Dennis Collins Rescues Rare 1 Of 29 TASCA 1970 Mustang Boss 302
Produced only in 1969 and 1970 as a SCCA Trans Am racing series homologation special, the Ford Mustang Boss 302 is a muscle car icon. Apart from a distinctive design and color scheme, the Boss 302 received a race-bred 302 cubic inch engine advertised for 290 hp. However, most gearheads know that this figure was conservative.
Featuring forged pistons and crankshaft, cylinder heads from a 351, High-Rise Aluminum Intake Manifold, and a Holley four-barrel carb, the Boss 302 could actually pull closer to 350 or even 374 hp according to some dyno tests.
Every Boss 302 was built to be race-ready, and they only came with 4-speed manual transmissions.
The Rare Find
For his most recent video, Dennis Collins traveled to Sarasota, Florida to rescue an extremely rare Ford Mustang Boss 302 that’s been sitting in the owner’s garage for 6 years.
Specs
| Engine | 302ci V8 |
| Power | 290 hp |
| Torque | 290 lb-ft |
| Transmission | 4-spd manual |
Packing a 3.91 Traction Lok differential and 4-speed manual, the Boss 302 was built as part of a homologation series, with 8,641 examples made between 1969 and 1970. However, the one Collins found is one of just 29 known examples to be delivered and sold by Tasca Ford performance dealership in 1970 according to the video.
The thing that immediately struck Dennis was the spectacular condition and beauty of this muscle car. That’s because the owner has been putting a lot of work into restoring it.
Knowing its history, the previous owner had modified it to be an all-out dragster and added a shaker hood. With the extensive mods made to the car for drag, the current seller had a tough time getting it back to stock form.
The seller bought it as a fun restoration project and did one heck of a job repairing the wiring, gauges, and drivetrain, and installing new tires to bring it to stock form. Still, the problems kept lining up for him – malfunctioning gauges, leaking water pumps, and carburetor problems – until the car simply got too much for him.
Dennis immediately took it out for a spin and did some screaming-loud pulls in it. Now, this Boss 302 just needs some minor detailing and polishing to become an extremely handsome and expensive collector’s item.
The Legacy Of Ford “Boss” Mustangs
Ford built three different “Boss” models between 1969 and 1971: the Boss 302, 351, and 429. They are now some of the most desirable classic Mustangs money can buy. Each is a track-ready high-performance muscle car and very special in its own right.
1969-70 Mustang Boss 302
Introduced in 1969, the Boss 302 was the first of the three and really set the stage for the iconic nameplate thanks to its unique looks, badging, and of course, aggressive high-revving Boss 302 engine designed for the track. Today, examples in good condition fetch a surprisingly steep $91,835 on average, according to recent auction data compiled by Classic.com.
1969-70 Mustang Boss 429
| Engine | 429ci V8 |
| Power | 375 hp |
| Torque | 450 lb-ft |
Built between 1969 and 1970, the Mustang Boss 429 is not only the most iconic among the three but also the rarest and most expensive. It was built to homologate Ford’s 429 cubic inch V8 for NASCAR, and only 1,358 units ever hit the streets. It’s known for its striking looks and massive power, and its advertised 375 horsepower output was notoriously underrated, with the true figure being closer to 500 hp.
As a result, the average prices collectors pay for these are in the neighborhood of $313,310, according to Classic.com.
1971 Mustang Boss 351
| Engine | 351ci Cleveland V8 |
| Power | 330 hp |
| Torque | 370 lb-ft |
Ford
While the 302 and 429 were built as homologation specials for Trans Am and NASCAR, the 351 was simply built as a thrilling high-performance trim for enthusiasts in 1971 after the success of the first two Boss models. These go for about $63,100 in good condition today (Hagerty).
This article was originally published by Hotcars
