Once upon a time someone built a one of a kind Boss 429 Cougar. Does anyone know what color it was? Also does it still exist? Was it a 69, a 70 or something else? Any info or pics of this car would be appreciated.
Once upon a time, Ford contracted with Kar Kraft, to build 2 1969 Boss 429 Cougars.
Specially built for ‘Dyno’ Don Nicholson and ‘Fast’ Eddie Schartman.
From memory Ford painted them White, they were raced with different colors. The Nicholson car has been resurrected, the Schartman car has been recreated as it was raced in 1970, with 1970 sheet metal.
Google will come up with pictures and articles for both cars.
Actually there were three. If you want the complete story, subscribe to Legendary Cougar Magazine. I spent almost 200 hours doing research.
If you have a few hours to kill, you can read through this extensive discussion and various posts and links on the Boss forum.
Thanks guys, I found a 1970 cougar that’s primer gray and that’s how I got to thinking about paint jobs. I will surf the links to learn more.
The 1970 that you found is a Boss 429 Cougar? Or are you just looking to do the paint scheme like any of the Boss 429 Cougars?
Steven
Mike Derose did a killer Schartman B9 Cougar tribute, with paynes-taking 
decal recreation by me 
- Phillip
I found a 390 cougar on Las Vegas craigslist and a 351 cougar on Bakersfield CL. I was curious about building one, I imagine the hardest part would be finding and paying for a boss 429 motor. A healthy 460 would be more practical for me. A healthy FE block would be even more practical. I’m not a purist but I am a Mercury guy. The best car I’ve ever owned was a 1968 XR-7 302/C4 2bbl daily driver.
Thanks for the feedback and and the pics. I’m going to do some homework on the 69’s and 70’s
Finding a Boss 9 isn’t that hard, paying for it might be a different story.
http://www.jonkaaseracingengines.com/html/jon_kaase_custom_built_boss_nine_engines.html
Steven
Great link s code, great link Mike B.
The Kaase motors are awesome.
I did kill about an hour on that thread, lots of info. Sounds like maybe they modified the shock towers at Kar-Kraft and completed the cars in Long Beach. It also sounds like someone in Long Beach did their own mods and snuck in a third car?
I don’t know the facts but I know I want to score a 69 or a 70 XR7.
I know this is a 4 year old thread, but I’m the FNG so bear with me. They did make 2 Cougars and 2 Torinos with Boss 429s. Only because NASCAR, Grand National back then had a rule 500 units had to be on the street to be allowed on the tracks, reason for the Talladegas also. Ford didn’t like competing with Mercury, the Cougars beat up the Stangs bad on the SCCA curcuit back in 68 & 69. So the Mustang was the one that got them. Personally the Cougars and Torinos would have been a better car.
The Cougars did go to the Drag strip and were never licensed. The Torinos, no one knows. Ford also built a Boss 302 Maverick in 1970. Ford testing showed it beat the Stang easily in drag racing due to 500 lbs lighter.
The FE big blocks would swap in much more easily to a 1969 or 1970 without risking the shock towers.
The 2 or 3 boss 429s are essentially one off custom units for the 1969 and 1970.
The 460 is a wider engine, but probably a little easier to find and build up then an FE. Still examples of both can be found. Even the truck engines can be rebuilt to higher performance specs.
The 71-73 cougars had additional space under the hood and building a 460 for one of these would be far more practical.
The 429 Cobra jet with and without a hood scoop were optional engines in 1971. The 351 Cleveland 2V was the standard and the 351 4V was also an optional engine.
This is the third Boss 429 Cougar photographed at Kar Kraft’s first shop. This one was a “street” version which unfortunately didn’t get approved for production. No one knows where it ended up.
Royce, wouid you suspect this is like the other 2 Boss 429 Cougars, in that it probably came with a 428CJ originally, and would likely be an “R code” VIN? Fascinating stuff…
A few more details you can pick out from the photo. It has a front spoiler, but it is not an Eliminator, as the front grille is not blacked out and it doesn’t have high back bucket seats, rather it has headrests. It has a hood scoop, with the underside of the hood cut out (much bigger than the normal Ram air hole). It looks like original ribbed style hood scoop on the bottom, so it would not be the Boss 429 Mustang style scoop. The air cleaner is not Ram air, has a really long snorkel.
And it has an oil cooler, since the horn has been re-located.
It would have been an R code VIN originally, as were Boss 429 Mustangs. None of the Boss 9 Cougars were Eliminators.
“Kar-Kraft, Race Cars, Prototypes and Muscle Cars of Ford’s Specialy Vehicle Program” is a very cool book by KK employee Charlie Henry.
Besides the loads of fascinating GT40, Trans-Am, Boss 429, etc. info, some interesting Cougar tidbits and photos also.
Including a '69(?) Cougar in the KK paint booth getting some sort of dark (pic is b/w) paint job.
- Phillip
White interior and white vinyl top. Hood Pins (R-code only option for '69). Courtesy Light Group (underhood light).
