Boss 351 Car & Driver Feb 1971 Road Test

[Boss1Ray]

Definitely not the most flattering article for the Boss 351. And some of the b&w pics are of a pre production unit with the incorrect brightwork for the hood and fenders as well as the wrong hood striping. I also noticed the incorrect rear valence - with the openings for the exhaust tips. It appears to be the same car used for the 1971 Boss 302 pics - they just changed the badging to "351". The b&w pics of the white car appear to be correct as to actual production cars. (Looks like mine.)

Pictures and entire .pdf article are available for download at the link below.

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/1971-ford-mustang-boss-351-archived-instrumented-test



Ray

 

[Gardoco]

Definitely not the most flattering article for the Boss 351. And some of the b&w pics are of a pre production unit with the incorrect brightwork for the hood and fenders as well as the wrong hood striping. I also noticed the incorrect rear valence - with the openings for the exhaust tips. It appears to be the same car used for the 1971 Boss 302 pics - they just changed the badging to "351". The b&w pics of the white car appear to be correct as to actual production cars. (Looks like mine.)

Pictures and entire .pdf article are available for download at the link below.

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/1971-ford-mustang-boss-351-archived-instrumented-test

Ray

Power windows! She's a rare Boss!

 

[Boss1Ray]

Definitely not the most flattering article for the Boss 351. And some of the b&w pics are of a pre production unit with the incorrect brightwork for the hood and fenders as well as the wrong hood striping. I also noticed the incorrect rear valence - with the openings for the exhaust tips. It appears to be the same car used for the 1971 Boss 302 pics - they just changed the badging to "351". The b&w pics of the white car appear to be correct as to actual production cars. (Looks like mine.)

Pictures and entire .pdf article are available for download at the link below.

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/1971-ford-mustang-boss-351-archived-instrumented-test

Ray

Power windows! She's a rare Boss!

Yes. Two different cars. The white car has standard interior and roll-up windows.

Ray

 

[Don65Stang]

From the article...

"As glorious as that may sound to all of the world's main bearing mavens, it's the top half of the engine that is really exciting—the cylinder heads, to be specific. They are essentially the same as those used previously on the Boss 302 with staggered valves the size of man-hole covers and ports like laundry chutes. It all makes the Z/28 look like a gas mileage motor. "

That's funny!

 

[Kit Sullivan]

Written by a reviewer who was determined to find faults...and he did. The BOSS 351 was typical of all cars of its class during its day. The F-bodies certainly did handle a bit better in '71, but not remarkably so.

All of the comments about style over functionality I agree with. The car is stylish...to a fault. I like it that way.

Carmen Electra (or whoever you like personally) may not be the most functionally efficient person as far as cooking, cleaning or raising kids...but I sure would like to drive her around the block a few times.

The interior of our Mustangs are a little difficult to use, compared to say a (once again) 71-era F-body, but the interior on those cars is BORING. I have had several F-bodies over the years: 71 and 79 Z-28s, 78 and 79 Trans-Ams and even though the T/A has a "fancier" interior than the Zs do, they are still not as nice as the Mustangs.

I'm 6'4", so the "bunker" feeling has never affected me much. However, everyone who rides in the car always makes the statement that "How can you see out of this thing?"

Who cares? They look great and i love 'em!

 

[mdan575]

See'ing those articles it's apparent what cemented the 70's Mustangs as ******* step children. Well known people and magazines who didn't like the direction the cars were headed. Years later articles I read that revisited them had alot nicer things to say about the 71-73 models. Especially when speaking of the Boss 351 motors.

 

[Boss1Ray]

The thing that jumped out at me - the speaking of how bad the steering felt as compared to the GM F-body cars. Ford used the (almost) identical setup. Saginaw PS for the 71-3 Mustangs are made by GM!

Oh well...

Ray

 

[cudak888]

It is noteworthy to mention that every single negative comment made towards '71-73 Mustangs can be traced back to a statement made in this C&D review.

It is amazing how much staying power the comments in this article have had. Even 40 years later, ignorant journalists and commentators (most of which have never bothered to experience a '71-73 apart from looking at one - if that) regurgitate the same exact complaints, handed down to them through the years by countless other talking heads, of which their comments can be traced right back to this source.

I still say GM bought the press when the second-gen F-body Camaro was released. That front end is too ugly to be universally accepted as GM's greatest automotive styling gift to the world. The grill looks like Henry Hawk giving Foghorn Leghorn a lecture:

-Kurt