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1970 Ford Torino Cobra 429 Super CJ!

In 1970, the Torino Cobra was Ford’s player in the mid-size muscle car field. Three variations of a 429 cubic inch V8 could be found under the hood, including the ultimate, the Super Cobra as in the seller’s car. Other than a repaint, this shaker and mover looks like a nice survivor-quality car and may only have 35,000 miles on the odometer. Located in Lehighton, Pennsylvania, the Metallic Green beauty is available here on craigslist for $79,000 and is another tip from Barn Finder Pat L.!

Beginning in 1968, the Torino became the upscale version of the Ford Fairlane and – two years later – assumed the role of torchbearer for the whole series. The cars had an all-new body for 1970, influenced by the shape of supersonic aircraft to produce the style you see. They were longer, wider, and lower than their predecessors. At the top of the performance spectrum, the Torino Cobra was there to compete and was only offered as a 2-door “SportsRoof” (aka fastback). The Cobra, which found 7,675 buyers in 1970, came standard with a 4-speed close-ratio manual transmission, Hurst shifter, competition suspension, and a hood that could house a “shaker” air cleaner.

The base engine in the Cobra was the Thunder Jet 429 with a 4-barrel carburetor that was rated at 360 hp. Next up was the Cobra Jet 429 that was good for 370 hp, and finally the Super Cobra Jet, conservatively rated at 375 hp (sources think it was easily 400+). The Cobra Jet engine could be ordered with Ram Air via Ford’s famous shaker-style hood scoop, which changed the VIN’s code to “J,” as is the case with the seller’s car. A little more than half of the Cobra’s built that year had this set-up.

We’re told this is a numbers-matching car that appears to have been well-kept. The drivetrain has never been out of the car, according to the seller. The paint is an older respray which looks nice until you get close. The left front fender appears to have some red primer on it and the trunk lid and right rear quarter don’t seem quite right, but it could be the lighting. What we see of the Ginger interior is meticulous. If you’re looking for the Holy Grail of muscle-era Torino’s, the Super Cobra Jet is probably the ticket.

Comments

  1. Avatar Bob_in_TN Member

    Thanks Russ. Cool car, don’t see them very often. Kind of unique with its “classy” dark green/ginger scheme, as opposed to flashier colors. Looks to be in good shape; a better ad would be helpful. Big bucks.

    This model was a favorite of mine as a teenager. There was a pic in the brochure of a yellow Cobra, a rear three-quarter view taken from a ladder, which was particularly alluring. We had a low-option1970 Torino four-door as a family car; in a different world I fantasized that we had a Cobra instead. Given my conservative, cars-are-for-transportation-only parents, not a chance…..

    Like 25
    • Avatar Frank Sumatra

      @Bob- Great comment! Everytime BF shows one of these beauties it makes me glad I was born in 1953 and got to drive or ride along in some of these classics. I know the world was certainly not perfect in 1970 for a lot of folks, but for me it was pretty damn close to it! Thanks for letting me have an “OK boomer” moment.

      Like 33
    • Avatar JOEY V
      Like 1
    • Avatar judson schumacher

      Hi bob – my dad had a 70 base Torino in same green for everyday. Also got a new 70 cj429 shaker in yelloww black int buckets with slats . 4 spd the whole shebang . Ill never forget the look, the sound , the drive …. someday

      Like 5
  2. Avatar Tenspeed

    The red on the driver fender fooled me at first too. It is actually a reflection off of the Monte Carlo parked beside it in the driveway (seen in the second picture).

    Like 11
    • Avatar Tim

      My mom had A cobra jet . My brothers and a friend took it out raising hell . That ramped on to a interstate and almost
      Rear ended a semi . He lost control and slid side ways through the median flew across three lanes of traffic and wrapped it around a overpass support . My brother and is buddy went out the passenger door with a broken arm and road rash . The other brother was in touched . Hit so hard it broke the trans and engine block

      Like 0
  3. Avatar T lai

    The red you see on the front left fender looks like the reflection of the red Monte Carlo parked next to it.

    Like 5
  4. Avatar J_Paul Member

    Wasn’t there a BF article not too long ago where a similar car—but with the wrong paint color—was on the market for $165,000 or something?

    Makes this one seem even better.

    Like 2
    • Avatar Terrry

      This has most likely had a lot of body questionable work done on it..hence the lower price…and the owner is probably dreaming anyway.

