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Power Profile: Dana Glusovich’s 1969 Boss 302 Was Worth The Wait

Desert Storm Army veteran Dana Glusovich understands that nothing worth having ever comes easy. To further this point, the married father of two and Boston Terrier caretaker need only point to his 1969 Boss 302.

“When I was in the Army stationed in Germany just after the Gulf War, I bought a new, made-to-order, Jewel Green 1992 Mustang LX 5.0 coupe,” Dana told us. “I waited three months for delivery of the European package, police service edition with 2.73 rear gears. It took some time to get it but it was an absolute blast driving it on the Autobahn.”

Army Veteran Dana Glusovich’s 1969 Boss 302 was a 10-year labor of love.

“I got into cars initially in high school when I bought a gold ’69 Buick Skylark SBC 350 in 1982,” Dana, whose automotive roots grew out of necessity, said.“It was a great car for cruising, but I learned if you wanted to drive them, you had to learn to fix them.”

It was this early lesson that would prove invaluable when Dana would be presented years later with the opportunity to purchase his dream car — a 1969 Boss 302.

Tough Decision

“I had to sell the LX to purchase the Boss in 2001, and I still miss it to this day, but the Boss is unique with solid lifters, no power steering, and a V8 that revs to 7,000 RPM, nothing else compares,” the native Californian added.

Dana’s iconic, yellow 1969 Boss 302 epitomizes the muscle car era.

Like many caretakers of vintage iron, Dana’s Boss wasn’t always the gem you see today. The car wore all original or OEM sheet metal but was far from perfect, thus a tedious, 10-year restoration was in order. With assistance from the experts at the Boss 302 Registry and Stangfix forums, Dana painstakingly transformed his Boss with the anticipation of attending the 2014 Fabulous Fords Forever show at Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, California.

Following a 10-year restoration and a nearly disastrous engine fire, Dana’s Boss 302 is a regular Northern California cruiser.

“My brother and I try to get to the show every April, and after putting sufficient shakedown miles on the Boss we were ready for the 375-mile trip,” Dana recalled.

Soon after departure a faulty wire caused the Boss to catch fire under the hood.

“I heard a loud whirring from underhood, immediately followed by a stream of smoke coming from the front of the car,” he explained. “I was lucky in that I was able to shut the car down and coast to the next exit where, fire extinguisher in hand, I was able to see a small electrical fire smoldering on the headlamp wiring harness just beneath the battery.”

Disaster averted, the Boss would be flat-bedded home and out of commission for a few more months.

Sprayed in bright yellow with a blacked-out hood, reflective stripes and Magnum 500 wheels, this Boss is sure to grab your attention.

Today, with those pesky classic car gremlins behind him, Dana says, “I drive the Boss about as often as I can. I show the car in local shows but I prefer the Saturday-morning show and shines.”

And that trip to Knott’s every year?

“I was able to make the trip with the Boss, and it was a great time. The car always gets a great reaction and never fails to put a smile on my face when I’m driving it.”

This Boss is definitely proof that some things are worth waiting for…