1970 Ford Boss 302 Mustang

Allan Settles of Guyton, Georgia, is among the many of us who appreciate the formal roofline on the coupe version of the Mustang, and indeed the coupe was the most popular offering for every year of classic Mustang production. However, as we all know, Ford devoted a lot of energy to the development of several special packages for the Mustang that became available only on the fastback or "SportsRoof" version of the car. For inclusion in Trans-Am racing, the Boss 302 package was developed under the leadership of Ford design genius Larry Shinoda, while the Mach I version of the car went on to become the most popular special edition Mustang ever produced. There's no denying that these special package Mustangs were indeed great-looking vehicles. Beyond sophisticated engines, heavy-duty suspensions, and great graphics, the Boss and Mach I packages also included things such as specific hoodscoops, emblems, and front and rear spoilers. Over the years of our involvement in the hobby we can remember hearing many enthusiasts lament that these great-looking and -running special Mustangs weren't offered on the coupe version of the car. It didn't make sense to them that these terrific versions of the Mustang weren't offered on the most popular body style. What's the solution? Take a coupe and dress it for success, and clearly that is what Allan chose to do when he acquired his '70 Mustang.

It's hard to go wrong when you use the Ford design studio for inspiration, and clearly the Boss 302 theme Allan chose for his car looks as good on his coupe as it did on the real McCoy. Allan went one step further and also incorporated some of the finer Mach I details onto the car. Not content to enhance only the visual aspect of his project Allan wanted this car to run as hard as a real Boss 302 as well. Toward that end he has added considerable muscle to the powertrain in the form of a centrifugal supercharger. With a blower puffing away on top of the Windsor-headed 341ci engine, it far outperforms any original Cleveland-headed Boss 302 concoction. As we all know, power isn't the only dynamic involved for true classic Ford performance and that's why Allan has paid close attention to equipment selection for his car from the ground up. From the rolling stock and suspension, to the engine bay and interior, the details on this coupe are very thought out. Take a moment or two and join us as we examine just what's in Allan's recipe for his cool coupe success.

The DetailsAllan Settles' '70 Mustang Coupe

Engine

341ci small-block

Dart Iron Eagle four-bolt cylinder block

4.00-inch bore

3.40-inch stroke

Eagle forged steel crankshaft

Probe forged aluminum pistons, 20cc dish

Probe 4340 forged I-beam connecting rods

Romac harmonic balancer

Edelbrock aluminum water pump

AFR 205 CNC-ported cylinder heads

2.08-inch intake, 1.60-inch exhaust valves

ARP head studs

Cometic MLS head gaskets

Comp Cams hydraulic roller camshaft, 0.565 lift intake/0.580

lift exhaust, 114-degree lobe separation

Comp Cams link-bar hydraulic roller lifters

Comp Cams Magnum 1.6:1 roller rockers

Port-matched and polished Edelbrock Victor Jr. aluminum intake manifold

Barry Grant 750cfm Mighty Demon four-barrel carb

Paxton Novi 1200 centrifugal supercharger

Tial 50mm blow-off valve

Snow Performance water-meth injection

MSD Pro Billet distributor

MSD 6AL ignition controller

MSD Blaster coil

Aeromotive A1000 fuel pump and dual filters

Accel 8.8mm spark plug wires

Transmission

Ford AOD four-speed automatic overdrive

Built by Hughes Performance Transmission

Art Carr full manual valvebody

Art Car Street Rod 9.5-inch non-lockup torque converter, 2,000 rpm stall speed

B&M deep sump transmission pan

B&M transmission cooler

B&M external filter adaptor

4-inch diameter custom-made aluminum driveshaft

Custom-made driveshaft safety loop

Rearend

Ford 8.8-inch axle housing

Detroit True Track limited-slip differential

3.73 Richmond gears

31-spline axles

Granatelli Motorsports rear girdle cover

Exhaust

Ford Powertrain Applications 1 3/4-inch ceramic-coated full-length headers

2 1/2-inch dual exhaust system with X-crossover

Flowmaster single-chamber mufflers

Suspension

Front:Rebuilt, 1-inch drop springs, KYB Gas-a-Just shocks, 1 1/8-inch antisway bar

Rear:Factory Boss 302 spec leaf springs, KYB Gas-a-Just shocks, Competition Engineering traction bars and subframe connectors

Brakes

Front:Factory-style disc, 11-inch rotor, single-piston caliper

Rear:Disc, 10-inch rotor, single-piston caliper

Wheels

Front:Edelbrock 454, 17x8

Rear:Edelbrock 454, 17x8

Tires

Front:Nitto Extreme NT-555, P245/45R17

Rear:Nitto Extreme NT-555, P275/45R17

InteriorFactory standard black interior, Grant steering wheel, Pioneer CD player, Sun Pro tachometer, Stewart Warner boost and fuel pressure gauges, Auto Meter water and oil gauges, B&M Mega Shifter, trunk-mounted Optima battery

Exterior

Ford Candy Apple Red, reflective Boss 302 graphics, front and rear spoilers, Mach I hoodscoop, Mach I fuel door, Mach I rear valance panel and exhaust arrangement, Mr. Gasket hoodpins, APC H4 headlight conversion, Mustang Project LED sequential taillight conversion