1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429 KK1649
It is one thing to own an excellent example of a particular
vehicle. This 1969 Boss 429 would be an impressive addition of any
automobile collection. It is quite another to own a touchstone to
automotive history. KK1649 was purchased new by Willard Kendig,
inventor of the Kendig Variable Venturi Carburetor. His son,
Martin, recalls when his father jolted him out of bed at 1:00 a.m.
excitedly explaining the new design to him. "He was on his way from
Los Angeles to Visalia and he goes, 'Marty, I came up with an idea
on a carburetor,' and he said, 'this damn thing is so simple, it's
hard.'"
Armed only with a metal blueprint, the Kendig carburetor was born.
Simple and efficient, by the early 1970's his design contributed
many of Dyno Don Nicholson's drag racing wins. It even dominated in
speed the speed boat arena, winning the USA 1 competition.
Pollution Control Industries procured the Kendig Variable Venturi
design and it evolved into the popularly known Predator carbs.
A California car for virtually its entire life, this Boss 429
retains 100% of her original sheet metal and drivetrain. Showing
64, 896 miles on the odometer, Willard drove this car and loved it.
Kendig drove the Boss 429 more than most, and understood it more
than most as well, using it often to test new design ideas and
performance tunes. Legendary for elegant design solutions to
sophisticated problems, people couldn't wait to see Kendig's latest
and greatest creations. What is more amazing, he was purely
self-taught. As his son, Martin, puts it, "He just operated on a
different plane of existence than the rest of us."
"He (Willard) tore down his first Model T at 12 years old," said
Kendig's son Martin. "And put it back together again. My grandpa
almost beat him to death. It was their only means of automotive
transportation and Dad dismantled it."
From the very beginning of his long career, he would often race
against other speed part pioneers such as SEMA Hall of Fame members
Ed Iskenderian and Phil Weiand. This car remained in his possession
until his passing in May of 2011. The current owner purchased the
car, not long after and completed a Concours restored in 2015,
which currently shows 117 miles since built.
Using all original or NOS parts where ever practicable, it is also
one of the finest restorations you'll likely see. The entire
drivetrain is original, every single body panel is original &
solid. The original engine tag, buck tag, multiple build sheets and
original factory order invoice are all intact. Even the dash punch
out when the radio was installed was found on the floorboard.