Allan Settles of Guyton, Georgia, is among the many of us who appreciate the formal roofline on the coupe version of the Mustang, and indeed the coupe was the most popular offering for every year of classic Mustang production. However, as we all know, Ford devoted a lot of energy to the development of several special packages for the Mustang that became available only on the fastback or "SportsRoof" version of the car. For inclusion in Trans-Am racing, the Boss 302 package was developed under the leadership of Ford design genius Larry Shinoda, while the Mach I version of the car went on to become the most popular special edition Mustang ever produced. There's no denying that these special package Mustangs were indeed great-looking vehicles. Beyond sophisticated engines, heavy-duty suspensions, and great graphics, the Boss and Mach I packages also included things such as specific hoodscoops, emblems, and front and rear spoilers. Over the years of our involvement in the hobby we can remember hearing many enthusiasts lament that these great-looking and -running special Mustangs weren't offered on the coupe version of the car. It didn't make sense to them that these terrific versions of the Mustang weren't offered on the most popular body style. What's the solution? Take a coupe and dress it for success, and clearly that is what Allan chose to do when he acquired his '70 Mustang.
It's hard to go wrong when you use the Ford design studio for inspiration, and clearly the Boss 302 theme Allan chose for his car looks as good on his coupe as it did on the real McCoy. Allan went one step further and also incorporated some of the finer Mach I details onto the car. Not content to enhance only the visual aspect of his project Allan wanted this car to run as hard as a real Boss 302 as well. Toward that end he has added considerable muscle to the powertrain in the form of a centrifugal supercharger. With a blower puffing away on top of the Windsor-headed 341ci engine, it far outperforms any original Cleveland-headed Boss 302 concoction. As we all know, power isn't the only dynamic involved for true classic Ford performance and that's why Allan has paid close attention to equipment selection for his car from the ground up. From the rolling stock and suspension, to the engine bay and interior, the details on this coupe are very thought out. Take a moment or two and join us as we examine just what's in Allan's recipe for his cool coupe success.
The largely stock interior...
The largely stock interior is offset by a B&M shifter, Grant steering wheel, white face auges, and a select few aftermarket instruments to keep tabs on the vitals.
Allan Settles' '70 Mustang Coupe
Engine
- 341ci small-block
- Dart Iron Eagle four-bolt cylinder block
- 4.00-inch bore
- 3.40-inch stroke
- Eagle forged steel crankshaft
- Probe forged aluminum pistons, 20cc dish
- Probe 4340 forged I-beam connecting rods
- Romac harmonic balancer
- Edelbrock aluminum water pump
- AFR 205 CNC-ported cylinder heads
- 2.08-inch intake, 1.60-inch exhaust valves
- ARP head studs
- Cometic MLS head gaskets
- Comp Cams hydraulic roller camshaft, 0.565 lift intake/0.580
- lift exhaust, 114-degree lobe separation
- Comp Cams link-bar hydraulic roller lifters
- Comp Cams Magnum 1.6:1 roller rockers
- Port-matched and polished Edelbrock Victor Jr. aluminum intake manifold
- Barry Grant 750cfm Mighty Demon four-barrel carb
- Paxton Novi 1200 centrifugal supercharger
- Tial 50mm blow-off valve
- Snow Performance water-meth injection
- MSD Pro Billet distributor
- MSD 6AL ignition controller
- MSD Blaster coil
- Aeromotive A1000 fuel pump and dual filters
- Accel 8.8mm spark plug wires
Transmission
- Ford AOD four-speed automatic overdrive
- Built by Hughes Performance Transmission
- Art Carr full manual valvebody
- Art Car Street Rod 9.5-inch non-lockup torque converter, 2,000 rpm stall speed
- B&M deep sump transmission pan
- B&M transmission cooler
- B&M external filter adaptor
- 4-inch diameter custom-made aluminum driveshaft
- Custom-made driveshaft safety loop
Rearend
- Ford 8.8-inch axle housing
- Detroit True Track limited-slip differential
- 3.73 Richmond gears
- 31-spline axles
- Granatelli Motorsports rear girdle cover
We like the Edelbrock wheels....
We like the Edelbrock wheels. Their 17-inch diameter fits the wheelhouse perfectly and look just right on the '69-'70 Mustang body style. The carefully chosen sizes of the Nitto radials further enhance the stance of the low slung car. The blacked out taillight panel and factory-type spoiler complete the look that most people see.
- Ford Powertrain Applications 1 3/4-inch ceramic-coated full-length headers
- 2 1/2-inch dual exhaust system with X-crossover
- Flowmaster single-chamber mufflers
Suspension
- Front: Rebuilt, 1-inch drop springs, KYB Gas-a-Just shocks, 1 1/8-inch antisway bar
- Rear: Factory Boss 302 spec leaf springs, KYB Gas-a-Just shocks, Competition Engineering traction bars and subframe connectors
Brakes
- Front: Factory-style disc, 11-inch rotor, single-piston caliper
- Rear: Disc, 10-inch rotor, single-piston caliper
As you might expect, the engine...
As you might expect, the engine bay is sanitary, ornamented only by careful workmanship. The carbureted supercharger arrangement provides a massive infusion of torque down low, while creating tons of extra horsepower at the top end of the rpm range, which is considerable given the structural attributes of the Dart Iron Eagle cylinder block. The adjustable shock tower braces can be preloaded to prevent flexing of the shock towers under load.
- Front: Edelbrock 454, 17x8
- Rear: Edelbrock 454, 17x8
Tires
- Front: Nitto Extreme NT-555, P245/45R17
- Rear: Nitto Extreme NT-555, P275/45R17
Interior
- Factory standard black interior, Grant steering wheel, Pioneer CD player, Sun Pro tachometer, Stewart Warner boost and fuel pressure gauges, Auto Meter water and oil gauges, B&M Mega Shifter, trunk-mounted Optima battery
We like Allen's approach of...
We like Allen's approach of taking some of the nicest features from factory special offerings and incorporating them into one car resulting in a unique-looking rig with a factory flavor. The Boss 302 side graphics come from Larry Shinoda's own hand and are one of the most stylish graphics packages ever offered by Ford. As well as being the head of the Boss design project for Ford, Shinoda's accomplishments also include the design of the '63 Corvette Sting Ray.
- Ford Candy Apple Red, reflective Boss 302 graphics, front and rear spoilers, Mach I hoodscoop, Mach I fuel door, Mach I rear valance panel and exhaust arrangement, Mr. Gasket hoodpins, APC H4 headlight conversion, Mustang Project LED sequential taillight conversion