How many boss 302

Ford had ambitions to compete so they introduced many big block engine options for the Mustang model. This required them, yet again, to increase the overall size of the Mustangs in order to get those monster engines to fit.

Many stylistic changes were made to accommodate the new look and feel of the Mustang. These overhauls were widely successful, and to this day the and Mustang models are considered to be one of the best examples of what a muscle car was intended to be.

The best special edition cars made in those years were the Boss and Boss The was not in the standard sales brochure, and only 1, were built.

The Boss model was intended to convert a revised engine into an eligible Trans-Am racing series vehicle. The Boss , quite literally, is the boss with the largest engine that Ford ever offered.

Followed again in the Boss became the model everybody lusted for. In the Boss replaced both the Boss and Boss from the previous two years as the performance mustang in It took until to see the Boss name again on a model and boy was it worth the wait.

While the initial Boss cars were all about the engine, the Boss cars showed that Ford knew how to build an amazing all around performer with the best handling ever seen on a Ford. It was a a mid-engine configuration done on the cheap, using as many off-the-shelf components as possible.

Ford's Boss Mustang debuted in March of The Boss was only available in the SportsRoof model with the horsepower, engine. The heart of the Boss Mustang was a specially equipped cid engine that featured specially designed heads with canted valves and high-turbulence, wedge shaped combustion chambers.

The exterior of the Mustang Boss featured a front spoiler and flared fenders to accommodate the standard F60 tires which were mounted on 15" Magnum wheels in and standard 15" steel wheels with flat hubcaps in The Boss Mustang debuted in January of The engines also ran windage trays, baffled sumps and a factory-installed rev limiter — the first thing people disconnected — to give it the best chance of survival.

Externally the cars were subtly different from the regular Mustangs, even the Boss You could pick any colour interior you wanted from the catalogue but, not surprisingly, most people opted for black vinyl. Once the dust settled and the spanners were put away, rolled off the assembly line, considerably more than any other Boss Mustang.

The front-end styling changed to a two-headlight arrangement with fake air scoops outboard of the lights. The racers tried to get away with using them as cooling ducts for the brakes, but the officials caught on pretty quickly. The big news for was the availability of a Ram Air option — your basic shaker scoop — which proved very popular.

To help with streetability, the massive intake valves were reduced from 2. Buyers were also spoilt for choice when it came to exterior colours in with 13 colour options as well as special order colours. The competition suspension package was tweaked slightly and a 0. While every Boss rolled out on flash-looking Magnum wheels, standard wheels for were 15x7 steelies with dog-dish hubcaps and trim rings.

The same F tyres were fitted no matter which wheels were chosen. It was no easy task though as the heavy support received from on high in the form of Bunkie Knudsen had ended in August when he was fired and replaced by Lee Iacocca. Before the end of Ford would pull factory support from all competitions, so it was left to privateers to fly the flag for the Blue Oval. On the track most teams ran cars, but on the street the Boss would live on for another year — enter the Boss Painted in the bright red of sponsor Coca-Cola and hunkered down over its race-bred suspension, its exaggerated rake made even more menacing by the wedge section removed from the front clip, the Mustang must have looked like something from outer space.

It was the car that dragged racing away from backyard engineering and gave it its first shot of full-time professionalism. Its appearance and performance had a profound effect on the owner of the cars on these pages, when as a young man in he saw the Mustang racing at Wanneroo. I was young, had too many beers while watching and thought, I gotta have one of those.

It seems when the Mustang bug bites, it bites hard. Bought as a road car in it was developed into a race car by a Kiwi called Murray Bunn.

The late Frank Gardner also campaigned a Boss in Europe. It was an ex-Bud Moore car that was updated to sheetmetal and then tweaked to suit European rules, which were a bit tighter than the US Trans-Am series. Sadly, after never getting a scratch on it while racing, the car was heavily damaged by its shipping company, and although repaired, it ended up being written off in a towing accident.

Although he had been gone for more than a year, Knudsen had been at Ford when the designs were at a stage where he could put his stamp on them. The Mustang was heading for a longer, lower and wider design, which not surprisingly made the car heavier. The block featured four-bolt mains and although the crank was cast and not forged, it was Brinell tested. The forged rods were shot peened and magnafluxed and the forged pistons created a stout It parallels Ford history. Produced by Ford and successfully raced as a factory race car.

Limited in production to two years with limited production numbers: there were standard Boss 's produced and Laguna Seca's; there were 3, standard Boss 's produced and Laguna Seca's. Carries a historically significant name in auto sports.

Each car is numbered with an identification plaque. Laguna identification starts with a prefix of "LS ". First 50 Laguna's have the LS match the last four digits of the Vin. Laguna Seca's also come with special rear badging. The Boss came with an owners kit matched to its Boss. Optional Boss car cover and floor matts 8. Laguna Seca's came with brake ducting in a box for the track. Each LS came with a more aggressive front splitter and rear spoiler for the track and brake ducting in box for the track.

The Boss engine was developed specially for the Boss and is a different engine than the 5. Upgrades include forged con rods, forged pistons, race main bearings and rod bearings, larger sodium filled exhaust valves, high lift cam, CNC polished heads, exhaust headers and race inspired clutch. Larger radiator and revised plumbing for cooling.

Revised baffles in oil pan. Oil cooler. Under body transmission cooler scoop. Finned aluminum differential for cooling. The Boss revs to rpm.

The Boss could be purchased with "Track Key" an industry first that changed the engine parameters to that of the Boss R for track use also resulting in a noticeable muscle car lopy idle. Cold air intake. The Boss came with 5 way adjustable dampers front and rear with higher rate coil springs lowering front and rear of car 11 mm front and 1 mm rear. Laguna Seca comes with slightly softer front springs and stiffer rear springs and stiffer dampers. The Boss came with 4 pot Brembo calipers and 14" vented rotors front and Tuned electronic steering with 3 settings.

Low expansion brake lines. Optional Torsen differential with 3. Laguna Seca came standard with Torsen differential and Recaros. Laguna Seca came with a 26mm rear sway bar. Quad Exhaust with removable baffle disc for the side exhaust. LS had rear seat delete and X brace for added chassis stiffness. Strut tower brace. Laguna Seca's also received distinctive Laguna Seca wheels over standard "wagon wheel" design. Optional Recaro bucket seats.

Distinctive black "Q ball" shift knob. Alcantara covered steering wheel. Boss only color schemes Unique front fascia with blocked off fog lamp opennings Historically accurate livery striping after the and Boss Ford produced a 3 part video on the development of Boss. Feel free to correct add or delete if I got anything wrong. Last edited: Jul 8, Inaccurate 8. Inaccurate Not all Boss s came with Torsen. Not all Boss s came with Recaro seats. Otherwise pretty much sums most of it up.

The Cover and floor mats were an option. And no Torsen.