We’ve seen a few examples of the Ford Torino cross our desks in recent months here at Barn Finds, and their condition has varied widely. Some have been pristine vehicles that need nothing, while others appear to be on their last legs. This 1971 Torino 500 looks like a promising one at an affordable price, and I have to say a big thank you to Barn Finder Pat L for spotting it for us. Not only does it present nicely, but it has a healthy 351ci V8 hiding under the hood. Located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, you will find the Torino listed for sale here on Craigslist. The owner has set the sale price for this low-mile classic at $15,500.
This Torino makes a positive first impression, with its Medium Brown Metallic paint shining nicely and the American Racing Torq Thrust wheels adding an air of restrained aggression. The Dark Brown vinyl top looks fine if given a passing glance, but closer inspection reveals a few issues that potential buyers may need to consider. You can see a flaw in the vinyl near the bottom corner of the back window, and that has the potential to spell trouble. It appears to have created an excellent moisture trap, and if it isn’t addressed quickly, it could be the perfect place for rust to get its teeth into this classic. However, it has already managed to do this because a couple of spots are visible on the leading edge of the hood. These haven’t progressed too far, and I believe that simple patches would effectively eliminate them. The photo quality isn’t the greatest, so it’s difficult to determine whether there is any other external rust that will require attention. The owner supplies no information on the vehicle’s underside, making this Ford a prime candidate for an in-person inspection. The external trim and chrome present well, while I can’t spot any issues with the glass.
It appears that this Torino is numbers-matching, with its engine bay housing a 351ci V8. This V8 is the 2V version that would have produced 240hp in its prime. The original owner also chose to equip the Torino with a three-speed automatic transmission, power steering, and power brakes. Performance figures would have been considered very acceptable in 1971, with this classic capable of romping through the ¼ mile in 16.4 seconds. However, this car has the potential to improve on that number. The owner has swapped the original carburetor for a 4-Barrel, and if he has completed the work correctly, that should unleash a few extra ponies. The 351-4V version of the Torino pumped out 285hp, and that is about what I would now expect to see from this one. The wheels and tires are new, but all is not lost for those with a focus on originality. The owner has the original wheels, tires, and carburetor, and he includes these in the sale. He says that the car has 39,000 original miles on the clock, but he doesn’t indicate whether he holds evidence to support this claim. He does say that the car runs and drives well, making it a strong candidate for any Ford enthusiast intent on hitting the road immediately.
Turning our attention to the interior, and once again, the news appears to be largely positive. It does have a few faults, but there’s nothing visible that would have the next owner hanging their head in shame. Possibly the worst issue is a split in the dash pad above the gauge cluster. It runs along the edge of the pad, which could make it hard to repair. If it proves irreparable and the buyer can’t locate a good secondhand pad, a new replacement will leave no change from $450. There are also a pair of seam separations on the front seat, and if an upholsterer can’t repair these, a replacement cover will add a further $400 to the tally. Otherwise, there’s not much to criticize in this classic. The remaining upholstered surfaces, carpet, and dash look to be in excellent condition. The factory radio has made way for an aftermarket Bluetooth unit that looks neat, and this Torino also comes with ice-cold air conditioning.
This 1971 Ford Torino 500 is a tidy classic, but it comes with a few question marks hanging over its head. The rust in the hood doesn’t look bad, but the quality of the supplied photos would make an in-person inspection a wise move. What we can see might be the extent of the problems, but when I see rust developing in a car from a coastal location, it sounds warning bells in my head. If the Torino proves to be clean, that makes the owner’s asking price look pretty competitive. The big question is, have you seen enough to tempt you to pursue it further?
Sweet Torino. I would give this thing the Starsky and Hutch Zebra 3 treatment.
These are awesome and aggressive looking. IMO the uninspiring interiors let them down a little, but this one looks clean anyway.
Another example when the non-high-performance model can also look good, and in fact is refreshing given what you usually see at a show. Frankly it’s fine with me that it isn’t the biggest engine or that it has a bench seat or that it has an automatic. Just use it as a cruiser and enjoy.
I usually don’t care for this year of the Torino, and brown is not my favorite color, but it seems to work quite well on this one. The vinyl top even sets it apart more because it accentuates the color of the car. Rims and tires look great as does the dual exhaust. I don’t know how it sounds, but headers might be added for extra umph and growl. Engine upgrades are good, PLEASE don’t ruin it with the Starsky and Hutch paint job, it’s the wrong year anyway, This is as nice a Torino that I have seen in a while, and not overdoing it will keep it that way. This is really a nice find.
