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1969-1970 The Muscle Car
1969-70 The Mustang grew by another 4 inches. Mustang engines were a 200 C.I. six cylinder, a 302, 351, 390 and 428 V8's. The small block 351 Windsor was based on the 289/302 block. In 1970 the small block 351 Cleveland became available. The 390, 428 (and the 427) all were from Ford's big block. The Mach 1 was introduced and offered with the 351, 390 or 428, a stiffer suspension and was offered only as the Sportsroof (fastback). Manual drum brakes were standard with power front discs available. The 351 Mach 1's were the most popular by far with the 390 being the rarest because it didn't cost much more to step up to a lot more power with the 428. Limited production Boss 302's and 429's were offered to the public in the 1969 and '70 model years. Built to be professionally raced the Boss 302 was very successful in the Trans Am series.
The Boss 429 was built for Nascar, but that engine was
never raced there in a Mustang. Less than 9,000 Boss 302's were produced. The '70
Boss 302 sold for $4100. About 1,300 Boss 429's were produced at $5100 each.
Related Events 1969 As Shelby loses control to Ford executives
of his Shelby Mustang he asks Iacocca to
quit using his name.
1969-73 were the worse years for US auto-
releated fatalities with about 55,000 killed
each year.
1970 Clean Air Act passed by Congress giving
the Federal Government the authority to
regulate vehicle emissions.
Imports are 14% of U.S. sales
Average new car has a top speed of 125
MPH & gets 12 MPG