Described by its seller as a “survivor with lots of character” (i.e. dents, rust, scratches, some repaint), this ’70 Ranchero GT is just 1 of 9 cars offered that year with a 429 Cobra Jet Ram Air, C-6 automatic transmission, black paint, and red interior. According to a Marti Report sanctioned in 2018, of those 9 cars, it’s the only black Ranchero GT with a red vinyl bench seat. Hmmm…is that a good thing or a bad thing? Available here on eBay at the BIN price of $27,500, this Ranchero is located in Troy, Michigan.
Only two exterior photos of the car are provided in the ad, and both feature the car’s passenger side. According to How to Sell a Car on eBay Motors, “photos should be taken from several vantage points.” Does the seller actually think someone is going to offer-up nearly twenty-eight large for a car they can only see one-half of? As previously mentioned, the seller describes the car as a survivor and suggests its new owner may want to enjoy it as-is versus restoring it. Close-up pictures showing the dents, rust, and scratches disclosed by the seller in the ad are certainly needed before anyone of sane mind were to pay the BIN price. Or you can hop on I-90 for a quick trip to Michigan to see the car in person.
The only-one-in-existence red vinyl bench seat (that is, in a black ’70 Ranchero GT with a 429CJ and C-6 auto) sure looks to be in almost new condition. No doubt, storing the car at the seller’s climate-controlled office is helping to wonderfully preserve the vinyl. Wait…climate-controlled office? I’ve seen mopeds, motorcycles and even the occasional microcar parked in seller’s living rooms. But a Ranchero parked in an office? That must be some office! Mileage is currently at 72,300, however, according to the seller, it will continue to go up on sunny days when he uses the car to run errands to Home Depot or the local bank. This Ranchero is reported to run great and the seller claims he experienced no issues driving it to and from the 2019 Woodward Dream Cruise near Detroit a few months ago.
A recent tune-up to the V-8 429CJ included new plugs, replacing the points with a PerTronix ignitor, and adjusting the timing. The carburetor has been rebuilt, all fluids have been changed, and the seller notes the replacement of original exhaust manifolds with headers. A new battery, brakes, tires, headliner, and rebuilt rear leaf springs rounds out the list of maintenance that’s been performed on the car. The seller claims he has receipts to go with the work that’s been done in addition to the aforementioned Marti Report, as well as the original bill of sale from Gateway Motors in White River Junction, Vermont. What are your thoughts on this rare Ranchero?
Way cool!
Jay B., you said it best-how can anyone expect to sell anything on eBay especially at this price without having an extensive showing of the entire machine!?!!?? The very few photos show well but it’s a roll of the dice as to what you get for what you got..
On the Plus side, that bench seat is perfect for those right hand “SOB” turns-you know what I’m saying here, folks: those “Slide Over, Baby!” righthand turns. It helps when there’s no center console and you’ve used saddle soap on the seat..😎
Nevadahalfrack
I agree 100%!!
Only improvement to that scenario would be a stick shift with a loose knob
Ive sold cars all over the world . A serious buyer will have the car inspected and verified. I hire these guys in every city . Honor is great but rare . Today .I had one in 1979 i havent seen one since.
Too much dough for not enough show…needs more pictures..pretty sure that bench has been recovered sooo did it come factory
Unbelievably cool! As an uneducated Englishman, I’ve no idea if the asking price is reasonable, but my word, this is one hell of a ride.
The seller is hiding something on the driver’s side of the car. I’d have to see many more photos than just these before I’d consider it.
Looked at this car in person . It needs a lot of work Very rusty and beat up. Ended up getting a 70 Ranchero 351 4-speed 42000 mile all original mint for 18,500 needed nothing
Let’s see…I can buy and drive this versus that Cuda that costs more, need a ton of expensive work, and you see dozens of? Ford wins.
Normally I’m not big on burnouts, but imagine the rubber this baby could lay down with a 429CJ. One of the sharpest looking Ranchero’s I’ve seen, and I come from a 4 Ranchero family (back in the day, a ’57, ’63, ’69, and ’77).
Top of the line power plant from Ford and rare to boot! Agree with all the comments about the lack of pictures, more good images needed if the seller wants top dollar. Don’t care for the bench seat, this needs the bucket seat/console for such a sporty muscle car/truck. I had a beautiful red ’70 Ranchero GT, the body, paint and interior were near mint. It had the 300hp 351 Cleveland hooked to a C6, posi rear, black bucket/console interior with factory air. Got good money when I sold it but that was one I wished I had held onto.
