When this 1972 Ford Gran Torino rolled off the showroom floor, its original owner must have been satisfied by the power provided by its original V8. Times change and the seller wanted to extract more potential from this classic. They did so by ditching the original motor and fitting an upgraded engine that should provide the performance to match this car’s good looks. With this Ford both spotless and mechanically sound, the time is right for it to find a new home. Therefore, it is listed here on eBay in Denton, North Carolina. Bidding sits below the reserve at $15,200, although there is a BIN option of $35,000.
Ford introduced its Third Generation Torino range in 1972, with the new model bringing sharper styling to the table. Our feature car is a Gran Torino Fastback that presents superbly in Medium Bright Yellow. The seller indicates it underwent a top-to-bottom restoration, helping explain why the paint is flawless. It holds a shine deep enough to walk into and coats panels that look perfect. There are no bumps or bruises, and this classic is rust-free. The stripes and decals are as crisp as you would expect in this situation, with the glass and chrome in as-new condition. A set of Magnum 500 wheels wrapped in tires from the good people at BF Goodrich rounds out the exterior of a car that is a guaranteed head-turner.
The seller describes this Gran Torino’s interior as perfect, and it is hard to argue with that assessment. The cover on the front bench looks free from marks and stretching, while I doubt anyone has used the back seat. The carpet and headliner are spotless, as are the dash and pad. Driver comfort is aided by the meaty sports wheel that should feel comfortable in the hands. It is refreshing that there are no further additions, with the dash housing the factory AM/FM radio. The sports gauge cluster with the factory tach helps monitor the health of the beast under the hood, while air conditioning should make life pleasant on hot days.
The original owner ordered this Gran Torino with the H-Code 351ci V8 that produced 161hp and 277 ft/lbs of torque. With a curb weight of 3,783lbs, the vehicle struggled to cover the ¼-mile in 18.1 seconds before eventually hitting 112mph. The reality is that it is possible to buy a new hatchback that will better both of those figures, and the seller must have had that thought in the back of their mind when they elected to perform some upgrades. The original 351 is a distant memory, with its spot now occupied by a 400ci brute. The car retains its three-speed automatic transmission, power steering, and power front disc brakes. The motor specifications are unclear, but it’s a safe bet the buyer will have more than 161hp at their disposal. The engine bay presents as impressively as the rest of the vehicle, and it doesn’t flatter to deceive. The Gran Torino runs and drives well and is ready to hit the road with the new owner behind the wheel.
This 1972 Ford Gran Torino is a stunning car that seems to need nothing. Its panels and paint are hard to fault, with the same true of its interior. The seller’s decision to upgrade the motor means it should have enough power on tap to satisfy most buyers. That raises the question of whether the BIN is justified, which is hard to answer. As I’ve said previously, any modified car is only worth what someone is willing to pay. In original condition, the bidding would probably taper at around $20,000, although it could go higher. This car has received sixteen bids, with one potential buyer showing determination to make this Ford theirs. Whether they will eventually hit the BIN button is unclear, but if the bidding doesn’t pass the reserve, I won’t be surprised if they do, just as the hammer falls. Stranger things have happened.
Thanks Adam. Very nice Gran Torino. Has had what appears to be good restoration work. I like the laser stripes and the flashy yellow paint. Will be interesting to watch the bidding.
Nice car,& I agree- those stripes make the car.
Grand touring.
Nice toy and the yellow paint makes it unique. The only point
i disagree is the slippery front bench – do you always want to
hold on tight to the steering wheel when going fast through a
curve? A Ford with a demand.
My hot rod buddy in high school learned to NEVER Armour-all a bench seat!
Good thing he didn’t have a motorcycle.
Or the floor mats
A 400 is the last motor I would put in this car! (Or any car).
That’s what I was thinking. Since you’re swapping powerplants anyway in a car this nice would you opt for one of those 351M/400 boat anchors. Doubt seriously it has any more performance than the other one and if he threw away a buildable Cleveland??
You can make them run very well with a few mods. Remember, up the compression, cam, intake and a little head work and 300 HP+ without breaking a sweat. Had one in my F250 4X4. Swore I’d replace it with a 460 when it went south but the previous owner had built the motor and it would not die. I ran it hard for 4-5 years mud bogging etc. with 17-40 tires and never missed a beat. Beat a lot of Chevy’s and Dodges with that truck.
Actually the 400 is an under appreciated engine with a lot of potential that high performance seekers are now finding out. With a stock stroke of 4” and a 10.3” deck height, both of which are important for building torque monsters, just add a nice cam, some forged internals, 4bold splayed main caps and good heads and these plants are serious contenders.
