71 Boss 351 Quick Flip Turned Into Full Scale Restoration

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Joined
Oct 29, 2018
Messages
47
Reaction score
19
Location
San Antonio, TX
My Car
1971 Boss 351
In the beginning......A coworker I've known for almost 10 years owned a 1971 Boss 351 he bought in Jan 1977.  This car was his baby and for the last 40+ years has tried to faithfully maintain it even though his mechanical skills are limited. 

So, five years ago he retired and moved with his English wife back to England (he used to be in the Air Force).  Before he left he practically begged me to buy his Boss because he knew I could/would take care of it....almost an adoption.  In a former life I used to work in the service dept of a new car dealership and possess the mechanical tools and skill-set that he lacked. However, I was in the middle of a divorce and was in no position to take on a project car.

 


Fast forward to Summer of 2018 and out of the blue I received an email from the Boss owner informing me he was visiting the colonies for a couple of weeks.  The car had been in a storage unit since his retirement and he wanted to get rid of it and offered me a price I couldn't refuse.  My early goal was to paint it, maybe new tires and a tune-up, and bada-bing-bada-boom sell it for a handsome profit. That was before I received a phone call from the body shop who discovered damage to the driver's side sub-frame from a prior accident and a rusted floor pan. My options were to either disassemble the car and sell the parts or disassemble the car and restore it. Of course the new bride (remarried now) wanted me to sell the car one part at a time but I recognize the historical value and limited production number of the 1971 Boss 351 (1,806).  I decided to go for the restoration option and every time there's a package left on my front door step with a part for the Boss
(almost daily), my bride reminds me of how much this car is costing me (not one dollar of her money used in this project).  

Here's some pictures of the journey in the last 18 months:

Blue-Mustang.jpg


The day I purchased, July 12, 2018. (I know...incorrect bumper and wheels).



Bill of sale dated Jan 12, 1977 for $1,200 by prior owner (PO).  Car was originally Light Pewter Metallic but PO hated silver so had it repainted blue.  I will return back to original color.







First order of business was to rebuild this dirty beast.








Ready for the machine shop!





Mission Automotive in San Antonio did a fantastic job of returning this Boss to former glory.



I have the original D1ZX-9425-CA intake but not the original Autolite 4300-D carb.  Prior owner remembers the day he threw away the 4300-D after he replaced it with a Holley as all the performance magazines in the 70s were recommending.



Boss 3.91 axle before restoration.



"The Twisted Axle" of San Antonio are the local gurus for Ford 9 inch rebuilds.





The Jedi Knight of Toploader rebuilds, David Kee, rebuilt the 4 speed to include rechroming the Hurst shifter. 



Valor Restoration of Canyon Lake, TX replaced everything forward of the windshield.







New firewall and cowling.  Ready for the new floor.



New Floor!





The car is back in my garage where I will install the new power train and eventually return it to Valor Restoration to finish the body and paint.  My desire is to conduct a correct restoration vs a concours restoration.  I mean, I want it to look correct but not going to take the painstaking (and prohibitively expensive) concours approach.  Example: I'm going to paint the driveshaft the correct color but not going to paint the color bands or duplicate the inspection marks.  Where required I'm replacing some components with ACP or Scott Drake repros.  I was able to locate at great expense the correct Boss 351 exhaust manifolds (and heat shield and lift hooks) and will trash the Hooker headers the PO had installed. This Boss will not be at Pebble Beach or undergo the scrutiny of a MCCA inspection.  I just want a clean 71 Boss that I can drive to a local meet and be proud to show it.

My goal is to have it finished by September 2020 to compete in the all Mustang show in San Antonio.  I'll update once the engine, tranny, and axle are installed.

 
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I feel your pain... and dedication to getting it done. Good work!

 
Glad you're returning it to the original Light Pewter (code V) color.

When I had my 71 Mach repainted, I was unable to find a code (formula) for PPG 2287 in modern paint. A local PPG supplier was unable to match it, so I had the paint camera matched from a section of un-faded paint under the rear window trim. You may be able to find that code in the US due to different regulations than in Canada.

If you have not seen a copy of an original 1971 PPG Mustang paint chart, see the attached link. It also has the code for the hood black-out and trim. 

Depending on how close to perfect you wish to go with trim finishing, SEM Hot-Rod Black with Hot-Rod clear over it (optional) has proven to be very durable on exterior black-outs and SEM Trim Black for interior trim. While these are not "concours" correct, they do look good imo. BUT it's your car, your way. Other paints are available to chose from.

Geoff.

71 PPG colour chart.pdf

 

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Glad you're returning it to the original Light Pewter (code V) color.

