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The year 1969 was an important one for the Mustang. It was significantly restyled, yet you could easily trace its origin because the car retained all the Mustang styling cues. It was lower, sleeker and meaner, and while the car grew in size, it still used a 108 inch wheelbase.
The restyle was particularly effective on the fastback, now called the SportsRoof, and all performance Mustangs were based on it. In fact, over forty-four percent of all Mustangs sold that year were fastbacks. Most interior and exterior dimensions grew in 1969, although not drastically. More importantly, all Mustangs were lowered 0.5 inch on the suspension, and the windshield rake was increased by 2.2 degrees. This translated to about a 150-175 pound weight increase depending on the model. The roofline on the SportsRoof was lowered by 0.9 inch. The side sculpturing was eliminated for a cleaner, smoother look, but the biggest visual changes were the front grille and the rear tail treatment on the SportsRoof. The revised front grille was enlarged and used four four-inch headlights for a decidedly aggressive look. The SportsRoof also received simulated side scoops and a spoilered rear, similar to the Shelby Mustang's but less pronounced. The standard engine was still the 200 ci six-cylinder with a three-speed manual transmission. The three-speed manual was standard equipment on all engines up to the 351 four-barrel. |
The three-speed Cruise-0Matic was optional on all engines. A larger six-cylinder measuring 250 ci was also available. With this engine, you could get air conditioning if you desired, whereas you could not with the 200 ci version.
The smallest optional V-8 was a two barrel version of the 302 rated at 210 hp. Next in line were two versions of a new engine: the 351W, basically a stretched 302. By increasing the stroke of the 302 to 3.5 inches, the block's height was raised by one inch to accommodate the longer stroke. At the same time, the crank journals were resized, resulting in an engine that had no interchangeability with the 289/302 engines, save for the heads. The heads, by the way, did have slightly larger ports. Because the engine was built at Ford's Windsor plant, it came to be known as the 351W. Ford's other 351, the 351C built in Cleveland, was available on Mustangs from 1970 through 1973. The 351W was the only 351 ci V-8 that was available on 1969 Mustangs. . The 351W was rated at 250 hp with a 350 cfm two barrel Autolite carburetor and 290 hp with a 470 cfm four-barrel. It was a good design with a strong bottom end; however, restrictive porting and valves for an engine this size limit performance to low-to mid-range rpm. In stock or modified form, a comparably modified 351C will run circles around the 351W. |
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