1969 Ranchero 428 Cobra Jet

This 1969 Ranchero 428 Cobra Jet is one of 80 Text and by Charlie Morris Sometime to the first week of December, 1968, representatives of the famous Ford dealership Hayward Motors in Hayward, California, an order for a local vehicle under DSO item 8991. This into motion a series of events that resulted in the of a 1969 Ranchero 428 Cobra Jet a car destined to become coveted by collectors nearly 46 years hence. The Hayward Ford order was received at the Kansas City Assembly Plant on December 3, 1968, and on January 6, 1969, our feature cartruck rolled down the assembly line joining a long line of Ford vehicles that wore the Ranchero badge. Introduced in 1957, the first generation Ranchero rode on the full-sized Fairlane chassis and offered the comfort and amenities of a car combined with the bed of a truck. And while not marketed as a vehicle, the 57 Ranchero was available with the same engines as Fords car line, up to and including the 300 horsepower supercharged 312 cubic-inch Y-Block V8. The Ranchero continued as of Fords radically restyled 1958 lineup by combining the new front sheetmetal with the 1957 rear cargo box, and featured the newly-introduced 352 cubic-inch FE series V8 as the top engine option. For 1959, Ranchero received a total makeover front to rear, identical to the cars, and again the 352 was the optional V8. Ranchero in the '60s Fords approach changed dramatically for 1960 as the Ranchero joined the newly introduced Falcon line of compact economy cars and up the title; Americas lowest With a base under 2,000 and a 90 horsepower, 170 cubic- inch inline six as the only engine offering, the Falcon Ranchero was hardly sporty. But it did brag of a capacity greater than Chevrolets El Camino, a similar vehicle based on the full-sized Chevrolet of the time. Throughout the front half of the 60s, Ranchero would continue as of the Falcon line, gaining small-block V8 along the way. In 1966, the Ranchero became somewhat of a hybrid, using a Falcon front clip and the new for 66 Fairlanes hind quarters. In 1967, the Ranchero joined the mid-sized ranks of the Fairlane, and the accompanying wider engine bay ample space for the 390 cubic-inch FE series engine. For 1968, the Fairlane line was supplemented by the even larger Torino and the Ranchero grew in size while engine and transmission options remained similar to the 1967 model. All this would change for the 1969 model year however, as Ford now the 428 Cobra Jet. This was arguably the best street engine ever to roll out of Dearborn, and it was available on the Ranchero option list. Enter our feature car, a sporty Wimbledon White Ranchero GT featuring black vinyl top and GT stripes. The interior sports optional Courtesy Lights, AMFM Radio, Deluxe Steering Wheel with Rim-Blow horn and an instrument mounted tachometer. All very nice, but its the functional hood scoop feeding fresh air through a 735 cfm Holley four barrel carburetor to that big, thumping 428 Cobra Jet torque monster residing below that really matters. That tells where the sharp on the horns of the bulls head emblems affixed to our Rancheros B-pillars come from. Vastly underrated at 335 horsepower, the big FE is backed up by a hefty close ratio TC Toploader 4-speed transmission, while a 3.50 geared Traction-Lok differential assures that any heavy dose of throttle will shred both rear F70x14 Polyglas tires equally. Our Featured 1969 Ranchero 428 Cobra Jet Our feature car is also fitted with optional steering and assisted front disc brakes to help the nose heavy Ranchero negotiate curves and bleed off the high terminal velocities by the Cobra Jet engine under the hood. On February 6, 1969, J.S. Brackett of Felton, California, took delivery of this vehicle, which would be one of just 80 Rancheros built with the 428 and 4-speed in 1969. The car thankfully survived the years remarkably well to become a welcome addition to the collection of Paul Christophersen of Nebraska. The dash has four distinct which include; speedometer, gauges, and optional tachometer. Clock could be fitted in of the tach and from a hot rodders view would have made more sense. Factory tachs were notoriously inaccurate and hard to read. Serious buffs mounted after market tachometers. Hurst shifter with T-handle was standard equipment with 4-speed option. Deluxe steering wheel now has an after market cover over the unique Rim-Blow horn feature that is highly sought after in cars from the era. Dash also houses a factory AMFM radio. Brake trim announces that this Ranchero is equipped with optional assisted front disc brakes, a handy option on a vehicle by the Cobra Jet engine. Hefty bucket seats are clad in black vinyl, comfortable but with little lateral support. Door badge announces that this is the Grand Touring model (Ranchero GT) and compared to the trucks of its day, the Ranchero would tour in greater comfort, carry cargo and handle far better. The 428 Cobra Jet engine receives horsepower-producing outside air via a vacuum operated flap on the top of the air cleaner, which is sealed against the bottom of the hood via a heavy rubber gasket. This system feeds air to a 735 cfm Holley four barrel carburetor mounted atop an 80 cast iron intake manifold that was a copy of Fords Police Interceptor aluminum intake. A very tractable hydraulic lifter camshaft (.481.490 lift with 270290 degrees of duration) identical to that used in the earlier 390GT engine, fed the mixture through 2.09 intake valves into cast combustion chambers where cast aluminum squeezed it to a ratio of 10.5 to 1. Burnt gasses were expelled via 1.66 exhaust valves through Cobra Jet specific free flowing cast iron exhaust manifolds. With a 4.13 bore diameter and 3.98 stroke, the 428 made gobs of torque (440 ft.lbs. at 3,400 rpm) while the almost laughable factory horsepower rating of 335 came at 5,200 rpm. The National Hot Rod Association factored the CJs output to 360 after Fords entries annihilated the competition at the 1968 Winter Nationals in Pomona, CA. The huge FE fills the Rancheros engine compartment shock tower to shock tower. Changing spark is a challenge. The installation of aftermarket exhaust headers can be a most daunting task. Such an undertaking was worth the effort however, as the increased breathing benefited the 428s greatly while the removal of the factory cast iron manifolds got unwanted weight off the front of an already nose heavy vehicle. Our feature car remains factory stock which adds to its value in todays market. 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