PS.

My ideal 2007-08 lineup:

Base V6 (3.5 motor) - $20K
Pony V6 (GT suspension and dual exhaust) - $22.5K
GT - $25-27K
Mach I 540 Cobra Jet (SRA, 375+hp) - $28-30K
Boss 460 (IRS, 350+ hp) - $32-34K
Bullitt 540 - (540 CJ, IRS) - $32-34K
GT 500 (IRS option) - $36-38K

 

I would agree that Ford wouldn't offer an IRS in the Boss (or any other model) prior to the SVT offering having it available. I do believe that they could make it available during the same model year. The SVT model would still be top dog with more HP, likely a styling update in '09 and more creature comforts.

 

Rhumb, that would certainly be anyone's ideal lineup!! Sadly, it is highly unlikely.

 

I do think same year could be a possibility. I also think IRS is coming. They are saving it and lighter materials for future "upgrades" or "refreshements". They will not likely increase power much, so, suspension and lighter materials are all they have to improve performance. In fact, one of Coletti's last quotes said something along the line of 500 hp is max and lightening the vehicles (he was actually talking about the Lightning) was the next step.

 

At the time NASCAR rules specified that 500 production cars / year had to be sold to the public with an engine of the exact same displacement, including bore & stroke, as the race engine.

In fact, in 1969 when the Boss 429 was intoduced, at the very last minute NASCAR refused to let Ford run the Boss 429 engine @ the Daytona 500 in February, saying that the required # of engines had not been sold to the public. So Ford had to scramble to run the old 427 in the Daytona 500 in 1969.

The spring Atlanta race (April 69), was the 1st race for the Boss 429. IIRC a Ford easily won that race, might have been Mario Andretti in the Holmon Moody car, but my memory is fading.

And yes, I'm pretty sure it was Kar Kraft that turned the half built Mustangs into Boss 429s.

 

You guys are forgetting the rumor that the base GT 3V engine is getting a bump up to 320 HP for 2007 or 2008.

As much as I'd like to have IRS, I'm not holding my breath. Ford is in deep dog doo-doo right now and I don't know how they'd come up with the $$ to develop and put a Mustang with IRS into production anytime soon. If it happens, it will probably be outsourced and done by a place like Roush or Saleen.

 

The only reason Ford made a BOSS 320 Mustang was to legalize the motor for Trans AM Racing.
Yes the BOSS 429 was don by Kar Kraft.

 

The Boss 429 was a darn good racing engine with its hemi..opps I mean crescent head (hemi in Ford speak) just soggy for the street.

Does anybody know who ran the powertrain engineering department back in the late 60's? It seemed "if bigger is better, then to much is just enough" was the order of the day? Look at the Boss 429, Boss 302 and 351 clevelands. The former is understandable since they were little more than thinly disguised race engines, but the latter were squarely in the realm of the street car. The canted valve head (polyangle combustion chamber, the only semi-hemi Ford had was the Boss 429) was a very valid concept poorly executed, had they designed a port that was big on velocity (both intake and exhaust), the canted valve head would have been second only to the hemi in capability.

 

Hey Bob,when the Boss 429 was unleashed on Nascar tracks it beat everything in sight including the mighty hemi! In fact,King Richard defected to the Ford camp briefly so he could win a few races.Un fortunatly,Bill France pulled the plug on big block engines and that was the end of the Boss 429 in Nascar.It then went onto top fuel, funny car,and pro stock where it also kicked major butt. My stock displacement motor with 11.5 comp,roller cam,and dual quads went 600 hp on the engine dyno,just think what it would do with a blower !!!

 

I dont rember top fuel apps, but who can forget seeing Bob Glidden's fomoco cars back in the day, T-birds I beleive. I'm not knocking the Boss 429, it was a purpose built engine stuffed into the mustang to homologate it for Nascar, the cleveland on the otherhad. Awesome concept, but went way overboard on port size, If only the cleveland heads used a more effcient port design, they would have been truly awesome, but I digress


If I were brand manager for Mustang I'd have a line up like this;

1. GT - 3v 4.6 300/300, SRA - IRS optional 25-30k in price
2. Mach - 3v 5.4 400/400 SRA -IRS optional 30-35k in price
3. SE models 4v engines with SRA/IRS depending on theme 30k+ in price
4. GT300 S/C 4v engine with IRS - All the bells and whistles 35k+ in price

 

Bob Glidden started with the Boss in a 70 mustang I believe then in a Pinto that he crushed Jenkins Chevy with. Connie Kallita ran one in top fuel,and numerous funny cars including Mickey Thompson ran them. They are still in use today by the over 600 cubic inch crowd.In fact ,there is an outfit in Virginia that builds an all aluminum version today ! Now that in a new Mustang would really be BOSS !!I am not holding my breath for one so I'll keep driving my 69. Pics at : www.1969boss429.com or I think someone put a link on this thread already.

 

I absolutely agree. Reducing weight is the next big push for SVT since there is a HP "limit" in terms of what Ford produce and warranty.

 

I thought Colletti didn't work there anymore?????

 

He doesn't but in his final interview, he was quoted as saying something similiar to there was a 500 HP ceiling for a production car and that improvements in performance going forward would be focused on weight reduction and the use of lighter weight components to improve performance rather than adding horsepower.

 

I will then render the weight reduction idea a moot point until HTT says/does otherwise.

Hopefully the GT500 is only meant to be like it's older sibling from the '60s. An overweight, overpowered, Muscle Car.

Hopefully the best offerings from SVT is yet to be seen.

 

This is what the Boss should have in it. Make it and aluminium block and heads and lets go to the races.

The Original Gangsta "Cammer"

 

Sorry but the 427 cammer was a somewhat a dog because of it's 2 mile long cam drive chain. The 2 cylinder banks would rapidly get out of sync as the chain stretched both with wear, temperature and RPM load.

Eventually someone developed a gear driven cam drive system for it, but time passed it by, the Boss 429 put out more HP with a much simpler valve system. The 385 block (429/460) also has wider bore centers giving it larger displacement capability.

 

Quote:

Originally posted by Wikipedia@December 21, 2005, 6:57 PM
427 SOHC

They were rated at 615 hp (458 kw) at 7,000 rpm with a single four barrel carburetor, and 657 hp (490 kw) at 7,500 rpm with dual four barrel carburetors.

Quote:

Originally posted by Ford Classics Engine Specs@December 21, 2005, 6:57 PM
Ford 460

During its earlier years, pre 1973, horsepower was rated at 365. After 1972 horsepower ranged from 208 to 275.

Quote:

Originally posted by Ford Classics Engine Specs@December 21, 2005, 6:57 PM
Ford 385 Engine series power

1969 429-2V 320 HP @ 4400 RPM, 460 ft-lb @ 2200 RPM 10.5:1 CR
1969 429-4V 360 HP @ 4600 RPM, 480 ft-lb @ 2800 RPM 10.5:1 CR
1969 460-4V 365 HP @ 4600 RPM, 500 ft-lb @ 2800 RPM 10.5:1 CR

<!--QuoteBegin-Mustang Monthly@December 21, 2005, 6:57 PM
For 1969-'70, two high- performance V-8s debuted that would change the world of Ford performance forever--the Boss 302 with 290 hp, and the hemi-head Boss 429 with 375 hp on tap.[/quote]

 

:scratch:

475 hp in a 3800 lbs car over powered?

 

too much power is like too much money. Can't think of a time I have had either.