Ask any classic car fan what their favorite year of Ford’s iconic pony car is, and chances are you’ll hear about the 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429, or the 1965 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 first.
But if you ask a real Ford Mustang geek what their favorite year of the ‘Stang is, you’d probably hear of a car you may not have even known existed. That car is the 1971 Ford Mustang Boss 351, not to be confused with the original Boss Mustangs, the 302 and 429.
The Mustang Boss 351 was a redesign of the first-gen Mustang and looked a lot like the 1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1, the other SportsRoof, or fastback option. Which means it was bigger and beefier-looking than ever before. Both actually signaled the end of the high-performance Mustang since the oil crisis was set to change the muscle car world for the worse — making them significant in their own ways.
But the Boss 351 is arguably the better ‘Stang. It was the most powerful of the small-block V8s with its 5.7-liter motor, but most fans think it’ll outrace the ’71 Mach 1 with the 429 cubic inch (7.0-liter). It’s also the rarer of the two, with only 1,806 Boss 351s ever being made, in a single year of production only. This also makes the Boss 351 more valuable, of course.
Unfortunately it wasn’t much of a looker. But digital wizard Timothy Adry Emmanuel has a fix for that, as illustrated in this exclusive render for HotCars. This is one 1971 Ford Mustang Boss 351 that purists just may put aside originality for. Widebody conversions on muscle cars tend to look good, but this Boss 351 looks great! It’s a completely different flavor to another Mustang Boss 351 restomod render the artist created, and dare we say, this is the one we really, really want.
This One-Of-One Mustang Boss 351 Restomod Packs A Subtle Widebody
You can tell this restomod has paid attention to the details. The slim A-pillars and door section are your only giveaway that this Boss 351 isn’t quite the same as others out there. Because from the hood down you start to notice the subtle flaring of the fenders and rear quarter panel to stretch over the wide-barrel wheels. There’s even the impression of cutouts behind the front fenders to vent pressure out from the wheel wells. The wheels themselves are a modern take on the iconic Magnum 500 wheel design. They’re easily one of the standouts on this render.
Coming back to the hood, with the signature Boss 351 Ram Air intakes. You may spot a hump in the driver’s point of view for the hood-mounted tachometer. But it’s not just any tach — it’s been designed to house a digital rev counter! Modern lighting at both ends is pretty much warranted, but we especially love how the front bumper narrows in towards the bottom. Not to mention the sculpted front lip spoiler.
The rear shows a little more restraint than the body-kit implies, but is immediately recognizable as a 1971 Mustang. It’s got the same sheared-off rear, triple-section tail lights, Boss 351 spoiler. Except, a modern diffuser rounds it off.
Ford’s Most Underrated Mustang Was The Boss In Every Way
The 1971 Mustang Boss 351 continued the tradition that the earlier Boss 302 and Boss 429 models had set in motion. It offered pretty much race performance to just about anybody. The Boss 351 did carry the special ‘R’ engine code though, to signify its high-compression 5.7-liter V8.
Though it was rated for less power and torque than the big-block 429 that was also vying for people’s attention at the time, many believe the Boss 351 put its power down better thanks to its gearing. While the Boss 351 and Mach 1 haven’t come together on the drag strip as far as we know, it’s fair to say the big-block would have had its work cut out for it.
This Widebody Mustang Boss Has Modern Shelby V8 Power
Especially if you consider that the digital artist has re-imagined this Mustang Boss 351 with something special under the hood. This muscle car has been designed to fit the supercharged 5.0-liter Coyote V8 from the 2021 Shelby Super Snake!
The Whipple supercharger pushes the output from the Coyote motor all the way to 825 hp. In the modern Shelby, that’s good for a 0-60 mph time of 3.5 seconds. It’d be fair to say this Boss 351 restomod, which is much lighter, could easily match that with its wide rubber.
But the power it’s packing isn’t the reason we want this Mustang Boss 351 render to come to life so badly. It’s obviously the styling that does that all on its own. Just look at it!