SOLVED: FW #533: Ford Mustang Boss 429 LID by Kar Kraft, mid-engined

[fromwien]

Please be so kind and identify this car as accurate as possible

[fromwien]

Experts?

[hermanoto]

Ford Mustang Mach 1, V-8, 351CC, fastback, 1969

[fromwien]

It is a Ford Mustang V8 Fastback from 1969, but not Mach 1, not 351ci

[hermanoto]

.. Shelby GT-500?

[fromwien]

No

[mekubb]

1969 Ford Mustang GT Fastback powered by a 351 CI V8

[fromwien]

It is a Ford Mustang V8 Fastback from 1969, but not powered by a 351ci V8 engine

[hermanoto]

.. 428 Cobra Jet V-8 engined?

[fromwien]

No

[hermanoto]

it has special 'dog dish' wheel caps

[fromwien]

 

[fromwien]

Professionals?

[ValkyrieGT]

1969 Ford Mustang SportsRoof 63A "Double R" code 428 Cobra Jet 1 of 4 San Jose CA,  built...Vin 9R02R122073

[fromwien]

Sorry, not that

[neilshouse]

Is this the prototype mid-engined Mustang?

[fromwien]

Great found. Yes, it is
LOCKED for you to specify details, like designation, etc

[neilshouse]

It was a one off Boss 429 Mustang built in 1969 by Kar Kraft in conjunction with Ford, called the LID (Low Investment Drivetrain) Mustang. Mid engined with independent rear suspension.

[fromwien]

 

[ValkyrieGT]

More pictures please, thank you.

[gte4289]

More pictures please, thank you.

Here you go:

[fromwien]

Copied text:
One well-known issue with the production Boss 429 Mustang of 1969-1970 (1,358 examples built) was its poor weight distribution, the result of cramming a big, iron-block HEMI V8 between the front wheels of a light, short-wheelbase chassis. The LID concept addressed this problem by relocating the engine from the front to directly over the rear wheels. Here's how the deed was done.
A standard Boss 429 engine and C6 automatic transmission were turned around backward and installed in a fabricated, removable rear subframe, with the engine centered directly over the rear axle centerline. A custom-built transfer case, similar to a marine drive, turned the output 180 degrees and fed it to a 9-inch Ford rear axle, which was converted to independent operation with articulated half shafts and u-joints. A special axle housing incorporated an engine mount and pickup points for the Koni coilover shocks and rear control arms. The modular, drop-out layout was obviously devised with low-volume production in mind—and at a much lower cost than the conventional solution, an exotic and expensive European transaxle.
On the outside, the LID Mustang was trimmed not like a Boss 429 but like a standard 1969 Mach I Sportsroof, with little to give away the revised engine location. Note: There was even a hood scoop up front. The stamped steel wheels, eight inches wide at the rear and six inches in the front, were reverse offset (in front-wheel drive fashion) to preserve the stock track width, then disguised with full wheel covers taken from the Lincoln parts bin. The rear seat was removed and the area trimmed with black carpeting, while up front, the former engine compartment housed the battery, radiator, and air-conditioning condenser, with electric fans to provide cooling.
For access to the big V8 out back, the rear glass was replaced with a Sports Slat rear louver assembly mounted on hinges and folding struts. The LID project was a complete success in this way: The Boss 429's static weight distribution was reversed from 60/40 percent front to 40/60 rear. But to the engineers' surprise, except for a reduction of wheelspin, there was no significant improvement in performance. With that discovery, the LID Mustang program was stopped in its tracks.

[fromwien]

And the last remaining photos I know about

[ValkyrieGT]

Amazing information & ingenuity....way back in 1969 too.. Thank you so much for the history and photographs...guys.