As Old Blue Eyes said in one of his songs……….”Regrets, I’ve had a few”…….
If wishes were horses 🐎 we would have bought Microsoft stock and a 4 speed one of these😎
I do like it….
More pixs helps close a deal though ..
A good video walk around and drive closes the sale too
I was selling Fords in 1970. I quit one dealer and went to another because they gave me a 429 ram air, solid lifter, Torino GT for a demonstrator! It was green with a gold laser! Those were the days.
Can’t the hidden headlites be closed manually all the way like on RS camaro?
HUGE qtr panels on these.
Shaker may be sitting a bit too high.
Had a 70′ XR7 with the hidden lights and always had a problem with the vacuum somewhere. They would open on their own while sitting for a few minutes. I recall you could open them manually, but not close them (been 45 years ago). Nice car to own, if not rotten as some here fear. I remember rust issues around the top of the bed track.
Clean examples of this vehicle will sell for around $35K. Anyone who buys this vehicle will spend more than $9K to get it back to “clean” condition. IDC how rare the color combo is, IMO this GT is worth no more than $15-18K.
Not too shaby for an El Camino fighter, especially with that hot 429, looks tough on the outside for sure. Once inside you’d never know it was a sporty muscle car, however, until the key was twisted anyways. Like the red ’70 GT posted today a lot more.
Troy, Big heavy motor, light rear, sounds like a lot of wheel spin, unless you add a lot more rubber on the rims. I wouldn’t mine sitting behind the steering wheel.
Hey Terry, I wonder who would win a burn out contest between this Ford and a 454 El Camino ! Haha.
Troy, I sure would like to watch it. I believe it would be , all in the throttle play. The one all out would just spin and the other would let off a little to get a bite and pull the other. Interesting!!!!
The price seems low to me for a car that is 1 of 9 with a 428 SCJet motor!! I can only imagine what the drivers side looks like!! I can only say if it were my car I’d be proud to show it off even if it is just pictures!! There would be a ton of photos!! What are we trying to hide????
Beautiful! I have a ’79 Ranchero. Love it!
It is not an SCJ, it is not a 428, and the estoy is based on a trim combo. Too much hype from a dishonest headline.
On my paper route I had from about 1968 to 1971 – one guy brought home one of these – same color scheme – not sure what motor it had – but it did have the shaker – this almost trumped another car on my paper route – Tommy’s new 1968 383/4 sp Road Runner that was the darker green color…..maybe because Tommy was always ripping thought the gears in it past us kids on our stingrays….didn’t hurt he lived next to a classmate Becky’s house… but always remember that GT Ranchero cause it looked fast just sitting there !…and then there was Mary Jane Glenn’s another classmate’s mom’s 1970 Challenger R/T – I was finally able to buy – but it was always parked in the garage and not seen like the other two.
Why worry about price ? If you want one buy it not many to pick from , you can restore it the way you it . You will soon forget the dollars unless you are trying to flip it .
Beautiful! I have a ’79 Ranchero. Love it! Marti report says. Only 73 black Ranchero Gt Brougham’s. Loads of fun.
ya don’t buy frm pic, this is just a way “to get it out there”
One of one? One of nine? No, it is one of 153 made and one of 75 with automatic. Color of car does NOT make it rare. Engine -transmission combo is what makes it rare and worth more. Using the new ”rare” math, almost every car is one of one. Using this math, a 70 Ranchero with a six cylinder and a 4 speed would be rare but how valuable would it be? Get real people. Tell it like it is. It is one of 153 of which 75 were equipped this way. Using the new ”rare” math every car is a one of one. The car is rare as in one of 153 made or even one of 75. That’s it.
One of 153 made that long ago qualifies as rare in any class.
And the point goes whoosh! over your head……
Same thing I said.
Thank you! Someone who gets it without the “new math.”
It’s a really cool car but how could you ever get the power from that 429 to the ground? I had a Dodge Dakota pickup with a V6 and a stick that could easily tear up the tires; can’t imagine (well, I can) what a 429 would do in something so light in the rear.
Judicious and educated use of the loud (right) pedal, r s .. which was a fun learning experience for those of us with Dakota’’s, V6 or V8 powered!
I notice a few posts on here talking about how this is so light in the rear end, truth is that a regular Torino has far less weight over the rear tires than the Ranchero does. The bed floor and double sided rear quarters/bed side walls would actually help a bit with the traction not make it wirse