      Like 1
    • Avatar Michael Berkemeier

      Yes, and that other seller is a certifiable looney bird. He is so full of it that his eyes are brown. This car is ten times the car that his is and is priced high…although, it is much closer to being realistic that the other guy will ever be at that ridiculous $165K number.

      Like 0
  5. Avatar Stan

    4sp, w Detroit 4.30 ring and pinion.👀
    Lookout. This car is going to move along bigtime. And the less sporty, more business style Torino model makes this beauty a real stock sleeper.

    Like 4
  6. Avatar Sam Shive

    I’m in Lust. Now this might get me to make a trip back to Pa. Looking at the picture of the right rear makes me wonder why the trunk lid looks like it still up. Something is NOT LINED Up. Never like BROWN INTERIOR so I guess the trip to Pa. for now is a NO GO.

    Like 3
    • Avatar Don Eladio

      Oh, puh-leeeeeze…you weren’t ever going to make a trip to Pennsylvania anyway, lol!

      Like 14
      • Avatar Sam Shive

        Your most likely right, Grew Up in that state, Left in 75, The only time I go back is to buy cars or when someone dies….. Most of the people I knew are dead. Just like this Torino

        Like 0
  7. Avatar JohnfromSC

    That these were bought by folks always confuses me. Here’s why: The SCJ with a 4.30 rear end was purely a drag pack configuration. Yet, if you wanted to go fast, the SCJ in the same configuratin on a Mustang was faster.

    Today as a cruiser, any SCJ is pretty impractical. After driving one purely stock at 70MPH for 15 minutes, you’ve about had enough. So these are good mostly for going to/from cars and coffee. I suppose you could cut in an overunder bolt on, and cut the driveshaft to get down the rpms on the highway, but then you’ve modified the car.

    I decided instead to buy a 69 Mach1 with a 390, 4sp, AC and PB, and changed my rear to a 3.25. Still qiute peppy, while much better on the highway for touring. And cost me $30K less than a SCJ.

    Like 4
    • Avatar Stan

      Cruising is best done 55 and under John. With instant top gear blasts whenever.
      Your car sounds great 👍 nice arrangement for sure.

      Like 1
    • Avatar Don Eladio

      That’s okay John, just leave the big boy toys for us big boys.

      Like 9
    • Avatar Jost

      John, not sure how old you are but back in 1970 these cars were bought to be drivers, even with the drag pack. Lots of people were coming from full size cars and these Torino were not considered to be large. Many people preferred the intermediates over the mustangs and camaro. Look elsewhere at chevelles, goats, roadruuners, etc… there was one of these neat my house when I grew up, it was their family car!
      Your mustang sounds great.

      Like 5
    • Avatar Johan

      This is the kind of stuff people drove back then, before 70-75mph speed limits with most drivers going 80-90.
      I seriously doubt that anyone buying a car like this, either then or now, had practicality in mind. I’m a GM guy and I think this thing is stinkin awesome!
      Either you get it or you don’t…

      Like 0
  8. Avatar Terrry

    The rear trunk lid is badly misaligned, that tells me cheap and shoddy body repair..so I’d want to go over the whole body with a magnet to see how much Bondo is on it.

    Like 2
    • Avatar Michael Berkemeier

      You’re kidding, right?

      Like 2
  9. Avatar Outlaw#05a Member

    Are you sure that the trunk lid isn’t just not latched all the way down?

    Like 4
    • Avatar Bob_in_TN Member

      That was my first thought too. Why someone would take the picture that way and invite the question doesn’t make sense to me.

      Like 3
      • Avatar Outlaw#05a Member

        Exactly what I was thinking, too.

        Like 2
      • Avatar Jost

        Maybe so he represents the condition honestly, it is what you see.

        Like 0
      • Avatar Tom

        Good question Bob, just like leaving the hood cracked open or a door ajar. You see that stuff all the time and it doesn’t make sense.
        At least there’s not a big gulp sitting on the floor or a water bottle laying on the seat!

        Like 0
  10. Avatar trav66

    Beautiful Torino SCJ and a 4-speed to boot! If (hypothetically, lol) I had $80,000 to blow and given the choice between this and a new Mustang gt 500, I would buy the SCJ. Easier (and cheaper) to maintain and its value will keep increasing.

    Like 3
    • Avatar Don Eladio

      Ten times the car that any “new” car will ever be…no matter what it is.