I put a DOVE- headed 460 in my buddy’s 73 grand,,3.70 gears,,750 holley,,it just hauls ass,,plan& simple
A 460 will bolt right up with zero modifications and it will run really good
Actually the ad says it has the original transmission so it must have the small bolt pattern 400 and if that’s the case, the 460 won’t bolt up there but it will fit the engine compartment and a large bolt transmission wouldn’t be hard to find.
I had the formal roof Grand Torino Sport when I was in college. Mine had the 351 Cleveland in the bright yellow / brown houndstooth interior. I bought a demo with 6000 miles and every other weekend my buddies and I would take it from San Diego to Mammoth skiing. I had over 50k miles after two years. It was a great road car. Sucked gas, but at 44 cents a gallon we didn’t worry too much about it.
I’ve never been a fan of the ’72-’76 Torino. However, I think the ’72-’73 SportsRoof is arguably the most attractive of the ’60s/’70s fastbacks. I probably would have modified the stock 351, though. The long-stroke 400 isn’t known as a performance engine.
I’ve been getting Barn Finds daily newsletter for over a decade now, but this is only my second comment so here goes- the fact that such a beautiful, ffffaaast looking car came stock with a measly 161hp is insulting to the design. A car that looks that fast deserves a lot more power. And if the seller replaced the original 351 with a smog era 400, that’s even more insulting. That engine wasn’t worth the metal used to build it.
Having said all that, boy would I love to own this car! I’m a car guy from birth, but I tend to lean towards Fords, and even in yellow this car is sweet. The first thing I’d do if I owned it would be to swap a bored and stroked 351/406 with a FAST or similar fuel injection system and build it to be powerful and driven hard. Then I’d tear out the slushbox and install a 5 or 6 speed manual. I’d leave the exterior absolutely untouched but I’d definitely install a more appropriate suspension and brake system to handle the extra power and twisty roads.
If only I was in the market for a new toy, I’d snag this one up in a heartbeat and immediately begin the transformation.
Anyway, I do love reading Barn Finds, the writing is fantastic and the breadth of knowledge and experience of the people who comment are why I look forward to every email I get.
I never knew Ford made a 400ci, until i learned it in Barnfinds a few yrs ago 👍🤓
Kind of like the Chevy 400. Not meant for performance, but a torquey workhorse.
Or the Mopar 400 , just a boat motor
I’m assuming the 351 was bored out? Because, if they took the stock 2bbl. 351 out, and replaced it with an actual 400? They traded tit for tat. Also, the author seems to think $20k is the high end for these cars? Maybe 5 years ago. Not no mo’!
I’ve learned to appreciate this era of Torino much more now than when they were new. It would be much better if the performance model had bucket seats with a console and floor shifter – even if it was an automatic. Nice car though!
When I worked at McDonalds,the manager had a brand new ’72
wagon.It was that Dark Green color that seemed to be everywhere
at the time.He bought it from Vel’s Parnelli Jones Ford dealer.For some reason,I thought it was a cool looking car.
Nice looking car, but missing the GTS door panels for some reason? The 400 was an option in ’72, but not a performer as others have said.
Love everything but his swapping the 351 for a 400. It’s original 351 could have been easily upgraded to perform better than most 400s. My dad had a Mark 4 with a 400 and he hated it. Although it was just stock setup. Other than that this is a spotless example. Great find
Where’s CLINT when u need him?? 😁
Yea 351 for the 400,Forgettaboutit,go big or go home, find a Lincoln with a 460 365Hp, What? You want to fun right? See if you can get one of those 430 drag pack rears and going for coffee will be more exciting. Oh yea, keep a keen eye on that gas needle too!
Very nice. I live in Arizona and didn’t see any mention of air conditioning so I presume it’s 240 air. 😓 Thanks GLWTA.
Check the engine photo.
A/C lines and rest of A/C equipment is present.
Love these Gran torino! I’ve owned 5 of these through the years. Really nice to drive. This is Nice example but 35K nice is debatable.
Author… you wrote that it retains its original 3 speed auto… that’s not possible as the 351C has a small block trans bolt pattern and the 400 has the big block bolt pattern. So both engine and trans would have to be exchanged.
Ford actually did make a 400 small block (Cleveland, not a modified) a very limited run in 72-73 mated to the fmx trans, a rare find in Torino’s and montegos
Brian T is correct. There were some 400 fords that used the small block bell housing in 73. The block could actually be drilled for both bolt patterns. I actually own a C6 transmission that has both bell housing patterns. Pretty rare piece as well.
Nice looking car but for 35 large I expect to see bucket seats and a console
A restomod with complete engine gearbox ecu and wiring.
Better then any of this old-fashioned engines use a ~07/10
GT500 Shelby 5.4 DOHC 4V supercharged engine motor
with T6060 transmission. Rear lock differential and big brakes.
From the looks of the front and rear seats.
No fat people ever rode in this car.
