Twelve years ago, Nelson Cardadeiro was out cruising when he stopped by a used car lot in Hayward, California. He was looking for a Fox-body 5.0L Mustang to play with, but that's not what he found in suburban Oakland. Instead, on the front row was a green '69 Mustang Grand hardtop. He almost didn't look at the car because it didn't leave much of an impression. Nelson walked up to the car and happened to glance at the VIN plate at the base of the windshield. He had to rub his eyes because the mental tumblers just weren't falling into place. He expected to see an "M" or "H" 351W engine code. Instead, the engine code was "Q"-for 428 Cobra Jet.
When he opened the hood to be sure, you can imagine the shock of seeing not only the original 428 CJ engine but also one complete with all of its Thermactor emission control system. Because it was being sold on consignment, Nelson made an offer and left. The next day, the seller accepted and Nelson went back with a deposit. But when Nelson arrived, the seller had changed his mind. Although Nelson could have made a higher offer, he didn't. He just walked away.
The following spring, Nelson's brother told him the Grand was back on the lot. He drove to the dealer and made another offer, ending up paying $200 less than his previous offer.
Nelson brought the Grand home and stored it in his garage until he could amass the parts needed for a restoration. It's pretty easy to understand what happened next. The car spent two and a half years in the body shop, then another two years passed as Nelson carefully assembled the car. He debuted his CJ Grand at the Mustang Club of America national show in Las Vegas in 2006. With an open hood revealing the Cobra Jet powerplant, his efforts received abundant attention and questions.
Nelson could have traveled any number of paths when he decided to buy and restore the Grand, but chose a concours restoration to MCA judging standards. David Peterson rebuilt the car's matching-number CJ big-block to factory specifications. Nelson opted for new-old-stock and original Ford parts where possible. On top is the original 735-cfm Holley rebuilt and restored with painstaking detail. The same can be said for the original Autolite distributor. This isn't an engine compartment you glance over. While photographing the car during the annual Fall Display at Mustangs Plus, it was challenging to close the hood and move on because there's so much detail underneath.
Completely intact is the engine's original Thermactor emission control system, an air pump system that injects air into the exhaust ports to clean up emissions. Most Thermactor emission control systems were tossed in the garbage when the cars were new, so they have become increasingly difficult for restorers to find. Nelson hit pay dirt when he discovered it was all still there, including the Cobra Jet air cleaner. It's great to see such close attention to detail on one of the rarest Mustangs ever built.
The Grand was a very distinctive luxury Mustang. It had more sound deadening for a quieter ride, and interior appointments were more upscale with cloth upholstery and molded door panels, same as the Mach 1. We like the wire-style wheel covers Ford fitted onto the Grand models. Because Nelson's car has a larger footprint, it has F70x14 Firestone Super Sport Wide Ovals on the ground. Power front disc brakes get the job done nicely when it's time to drive responsibly.
As you might imagine, the original buyer wanted luxury along with a lot of horsepower and torque. They chose Ford's venerable C6 Select-Shift transmission for convenience along with 3.50:1 Traction-Lok cogs for a Jekyll and Hyde demeanor. Nelson's Grand is a luxury Mustang built for weekend drag racing and Main Street spankings in 1969.