Mustang Monday

Today is my 14th anniversary being married to my wonderful wife and thought I’d share a new car I picked up this past weekend. It’s a Motor Max 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 429 in 1/24 scale.For 1969, Ford offered the “Boss” Mustangs comprising of the Boss 302 and the Boss 429. The former was developed to compete in the SCCA/Trans-Am series while the latter was developed to compete in NASCAR’s Grand National Division. Specifically, Ford was looking to develop a hemispherical engine to compete with the incredible 426 Hemi from Chrysler. As a result, Ford massaged their famed 385 engine and came up with the 429 that would power the Boss Mustangs in NASCAR.

This desire to compete in the racing series required the vehicle to be offered to the public, per homologation rules of the time. In 1970, Ford made 499 Boss 429s, now with Hurst Shifters as standard, the Grabber series of exterior colors and no option of air conditioning, as was the case in 1969 as well. This statement is also false in that Ford did not technically manufacture the Boss 429s but rather sent 428 Cobra Jet bodies and 429 engines to Kar Kraft in Brighton, Michigan. Kar Kraft were hired by Ford to develop the Boss 429 as they were busy with several other projects. Kar Kraft had a big task ahead as the 429 would not fit without extensive modifications to the Mustang’s engine bay, including widening the shock towers and extending the front fenders out. They also moved the battery to the trunk, and eliminated the air conditioning to make room for the massive lump. Because of Kar Kraft’s involvement, every genuine 429 has a special NASCAR identification, KK#1201 through KK#2558.To help encourage sales of the car, Ford conservatively estimated the horsepower at 375 hp with 450 lb-ft of torque. Actual horsepower was closer to 500 hp with owner/racing team estimates to be closer to 600 hp. Ford also elected to add governors to keep engine figures down for insurers, but estimates of unrestricted 429’s put the top speed near 175 mph!This Motor Max model, available at Walmart for $9.97, is adorned in Royal Maroon with black interior. The quality is not bad at all, especially for the price, but keen-eyed people will have noticed what looks like body rust on the driver’s door. Fitment is good, although the doors’ hinging is not the best and the wheels in the back seem like they could come off at any moment. The other issue is that, while the steering wheel and front wheels are connected and interact, the tires take up too much room, in the wheel well for them to turn very much. The one thing that stands out on this model though, is the paint. The color is absolutely stunning in the sunlight and there is no orange peel on it. I’d say for the price, this model was well worth it. The front end of the 1970 Mustang is probably my least favorite as it is the one and only year in which the headlights moved inside the grille. Ford realized their mistake and immediately moved them back outside the main grille area and kept them their. However, I still wouldn’t pass up buying one if the price was right.