Bob Perkins Disassembles to Restore the Long Lost 1971 Boss 302 Mustang Prototype

for years experts argued Ford never built a 1971 boss 302 but four did build one which Bob Perkins is restoring if you saw this old Mustang on the street you would have no idea this is the fabled Bigfoot of Mustang lore unless you knew what Andrew hack discovered about one zero zero zero five three in 2004 I was just looking at eBay to purchase a 71 model fastback Mustang this car would work nice driver four-speed California car 351 tubero upgraded to a four-barrel and he bought the Mustang online and before it arrived from California he remembers selling his wife this car looks just like that prototype car back in 1971 the boss 302 that they never built when Andy got the car home he noticed two-door data tags but sup tort I got an h4 351 tubero a second tag underneath had a g4 a 302 boss engine so could this be the long-lost Boss 302 of 1971 and he was class of 71 the 71 model boss ended up being a boss 351 Ford withdrew from Trans Am racing dropped their illustrious 302 boss engine that had achieved so much racing glory in their 1969 and their 1970 boss 302 but legend had it that for did built in 1971 boss 302 Mustang before that program was cancelled so could there be a car out there somewhere hack ordered documents from Kevin Marti who licenses the Ford database and in August 2006 Marty verified this 71 Mustang was at one point serialized as a boss 302 we're inside Bob Perkins private restoration shop in Wisconsin in the middle of winter where we find the car disassembled and the body media blasted with baking soda if it would have been sand that would been gone instantly Bob photographs the witness marks that are outlines of messages hand with paint sticks by assembly line workers these get saved then covered again with paint as with the VI n on the core support and then next to it it says F D s and then over here is a G which the G is the engine identification code for boss 302 appear on top the core support it's hard to see now but on the bare metal it said Bo SS right here on the top and 302 on the side there that's on the firewall it's got an X there you guys for experimental I don't know probably not some of it you can figure out something I know I know that's the VIN number but FDS might be final Dearborn stamping who you know I don't know you could come up with I've got a list of all the the little codes like da p is Dearborn assembly plant and all that type of stuff but I don't off the top my head know what FDS means and don't really care it's just there you gotta wonder how did this one prototype not get destroyed it was a Las Vegas show car seven cars receive serial numbers but only one made it through production one zero zero zero five three they built one other one that was prototype this blue 71 boss 302 according to a 40 engineer that Bob got paperwork from he drove the 71 blue car on a Dearborn test track when they had new car show in preview for all the journalists he said he knows for sure that car was crushed okay so there's just one 1971 boss 302 Mustang this car which Andy hack held 13 years and sold to Bob Perkins in 2017 if anybody says why did you sell to Bob the first thought was well bob was the guy who was gonna pay you the most you know that kind of thing but really there's a lot more to it than that so Bob are you just living right must be there are people saying you should not restore this leave it original as Andy found it what do you say to these people they they don't understand there is that picture I need it right there they don't understand that you know you on a car like that you got to pick a time frame okay how you want how you want the car to be represented phone calls that's got all the time the car has been in my possession it's been an interesting story but nobody knows me everybody knows about Perkins and they know that he's the authority and so now that the cars in his possession he is really authenticating this car here is the identification number with his expertise I think that's important for the historical significance of the car for Ford and who knows how many Mustang enthusiasts out there millions Mustang history they seem to love restoring a one of one prototype is not a job for amateurs first major obstacle that 351 to barrel there's a couple pictures of the motor in the car so that we know it wasn't just sticker program in other words Ford did install the boss 302 in the 71 Mustang now here's here's a photo copy of of the picture with the boss 302 motor and 71 Mustang I'm Andy showed me the picture of the boss 302 motor in the car factory photo that's when I said okay I've seen enough how much is it started life has a 71 boss 302 and then it was a boss 351 the first known boss 351 they had to create a different invoice every time they changed the motor he says 351 four-barrel because at this point they'd already changed it to a one fo five-hour meaning Mach 1 boss 351 you can see on this old factory photo of the boss 351 show car which is the same boss 302 Bob is restoring that Ford doctored boss 302 to a boss 351 leaving the boss and the three that are stickers then removed the o2 and hand painted 51 in their place even after Bob added boss 302 to the decklid Paul come over hood catching a glimmer of the old Ford Boss lettering was a constant source of amusement for Andy and his friend Paul and Bob had to have a look to it actually originally said boss 302 and then they took the o2 often put five move over this way Paul a little bit okay on the 5-1 is different than the three the numbers might move like they went to a different hardware store and then when they were done with the car for the prototype showings they did with the boss 351 in it for some reason they decided that they could still sell that car the final invoice dated February 25th 1971 and they took the boss 351 out and put a 351 to Berlin it they've Reve in the car 1f o 2h which makes it no longer Mach 1 just a sports roof no longer a boss and sold it out of the Ford dealership they're in California it's an H code which is a 351 Cleveland 2 barrel that's what happens with prototypes three engines three VI ends but funny thing is Ford sold this one to the public amazing so how you gonna restore it well that's the way it was born it was born us 71 boss 302 and I just believe that's the way it should be you didn't have the original Boss 302 engine so how do you solve that well