1969 ìGî CODE BOSS 302 SHELBY GT ONE OF ONE
9F02G482244
AFTER 38 YEARS, AND NINE OWNERS, FROM THE BUILD DATED OF MAY 6, 1969, THE SHELBY BOSS 302 WAS FINALLY FINISHED. IT WAS FEATURED AT THE SHELBY-BOSS REUNION ON AUGUST 10-11 2007 AT THE INDIANAPOLIS FORD PLANT. THE SHELBY BOSS 302 WAS TO BE A 200-CAR PROGRAM AS DOCUMENTED BY THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY, THE SHELBY AMERICAN (SAAC) 1999 ISSUE #68 AND ìMARTI AUTO WORKS", FURTHER REASEARCH SHOWS THAT NEARLY 200 WE'RE PLANNED FOR PRODUCTION BUT ONLY THE PROTO-TYPE VEHICLE WAS PRODUCED. THE BOSS 302 SHELBYíS CREATION, OWNERSHIP, AND EVEN ITS EXISTENCE HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF CONSIDERABLE SPECULATION, BUT IT IS REAL. THE INFORMATION IN THIS ARTICLE WAS COLLECTED FROM FORD RECORDS, DOCUMENTATION WITHIN THE CAR (BUILD SHEETS), AND CONVERSATIONS WITH PREVIOUS OWNERS AND CARROLL SHELBY, WHO REFERS TO THIS SPECIAL CAR AS THE ìSHELBY-BOSS. ì
THE GENESIS
THE 1969 BOSS 302 SHELBY WAS BUILT ON A BOSS 302 CHASSIS AND CARRIES A SHELBY VIN OF 9F02G482244. SHELBY CONFIRMED THAT BY 1969 ANY OF HIS ENGINEERS WORKING AT FORD COULD HAVE ORDERED THE PILOT CAR (OR A PROTOTYPE, PER SHELBY), BUT THEYíRE NOW GONE AND JUST WHO SHEPHERDED THE PILOT WILL LIKELY REMAIN UNKNOWN. SHELBY ALSO CONFIRMED THAT HE SPENT LITTLE TIME WITH THE PROGRAM, AND WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF THE BOSS 302 IN MID-APRIL 1969, FORDS INTEREST WAS CLEARLY SHIFTING TO THE BOSS 302, CHAMPIONED BY BUNKIE KNUDSON AND RECENTLY RECRUITED FROM GM BY HENRY FORD II. FORD DIDNíT NEED TWO SPECIALTY MUSTANGS AND SHELBY RESIGNED. AND THIS MAY BE THE REASON THE BOSS 302 SHELBY PROGRAM ENDED.
THE BOSS 302 SHELBY SCHEDULED PROGRAM: 2-DOOR FASTBACKS, EACH WITH A 4-SPEED TRANSMISSION AND FRONT SPOILER. PLACING A BOSS 302 DRIVE TRAIN IN A GT 350 WAS THOUGHT TO BE A PERFECT COMBINATION, AND CLEARLY BETTER THAN THE 351 W CID OPTION. BLACK TRIM AND A BLACK INTERIOR. BUT WITH SHELBY RESIGNING, THE PROGRAM ENDED LEAVING THE ACAPULCO BLUE SHELBY ALL BY ITSELF.
BUILDING THE PILOT
FORD OFFICIALS CONFORM THAT THE BOSS 302 SHELBY WAS AN EXECUTIVE ORDERED CAR FROM FORDíS WORLD HEADQUARTERS IN DEARBORN, STATING THAT IT HAD AN 84 DISTRICT SPECIAL ORDER (DSO), A HOME OFFICE RESERVE NUMBER ONLY SHELBYíS RECEIVED. THE ìGî IN THE VIN WAS A BOSS ENGINE CODE, AND THE ì48î CONFIRMED THAT THE PILOT WAS TO BE A SHELBY GT, IN THIS CASE A GT 350. THE ORDER DSO ITEM NUMBER 9999 FURTHER CONFIRMS THAT THIS WAS AN EXECUTIVE ORDER NUMBER FROM FORD HEADQUARTERS. IT ALSO RECIEVED A LINE I.D. # 84X999 A NUMBER EVERY 67,68 and 69 SHELBY WAS GIVEN.
