1969 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Replica - Project Timber Wolf Part 2

Rodney Austin, owner of Austin's Collision, prefers to work with straight metal instead of body filler. Here, he smoothes out some welds in the rear panel.

Rick is thrilled to be getting rid of this tatty combination of a rollbar and trunk-mounted battery terminal.

With Austin's Collision preparing the body for its new shade of silver paint, Rick began ripping into the boxes of parts that had arrived at his shop. He headed for the big Ford Racing box first to check out the 347 short-block.

Our Boss 347 is a based on Ford Racing's new Boss 302 block (PN M-6010-BOSS302). With screw-in freeze plugs and four-bolt main caps, the new block is stronger than the original from '69-'70.

Just like original Boss 302 blocks, the new ones include four-bolt caps on the number 2, 3, and 4 mains, only the new versions are splayed.

Vintage Boss 302 blocks had the original Mustang's VIN stamped at the back of the block. It's only fitting that the serial number for each new Boss block is stamped in the same location, along with "Boss."

Our '69 Mustang's front suspension is getting a complete makeover with upper and lower arms, coilover struts, and strut rods from Total Control Products. The bolt-on components replace the stamped-steel factory pieces and firm the front end by eliminating the soft bushings.

The factory steering is being replaced by TCP's high-performance rack-and-pinion. This will provide the winner of the sweepstakes with the positive, direct steering of a modern Mustang. Best of all, the rack utilizes factory mounting locations to simplify installation.

While Rick is still shopping for the right wheels for our modern Mustang restomod, he knew he wanted big, husky rotors to fill the void behind 18- or 19-inch rims. Stainless Steel Brakes Corporation's Force 10 Extreme brake system fits the bill with 13-inch slotted rotors up front and 11-inch versions at the rear, both with Force 10 four-piston aluminum calipers in powdercoated black.

A new master cylinder with a power booster is also part of the braking plans from Stainless Steel Brakes.