When I had my 71 Mach repainted, I was unable to find a code (formula) for PPG 2287 in modern paint. A local PPG supplier was unable to match it, so I had the paint camera matched from a section of un-faded paint under the rear window trim. You may be able to find that code in the US due to different regulations than in Canada.

If you have not seen a copy of an original 1971 PPG Mustang paint chart, see the attached link. It also has the code for the hood black-out and trim. 

Depending on how close to perfect you wish to go with trim finishing, SEM Hot-Rod Black with Hot-Rod clear over it (optional) has proven to be very durable on exterior black-outs and SEM Trim Black for interior trim. While these are not "concours" correct, they do look good imo. BUT it's your car, your way. Other paints are available to chose from.

Geoff.
Geof,

That's awesome!  Thanks for sharing the fruit of your research.  I'll show to my restoration shop once I return the car for paint and body work.

Ed

 
Glad you're returning it to the original Light Pewter (code V) color.

When I had my 71 Mach repainted, I was unable to find a code (formula) for PPG 2287 in modern paint. A local PPG supplier was unable to match it, so I had the paint camera matched from a section of un-faded paint under the rear window trim. You may be able to find that code in the US due to different regulations than in Canada.

If you have not seen a copy of an original 1971 PPG Mustang paint chart, see the attached link. It also has the code for the hood black-out and trim. 

Depending on how close to perfect you wish to go with trim finishing, SEM Hot-Rod Black with Hot-Rod clear over it (optional) has proven to be very durable on exterior black-outs and SEM Trim Black for interior trim. While these are not "concours" correct, they do look good imo. BUT it's your car, your way. Other paints are available to chose from.

Geoff.
Geof,

That's awesome!  Thanks for sharing the fruit of your research.  I'll show to my restoration shop once I return the car for paint and body work.

Ed
 Ed, happy to help out and hope you can find the PPG formula. If not was there any original paint with sufficient thickness to camera match? There are quite a few others here with code V paint, so perhaps somebody else has the formula they can share. Unfortunately the paint supplier who matched my paint did not write the formula on the can. I can't even match my own paint now, but I do have some left over if it's still any good.

As for the black-out, some was textured, but it depends on what you want for your car. For me, I was just wanting it to look good to the casual observer, not an MCA judge! Again there are many here who may have a better idea to the correct semi-gloss black if you are unable to match the codes on that chart. Also if you care to do a search I'm pretty sure you'll find more info in other threads.

Geoff.

 
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What is the plan for that Urethane bumper?

Remember I asked first... :D

kcmash

 
Read, reREAD and looked at the photos! Nice to see someone that both respects a concourse effort and KNOWS they aren't going that way . EVERYTHING on a Boss 351 is expensive....so you can save $20K just in the manifolds, carb, distributor, fuel pump, alternator and pulley ! At least you can get a BA dip stick with all the money saved. Don't make me deliver a with a set of Small hole Magnums in January !



 
"My goal is to have it finished by September 2020..."

That's what I said three years ago in a post above. OMG....the last three years have been joy and pain but my 71 Boss 351 restoration is almost complete! I've been scammed along the way; paid $1,200 for a fake D1ZF-12127-DA dual-point Autolite distributor with fake W6 vacuum advance and another $450 for a fake D1ZX-6750-BA dipstick and fortunately didn't pay much for a fake D1ZF-ZA Autolite carb. It's about time the Boss 351 achieved the attention of scammers. Finally the Shelby owners aren't the only ones being scammed by fake parts!

In the last three years I decided to go concours on the restoration...or at least as close as I could get. Over the last 43 years the prior owner lost a lot of the Boss unique items to include swapping the original D0AE-L engine for a friend's '73 M code "cobra jet" in the late 70s and happily swapped the D1ZF-ZA carb for a Holley due to constant leakage and stumbles. It has taken the last three years to locate a correct D0AE-L block with D1ZX-CA intake, D1AE-GA heads, D1ZF-ZA carburetor, radiator, engine externals (water pump, balancer, dipstick, flywheel, distributor, etc) air cleaner housing, exhaust manifolds, etc. Trying to find a "Park" light for the dash was almost as hard as locating the D1ZF-ZA carb.

Here's a few pictures with more to follow. The Boss was originally Light Pewter Metallic which I returned. The blue wrap on the last picture is to protect the paint during assembly.
 

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"My goal is to have it finished by September 2020..."

That's what I said three years ago in a post above. OMG....the last three years have been joy and pain but my 71 Boss 351 restoration is almost complete! I've been scammed along the way; paid $1,200 for a fake D1ZF-12127-DA dual-point Autolite distributor with fake W6 vacuum advance and another $450 for a fake D1ZX-6750-BA dipstick and fortunately didn't pay much for a fake D1ZF-ZA Autolite carb. It's about time the Boss 351 achieved the attention of scammers. Finally the Shelby owners aren't the only ones being scammed by fake parts!