INSTEAD OF GOING TO SOUTHFIELD, MI TO BE COMPLETED, THE BOSS 302 SHELBY WENT TO THE KAR KRAFT DESIGN CENTER LOCATED IN LIVONIA, MI. THIS IS WHERE DESIGN ENGINEERS AND PROTO-TYPES WHERE HOUSED. KAR KRAFT LOCATED IN BRIGHTON MI. WAS USED FOR PRODUCTION. FORDíS CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER (CAC999) REPORT SHOWS THE 1969 SHELBY 2-DOOR FASTBACK BUILT MAY 6, 1969 WITH THE FOLLOWING OPTIONS: 302 CID HO ENGINE, CLOSE RATIO 4-SPEED STANDARD TRANSMISSION, 350 TRACTION LOK, POWERED FRONT DISC BRAKES, ACAPULCO BLUE EXTERIOR PAINT, KNITTED HIGHBACK BUCKET INTERIOR (BLACK), F60 X 15 TIRES, REAR SPORTS DECK, DELUXE APPEARANCE GROUP, AM/FM MULTIPLEX RADIO, COMPLETE TINTED GLASS, DELUXE SEAT BELTS, RACING MIRRORS, HEAVY DUTY BATTERY, TACHOMETER WITH 140 MPH SPEEDOMETER.
UNUSUAL OPTIONS INCLUDED A SINGLE KEY LOCKING SYSTEM (ONLY OFFERED IN LAW ENFORCEMENT CARS) AND MANUAL STEERING. THERE ARE SEVERAL COMPONENTS ON THE BOSS 302 SHELBY THAT CLEARLY MAKE IN A ëONE-OF-ONEí PIECE OF FORD AND SHELBY HISTORY. OF THE 1,982 SHELBY G.T. 350íS BUILT IN 1969 THIS IS THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS ENGINE CODE, THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PAINT AND TRIM CODE (MORE LATER), THE ONLY ONE WITH A SINGLE KEY LOCKING SYSTEM, AND BELIEVED TO BE THE ONLY 69' SHELBY WITH MANUAL STEERING. IT WAS ALSO THE ONLY 69' SHELBY GT WITH THE ORDER NUMBER OF #9999.
SEVERAL OF THE ëOPTIONSí FOUND THEIR WAY INTO OTHER SHELBYS. THE BLACK HOOD STRIPES AND FRONT SPOILER WERE CLEARLY BOSS FEATURES, BUT THEIR USE IN THE BOSS 302 SHELBY PREDATES THE COSMETIC CONVERSION OF UNSOLD 1969 SHELBYS TO 1970, THIS IS WHERE THE IDEA FOR THE í70 SHELBYS CAME FROM. EVEN A FEW OF THOSE WERE PAINTED YELLOW WITH BLACK STRIPES.
BY THE NUMBERS
THE NUMBERS IN THE VIN - 9F02G482244 ñ OFFER ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. FORD SAID THAT ì44î AS THE LAST TWO DIGITS IN THE VIN WAS AN ENGINEER CODE FOR A SPECIAL ORDER CAR ALTHOUGH IT WAS A CONSECUTIVE UNIT NUMBER (2243 AND 2245 WERE BUILT). A CASE IN POINT WAS A 427 POWERED 1967 FAIRLANE ORDERED BY EDSEL FORD WITH A VIN ENDING IN 44. ANOTHER VEHICLE WITH A VIN ENDING IN 44 WAS THE 1967 427 SUPERSNAKE. HOW UNUSUAL IS THAT? AND IF YOUíRE A REAL NUMBER BUFF THEN 22 IS (2+2 = 4) AND 44 IS (4-+4 = 8), OR 48ÖA SHELBY! THE BUILD SHEET ROTATION NUMBER IS 566 WHICH COINCIDES WITH THE DATE IT WAS BUILT WHICH WAS 5-6-í69.
