Topic: Very Early Boss 302 Space Saver Bottle Bracket

[specialed]

Any photo of the space saver spare bottle bracket on trunk floor on very early 69 boss 302 as i am trying to document when ford started installing the SS bracket on 69 shelby and i am thinking when the 69 b2s started and this is the same bracket used on the b9s but welded in not bolted in?

[Aussie_Boss302]

Noticed that you apparently have chosen to have the car dipped. Will be interested in how that turns out for you. Only did one car that was dipped (back in the early 90's)  Isn't as popular as it once was here in the US as it once was with all the other options

It's my understanding, and Dave can elaborate, that the car will be baked to remove all the paint etc, pressure washed clean, dipped for rust removal, washed many more times, followed by an e-coat process which leaves a corrosion barrier inside and out.

Any photo of the space saver spare bottle bracket on trunk floor on very early 69 boss 302 as i am trying to document when ford started installing the SS bracket on 69 shelby and i am thinking when the 69 b2s started and this is the same bracket used on the b9s but welded in not bolted in?

[specialed]

ok thanks but when was that car built as i am looking for info on one of the first boss 302s built

[J_Speegle]

Mine was completed on the April 24th 9F02G1883xx



Know a few of the early cars with lower VINs than mine but were built after mine - believe it may have bee a supply issue for something or just built later for some other reason

According to my records - Aussie_Boss302's car was completed on the April 30th




Other data points

The Chrysler one that Perkins owned was shown with the bottle on top of the spare (might suggest that it did not have the bracket)  was 9F02G18736xx but don't have a Marti report for it so don't know when it was assembled.

Many of the other low VINed early cars I have pictures of have spare tires in the way of seeing how things look below

Hope this helps

[specialed]

Working on a march 31 shelby no ss bracket but boss spindles and so i am wondering if when the 69 b2s came out ford started putting the ss brackets in the shelbys at the same time since they were both on the dearborn lines together at the same time.  So what was the first day of production on 69 b2s?

[J_Speegle]

....So what was the first day of production on 69 b2s?

Haven't asked Kevin but from data collected over on the Boss Registry it appears that regular production started with a handful of cars (2 have been identified so there may have been more that day) being finished at Dearborn on April 18th

[cbuczesk]

Mine is 187393. Built 4/24/69.

Chuck

[specialed]

Thanks chuck  looking for something on first day of production.   I am trying to document the halfmoon shaped raised humps in the trunk floor by the rear outer corner of the welded in space saver bracket since the bracket is lined up to the hump corner so was that hump stamped in floor for that reason or what was its purpose?   I see earlier cars without the SS bracket but still have the hump in floor so did all 69s have the hump or a running change to use for alignment for SS bracket?  Look at the regular full size tire J-hook bracket to the left of SS bracket and see the humps in the corners to use for alignment when factory welded in regular tire hook that all mustangs got. I am wondering if ford was going to offer the SS option in the mustang early on at start of 69 production and thats why the hump was stamped in the floor but all 69 shelbys Were supposed to have SS option since they were supposed to get new F-60-15 tires but we know ford had suspension problems untill they beefed up the suspension to handle new bigger tires and starting in late march 69 shelbys got the new (69 boss 302 type) suspension but not the SS brackets until sometime in april but when?  We know the SS option was offered in 68 on the cougars and i think around 50 68 cougars got that new option but where was the bottle supposed to mount or just laying in the trunk floor or wedged in under the tire somehow?  Has anybody seen an early shelby car that never had the ss bracket and never had the spare removed to see how the bottle was mounted?  thanks

[70b302cat]

We know the SS option was offered in 68 on the cougars and i think around 50 68 cougars got that new option but where was the bottle supposed to mount or just laying in the trunk floor or wedged in under the tire somehow?

Ed,
According to Kevin's "COUGAR by the Numbers" book, there were only 25 1968 Cougars with the collapsible spare tires.  I do not recall ever seeing one.

[J_Speegle]

Thanks chuck  looking for something on first day of production.   I am trying to document the halfmoon shaped raised humps in the trunk floor by the rear outer corner of the welded in space saver bracket since the bracket is lined up to the hump corner so was that hump stamped in floor for that reason or what was its purpose?   I see earlier cars without the SS bracket but still have the hump in floor so did all 69s have the hump or a running change to use for alignment for SS bracket? ...........................

Focusing on one thing at a time to work through this for you

First for everyone watching here are two examples of the passenger side of the trunk floor and the features Ed is referring to.

Examples  9R1315xx upper left - 9F1397xx bottom right



Don't know if you want or you need to focus only on Dearborn cars since that would cover both Boss and Shelby applications that year.  Hard to see the details on old cars with plenty of chips, rust and low resolution pictures

As of right now I have the detail on cars as early as

9T02H1058xx
9R02F112xxx


This is not to suggest that earlier cars didn't have the details it's just as early as I have supporting pictures of the detail.

Have nothing to suggest that any of the early 69 Boss 302's didn't come with the Space Saver brackets. Should we change the focus to Shelby? I can change the title and move the discussion. Do have pictures of early 69 Shelby's with the trunk floor locators (for lack of a better term) but without the brackets. Don't remember what car #218 had in it years ago.

[Boss2]

I own 186570 mid April build, one of the first 250 made--let me know if you need anything else--all original panels

[Boss2]

BTW--same set up as J Speegles CC pic