1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Tribute

Description

The word "tribute" gets thrown around so often that the meaning has been severely diluted, but this 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302 tribute gets it right. Far more than just a sportsroof with a set of Boss decals, this is an exacting replica built by a guy who knew what he was doing. Today it faithfully reproduces the Boss 302 experience for about 2/3 the price, which is what real tribute cars do best.

Calypso Coral is this Mustang's original color, which really helps with the Boss 302 makeover. The sheetmetal was stripped bare and rebuilt from there and the results are spectacular. The finish is deep and bright, the gaps line up well, and the car has a high-quality look and feel that can only be created with time and money. They actually restored this car as if it were a real Boss, and that's a worthy pursuit all by itself. The stripes were accurately applied, offering one of the best-looking designs of the era, and the Shaker hood scoop, rear window slats, and both spoilers complete the high performance look. Even the chrome and stainless was restored and reinstalled, offering glittering contrast to the brilliant orange paint, particularly out back where the blacked-out tail panel makes the Boss easy to spot. For Ford fans, there are probably not many Mustangs that are more desirable than this.

There's also a brand new white vinyl interior, which is also how this car was delivered. White upholstery outsold black by a wide margin, which is puzzling from this end of history, but at the time, the bright contrast was very much in fashion and the combination of fresh white door panels and seats with black carpets and dash is extremely appealing. All the new components are accurate reproductions that look like new, with the only real deviation from stock being the fat four-spoke steering wheel and white gauge faces in the dash. A console was optional, even on the Boss, and for many, the industrial look is preferable and also permits the installation of a set of Sunpro auxiliary gauges, including mechanical oil pressure and temperature gauges. The original AM radio remains in the dash and with fold-down rear seats, the sportsroof body style is perhaps the most practical muscle car you can own. The trunk is neatly finished with more black carpet, giving it a highly detailed look.

This car originally used a 351 for power, but now uses a proper 302 that's been built to Boss specs and detailed for show. The block itself was bored .030 oversize and fitted with 10:1 pistons, heavy-breathing 351 Cleveland heads, and a solid lifter camshaft, so the soundtrack is intoxicating. Correct markings have been reproduced throughout the engine bay and the engine itself was painted Ford Blue to match the air cleaner. Finned valve covers were correct for 1970 Boss 302s and there's even a factory-style rev limiter on the firewall, a very rare piece that real Boss 302s are often lacking. The original C4 3-speed automatic is long gone, replaced by a proper Toploader 4-speed manual gearbox and the heavy-duty 9-inch rear end is full of 3.70 gears that let the high-winding small block do its thing. The floors aren't quite detailed for show but it's quite clean underneath, offering a new Flowmaster exhaust system, fresh shocks, some paint markings, and just the right road race stance. Classic Magnum 500 wheels look great and are wrapped in fat 235/60/15 front and 255/60/15 rear Goodyear radials.

Complete with a Marti report and restoration receipts, this is the right way to build a tribute car. Enjoy the authentic Boss experience at a fraction of the price. Call now!