Exhaustive 14-year nut-and-bolt restoration

1969 Ford Mustang GT Super Cobra Jet

428ci OHV V8 Engine
Single 4-Barrel Carburetor
335bhp at 5,600rpm
C-6 Cruise-O-Matic transmission
Independent Front with Live Axle Rear Suspension
Front Discs and Rear Drum Brakes

*428 Super Cobra Jet Ram Air with Drag Pack
*1 of 11 built in this superb configuration
*Less than 15,500 original miles
*All-Ford Nationals First Place Award Winner


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THE FORD MUSTANG

While many favor the first generation Mustang, the original Falcon-based Pony car, it was the second generation, larger, more comfortable and with room to accept Ford's big block engines, which made the Mustang's reputation and cemented the success of its image. Even today, when Ford designers reach back for historic cues to reflect in the 21st century Mustang, it is the second generation look which they mirror.

The SCCA Trans Am series, Ford's happy hunting ground for its first two seasons, remained restricted to five-liter engines but Ford had its Total Performance sights set on more than just the Trans Am and road racing and that meant increasing the size of the Mustang's powerplants. The most egregious big block in the Mustang was the Boss 429, built by Ford to qualify the 429 "Semi Hemi" engine for use in NASCAR. A limited production tool room job built by Kar Kraft, it pushed to the absolute limits the physical size of engine that could be squeezed under the hood of a Mustang.

More important were the 428 Cobra Jets. The concept for these came from no less an authority than Carroll Shelby, who realized that the 428, a longer stroke, smaller bore version of the famous FE series 427 Ford, was a match made in heaven – or maybe in Dearborn – for the larger engine compartment of the second generation Mustang. He extracted a few from Ford's supply chain, dropped them into Mustangs and created the Shelby GT500 which revolutionized both the Shelby Mustang image and Ford's concept of what "pony car" meant.

Another Ford insider, Rhode Island dealer Bob Tasca, had an even better idea, mating the 428 block with a set of free-flowing 427 low rise heads. This combination benefited from the long stroke 428's torque and the 427 heads' high rpm power. After some massaging by Ford to ensure its long term reliability in the hands of ordinary retail buyers it became the 428 Cobra Jet. Dropped into Mustangs, the Cobra Jet quickly earned a reputation as a stand-up power-plant worthy of respect from any competing pony and muscle cars.


THE MOTORCAR OFFERED

This stunning 1969 Mustang GT Sportsroof was produced on January 13th, 1969. The car was superbly optioned with the mighty R-code 428-4V with Cobra Jet Ram Air, Drag Pack which added the 4.30 Traction-Lok axel ration and a C-6 Cruise-O-Matic transmission. This combination was lethal at the stoplight and drag strip. In 1969, only 246 GT fastbacks came with the R-code 428 Cobra jet Engine. Of the 246, only 94 were automatics and of those, only 11 were fitted with the Drag Pack/ 4.30 Traction-Lok gears. The body was finished in Indian Fire paint while the interior was clad in Black Kiwi vinyl. A deluxe Marti Report is on file authenticating its original configuration.

The Super Cobra Jet was discovered sitting in a barn in the late 1980s by Frank Miller. The car had lived its life as a drag racer and as a result, had only accumulated 14,000 original miles. Once Frank realized how special and rare the car was, he undertook a complete nut-and-bolt restoration that he would complete himself over the next 15 years. Every inch of the car was gone through and restored or replaced with NOS items. At the completion of the labor of love, the car was showcased at the 2004 All-Ford Nationals in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. At Nationals, the Super Cobra Jet was awarded first place in the 1969 Mustang class and Mustang Monthly's editor's choice award for vintage Mustangs for both the superb quality of the restoration in addition to the significance of being such a rare and coveted specification.

Since receiving the marques highest honors, the Super Cobra Jet has lived a pampered life. The mighty Mustang has been carefully stored and maintained since its restoration, periodically making appearances at local shows and posing for magazines who want to feature the incredible story. At the time of cataloging, the car has only covered an amazing 15,432 miles from new.

A Shelby GT500 in all but name, it is a powerful presence in nostalgia drag racing, earning the respect of collectors and racers alike for its style, presence, design and performance. This 1 of 11, special order configuration is a documented and verified Super Cobra Jet that is ready to earn more first place awards at both the drag strip and nation show circuit.