1970 Mustangs

## 1970 - The Collector's Mustang

1970 Mustangs were considered the standard in the muscle car market. They were well made and carefully planned. So why were they also the lowest selling Mustang of the first generation? Simply because the market had grown too big. Mustang sales were cannibalized by an overabundance of muscle car models produced by nearly every car manufacturer in America. Though muscle cars, in general, were a huge hit, there was not enough overall demand for Ford to succeed in the 1970 market. While this meant poor sales for Ford through out 1970, this means a high market price today for these rare 1970 models. For example, in 1970 the Mustang Boss 429 was being offered to the general public for around $4000. Today that same car can go for upwards of $250,000. Yes, the 1970 Mustang is the most valuable first generation Mustang to date!

CHANGES FROM THE PREVIOUS YEARS

A few changes were made from the 1969 Mustang model, though they were kept at a minimum. The 1970 version came with a scooped fender cap. This was perhaps the most visible change. Ford also added new vertical side markers and the faux exhaust trim was removed. The standard wheels were upgraded to 500 Chrome Magnum wheels and the Pony emblem was reverted to the center of the grille. This was a change from the 1969 model in which Ford had placed the emblem nearer to the driver’s side.

## Special Edition 1970 Mustangs

1970 BOSS 302

The 1970 Boss 302 had unique side stripes which started across the top of the hood. The headlights were moved to conform with the grille, and reduced to two rather than four. Functionally, the dual exhaust system was redesigned as well as the competition suspension and the 1970 302 now came with a Hurst shifter. The intake valves were smaller and the chrome was replaced with aluminum.

A little over 7,000 of these Boss 302 models were sold.

1970 BOSS 429

The 1970 Mustang Boss 429 is considered by many to be the greatest Mustang ever made. To date, it is one of the most sought after Mustangs of all time. It’s low production numbers make it highly collectible, but it is also desired because of it’s incredibly powerful engine. The Boss 429 is quite simply THE boss! Ford only made 499 of these, and they limited their production to only white or black interior. If you’re a serious collector, we highly recommend this model!

1970 MUSTANG GRANDE'

The Ford Grande’ was all about “grandeur”. It was only available in Landau style vinyl top and it came with 45 options. These options were upscale in nature and included interior upgrades such as; faux woodgrain dashboard, padded interior side panels, extra-thick carpet on the floorboards, two-tone narrow stripes, racing-style mirrors and chrome rocker panel moldings.

It came standard with slotted style wheels or a wire-style wheel cover option. It also had a Rim Blow steering wheel, which allowed the driver to sound the horn by squeezing the wheel. A performance engine could be ordered for it, but it wasn’t anywhere near the range of a Mach I or Boss engine.

A visible difference between the 1969 and the 1970 Mustang Grande’ was the Grande logo, which was changed in 1970 from block to script. The "Comfortweave" hopsack upholstery was also discontinued in 1970.

1970 MACH I

The 1970 Mach I was virtually identical to the 1969 version. The Mustang Mach I was similar to a GT fastback but had different stripes and came with a more upscale interior.

Some of the features included were a blacked-out hood treatment, reflective body side tape stripes, chrome rocker panels molding, hood pins, a front spoiler attached to the front roll pan, a nonfunctional hood scoop with turn signal indicators on the back side, an engine designation badge on the side and accent stripes around the upper portion of the rear body panel. The Mach 1 also came with high-back bucket seats. A spoiler and window louvers were an available option, though they did not come standard.

The new Mach I Mustang included the previous engine options of 200cid I-6, 302cid and 390cid V-8 engines as well as the new option of a 351cid V-8. There was also the option of a 428cid big block as a 335 hp cobra jet V-8 with or without ram-air. In 1970, only 857 Mach I models were equipped with the Super Cobra Jet/Drag Pack. The name Cobra Jet came from the fact that the vehicle shook when the engine started or was revved.

A few upgrades were added to complement the new engine options. These included an optional shaker hood scoop, in place of the nonfunctioning scoop, and a vacuum-operated door that opened when the throttle was floored to allow air into the carburetor.

1970 T-5

This was the American Mach I but Germany prohibited the sale of vehicles under the copywrighted name of Mach I, so Ford was forced to change the name to T-5 for all models sold within Germany.

1970 TWISTER SPECIAL

This was a special version of the Mach I that was sold exclusively at Kansas Ford dealerships. Only 96 of these Twister Specials were produced! Little different than the Mach I, there was a wide stripe on the side and a whirling tornado graphic on the rear fender that included the words “Twister Special”.