Boss 302 stocker

[jltefft1]

I wanted to know if there are any competitive Boss 302 mustangs running in stock eliminator? Of the Trans Am cars of 69, produced by four manufactures, the only ones I see running are the Z/28's and I think a 340/TA Challenger. I think the 340 T/A set the C/SA record last year but isn't a true T/A car. I think the cubic inch limit was 304. Thank you in advance. Jim Tefft

[Geerhead55]

I could be wrong here, being a Chevy guy,, but weren't the 340 T/A cars all 4 speeds? I didn't think Mopar put a Torqueflite behind that engine, which would keep it out of C/SA.
Danny Durham

[David Lee]

Originally Posted by Geerhead55

I could be wrong here, being a Chevy guy,, but weren't the 340 T/A cars all 4 speeds? I didn't think Mopar put a Torqueflite behind that engine, which would keep it out of C/SA.
Danny Durham

Both the TA and the AAR came with auto trans too. I have owned my AAR for 32 years

[bill dedman]

Unless I am badly mistaken, the 340 T/A and AAR drag cars never had the right power-to-weight factor to run C/SA. They usually ran E/SA or F/SA.
The REAL TransAm E-body Mopars had a de-stroked 340 with 304 cubic inches, but the dealerships never got their hands on any of those to sell.

There was a pink 340 NHRA Stocker from Apple Valley CA, driven by a girl, who ran competitively in Division seven for several years, and I think it ran E/SA. As an aside, the guy who tuned it told me one day, that it ran marginally quicker and faster with single 750 Thermoquad carb than it did with the three twos.

What you may have seen in C/SA was a '70 Barracuda or Dodge Challenger with a 440 6-pack engine; I believe they ran C/SA, or B/SA, depending on their ballast situation.

Hope this helps...

Bill

[Tom P]

John Buczinski (sp?) runs an AAR in E/SA. I've never seen a Boss 302 Stocker but somebody runs the engine in SS... George Wright maybe?

[Jeff Lee]

One of the fastest D/SA car in the country was a T/A Challenger. Record was held and retired @ 10.56? And it's 12:55 am and I'm drawing a blank to the name of this California racer. In fact I'm embarrased...he ran D/SA while I ran D/S and we both ran almost identical times track to track. Oh crap, now I won't get any sleep...

Rod Green has a D/S T/A Challenger in the works. The T/A can run C/S-A, D/S-A or E/S-A as the car falls at 9.59 (at) or 9.83 (stick).
The AAR 'Cuda falls at 10.09 / 10.34 making it a D/E/F car.

Back to the original question, nobody has raced a '69 or '70 Boss 302 in a long time. None that I'm aware of at least. But I've always thought "if I had money to burn", I would build a '70 Boss 302. With the camshaft and valvetrain technology available today, along with the clutches & transmissions we have (don't forget aftermarket rods too), I believe you could launch the car at 8K whereas once before that may not have been possible on a 9" slick. The '70 would still be the way to go due to the smaller ports.
Dynacor just released their aftermarket '69-'70 Mustang FB so now you could build the car the right way without dealing with a 39-40 year old body.
And if it just doesn't work at all, just pull out the 302 and drop in a 428.
But I really think the 302 will work. If nothing it would be a lot of fun!

The '69-'70 Boss 302 are NHRA rated @ 305HP and both years fall into F/S so you can run E/F/G (stick only). Figure 3220#'s in E/S.
Cam lift (.502" I/E) and compression look the same both years. I'm not sure if the head specs are the same with superseded parts.

[Myron Piatek]

Originally Posted by bill dedman

Unless I am badly mistaken, the 340 T/A and AAR drag cars never had the right power-to-weight factor to run C/SA. They usually ran E/SA or F/SA.
The REAL TransAm E-body Mopars had a de-stroked 340 with 304 cubic inches, but the dealerships never got their hands on any of those to sell.

There was a pink 340 NHRA Stocker from Apple Valley CA, driven by a girl, who ran competitively in Division seven for several years, and I think it ran E/SA. As an aside, the guy who tuned it told me one day, that it ran marginally quicker and faster with single 750 Thermoquad carb than it did with the three twos.

What you may have seen in C/SA was a '70 Barracuda or Dodge Challenger with a 440 6-pack engine; I believe they ran C/SA, or B/SA, depending on their ballast situation.

Hope this helps...

Bill

You are mistaken. As named in the last post, it was Gene Buell who set the C/SA record with a 1970 Challenger T/A with a 340-6. The original factors had them in slower classes because they were difficult to make run competitively. But he apparently got it figured out and got factored several times unil the car could actually make C/SA.

Check out a National Dragster from last Summer or so. I believe it was a factored 10.33, but apparently retired/reset last year.

But you are correct about the owners of the pink Challenger running faster with a TQ as a '71 than it did with a 6 pack as a '70.


As for the Boss 302 in Stock, my ex-boss had one in the day and always complained that the Z-28's would always get out quicker and a 1/4 mile just wasn't quite enough to reel them in. (Paul Duzs - York or US 30, or something like that.

[Dave Turner]

It was many years ago of course, but I believe Arlen Fadely ran a Boss 302 car in stock.

[jltefft1]

Thanks for the responses. I am not "brand loyal" and enjoy watching all the different combinations race and would like to see more diversity. My shop teacher, engage the "way back machine", had a 67 Ford Fairlane Country Squire--roof rack and a 427, When he would send us out for parts for shop class and we got to use the wagon. That thing hauled ***!!. Now I see one running in c/sa? with the wheels in the air. He's passed away now but boy would he be shocked to see that!! Another car that i have never seen is the Boss 429 Mustang. Is it a legal combo? Jim

[Jeff Lee]

Originally Posted by Myron Piatek

You are mistaken. As named in the last post, it was Gene Buell who set the C/SA record with a 1970 Challenger T/A with a 340-6. The original factors had them in slower classes because they were difficult to make run competitively. But he apparently got it figured out and got factored several times unil the car could actually make C/SA.

Check out a National Dragster from last Summer or so. I believe it was a factored 10.33, but apparently retired/reset last year.

But you are correct about the owners of the pink Challenger running faster with a TQ as a '71 than it did with a 6 pack as a '70.


As for the Boss 302 in Stock, my ex-boss had one in the day and always complained that the Z-28's would always get out quicker and a 1/4 mile just wasn't quite enough to reel them in. (Paul Duzs - York or US 30, or something like that.

I think it's all in the RPM. They both will RPM and the Z-28 302 will have more torque. That's why the Z-28 has always been faster in Stock, more TQ. I know of one Z-28 running solid 10.50's right now. There's no reason a Boss couldn't do the same. As I said, it's all in the clutch being able to handle a really high RPM launch on a 9" slick. High base pressure and high counterweight will not work.
I'll betcha one of those new Mustang bodies have less weight to carry so adjusting weight will be more productive than with an OEM body.