Homologation is a strange word, but one that's associated with some of the rarest and most impressive road cars ever built. In simplest terms, homologation cars are vehicles that were built to comply with specific rules for racing — most notably the rule that a certain number of "race-spec" cars must be built and sold to the general public before that car can be used for racing. In the late '60s, Ford wanted to put its new 429ci V8 engine into racecars, but NASCAR required them to put it into at least 500 road-going cars first. Thus the decision was made to shoehorn it into a Ford Mustang, and the Boss 429 was born.
Photo via Ford Performance
Fitting the enormous 429ci V8 into the 1969 Mustang was no easy feat. The engine was so wide that it contacted the inner fender aprons on either side of the engine bay, so Ford partnered with experimental skunkworks Kar-Kraft to modify Cobra Jet mustangs to fit it. And once it was installed, the additional weight negatively impacted handling, so Kar-Kraft relocated the battery to the trunk and added a heavy-duty rear sway bar to reduce understeer.
Other distinctive features included an oil cooler and functional hood scoop to ensure the huge engine kept running smoothly after numerous hot laps around the track. The 1969 Mustang Boss 429 also came with a limited-slip rear differential with 3.91 gears, an 8,000rpm tach, and subtle exterior cues such as color-matched racing mirrors and Boss 429 decals on the fenders.
Jay Leno took a beautifully-restored example of a 1969 Mustang Boss 429 out for a spin with its builder, Marcus Anghel of Anghel Restorations in Arizona. Anghel was careful to restore every single aspect of this car to original condition, down to factory assembly markings in the engine bay.
Check out the video below from Jay Leno's Garage on YouTube to hear more details about the Boss 429's history, and to see this work of art in motion on the road.
If you own a classic 1964-04 Mustang, Classic Industries can help you find the reproduction parts you need to restore it. We offer thousands of parts for the Ford Mustang, including reproduction parts for special models like the Boss 429. Click here to browse our selection of parts online, or click the button below to get a free full-color Mustang restoration parts catalog: