In John Wick, Keanu Reeves plays an assassin who drives one of the ultimate muscle cars – a 429ci powered 1969 Mach 1: the ride that launched the Mustang into its heritage of being a true muscle car.
Wouldn’t it be cool to have your own replica of this iconic boss-mobile? Let’s see what it takes to make this car jump off the screen and get you in the driver’s seat.
Let’s find a car!
An original ‘Boss 429’ would probably cost around half a million dollars. So unless you’re sitting on a big pile of cash, consider a less dear alternative.
Use an online search to see what’s out there. Look for a reasonably complete, rolling project 1969 Mach 1 with as many reusable parts as possible to save time and money.
Be sure to check for rust
Major rust will require panel replacement, which is costlier than fixing areas with little to no rust. These cars are known to rust in the trunk, rear quarters, floors, torque boxes and cowl – so pay special attention to those areas.
Don’t worry if you do find a car with rust in these areas. All of these parts are available through aftermarket suppliers like CJ Pony Parts.
In the movie, even though you don’t get to see under the hood, they say the drivetrain is a 429ci engine backed by an automatic transmission.
Finding parts will be easy as the car has standard Ford issued ones:
- 9-inch rear end
- Chrome Magnum 500
- 15 inch wheels wrapped in Firestone bias-ply wide oval tires
- chrome bumpers, glass, trim, rear spoiler and hood scoop.
The movie car has no exterior Ford or engine badging – probably due to licensing reasons.
Let’s get building!
Get started by disassembling the car and cataloging all parts.
Pro Tip: Bag and tag EVERYTHING during disassembly. Take lots of photos so you know what you have and where everything goes during reassembly. Trust us, your future self will appreciate this.
Repair vs. Replacement
Evaluate the wiring harness, glass and other parts to decide if they need to be repaired or replaced. This will help you manage your budget and timeline. This is a good time to start searching for and ordering parts, so they’re in your garage waiting when you need them.
Body Prep
To increase the quality and life of the finish on the car, we recommend stripping the entire body shell to bare metal.
This can be accomplished in several ways:
- hand stripping with chemicals
- mechanical stripping with a sander
- media blasting
- or dipping the entire body.
They all get the job done. Choose one that best fits your skill level, timeline and budget.
Once the car is in bare metal, be sure to coat with an epoxy primer as soon as possible to prevent any surface rusting.
With the body stripped, you can identify any areas that need to be addressed with body work or rust repair. You might have to re-adjust your timeline once you know the full extent of body repairs needed.
After they are complete, use a quality epoxy primer over the repairs. We recommend Squeeg’s Epoxy Primer. Sand and prep the primer for paint. When you refinish the car, we recommend using a basecoat/clearcoat finish.
The movie car is a gun metal grey, but the exact color is not specified. So choose your favorite shade of gun metal grey. Don’t forget the black stripes on the hood and truck.
Drivetrain
We all want John Wick’s Boss 429ci engine. But due to their rarity – they can be expensive. With an internet search we found some fully assembled, ready to install for around $27,000. That gets you about 900hp:
If you like the look of John Wick’s car – but can live without that unbelievable amount of power – go with a small block 302. We found one for about 10K ready to install. That would get you around 400-500hp:
There are options for the transmission as well. Ford C6 (C4) if you choose a small block. You could even go with a 4 or 5 speed manual. We found a Ford Performance 5 speed transmission from CJ Pony Parts for $2100.
Rear End/Brakes
There are a variety of rear axle and brake choices available for the Mustang.
All glass, trim and weatherstrip parts are available through CJ Pony Parts.
Top restoration tips
Some tips to get you going:
1. Find a good car to make a great car
The better the car you start with, the better the car you’ll end up with. You’ll save time and money doing repairs and chasing down parts.
2. Always use quality restoration parts.
Try to find Ford-authorized restoration parts. They’ll fit better and serve as better quality than other aftermarket parts. These can be found through CJ Pony Parts.
Use a quality basecoat/clearcoat to refinish your project. Paintwork and refinishing are not the place to restrict your budget.
3. Know your skill level.
Be honest with yourself about your skill level, time and tools. Find qualified restoration technicians to complete portions of the project you think are out of your skill set.
Get Out N Drive!
If you are ready to Get Out N Drive like John Wick, this is a great project to consider. It hits all the key features of a vintage muscle car: horsepower, handling, comfy interior. Plus, it oozes John Wick’s don’t mess with me attitude.
About Get Out N Drive
Two automotive superstars with 60 years of restoration experience behind them sharing their sage wisdom about cars. The things you want to know. The things you DON’T want to know. And more.
They are John and Shawn – and they’re on a mission to enlighten the next generation of Petrolheads.
We’ve got loads more coming up, from expert restoration tips to fun power tour stories. Watch this space!
Check out their page to find out more.