Which also means it has less stress & wear on ALL of it’s components ! lol
At least it’s got bench buckets. Maybe true buckets with console was a much pricier option back then. Damn she sure is clean.
Bought a 72 just like this to part out for the 351cj /C-6 power train . But after test driving it we put a 1/4 panel, door and fender on it and brought it back to a fine road cruiser. Bucket seats and console were always inside. After many , many Mustang projects this Torino was a great build.
I think a 72 Gran Torino Sport is one of the nicest looking cars of the 1970s. And so I did buy one in 1977. 351C, Q code, 4 bolt mains, C6 auto, black paint, no vinyl roof, black inside. Loved that car until it got t-boned by a 16 yr old. I agree with the guys that say you can build a 400 to be a runner. Must get aftermarket heads, aftermarket 4 barrel intake, hot cam and you’ve got a very big torque mill. The 351M and 400 do use the large bolt pattern tranny. I would own it!
A 460 will bolt right up with zero modifications and it will run really good
I once found a 1973 Gran Torino Sport(all I saw from the street was that darn 5mph bumper/& half the front clip. I was hoping it was a Ranchero) it wasn’t though. I managed to purchase it for a meesly sum of $800.00 American Dollars. The young man who owned it was over in Iraq @ the time, & told his mom to sell it if she could. In my conversation w/mom, she informed me that it had some special engine in it. Something like a Cleveland she thought.
When I opened the hood it was special alright & it was the Biggest “Cleveland” I had ever seen before. I slammed the hood down. Ran to the bank, got the $800.00, came back, paid her for it(she gave me back $50.00, cause I had to put a battery in it. As it had been sitting for some 8 yrs.) The fuel in the tank smelled just like varnesh, so I poured 5 gallons in it. What the heck, jus to raise the octane a few points anyway. The engine showed Full, of thick,thick black substance of conjeiled oil.i regretted pulling the trans.dip stick, although it was just a pint or so low, it reaked as pure sulphur.
The engine turned over some 10-12 complete revolutions before it built compression & fired up. Spitting/sputtering back firing a few times as I tested the accelerator. But I drove it home just as I mentioned it’s state of running. & I did thank her Very much for my NEW 1973 Gran Torino Sport 429 N-Code w/Bucket seats n console
As purchased it was still it’s original Wimbledon white w/a White vinyl roof w/a halo(go figure)
About 18 months, about $10.000.00 American Dollars,many busted knuckles and Gobs of FUN. I completed my rebuild of the complete car. I had managed to talk a well known(in the Nashville,tn.area) mustang restorer, out of a pair of 1970 429 P. I. Heads that he had, which bumped the compression up substantially & improved the air flow as well, etc. etc..
I stripped the car down to bare metal, straightened out some minor road wear, parking lot dings & the like. And painted it vermillion red to match my 90s mod. F 150 p.u. w/a black vinyl roof & 2 wide G. T. Stripes adorned the Hood&Trunk
My 1st pass down Union Hill Drag Strip was a 13;90 or so(with the slightly better tune, from when I first started it)
After the rebuild it got down in the low 9s. 9:00-9:10. But I just could not get it in the 8s. So I stripped al the heavy gauge steel holding that 5mph bumper on, then re hung jus the bumper it self with garage door angle iron w/all the holes in it that lightened the angle iron even more. Still just 9:00/9:10, 9:00/9:10.
I then removed the front shocks, the fr.sway bar(what the heck, I wasn’t interested in going around no curves or the like) Still 9:00/9:10s. So I finally removed the windshield wipers & the windshield wiper motor & all the connected control arms.
That did it. After that it was like it was just on auto pilot on rails or something.
It didn’t matter if you let it shift on its own, or if you shifted manually. It turned
8:90, 8:90, 8:90,8:90 Like clock work. Consistently, time after time. Oh yeah I did eventually take all that sulphur out of that C-6 auto trans. & Replaced it with some proper Type F Automatic Transmission Fluid.(sometimes I still get a faint whiff of that ol sulphur, I thank it’s just stuck in my sinuses 4 EVER.
Well anyway thanks for listening. & I Still
Kick My Self Every Time I Thank About Letting Such A Absolutely Fun Car Go.
All the comments about upgrades to a tired who knows what year 400 could have been applied to rebuilding and warming up the 351 it came with. 351s are certainly nothing to sneeze at when they’re warmed up the right way. I love them.
Absolutely. I was running Cleveland’s when Cleveland’s weren’t cool lol. Still run them and they’re awesome! Huge canted valves and serious breathers. I just know a little about 400s too and they have a couple features race engine builders desire out of the box so I like to think out of the box too lol.
It says it was sold for $35,000. Hope the seller actually gets paid for his car. She is a really clean 72 Gran Torino