      Like 3
      • Avatar Pauld

        Don, after working on old cars most of my life, my Wife bought me a new Challenger, scat pack, shaker, etc. It is truly an awesome car that has so many good features. It also has Brembo brakes and safety features that many of the oldies did not have. So, the old ones are a great hobby, but some of the new ones have it over the,”Classics,” and the Challenger has retro styling that never gets old. BTW, today I heard that Challenger outsold Mustang.

        Like 1
  11. Avatar don

    i ordered a ’71 torino specked out just like a cobra, but w/o all the markings of a cobra. it was a blue-grey, with black interior and full front seat, no buckets. everything else was the 429 cobra with the hurst pistol grip shifter(it was great on dates). i raced it one time against a 427 chevy II. its still at the gate, beat it by 6-8 car lengths. i got it on the interstate one time and put it to the floor. speedometer only register 120, but i was way past that. my buddy and i figured we were about 130-135 when the front end started lifting off the ground. that was it for me. oh, the gas mileage was not that bad. when highway driving i got between 21-23 mpg. loved that car. got married and had to sell. i have looked for it everywhere. but have been told with the setup i had being so unique, it would probably go for over $100,000. i now drive a 2016 grey convertible mustang gt. 425 hp. and it scares me sometimes and im 74

    Like 4
    • Avatar Michael Berkemeier

      Wow, that rare Hurst Pistol Grip Shifter! I’ve seen those somewhere before…hmmmm, where was that? So, anyway, your car would do 135 mph, yet smoke a 427 Chevy II by 8 car lengths in a drag race, all the while getting 23 mpg??? That, my friend, is absolutely amazing!!!

      Like 13
      • Avatar don

        honest to god truth. the guy i sold it to was a older family man and he got even better mileage. and i have witnesses for the 135 and the drag race

        Like 1
      • Avatar J.Max

        Hahahahah

        Like 4
    • Avatar Mark

      23 mpg in a big block carburetorated 429? Talk about a BS story! That’s some dream you came up with Don.

      Like 5
    • Avatar Jeff L.

      Wow,great story. I love fairy tales.

      Like 4
    • Avatar Tom

      Nope to all of the above…

      Like 1
  12. Avatar Steve W

    If you look very close, with a magnifying glass, you can see the other side of the trunk lid is also up. So I would say it just isn’t closed toight.

    Like 6
  13. Avatar don

    also didnt have the scoop on the hood, but had the rough black paint job on the hood

    Like 0
  14. Avatar Jim

    Shouldn’t this car be somewhere in Scottsdale Arizona right about now? I think it would bring huge money at B-J or the like.

    Like 4
  15. Avatar cmarv Member

    I sent a message , the car is about an hour from me . My Dad also had a 4 door Brougham that was loaded and was powered by a 351 4bbl for a company car when I was a kid . When I was 13 the parents went out to a dinner party and took Moms Cadillac . I got the spare keys to the Ford and proceeded out to do some peg leg burnouts as I had done a few times before . I blew a rear tire and put the spare on but there was a problem , the car had been changed to black wall snow tires for the winter and the spare was a new white wall bias ply straight tread . The next morning I got an a$$ whoopin’ like never before . I bet I could pop both tires on this one .

    Like 5
  16. Avatar bigbird

    Really nice car. A rear end swap is all that is needed. Keep the org. 4.30 and go with a 3.25/3.50. This will not hurt the price of the car at all. Someone is getting a good one……

    Like 4
  17. Avatar Hector Salamanca

    THE TRUNK IS UP, LOL!!! You guys cannot be for real…I will bet that not one person on this thread has any real interest in actually buying this car. This car is beautiful and all you guys do is make excuses as to why you can’t buy it, lol. Give me a break! Are there any real car guys on here?

    Like 5
    • Avatar bigbird

      I will tell you why most can’t or won’t buy this car for 80K. We are the older group that remembers these at 4900.00 new and when Jimmy Carter got done you could get one used for 1500.00 The millennial’s do not know a thing about this type of car or are they interested. This will end up with a CEO/business owner type adding it to his collection, because he has the means to do it. Yes, I guess I am a Barn Find tire kicker, but I love to look and read about them. Oh, and I traded my ’69 Fairlane Cobra in ’73 for a new Pinto got 1700.00, told it was gas-guzzler nobody wants them.

