429 / 460 ? - Ford Forums - Mustang Forum, Ford Trucks, Ford Focus and Ford Cars

ConfusedtoHell · 04-02-2004, 07:40

Sorry if this is on the Mustang Forums, only car besides the Thunderbird i've seen with this engine, besides a truck.

I have seemed to get my hands on a 429 Big Boss so im told by like 40 differnt people. Nothing wrong with it as far as I know, it was in a 1970+ MERC that got rear ended in the 80's the person wanted to fix it but couldnt afford it so he sent it to a scrapping yards. My friend there opened the hood before he was gonna crush it and noticed it was a 429, he pulled it out and came to me. I was looking for a engine to drop in a Muscle Car to make bad ass, and everyone tells me I was lucky as hell. Its under 40,000 miles when he pulled it out, and there seems to be no wear. I was wondering if any of you could give me your opinon on how much 429 would run for, alot of people tell me its rare/hard to find. And maybe a few Year/Models I should look for in the junkyards to drop it in.

- Andrew

**Big Block Ford** · 04-02-2004, 16:04

Sounds like an interesting motor Andrew. There were a few variants of the 429 made and I'm expecting you don't have a genuine Boss engine as they were very rare indeed and came out in a few select Mustangs and maybe a few Mercury Cougars and Ford Torino's. The standard 429 came out in a number of other larger cars and trucks as well and there are few performance models such as the cobra jet and super cobra jet engines in the Mustang , Torino and Couger lines as well. Give me some numbers off the engine and I may be able to help with what you have. If there is a small aluminium tag attached under the ignition coil bolt then that is a help or even a white sticker on the front of the rocker cover. Perhaps the casting numbers off the cylinder head will help as well.

Depending on what type of car you like then in the Mustang line the 71 to 73 will take that engine with out any problems and the earlier 68 to 70 I think will fit them though it is a bit of a squeeze and there maybe a few modifactions to carry out.I think it is similar with the Torino and Cougers from about 70 to 73 shouldn't be too difficult to pop in.

Be great to find out what you have . If it is a genuine Boss engine then it is an extremely rare engine in the 429 configuration and just in case check to see if the heads are large in appearence and made of aluminium but I'm pretty doubtful that this will be the case.

laminge · 04-02-2004, 16:08

I would like to see some pics on this engine!

Lance, your an endless wealth of knowledge! :)

**Big Block Ford** · 04-02-2004, 18:22

Thanks Minge . The late models have me a bit stuffed though lol. A pic is a great idea .

ConfusedtoHell · 04-03-2004, 23:58

Okay well Sunday Im taking to my storage, with some buddies of mine, ill see what I can do for the pictures ill look for what you mentioned. I just been hammered by all these people I know saying Take It! Take It! Its driving me crazy. Even though it wont have a car to sit in, but im sure it would have a nice body in do time.

As for some vehicles. Alot of people told me, some of the
70 Mustangs you mentioned, and some Mercs, and maybe some TBirds.

My geru of cars we call Big G said he use to have a 429 in a Tbird, he said he misses that engine, It was crushed when someone took out his front running a red light. And he said I would be stupid to not take it even if its not a Big Boss, and if it was a regular 429 big block some machine work and I could turn it in a Big Boss he said or other.

like I said im confused to hell seems to good to be true.

**Big Block Ford** · 04-04-2004, 16:33

Confusedtohell the 429/460 engine series is a good line of big blocks with some excellent performance and a good range of performance parts available. The standard 429/460 engines from the Tbirds ,Fairlanes and maybe Galaxy and those large car and the truck range are not that rare or hard to find but it is the Hi po versions in the muscle cars such as Mustang ,Torino and Mercury Cougar that are the rare hard to find ones. The standard motors are very easy to hot up so to speak. I would take it if you want to build a muscle car of some sort as you wont be disapointed and if it does turn out to be a boss then you will be very lucky.

ConfusedtoHell · 04-05-2004, 01:25

Okay well I started to clean it up a little bit Im not totally sure what im looking for is there probally a casting number it might look like or be similar to something you know I should look for?

ConfusedtoHell · 04-05-2004, 01:44

Oh about how you said look how large the heads are, I cant give you an exact measurment but theys about....

(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( like that heh

ConfusedtoHell · 04-05-2004, 01:45

okay maybe a few (( shorter but yeah its F**king huge, I didnt realize how big it was till me and my buds moved it.

**Big Block Ford** · 04-05-2004, 02:04

Lol they do call them big blocks.

Does it have a 4 Barrel carb.

As a first indication if the heads are cast iron then look on the heads just outside the rocker cover line on the exhaust port side for a casting number. This could be C9VE or DOVE or Maybe DOOE-R . If it has DOOE-R then you most likely have one of the Hi-Po engines.

If the heads are aluminium then you may have something very serious.