1969 Ford mustang boss 302

    We wish there was a way to put the sound of Terry Snyder's '69 Boss 302 on paper. When Terry started the engine, we knew there wasn't modern roller-cam technology inside. Instead, the beast was as temperamental as a Colorado thunderstorm. It was hard to start and fussy as hell when awakened. The 16 stamped-steel rocker arms thrashed out a familiar beat, one we used to hear four decades ago on road race courses around the country. When Terry cracked the throttle, onlookers were startled and goose bumps rose in places they had never risen before.

     We discovered Terry's Boss during Mustang Plus' Restomods In Reno show. At first glance, we knew the car wasn't conventional because the original 780-cfm Holley had been replaced by Autolite's limited production in-line four-barrel carburetor and its special Cross Boss manifold designed for SCCA Trans-Am competition. Terry's period-correct Boss 302 engine is also equipped with parts from the old Ford Muscle Parts program.

     Terry's desire to own a Boss 302 dates back to the Trans-Am races in the late '60s. Terry attended many of those events when he owned a new '69 Mach 1. After an aggressive two-year search, he unearthed a '69 Boss 302 in Connecticut. Terry was concerned about rust and other body damage, but rolled the dice and bought the car anyway. He was pleasantly surprised to find there was no rust or damage, just evidence of a former vinyl top, which seemed odd for an all-business, first-year Boss 302.

      He looked to Ford publications of the period, primarily the Boss 302 Engine Modifications and Boss 302 Chassis Modifications books, as his blueprint. Following the Ford performance guides would get Terry a restoration based on the Trans-Am cars he admired. He started with the Boss 302 engine, which is balanced and blueprinted with forged high-compression pistons, new valves, a custom-ground Crower mechanical camshaft, Hooker Super Comp headers, and, of course, the Autolite Cross Boss induction.