5 Best Mustang Engines Ever Made
The Mustang has had it's fair share of great engines over the years, but these five are the best of the best.
1. 428 Cobra Jet
Ford stuffed the 390 in the Mustang starting from 1967, but not everyone was pleased with the result. The answer? The 428 Cobra Jet, which used the Police Interceptor 428 as a foundation. From there, Ford added a heavy duty crank and connecting rods, free flowing heads and intake manifold, and a bigger carb. The official horsepower rating in 1968 Mustang guise was 335 horsepower, but actual output was greater than 400.
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2. 1969-1970 Boss 302
The original Boss 302 engine was uniquely designed and created to compete in the SCCA Trans-Am road racing series. The high revving engine featured thin wall nickel casting, 4-bolt mains, screw in freeze plugs, solid lifter camshaft, and canted valve Cleveland heads. Conservatively rated at 290 horsepower, the Boss 302 was fully capable of revving beyond the factory limited 6,150 rpm.
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3. Boss 429
Only 1,358 Boss 429 Mustangs were produced in 1969 and 1970, making it one of the rarest and most desirable muscle cars ever. It came to be as a result of Ford's desire to build a Hemi engine that could compete with Chrysler's 426 on the NASCAR circuit. The 429 featured goodies like 4-bolt mains, a forged steel crank and connecting rods, aluminum heads, and an aluminum intake manifold to produce a criminally underrated 375 horsepower. Actual output is well over 500 hp, with some claiming as high as 600.
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4. 5.0 Windsor
It's impossible to deny the impact the 5.0 Windsor has had on the performance industry. The legendary 5.0 has a long and storied history, but it's use in the Fox chassis Mustang is what really set the world on fire. You can still buy crate 5.0's today, and for good reason. Parts are everywhere and cheap, and these engines work in just about any application.
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5. 5.8 Supercharged
Purists may scoff at the inclusion of a modern computerized engine, but facts are facts - the 5.8 liter supercharged V8, used in the Shelby GT500, is the most powerful production Mustang engine ever produced. The 2.3 liter Eaton blower forces a metric ton of air into the engine, and the result is an earth shattering 662 horsepower. That's good enough for a sub 4-second 0-60 time, mid 11 second 1/4 mile, and 200+ mph top speed.
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And, for information on maintenance and repairs for your Mustang, head on over to our How-Tos at MustangForums.com!