The intake manifold is a tried-and-true Edelbrock Performer RPM cast aluminum piece, topped by a Holley double-pumper for a reliable, tunable, powerful combination that probably propels more performance cars than just about anything else. Valve sizes are 2.09' intake and 1 65' exhaust, while the compression ratio on combinations like this typically runs about 10.5:1, which is very streetable. All these heads used positive-stop shouldered rocker studs and cast iron rail, self-aligning rocker arms in a 1.73:1 ratio. The 429 was introduced in the 1968 Thunderbird as the 'Thunderjet' while the 460 was introduced in the Lincoln lineup that same year. The heads are cast iron C8VE-E castings (the Boss 429 used aluminum heads), which are from the first year of 385-series engines. It isn't a real Boss 429 block of course, which is good, because a real Boss 429 block belongs in a real Boss 429, not a street racer. The engine is a C9VE-B block, which means it is a 1969 429/460 out of a full-sized Ford. So I'll help you out and sum it all up here and share everything I found during a few long hours looking at numbers. You're inevitably going to ask about numbers, dates, codes, castings, and a whole bunch of other stuff, because that's what guys who are interested in these cars do. Ordinarily, I'd start with the smooth, black flanks on this pony, but with tribute cars, it's all about the driveline, so I'm guessing that's what you really want to know about anyway. Let's talk about this killer Mustang fastback, shall we?

It was designed to run at wide open throttle on the high-speed ovals spinning at 7000 RPM, where it was dominant until Ford pulled out of racing in 1970. The de-tuned race spec engine with ports big enough to swallow golf balls whole just didn't like trotting around town at 2000 RPM and idling at stop lights. Don't get me wrong, they're nasty, fast pieces, but just not AS fast as they should have been. Of course, if you know cars, you know the Boss 429 was a lot of potential that looked great on paper but didn't quite deliver the goods on the street. So what's an enterprising Mustang fan from Iceland to do when a Mach 1 with a 428 just won't cut it? How about building your own Boss 429 tribute, then painting it badass black with a black interior for that extra sinister touch? This '69 Mustang is just such a car, and as soon as you hear it run, you'll stop wondering about performance potential and start reaching for your checkbook.

Today, the Boss 'Nines are worth their weight in gold, and there just aren't enough to go around, with only 1359 being built in 19. Bake for a few weeks at Kar Kraft, then unleash it onto an unsuspecting public. No other pony coming out of a Ford factory has ever matched its single-minded purpose and construction - take the nastiest corporate V8 (a NASCAR-spec big block), top it with some aluminum heads with giant ports, and shove it into the Mustang by chopping up the shock towers. If there's an ultimate Ford Mustang, it absolutely has to be the Boss 429. Frame Up Built Mustang Boss 429 V8 Toploader 4 Speed

1969 thunderbird with 429 boss