Goodguys 2025 Snap-on Muscle Car of the Year!
We’re closing out the year with a review of the Goodguys 2025 Top 12 of the Year winners presented by BASF! Congratulations to Brad Brown for earning the Snap-on Muscle Car of the Year title with his 1970 Boss 429 Mustang, restored by East Bay Muscle Cars!
Brad Brown’s 1970 Boss 429 Mustang was never intended to compete on the NASCAR circuit, but Ford needed to produce 500 models for sale with the monster 429c.i. V8 so it could use the engine to compete with Mopar’s Hemi-powered cars on the track. That pragmatic decision by the Ford honchos created one of the rarest, and most desirable, Mustangs in the model’s 60-year history. And Brad’s car is even more scarce because it is one of just a very few produced in the vibrant Calypso Coral paint color.
Originally sold in Seattle, this Mustang has had a colorful and interesting history. The original owner was pulled over for a DUI and the car was impounded by the police. The owner never paid the fees, so the car was sold at auction. Its next two owners were collectors who pampered and preserved the rare pony. Brad bought the car in 2021 and commissioned a full restoration by East Bay Muscle Cars in Tracy, California.
To create the Boss 429 model back in the day, Ford turned to its collaborator, Michigan-based Kar Kraft, to modify the fastback Mustangs. Engine bays were reworked to accommodate the large engine. Massive hood scoops were installed to feed fresh air directly into the 735cfm Holley four-barrel carburetor that sat on an aluminum high-rise intake.
Manufacturers in that era routinely underestimated the power of the high-performance engines for insurance reasons, so the published numbers for the Boss 429 – 375 horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque – were probably much lower than what the engines actually produced. Some contemporary estimates put the horsepower at closer to 475. Road tests at the time showed the Boss 429 Mustang turning mid-13-second quarter-mile times on stock tires, which were in the same range as the LS6 454 Chevelles and Ram Air IV GTOs.
Brad’s Mustang has a four-speed manual transmission controlled by a Hurst shifter that directs power to the 3.91 gears in the Traction-Lock rearend that is controlled by staggered shocks. Stock front disc brakes and rear drums are mated to 15×7 Magnum 500 wheels wrapped in Goodyear Polyglas F60 tires.
The restored sheet metal was covered in fresh Glasurit Calypso Coral paint by the team at East Bay Muscle Cars. Extensive research was done to recreate proper colors, finishes, factory markings, and even overspray on all surfaces in the engine compartment and underneath the car to ensure its authenticity.
The black vinyl interior includes a console, push-button AM radio, woodgrain trim, and a Rim Blow steering wheel. Gauges and wiring are original pieces that have been restored. The seats and door panels are covered in Comfortweave vinyl.
The restoration process was not only exciting for Brad, but also for East Bay Muscle Cars owner Steve Keefer. “The Boss 429 Mustang was my dream car growing up,” Steve says. “To restore one to a very high level has been a dream come true!”
While the restoration of this Boss 429 is complete, Brad and Steve still have work to do. Brad has another Calypso Coral ’70 Mustang – a Boss 302 model – that’s slated to be restored next. What a perfect stablemate for this beautiful Boss 429, the Goodguys 2025 Snap-on Muscle Car of the Year!
Photos: Damon Lee
