20 Years in a Barn, This 1969 Mustang Takes a Shower, 'Grande' Emblems and All

But one particular example built for the 1969 model year caught the attention of a ten-year-young gearhead. So intense was his newly discovered passion that he convinced his father to buy him the car. Not as a model or a toy, but the actual automobile the boy had found in a car-selling outlet. The boy couldn’t enjoy his automobile for another six years when he got his license, but his interest in the car never dwindled.

After finally getting the legal right to play with his toy, he enjoyed the beautiful coupe and its 302 V8 (the other 302, not the Little Boss) for some years before being sent to barn retirement. That was 20 years ago, and the car never saw the road since. Until recently, when the owner – the same one who asked his dad to buy the Mustang – decided it was time to bring the car back from the dust.

Not in the usual manner of ‘fix what’s not working and get it over with,’ but in the best way possible: a complete restoration. With a thick coating of barn dirt covering it, the Mustang wasn’t much of a looker, but a thorough detailing job can magically erase 25 years off a car’s actual age (provided the automobile is in a fair shape).

Luckily, this Mustang is solid and clean, even if the paint flakes here and there; the sheet metal is not plagued by oxidation or corrosion, as in many other unfortunate cases. Even the interior is worthy of a thumbs up – except for a giant mouse nest, everything is where it should be, from the carpet to the headliner and door panels.

The engine bay is surprisingly neat – the valve covers have an actual color instead of the dreaded brick-red shade of neglect. A quick pressure wash is all that’s needed to blow some life into the powertrain compartment. As for the 302 itself, it will have to wait its turn for a revival session. In 1969, the 4.9-liter V8 was the entry-level ticket for eight-cylinder Ford Mustang glory. 220 hp wasn’t the greatest thrill on wheels, but it did the job.

The video shows this pretty pony sports the optional Select-Shift three-speed automatic transmission, replacing the standard three-speed manual box with the small engine. Remember, 1969 was the year of the Boss 9, and its 429 cubic inches of doom: 7.0 liters - and that number was seconded by the Cobra Jet’s 428-cube displacement.

The big-block muscle was the guest star of the Ford Mustang power teams, but the small 302 wasn’t aspiring for quarter-mile glory. Not the civilized version, anyway, and we won’t bring the ‘other 302’ into play here and now. The Boss 302 will have to wait its turn – or make it to the Detail Geek YouTube channel for a rinse. Until then, click play, sit back, and enjoy the spectacular Mustang.

The notch-back hardtop sports the ‘Grande’ emblems on the C-pillars, something that didn’t impress a lot of buyers back in 1969 (a little under 22,200) since the Mach 1 option was far more appealing. Despite being $300 under the newly introduced trim level, the Grande lost the sales battle three-to-one: the Mach 1 sold 72,500 in its debut year.

However, one keen eye noted that the interior of this Mustang we see in the video below is not in line with the ‘Grande’ claims on the sides, and it’s true. Also launched for the 1969 model year, the trim level was Ford’s idea of luxury in a budget-minded pony car for the spending-phobic customer. It didn’t offer an awful lot of spoils, but what came in the package was enough to differentiate between regular ‘Stangs and their posh comrades.