      Like 8
      • Avatar Pauld

        Yes Bigbird, the early 70’s was a big change in cars that we have all written about. People were pulling muscle car engines and swapping in six cylinder engines. I found a perfectly running Chevy 348 in the trash. We could only buy gas every other day. The Arab Oil Embargo made gas hard to get. The Country was not energy independent. It was a hard lesson.

        Like 1
      • Avatar Bill McCoskey Member

        Pauld,

        During and after the first oil embargo, my friend and I were racing a 1968 GTX, that was a 440 with dual 4 carb setup. We had been offered several low mileage Hi-Po 426 hemi engines that a local used car dealer had pulled out of cars & smaller engines fitted so they were salable.

        Bought all 3 complete engines & 4 speed trans sets for well under $500, loaded into my new Dodge truck. That was $500 for all 3. We used them up in racing at the strip. Sure wish I had ’em today!

        And for what it’s worth, for us, the 440 was faster than the 426.

        Like 2
  18. Avatar Doug

    Can you say “TORQUE MONSTER”!!!

    Like 1
  19. Avatar Howie Mueler

    This is nice, really nice. Might have to take it to a big name auction.

    Like 3
  20. Avatar Mercuryman

    When I was a kid, my dad bought a 70 Torino in the same shade of green. I believe it was a 351 with a 4 speed. I loved that car. So fast and so loud! We would go for a drive almost every night. My mum wanted to know why we always went out in it and asked for a ride. When they came back she was white. Mum got out and after composing herself said very quietly, Barry, sell that car….. it sat in the driveway for about a year after that without moving until my dad finally sold it. We both had tears in our eyes as it left.

    Like 3
    • Avatar robert semrad

      Murcuryman…If I was your dad, I would have simply packed her bags and called her a taxi…..no woman who loves her husband would pull that insulting command on him…..unbelievable.

      Like 1
      • Avatar Mercuryman

        Well….. For context, They were childhood sweethearts. My Mum went to every fight my Dad was in when he was a boxer as a young man. Waited for him to come back from Korea. Understood when he worked for the British Government that he had secrets he could not divulge. Supported him racing Bikes and Cars with a young family. Left England for Canada with my sister and I when my Dad could no longer work for the Govt in good conscience. Supported him when he was building Choppers to earn money to support us. Helped him start his machine shop, and understood the long hours running that business took. Put up with him saying he bought her dream Monte Carlo and finding another Torino in the driveway. We had 5 in total. Went to the funerals of all of his friends even though she did not know them. Helped him cope with the nightmares that come when you have served. Helped him overcome the injuries that eventually took his mobility, The shrapnel still embedded in his legs from a mine in Korea. When he passed, She only lasted 5 months before joining him. Her best friend. So, that was the only thing she ever asked him to do. If my Dad hadn’t gone sideways immediately after leaving the driveway, And she wasn’t pregnant with her 5th child It probably wouldn’t have happened. But my Dad was showing off for me, and she feared something bad would happen to our little family. My Dad understood it was his fault and couldn’t take it back. He did help me and my brother with our love for cars. Always had the best stories, Best advice and a helping hand. I think my Dad did ok with my mum, And after 67 years of marriage…… So did he.

        Like 5
      • Avatar Bill McCoskey Member

        MercuryMan,

        WOW, Just WOW! What an interesting father and family.

        And I thought my father, an electrical engineer who oversaw the team that discovered EMP [Electro-Mechanical Pulse] radiation from a nuclear detonation, and who was the technical director of the Army’s underground nuclear test facility at White Sands Missile base, was an impressive man! One of my most treasured items of his was his white plastic hard hat issued by the AEC and bearing his name Bob McCoskey and the title of technical director.

        Have you ever considered putting all of his incredible life into a book, or arranging for a writer to help? I’ve got a feeling it could be a best seller. Guys like him are few and far between.

        Like 1
  21. Avatar Troy s

    I suppose by 1979 or so these street bruiser Fords seemed so, so impractical they just got recycled, unlike all those Chevelles, GTO’s, 442, that never seemed to vanish. At 11.3 to 1 compression fuel quality is key and not so easy to find even in the mid seventies, I always wanted a mid sized Ford screamer like this in the early eighties…even stock it would be a fun drag car without pissing off California legislators, never hardly saw one let alone for sale. Especially these ’70-71’s. Always nice to see one at all, let alone in great shape.

