This Original-Owner 1970 Boss 302 Mustang Has Been Sitting for 50 Years

Is it the last original-owner Boss in the world?

Daryl Cook is the original owner of this complete Bright Yellow Boss 302 Mustang. He bought the car new from Zaeski Ford in Union Grove, Wisconsin, in 1970, drove it 11,530 miles, then parked it for 50 years. At 74 years old, Cook recently made a serious assessment about his ability to drive the car with its heavy clutch and peaky powerband. After visiting several Mustang restoration websites and turning down an offer from a buyer who "wasn't a Mustang guy," he found Bob Perkins, Head Authenticity Judge for the Mustang Club of America.

Perkins is much more than an MCA Gold Car Judge, he is the leading Boss Mustang collector and restorer in the county and has been gathering all things Boss since 1980 and parking them in a showroom next to his restoration shop. In 1982, he bought the find of his lifetime: a 1970 Grabber Orange Boss 302 with 1,500 original miles. Five years ago, he bought a 1,600-mile 1970 Boss 429, also Grabber Orange. Both these Mustangs have achieved MCA's coveted Thoroughbred Gold Authenticity Award.

Cook stands like Father Time beside the Boss 302 he bought in June 1970. Who knows, this could be the last original owner Boss 302 in the world. Is there another original owner out there that still has his or her Boss 302?

Perkins looked the car over in Cook's garage located in southern Wisconsin. The body had "a little bit of road rash," which "some of it would clean off." The fastback would need a thorough cleaning for a full evaluation, but there were no rust holes, no severe surface rust, and no door dings or dents. The Polyglas raised white letter Goodyear tires, mounted on stock rims with mint-condition hub caps and trim rings, were the same F60 x 15's on the car when Cook drove it home from the dealership.

Perkins looked in the door jambs and underneath to verify original paint. The sun shined into Cook's garage and lit the factory acrylic enamel on the passenger side. The angle of incidence was just right to reflect shimmering "orange peel." Original paint was a must for this low-mileage car to have the show car potential that Perkins was hoping for.

Under the car, water had collected in the mufflers and pipes, making them "a little weak." Overall, the underside looked "nice." Several years ago, Cook sprayed undercoating out of a can to protect some of the bare metal. Perkins noticed pitting in the rear end housing and leaf springs, but "nothing that can't be fixed properly if the car was ever to be totally restored."

Cook said he never drag raced or road raced his Boss, and when we asked if he ever street raced his car even a "tiny bit," he answered, "just a little bit, not much, because I never abused it."

Perkins leaned over the radiator citing one detail after another. "That chrome (air cleaner) lid is really nice, now we can see the carburetor," said Perkins. "You can see he's changed a couple clamps. He had to put a gasket kit in the carb, which is no big deal, and then the carburetor has the engineering number, DOZF-9510-Z. Over here is the carburetor aluminum ID tag. The spade here has been repaired, but that's the original solenoid, original accelerator cable, original distributor, vacuum advance, the rev limiter has never been disconnected, it still has the half inch masking tape that held the wires together, and it's still got the logo that's really nice and legible on the cover."

Inside, Perkins commented on details important to restorers. "The console and Hurst T-handle shifter, mint lens on the clock, excellent, dash pad - not cracked, deluxe door panels—straight with no elbow dents, seats—a little dusty and dirty, foam pads under the vinyl upholstery—puffy." The one concession was mice had chewed a hole in the headliner.

Perkins said cleaning the engine bay would "bring back more details."

The car needed cleaning and an inspection on a lift to assess 100-percent but, Perkins said, "It's got the bones to be a great car, and it is a great car, but it's also a great candidate for a total restoration, to make a Thoroughbred Gold Authenticity Award winner."

Hearing such kudos appeared to have rattled Cook enough to reconsider both the car's value and his intention to sell. Perkins was interested to buy the car, but his main concern was to save it. If done right the car could take its place in the pantheon of great Boss Mustangs.

After 50 years of ownership, Cook wasn't ready to sell that day. Perkins was fine to give Cook space to think and wasn't hurting for a project. In his shop. he was restoring the one and only 1971 Boss 302, a prototype.

Perkins said Cook's Boss was worth $45-50 thousand, wholesale, to as high as possibly $55-65 thousand retail, depending on "how nice the paint cleans up."

"I think the interior is going to be flawless with a good cleaning," Bob Perkins said.

The car needed a new exhaust system and brakes, battery, battery cables, upper radiator hose, and fuel pump, all of which needed to be original and date coded to the car. The headliner needed to be replaced and the body needed minor paint work.

Currently, this Boss 302 remains on its jack stands, but we expect to see the car at shows in the not-too-distant future.