I got lucky remember the guy that we met in Ohio when we had the white boss that was up on the lift and the guy came over said he worked at the Cleveland engine plant I looked it up Columbus Ohio 2015 MCA Grand Nationals I started out on the assembly line okay in July of 1969 bill reilly originally was a fellow worker of bills had a 71 boss 302 engine still brand new now we're had this guy's basement that's why I got the motor from I guess he was really happy to help well happy to to make some money - yes I paid a lot of money for that motor I should have known if there was a 71 Boss 302 engine on the planet that engine would find Bob this wasn't just a crated boss 302 service this was a brand-new assembly line motor with the carburetor to oil pan to clutch and bellhousing set up for first day of production and most of the smog attached to the motor and this is it this this is a complete brand new 71 boss 302 assembly line motor that is dated three weeks before the car was built oh boy and look at that experimental engine sticker on the valve cover that's an engine and foundry engine identification tag I'm not sure what all the all the numbers mean I know what the 302 a Cho is a boss motor see these letters appear on spec sheets from the Cleveland engine plan it's probably about 20 20 pages thick and I pulled this out because it shows the engine identification tag a 299 J for an on drag pack and a 300 J for boss 302 engine with the factory oil cooler and on here I underlined this it says eight cylinder 302 Mustang h o4 v carb standard transmission therm actor improved performance with oil cooler and this car has the axial cold wire which is for 11 Detroit Locker so that was neat information the the rear and all that stuff was still intact and okay here's here's the rear end which is a story in itself it's all detailed and that's a 411 Detroit Locker why Ford left a Detroit Locker behind the 350 1/2 barrel crazy stuff man had the 987 tag on it and then inside here all this stuff has been detailed the axles have been Rhema Sheen dand all the parts inside they're all forward original parts spring kits and wheel cylinders even the pads are genuine Ford that were made by Bendix I got the printing on the edge and then they're even stamped on the faceful mochel no I'm not gonna drive it I might drive it on and off the trailer but it's not gonna be driven driven there's the master master cylinder and brake booster assembly no not with this brakes but that's a brand new assembly that's that's pretty neat rotors brand-new with the cosmoline on them you believe in this brand new date code correct calipers with all the original Ford Hardware new old stock date code correct brake hoses those are pretty tough to find on the wall above we see the front suspension components restored and ready to install once the unibody is painted I'll show you that transmission okay luckily the original 4-speed transmission was still in the car and here it is well this is this is a small block it's not the same as the 429 Cobra Jet or anything it's just a standard boss 302 type transmission when we took it apart where it had the gav on the top which just like other markings you document with that's the top of the transmission we got pictures of all these codes were put back on just like it was originally you can see the okay this is the original bell housing all I did was was wipe it off I didn't I didn't blast it or do anything to it was really nice the transmission crossmember you can see the bare metal on that things perfect your reducer for the 411 axle ratio was still on it her shifters all been restored that's the new old stock handle and one of the coolest thing on here is sealed back here that's an original original with the femoral script on it the later style like in 73 they started they had like a rubber boot on them that was my last new one of those good car to put it on right here's the VIN number see they're stamped in the corner there it was nice and greasy and oily so everything really cleaned up nice under transmission this is super rare that's a new old stock 71 lower shifter boot I won't put that on at I'm ready to put it in the car and there's no reproduction of this they reproduced the 70 but on the 71 instead of being square up here its rounded so that's where that's probably one of the hardest pieces to find for a 71 Mustang 4-speed lower shifter boot there's a new upper boot there so this is ready to go there's the air cleaner which is the same as a 70 boss 302 you know that's a new one it's it's got all the original stickers and decals behind the original Auto laid air filter element this don't belong on there but that's just that's a service sticker for the new element and it's it's the late style with the valve in there you know according to the folder we got that's the air cleaner that was on it and here's the clutch that came on the motor brand-new they had all the paint marks on it really when they balanced it yes some of the parts that I've acquired for the car the tires the wheels get lights on some of the new old stock detail items the car came with the Kelsey Hayes from Haig stars here's one that's already mounted this is the wheel and tire this 71 boss 302 was born with when you restore a car you make it the best you can and this is a restoration did you see you were plat Sport drag team car on the left now back here there's some pretty good stuff I put up for the car here's a three tires that I have mounted yet but those are new old stock decoded in 1970 poly glass the ones already mounted over there and they have nice preen in the tread and perfect letters and they're brand new on this table there's new old stock rim blow steering wheel the spacesaver spare tire the jack the inflator bottle for new old stock shocks but back to have a ford engineering part number 1970 71 rears have experimental tags on them I've had those for a long time and I thought those would be neat to put on the car and something a car like this really needs a manufacturers license plate 14 happens to be one of Ford's numbers followed by the m4 manufacturer and then that's a factory 71 plate and there's an 18 14 like 12 to 18 record numbers the car will even get a new old stock battery still in its original box dated 1970 we're talking batteries almost as old as the cars well I bought them from for dealers auto light and motor craft distributors pair of battery cables which once the originals were gone