In the last three years I decided to go concours on the restoration...or at least as close as I could get. Over the last 43 years the prior owner lost a lot of the Boss unique items to include swapping the original D0AE-L engine for a friend's '73 M code "cobra jet" in the late 70s and happily swapped the D1ZF-ZA carb for a Holley due to constant leakage and stumbles. It has taken the last three years to locate a correct D0AE-L block with D1ZX-CA intake, D1AE-GA heads, D1ZF-ZA carburetor, radiator, engine externals (water pump, balancer, dipstick, flywheel, distributor, etc) air cleaner housing, exhaust manifolds, etc. Trying to find a "Park" light for the dash was almost as hard as locating the D1ZF-ZA carb.

Here's a few pictures with more to follow.
Looking great! nice to see you putting back to as close to concourse as you can(y)
 
TexasBoss, looks like a really nice car! However, I feel I must point out a grievous error in your original post. Although you may believe your information to be true, I have consulted with all the experts in the field and find your stated information to blatantly false. You sir, are misleading your fellow enthusiasts with such lies. You must either be a politician (spews nonsense at random) or someone taking 70's type hallucinogenic drugs. . . Sorry to be so callus. (see footnote)

















It's ALL her money!
 
"My goal is to have it finished by September 2020..."

That's what I said three years ago in a post above. OMG....the last three years have been joy and pain but my 71 Boss 351 restoration is almost complete! I've been scammed along the way; paid $1,200 for a fake D1ZF-12127-DA dual-point Autolite distributor with fake W6 vacuum advance and another $450 for a fake D1ZX-6750-BA dipstick and fortunately didn't pay much for a fake D1ZF-ZA Autolite carb. It's about time the Boss 351 achieved the attention of scammers. Finally the Shelby owners aren't the only ones being scammed by fake parts!

In the last three years I decided to go concours on the restoration...or at least as close as I could get. Over the last 43 years the prior owner lost a lot of the Boss unique items to include swapping the original D0AE-L engine for a friend's '73 M code "cobra jet" in the late 70s and happily swapped the D1ZF-ZA carb for a Holley due to constant leakage and stumbles. It has taken the last three years to locate a correct D0AE-L block with D1ZX-CA intake, D1AE-GA heads, D1ZF-ZA carburetor, radiator, engine externals (water pump, balancer, dipstick, flywheel, distributor, etc) air cleaner housing, exhaust manifolds, etc. Trying to find a "Park" light for the dash was almost as hard as locating the D1ZF-ZA carb.

Here's a few pictures with more to follow. The Boss was originally Light Pewter Metallic which I returned. The blue wrap on the last picture is to protect the paint during assembly.
Did you paint or powder coat your valve covers and intake? They look really clean and bright and was wondering how you got that look. My engine is at the dyno now and am installing Boss valve covers when I install it and am not sure if I want to leave them natural or finish them somehow.
 
"My goal is to have it finished by September 2020..."

That's what I said three years ago in a post above. OMG....the last three years have been joy and pain but my 71 Boss 351 restoration is almost complete! I've been scammed along the way; paid $1,200 for a fake D1ZF-12127-DA dual-point Autolite distributor with fake W6 vacuum advance and another $450 for a fake D1ZX-6750-BA dipstick and fortunately didn't pay much for a fake D1ZF-ZA Autolite carb. It's about time the Boss 351 achieved the attention of scammers. Finally the Shelby owners aren't the only ones being scammed by fake parts!

In the last three years I decided to go concours on the restoration...or at least as close as I could get. Over the last 43 years the prior owner lost a lot of the Boss unique items to include swapping the original D0AE-L engine for a friend's '73 M code "cobra jet" in the late 70s and happily swapped the D1ZF-ZA carb for a Holley due to constant leakage and stumbles. It has taken the last three years to locate a correct D0AE-L block with D1ZX-CA intake, D1AE-GA heads, D1ZF-ZA carburetor, radiator, engine externals (water pump, balancer, dipstick, flywheel, distributor, etc) air cleaner housing, exhaust manifolds, etc. Trying to find a "Park" light for the dash was almost as hard as locating the D1ZF-ZA carb.

Here's a few pictures with more to follow. The Boss was originally Light Pewter Metallic which I returned. The blue wrap on the last picture is to protect the paint during assembly.
Glad to see you saved the car and not parted out. Looks really nice you did a great job on the restoration 👍👍
 
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