two speed rear

[shelbydoug]

I've never seen the the optional two speed Boss 302 rear. Did it ever exist?

[Karguy]

I remember rumors in the 70s about some Cougar eliminators having two speed rear ends. I have never seen one, I'm doubtful but anxious to hear from others.
Karl
6s281

[Karguy]

Here you go. Apparently this article was in a 1969 hot rod magazine? Amazing.
Karl
6s281

[shelbydoug]

Great find Karguy but the question still remains in my mind if even one car actually existed? Was this just a one-of "Engineering car"? What say you Coralsnake? Maybe like the IRS Shelbys?

I have to find a way to enlarge that article so that I can read the details but my Ford Parts guy was a Boss 302 guy and as I remember told me it was an Eaton 2 speed truck rear and was very heavy so there wasn't a lot of interest in it by the racers at the time?

[tesgt350]

Great find Karguy but the question still remains in my mind if even one car actually existed? Was this just a one-of "Engineering car"? What say you Coralsnake? Maybe like the IRS Shelbys?

I have to find a way to enlarge that article so that I can read the details but my Ford Parts guy was a Boss 302 guy and as I remember told me it was an Eaton 2 speed truck rear and was very heavy so there wasn't a lot of interest in it by the racers at the time?

I have seen several Mustangs and a couple of Shelby's that have the Two Speed Rear End but it was a Bolt on piece between the Rear End and Drive Shaft.  I can't think of the Name of it at this time but I think it was called a "Hone Drive".  I had a Mustang Monthly Magazine that featured a 65 Shelby with one.


Found it..... Hone-O-Drive
http://hone-o-drive.com/product/b230/

[shelbydoug]

Hone over-drive is what it is still called but that is not the two speed rear that was being proposed/talked about/built by Ford.

I saw the Hone with mostly the separate unit. They are an aftermarket part and in fact showed up in the Shelby accessories catalog, it's a different animal.

I never saw the one that attaches directly to the rear but it's around too. I don't think that was the Ford proposal though?

I can think of a black '68 GT350 from Mamaroneck, then owned by Eugene O'neil and Tom Caldera's '69 GT350, both with the separate Hone unit in them. There is a lever installed in the cabin through the drive shaft tunnel to engage them.

[propayne]

That article with the prototype '69 Cougar Eliminator appeared in the January 1969 issue of Hot Rod magazine.

Here is the cover.

- Phillip

[shelbydoug]

That article with the prototype '69 Cougar Eliminator appeared in the January 1969 issue of Hot Rod magazine.

Here is the cover.

- Phillip

Is that the only car ever built with it installed? I wonder if they would show up on a Marti Report?

[2112]

I keep my eye out for Ford Hone-O-Drive units. They are rare.

Seem to see Baldwin Camaro units more commonly.

[cboss70]

A Hone unit was in a 66 Hertz car I had years ago. I think the consensus at the time was that none were factory and just an aftermarket piece for cars with big gears (fords and chevys alike). Seems like they were popular in the early 70's. I've never seen one in a Boss.

[Bob Gaines]

A Hone unit was in a 66 Hertz car I had years ago. I think the consensus at the time was that none were factory and just an aftermarket piece for cars with big gears (fords and chevys alike). Seems like they were popular in the early 70's. I've never seen one in a Boss.

you are thinking correctly .The consensus is the same today as it was then. After market additions typically. It was one of the items on every street driving (daily driver performance car)  gear heads wish list back in the day.

[J_Speegle]

Hone-O-Drives came in two versions. Ones that fit for 9" (the design we see advertised for the 55 GT350's) and those that fit between (separate unit) the trans and rearends with two short drivelines.

Have on of the Ford versions in one of my cars, have seen them in a couple of Boss's and even on a large truck

Believe they were advertised and providing a 30% overdrive. 

What was described in the Hot Rod magazine was something very different and it didn't make production

[CSX2259]

I believe it was being developed to make a "Drag Pack" withe 3:91 or :4:30 gears more user friendly for street/highway use.

[TLea]

A Hone unit was in a 66 Hertz car I had years ago. I think the consensus at the time was that none were factory and just an aftermarket piece for cars with big gears (fords and chevys alike). Seems like they were popular in the early 70's. I've never seen one in a Boss.

you are thinking correctly .The consensus is the same today as it was then. After market additions typically. It was one of the items on every street driving (daily driver performance car)  gear heads wish list back in the day.
[/q

Yes after market but offered as a Shelby accessory. Pretty cool, we have a KR here with one installed. Has 4.11 gears that reduce to 2.9. Rated for up to 800hp IIRC. Originals are rare but new Hone is offering them for a mere 3200

[propayne]

As far as I know, that prototype '69 Eliminator has not surfaced so far.

Besides the Dana-Spicer two speed rear axle, the molded in rear spoiler, the Torque-Thrusts and the paint also didn't make it to production.

Mercury branded that rear end as "Streep", for street and strip and they launched a whole "Streep Scene" marketing campaign around that, creating a logo and some of the wildest and best advertising materials of the late '60s.

So I would think that that two speed rear axle was seriously planned for production up until the very end - to late to alter the marketing campaign.

Phillip