FINISHING THE BUILD
THE ONE AND ONLY PHOTOGRAPH THAT WAS TAKEN IN 1985 AT MILAN DRAGWAY IN MICHIGAN HAS LEFT A BURNING IMPRESSION OF HOW THE CAR WAS SUPPOSED TO LOOK WHEN IT LEFT THE FACTORY IN 1969. KEEP IN MIND THAT THE PHOTOGRAPH WAS TAKEN FIFTEEN YEARS AFTER IT LEFT THE FACTORY IN 69. IN THAT PHOTO THE DESCRIPTION WAS GIVEN TO ME BY THE SECOND OWNER J.P. WHO DESCRIBES IT AS JUST HAVING BEEN PAINTED THREE DAYS PRYOR TO THE DAY THAT PICTURE WAS TAKEN. IT HAD BEEN LIGHLY HIT IN THE REAR FROM BEING PUSHED AFTER NOT RUNNING. HE HAD BRAIZED NEW QUARTERS AND TAIL LIGHT PANEL ON PRYOR TO PAINTING. HOWEVER, CERTAIN HOLES AND PARTS PROVE THAT IT WAS BUILT AS A SHELBY. HOW IT LEFT WILL BE A MYSTERY. PREVIOUS OWNER, GARY BURKE, FOUND AN EXTRA SHELBY FOG LIGHT SWITCH UNDER THE CARPET AND A COMPLETE SET (4) OF VERY INTERESTING GT 350 WHEEL CENTER CAP DECALS IN 1990. THE BUILD SHEET, ALSO UNDER THE CARPET WAS IN GOOD CONDITION AND CONFIRMED DETAILS SUCH AS THE 84 DSO, THE BLACK STRIPES, AND SHOWING IT WAS TO RECEIVE ALL BOSS 302 PARTS FOR THE SUSPENSION ñ SPECIAL SPRINGS FRONT AND REAR, STAGGERED SHOCKS, BIG FRONT SPINDLES, AND REINFORCED SHOCK TOWERS. IT SITS LOWER THAN A SHELBY, AND WITH THE í69 BOSS 302 ENGINE THEREíS A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN HANDLING WHEN COMPARED TO A GT 350. LATER, SHELBY CARS RECEIVED BIG SPINDLES AND TIE ROD ENDS ONLY; NOT BOSS 302 SPRINGS.
D
SEVERAL YEARS AGO, THE SIXTH OWNER, BOB GAINES, HAD THE CAR DIPPED, STRIPPING IT OF ALL PAINT AND BONDO, AND EXPOSING BOTH SEAMS WHERE BOTH QUARTER AND TAILLIGHT PANELS HAD BEEN BRAIZED ON, ALSO A HOLE IN THE FIREWALL WHERE THE SHELBY FOG LIGHT HARNESS WAS LOCATED.
AS THE 1969 BOSS 302 SHELBY WAS BEING COMPLETED, SHELBY WAS PERSONALLY CONTACTED TO CONFIRM DETAILS. FOR INSTANCE AS THE CAR WAS BEING COMPLETED EVERY DATE CODE ON EVERY PIECE OF SHEET METAL WAS PHOTOGRAPHED AND RECORDED. NEARLY 50 WERE FOUND. NINETY-FIVE PERCENT WERE STAMPED WITHIN TWO WEEKS OF THE BUILD DATE. FOR EXAMPLE, 4-24-3D INDICATED APRIL 24, 3RD SHIFT, DEARBORN. OTHER THAN REPLACING THE QUARTER PANELS, METAL REPAIR WAS MINIMAL. THE INTERIOR IS 75% ORIGINAL. THE TRANSMISSION HAS THE ORIGINAL 2244 VIN STAMPED, REPLACING THE ORIGINAL BLOCK THAT WAS CRACKED IN 1975 DUE TO FREEZING IN MICHIGAN. THE CAR NOW CARRIES AN ORIGINAL C8FE BLOCK FACTORY STAMPED X348. THE C7FE STEEL CRANK ($), RODS, AND HEADS ARE ORIGINAL FOR THIS BOSS 302 ENGINE.
SIGN OFF
DURING THE COMPLETION OF THE BOSS 302 SHELBY SEVERAL DOCUMENTS WERE MADE AVAILABLE ATTESTING TO THE FACT THAT 9F02G482244 IS AUTHENTIC. BOTH CARROLL SHELBY AND EDSEL B FORD II HAVE COUNTERSIGNED DOCUMENTS CITING THE BOSS 302 SHELBY AS THE ONLY SHELBY BUILT WITH A BOSS 302 ENGINE. THIS IS AN INDISPUTABLE PART OF SHELBYíS HISTORY AND LEGACY.
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