Interesting fact, the Stasky and Hutch vehicle was originally supposed to be a 1968 Camaro, green. However, the studio already had a contract with Ford and the Torino is what they got. Rumor has it the actor playing Starsky actually hated the Torino, and often asked for a different car every season. Love it or hate it, that red, white striped Torino is an automotive icon.
I know the Zebra 3 was a later model Torino (I believe 1975-6), and I personally wouldn’t do that to a survivor this nice. I just needed to be the troll to put it out there. You know someone had to…
Good heavens, not starsky and hutch for this one! It’s a nice looking car as is. Changes can be made to taste, for mine I’d put some hideaway headlights on this one.
Not Starsky and Hutch for anything.
Except possibly that Yugo from a while back.
This was the kind of car that you commonly saw back in my day. An American made 2 door intermediate like a Chevelle or Torino with V8, automatic transmission, power steering, power brakes and air conditioning. Earthtone colors like green and brown were popular, I preferred blue or red, but can’t change history. I remember a pleasant Sunday drive in 1973 with a girlfriend driving her brown family Torino that looked a lot like this. Nostalgia aside, the car for sale has some rust. Isn’t a muscle or pony car but will run very well. Is big by today’s shrunken standards but not a boat either. At 51 model years old, it may have some hidden mechanical gremlins pop up. But at the end of the day, it is a wonderful survivor. Just wish cars were still made like this today.
Dad had the sedan model in Dark Green as a company car. Eventually bought it from the company and gave to my brother to drive. I remember an engine replacement or significant work that required pulling the engine in ’78-ish. Not that my brother was particularly gentle with it, either.
Sweet find! Not a fan of brown cars,
but this is one exception… Plus a/c!
The rot hole in the hood is a concern for 39k miles. Just doesn’t seem legit to me. Bubbles under the vinyl top is customary for these cars at any age and it’s mainly why the big 3 stopped installing them at the factory. If the hood has a rot hole in it, you can bet the floor pans are gone to greener pastures too. Nice looking car, but there’s a saying somewhere about a pig in a polk..
Not necessarily true about the floors being shot.
My Dad lived in Florida back in the 1980’s, and he bought a used car there (1972 Electra, not that it matters for this story).
In 1988 he gave me the car. Being a Florida car, with all of the salt in the air from the ocean & gulf, it rotted from the top down.
On the way to Wisconsin from Florida, the vinyl top peeled off, taking rusted chunks of roof metal with it. The floors & frame were in excellent condition, as was everything from the window line down.
Stevieg. You’re right about the roof rot. It was mostly due to the vinyl top holding in the heavy moisture from nature. My family autobody shop was located in New England and when we got a car in from Florida, it was nice to work on.. Very little rust on the body platform. Those cars just seemed to be clean most of the time and not eaten away with the salt from winter roads.. In most cases, when we found a hood with rot holes in it, the undercarriage was not far behind. I don’t recall if this car was born and raised in Florida, so it’s possible it came from another state with harsh winters, or may have lived it’s life right on a salty coast line.. Lastly, who knows how those rot holes got on the hood leading edge? Could have been from stone chips over the years that the rust worms got to.. As for rotted out floor pans, the inside carpeting and sound pads back then held moisture from wet shoes, so over the years, the most rotted out sections were the front driver and passenger floor boards.
Adam said,” The owner has swapped the original carburetor for a 4-Barrel, and if he has completed the work correctly, that should unleash a few extra ponies”. Changing to a 4-Barrel will give a 2V Cleveland WAY more power. I put a Holley 600CFM Carb on a single plane,”Dominator”, manifold on to a 2V Mustang. Wow, did it go!!
You might be surprised if you drove this beauty, even with the stock 302 they would s*it-n-git. The Florida rust could be the culprit and I would say that the vinyl top would have to go to preserve the roof. The Humidity gets rooves, hood and trunk lid in fla. Anyhoo, some one is getting a great looker. Stay safe and happy motoring.
Cheers
GPC
Ive got an identical 1971 torino 500 with 2V 302 and 27k miles. Merely rebuilding/jetting the autolite 2100 and distributor timing to 1969 settings made a noticeable idle, cruise and power improvement. And much cooler engine. Factory ’71 specs were way too lean and advanced to reduce emissions at risk of engine longevity.
Sweet looking Torino. Always wanted one of these. I’d make it a mild…ish, sleeper, lol. And have a great time with it!
Growing up the cool guy on the block had one just like this one same colors and all .. It had the 302. It also had the flat Dog dish hubcaps with trim rings I liked the way they looked with the white letter tires!