white gripping the wheel. As for NASCAR, according to Hemmings, cars running the Boss 429 won a whopping 26 Grand National races.
8 Engine Size Forced Redesign Of Mustang Body
The Boss’ 429 was not just a slight cubic inch increase of the Ford 427 and 428. It was a completely new source of power that had to be packed into their intended street-legal Mustang engine bay.
Try as they might, the width of the super-sized 429 just didn’t fit. The FoMoCo’s answer resulted in a contract with Kar-Kraft Engineering whittling down and reconstructing the Mustang, to ensure the required 500 production models rolled off the line.
7 The Boss Was Nose Heavy
With much of Kar-Kraft’s redesign, the Boss still needed a nose job. To lighten the load of the nose-heavy vehicle more mods were made.
The 429’s battery found a new home in the trunk and the A/C was removed. Additionally, for the first time, a sway bar was added as a stock inclusion on a Mustang as the Boss needed improved handling to combat the front weight.
6 Holley Scoop And Later Hurst Shifter Were Standard
The Boss 429 was topped by a Holley 4-barrel rated at 735 CFM. Its fully-functional hood scoop matched the Mustang’s body color for 1969 but was painted black for the 1970 version.
Ford’s Toploader four-speed manual was used. For 1970, a Hurst Shifter appeared standard.
5 A 14-Second Car, Stock
Stock, a 1969 Ford Mustang 429 Boss 7-liter V8 ran a 14.09 quarter-mile. It clocked a top speed of 128 mph with a 0 to 60 in 6.8 seconds.
The 429 was rated at 375-horse. It is rumored that the hp number was “downsized, downplayed, fudged, and/or doctored” to reduce insurance costs and/or legal issues.
4 First Production Boss 429 Available Was Named Job 1
A Kar-Kraft crew assembled on January 15, 1969, for a photo op with the first production 429. The date immortalized in the black and white shot was January 15, 1969, and the Mustang was bestowed with the name Job 1.
In June 2019, the search for Job 1 ensued. Only two months later, Ford Authority reported details of the first-ever Boss 429’s history had been uncovered, including its owners from 1971 to 1985. In Nov 2021, Peterson Automotive Museum posted a video of Job 1 on the floor.
3 Paint Colors Changed Completely For Each Of Its Two Years Of Production
The 1969 Boss 429 came in five colors. Raven Black, Royal Maroon, Black Jade, Candyapple Red, and Wimbledon White were the options.
In a complete color redo, all five body colors were changed in its next year of production. For 1970, the options became Grabber Blue, Grabber Green, Grabber Orange, Calypso Coral, and Pastel Blue. The interior was only offered in black for 1969. White was added for 1970.
2 SEVEN Total Mustang Models Were Produced For 1969
Total production numbers for all seven 1969 Mustang styles were just under 300K. As we mentioned prior, the Fastback Boss 429 accounted for less than 900 of them.
Three other Fastbacks (Fastback, Fastback Boss 302, Fastback Mach 1) were also released. In addition to the total of four Ford Fastbacks, there were two other Hardtops (Hardtop, Hardtop Grande) and a Convertible produced. The Hardtop was most popular at 128,428.
1 Paul Walker Owned One
A Mustang Boss 429 seems a fitting ride for the late Paul Walker of Fast and Furious fame. His 429 numbered KK #1773 came in factory Raven Black.
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It appeared at a 2020 auction boasting less than 15,000 miles on the original motor and tranny. It was estimated by Mecum to sell at upwards of $400,000.