1970 Mustang Boss 302

Built for the Road Course: Ford’s 1970 Mustang Boss 302

This 1970 Mustang Boss 302 owned by Tony Kondrotis is a textbook example of a car built specifically for a racing series – the emerging Trans American Sedan Championship series, which was filled with American pony cars of that era.1970 Mustang Boss 302

The Sports Car Club of America-sponsored event’s first season in 1966 featured two classes: under two liters and over two liters, with a 305-cubic-inch limit for the larger cars. Ford Mustangs were powered by high-performance 289c.i. engines in that first year. Beginning in 1967, Chevy Z28 Camaros with 302c.i. engines dominated the series for three seasons.1970 Mustang Boss 302

For 1969, Ford campaigned the first versions of the Boss 302, powered by a 302c.i. small-block V8. The Fords were now competitive with the Camaros, as well as the Plymouth Barracudas and Dodge Challengers. For 1970, the SCCA dropped the smaller cars and increased the engine size to 350 cubic inches. That same year the second-generation Camaro appeared with the LT1 350c.i. engine, but Ford dominated the season with its Boss 302.1970 Mustang Boss 302

When Tony decided he wanted a ’70 Boss 302, he knew that finding the right example would be a challenge. Barely 7,000 of the cars were produced that year, less than the 8,700 ’70 Z28s sold and far fewer than the 20,302 ’69 Z28s produced. Tony’s car was parked for 30 years when it was sold to its second owner, who started the restoration. Tony acquired the Boss in 2020 and began the daunting task of finishing the job.1970 Mustang Boss 302

“Since the car was 85 percent restored,” he says, “the challenge was to learn and locate either NOS or factory-correct parts to increase the level of authenticity and correctness to factory specs.”

The ’70 Boss was more than a new-engine-and-some-decals upgrade. The car sits lower than other ’70 Mustangs and is loaded with performance handling upgrades to make it competitive on the Trans Am circuit. Like the Camaro 302 powerplant, Ford claimed its 302c.i. V8 only produced 290 horsepower, though both engines actually cranked out substantially more power when aggressively tuned.

Tony’s car features the mandatory four-speed manual transmission and 3.91 gears in the hardened 9-inch rearend. Front disc brakes and drum brakes in the rear were standard. Goodyear F60-15 Polyglas GT tires were factory equipment on sport wheels. The color – Lime Green Metallic – is relatively rare and was applied to slightly more than 10 percent of the ’70 Boss 302s. It’s paired with a green vinyl interior.1970 Mustang Boss 302

With the authentic work complete, Tony’s Mustang looks ready for track duty again, though it will mostly see much more relaxed street time on the roads around Tony’s Texas home.

1970 Mustang Boss 302

Photos: John Jackson

Dave Doucette is a long-time Goodguys member with a career in newspaper, magazine and website journalism. He was one of the founding editors of USA TODAY, editor of two daily newspapers and co-owner of a magazine publishing and trade show company. He owns and operates Real Auto Media. His first car was a 1947 Ford; he has owned Camaros, Firebirds, El Caminos and a 1956 Chevy that was entered in shows from California to Florida before being sold last year. He was one of the original Goodguys Rodders Reps and served as president of two classic Chevy clubs. Doucette grew up in South Florida, avidly following the racing exploits of local hero Ollie Olsen and, of course, Don Garlits. He remembers riding his bicycle to Briggs Cunningham’s West Palm Beach factory to peak through the fence at his Sebring and LeMans racers.