you couldn't buy them from a Ford dealer people would you know have to jump the car and they'd go Jim up and if they got them where they look nasty and they went and bought a new one from the for garage you could never buy an original OEM cable you got a universal service cable the only way you got a battery cable like that well so these came from the Dearborn assembly plant somebody took them home in their lunch bucket original group 24 battery tray that's really hard to find brand-new and in the original assembly-line oil filter dated 1970 okay so another lunch box park looking all assembly line here right the dealership ones had the fancy Louisville one replacements but different from when the car was brand new Bob will repaint the body top side but using baking soda he preserved that underside which being in California most of its life the middle is ultra clean and rust free it was the metals just so clean that that's just basically taking the paint off that's no metal prepping no nothin that's just the way it was that's how clean it was after we blasted you can see where Dearborn assembly spray painted topside and some of that overspray blew through those fender bolt openings the factory never got up underneath and painted upside down to try and protect that metal from rusting and this is how Bob will restore the car that's why examination is so important once it's gone it's gone there is a little bit of yellow up in here which the baking soda removed and Bob is not repainted yet and then this was just blacked out there will be some yellow overspray up in here there's the challenge and these painters love it reproduce that factory look this is artwork and then on the backside up in here there was very little overspray black paint and you can see the spot welds showing through so with the media blasting with just a baking soda it didn't hurt any of the metal and left the spot welds on there so when I put the final black over that I'm gonna leave a little bit of the bare metal show I'm like it was originally that's just enough primer under that keep stuff from rusting right now this part of the car from the firewall forward is ready for final paint and then when we get over here into the rockers here the car had rocker moldings on it at one time in production and then because it went through the transformation of being a sports roof to the mock to the boss 351 on the look of their new boss 471 when this car was built this little bracket mounted to the front core support and then to the front valence possibly four anti-vibration four did not use this in regular production anyway they originally had had the provisions for the clips for the for the moldings I don't know if it ever had the Moi's but the clips were pre drilled into the rocker so there's like six areas here where those holes were leaded up and being it this was the Las Vegas show car they even leaded the the seams in the door opening air as you can see the led through here that's been leaded solid see there's a seam there between the rocker and the quarter panel and that well this is actually a door post that's all been let it let it solid the same thing up into the door jamb here but you can't see that now because I've got it well I can pull the tape back see you can see that seems gone that's leaded in and you can see some porous spots in the lead when I stripped the paint off but that's the way it was so it wasn't finished off the prettiest but they didn't want to see those seams on there now on the floor pan here that that's all the original paint under there you can see all the original Droopys were when it was baked at the factory where the drip EES pop it's impossible to duplicate that you make it look similar but that's all original all I did what this was I cleaned it really well and I took a little steel wool and lacquer thinner just kind of cleaned everything and then I I matched the slop gray primer and I went over that and I was just playing around the other day and I just wanted to see what the contrasts look like with the yellow and it's gonna be a pretty nice contrast and you can see here this is all the factory selling dinner and you can see the pattern at that thing sprayed it was about a foot wide and that's almost impossible duplicate now up here I've got to blend a little bit in here where the transmission was it was a little oily and when I cleaned it I lost a little bit of a edge on there but it's gonna be really nice rust free floorboards well I just I just cleaned all that and I just kind of cleaned it up and gave it a little dusting now it's done in the final analysis Ford developed and manufactured millions of dollars worth of parts for a production run of one car as soon as that car was built they had to have parts available like stripe kits and intakes and carburetors and exhaust manifolds and all that test type of thing and they got in the system people bought them HP I had seven of these to choose from that was the prettiest one all five of these muffler assemblies are for 71 boss 302 new old stock left and right pair of the exhaust tips chrome tips so I have the entire exhaust system including new old stock plans here's the box that the brand new 71 intake manifold came in it's not on my display motor over there in the showroom now that the words out that I got this car anybody that's ever had a 71 boss 302 service part has called me and tried to sell I I could have twenty carburetors right now if I wanted so that that's where we're at with it right now coolest thing I think on a motor that I probably would have not been able to figure out was this accelerator cable bracket for the Holley carburetor for the 302 with the 71 style accelerator cable that's the money tag there that's real g-code sports fans yeah they had about 30 auto lights when we were there was in like eighty and motor craft was what they were selling but they had some old stock auto lights so we bought all those and there's a VIN number isn't it cool when it bubbles up and dripped it popped the bubbles when it was big that's bare metal that was just beautiful this February 1971 Ford telegram that shows the VI n changes from a g-code Boss 302 to an R code boss 351 and finally the H code 351 tubero first quarter 71 Q 70

Channel: Jerry Heasley

Views: 231,921

Rating: 4.8909612 out of 5

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Id: MKgDjJCKz68

Length: 22min 43sec (1363 seconds)

Published: Sat Apr 11 2020