1969 FORD MUSTANG BOSS 429 FASTBACK

KK #1480, UNRESTORED, 820-S NASCAR ENGINE

Nobody laughs at a Boss 429, except maybe about one thing: The 375 horsepower rating. While it was toned down for the street with headers, a street cam and some other bits, the 429 had been built for NASCAR. In race trim, it made over 700 HP and could hit 200 MPH at Daytona, but even the street engine would rev to over 7,500. The official horsepower figure was for 5,600 RPM, but it’s not until much higher up when it makes real power and one of the greatest sounds known to man. People keep close track of all 857 Boss 429s built in 1969, but in 1980, decades before the internet made it easy to keep track of cars, Mr. Hill purchased this special Mustang from the original owner. Since then, it’s become an almost mythical car, because under the hood is the last of the NASCAR 820-S engines.

Estimated production numbers and hazy recollection have long said that Kar Kraft number 1480 should have the final of 279 820-S engines installed in a Boss 429, but as it hasn’t been seen in so long, few have really known. Now in the public eye, it’s been shown to have its original engine with race-specification camshaft and heavy (nearly three pounds each) connecting rods with half-inch bolts. The only reason for this much strength was to sustain extended high-speed running in NASCAR. It was a disadvantage on the street, as the later lighter rods and mechanical camshaft upgrade made the 429 freer-revving and faster in a quarter-mile. That makes the S engine more collectible today.

Getting a 429 between Mustang shock towers was difficult, and Ford had Kar Kraft in Brighton, Michigan do the work, which included engine bay modifications and an ultra-heavy-duty suspension. Just to fit the big engine, the front was lowered and widened using Boss 429-specific spindles and control arms, but there’s much more to a Boss Mustang than that. The Z-code Cobra Jet engine alone was over $1,200, with about a dozen more mandatory extra cost options. They were a combination of performance and appearance items, including a manually opened hood scoop, body-color dual racing mirrors, oil cooler, 85-amp battery relocated to the trunk, power steering, power front discs, 3/4-inch rear stabilizer bar, close-ratio toploader 4-speed with 9-inch 3.91:1 Traction-Lok axle, competition suspension, 15×7-inch chrome Magnum 500 wheels with F60x15 Polyglas tires, a Black interior with high-back comfortweave vinyl bucket seats, Deluxe decor group, 8,000 RPM tach and more. The lower front even required a unique $13 spoiler, even though it’s the same shape as a Boss 302. With a sticker around $4,900, Ford still lost money on each one.

The Danny Hill Collection Boss 429 was sold new at Bob Bales Ford in Tennessee and wears the same Black Jade paint and Black interior in which it was delivered. As the second owner, Mr. Hill has pampered the car with a climate-controlled environment and it is documented with two original build sheets and the original owner card. KK No. 1280 could be considered one of the most sought-after muscle cars in the world and has been out of circulation since the Carter administration, in one of the most discerning collections in the world. It has only been sold twice, and there just aren’t many others like it.

Highlights

Part of the Danny Hill Collection for 35 years
KK no. 1480
Unrestored condition
Original paint and interior
14,361 original miles
Original 820-S NASCAR Boss 429 engine
Believed to be the last S-code NASCAR engine installed in a Boss 429 Mustang
4-speed transmission
Competition suspension
Power steering and front disc brakes
Philco AM radio
Black Jade with Black Deluxe interior
Chrome Magnum 500 wheels
Original Goodyear Polyglas GT tires
Sold new at Bob Bales Ford