    Like 1
  22. Avatar bigbird

    Had a ’69 Cobra Fairlane 428, automatic, 335 hp, 3.50 gear.. Don’t let anybody fool you, the best I could do was 12 mpg and mine was stock with the exception of Hooker headers. My 428 was the FE block, but that 429 is going to drink. Still fun, and if you can afford this one, you can afford the gas….

    Like 4
  23. Avatar Jeffery Neihart

    I owned a 70 equipped just like this one 4.30 4 speed and daily drove it work for a few years until I bought a 74 Maverick that was a little more nicer to drive in bad weather. 4.30 gears and a Detroit locker were a hand full in the snow. Never worried about gas milage but it wasn’t horrible. Mine only had a regular Hurst shifter not the “pistol grip”.

    Like 3
    • Avatar Michael Berkemeier

      Jeffery,

      That’s because there were no Pistol Grip shifters in any Ford, ever…and no Ford, or any other car, with a 429 cubic-inch engine in it, ever saw the high side of the low-teens for fuel mileage, lol.

      Like 4
      • Avatar don

        ur correct about the pistol grip, it was the hurst shifter. but dont call me a liar about the mileage. i got high teens, but the man i sold it to got 23 on a trip. he was older and didnt drive over 60 and never put his foot to the floor. if u didnt cowboy it and took it easy, it was very good on gas.

        Like 0
      • Avatar Jeffery Neihart

        Michael,
        Having owned a few 4 speed Fords I realize that they don’t have a “pistol grip” option. I was making a humorous comment about the other person who mentioned that his had a “pistol grip” shifter in his Torino. Most know that this was a Mopar name for there shifters. Thank.

        Like 0
  24. Avatar Jeffery Neihart

    Just another note on this one , under the hood looks very correct, correct distributer, rev limiter, smog, heater hoses, oil cooler, and the air cleaner /shaker are all correct. I believe that the engine has never been out of the car.

    Like 3
    • Avatar Michael Berkemeier

      Yes, it does. It is VERY nice. It is, as they say, a perfect specimen.

      Like 2
  25. Avatar Ted steiner

    Car is well under priced I have a all numbers maching with 29000 mile. That I have had for 49 years and I would not take less then 200000.

    Like 4
  26. Avatar HC Member

    Yes sir, this 1970 Torino Cobra is a thing of dreams and certainly a better price than the ding dong that was asking $165k for a similar one that was some silver color I believe. Compared to that price this one seems reasonable, but still quite a chunk of change

    Like 0
  27. Avatar Mercuryman

    I thought long and hard about how to reply. Thank you. He was, and still is My Hero. My Dad once told me That you only get one life, Make it incredible. I wanted to put his experiences to paper, but like an idiot I thought he would live forever. My ex wife threw out all of his medals, photos and papers out of spite so I only have memories. The best part of knowing my Dad was that he attracted like minded people. Characters my Mum would call them. The stories they could tell. I think part of it was that there was so much hope after WWII, people felt that anything was possible. The trick is to find those people and listen to them while there is still time. Everyone has a story to tell, some are better than others but all have the potential to surprise. I only hope that My story is one worth telling, and my son keeps the memories of all the special people I have known alive. Cheers!

    Like 0
  28. Avatar Bill McCoskey Member

    Mercuryman,

    Perhaps you could write stories about your parents adventures, and share them with other family members. I’m sure that later on in life your son will show more & more interest in his grandparents accomplishments. I’ve written a lot about my dad’s work at Los Alamos, and on my death all of his related items will be collected by the Los Alamos museum, where they plan on creating a display in his honor. While I don’t have any kids [that I’m aware of], I do have nieces and nephews who will also share in the information. Grandkids often show little interest in family history until it is too late. What I did for the younger family members was to write the family story and make each copy special to the child. It actually works, and over the last few years several of them have shown increased interest.

    Best of luck, and if you ever do write a basic outline of your dad’s life, let me know!

    Like 0
  29. Avatar HC Member

    Mercury man, those are some interesting stories about your dad and agree with another’s comment that you need to write them down. Writers can’t come up with stories as good as that. My grand dad was a farmer in the south during WW11 and he worked a 10 man crew of German POWs. He corresponded with one of them for years after the war and his daughter threw the letters out after he passed. I was so mad. Im Still working on a short story about it

    Like 0

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