A good listing may not guarantee a good purchase, but it certainly helps. The owner of this Ridgefield, Washington muscle car has included what appears to be an honest description including good and bad points, plenty of pictures, and lots of details… three things painfully lacking from many listings. This 1970 Ford Torino GT listed here on eBay could be yours for the Buy It Now price of $8500.
A co-worker of mine in the ’80s had one of these in blue, immaculately restored and packing a wicked 429 cubic inch “Cobra Jet” engine with a shaker hood and an exhaust system that could rattle Grandma’s china from three blocks away. This Torino’s 351 Cleveland engine may not rate the fear factor or value of the 429 CJ, but the 351C is no joke. A friend put a stock Cleveland mill on his dyno before building it for a customer and it made an honest 250 horsepower with no tuning and a two-barrel carburetor. My buddy’s Torino lacked this car’s sweet hidden headlights, a feature I’d have to have on mine.
Optional “Blazer Striped” cloth inserts upped the “Mod” factor on this classy Ford. Kudos to the seller for removing the ratty carpet that other sellers would leave in place to mask the condition of the floor boards. Ford’s brochure for the 1970 Torino describes it as “almost too racy looking,” and touted its selection as Motor Trend magazine’s Car of the Year.
The non-original 351C from a 1971 Ranchero features a 1970 block with 1971 heads and intake. Despite the faded paint and missing carpet, this muscle car runs and drives, important milestones when buying a car via Internet auction where the deal relies on the condition “as described.” Everyone should agree that the horribly faded red paint on this ’70 GT cannot be preserved as “patina,” though it would certainly be worth buffing out if it’s not separating from the metal. What would you do with this once-classy red ride?
I like these cars, and have owned a 70 Ranchero GT and a 70 Torino Cobra, both yellow and equipped with shaker hoods. Most GT’s were pretty boring with a 302 as the base engine and the 351 2V as the common upgrade. Most also came equipped with bench seats and column shifts. The body lined looked great, but that’s where it usually ended.
If say $4,000-$5,000 would be more appropriate.
Steve R
A nice lady in my hometown in Newport, Arkansas had almost an identical Torino . She owned a beauty salon and the story was she had won that pretty Torino . I saw it many times sitting out in front of her salon for years and it seems like it was always spotless .
Back in the day, a neighbor worked for Ford Motor Credit. He had a dark green one like this for his 1970 company car
Back in the day had a 69 Torino GT. 302 automatic. Not the fastest car on the highway and not the easiest to park due to the fastback, but still a fun to drive car. Numbers are a little high IMO but someone will surely bite on it.
I had a 429 thunderjet torino convertible that had the triptomatic auto .
FYI. These cars are prone similar to rustangs on frames
What??
I never was a big Ford fan, but these were good looking cars. I liked the glow in the dark strips. Never saw one I couldn’t outrun with my SS Chevelle 396 though. The prices of these have been very reasonable until recently, but are rising fast. In my opinion this is overpriced by about $3500 to $4000, it’s not a Cobra Jet after all.
You probably didn’t run into one with the 429 cobra jet. Those things were no joke. The trick was to get it to hook up without to much wheel spin cause they were known for that. A buddy of mine had a 70 GT with the 429CJ with just basic mods , headers, 410 gears and had it set up to hook without to much spin. He beat up on just about everything he raced including chevelles, mustangs, GTXs, challengers and so on. One car he could never beat was a 69 charger that had a heavily modified 426 hemi.
Comment thread and listing are 16 months old. FYI
M code Cleveland’s are more rare than 429 cars , I have a dark Ivey m code , buckets, console hideaways and louvers. One of 161 built and probably not many left number matching. The price for the one offered is too high for its condition
I agree and from what I understand if you look carefully you’ll also see there is no tow hitch for an auxiliary gas trailer so you can get from home to town and back
My aunt bought this same car new in light blue/dark blue reflective stripe. I always felt that it was a cool car as a kid. I’m not typically a Ford guy, but always found these to be good looking cars. Also, much easier to get into the classic “sporty car” hobby without trying to buy into many GM or Mopars. If I was in the market, I think this would be a good option. As others have said, price is a bit on the high side.
While priced a little hi. the guy seems honest and knowing the shortcomings going in this could be an affordable project. Don’t underrate a 70 Cleveland, huge valves =super breathing. even the 2 barrel ones haul the groceries. Fix and drive//
good luck to the new owner….
Since the 351 C is not original anyway, I would build the top-end…
Otherwise, I would go find one in better shape and drop-in a 429 CJ…if it did not already have one…
Why do people with unpopular cars in bad condition think they are worth so much money?
Miguel, popular cars are a “dime a dozen” you see Camaros, Mustangs, GTO’s etc etc at every car show times 10. How many Torino’s do you see? I like seeing the cars you don’t normally see. I am a GM guy. Not really a Ford guy but I don’t like your comment. I have a buddy who would give his left nut for this car. What you like and think is popular is your opinion. you are entitled to your opinion but your comment is unnecessary.
Classic cars, especially classics like a 57 Bel Air or muscle cars, big block or not, are worth money. when in fairly solid condition and complete they are worth even more money because it is hard to find parts for a car like this.
Had a 72 Ranchero with the 351C two barrel – rated at 163hp..I got beat by a Suzuki Swift.
I have a SC Regal (of the W-body variety) I bought straight from GM. My neighborhood is chocked full of all kinds of Euro iron and Asian delights. Many are surprised by a 19 year-old Buick that looks very stock. It’s not the fastest thing out there, but it’s a lot more quick & nimble than people think. Reliable, too
Not a Ford guy, but my brother had one of these in black over black. Nice car.
Back in the late 70’s early 80’s my Dad had a Torino just like that one. 351W, 2bbl, straight shift. He knew how to tweak the finer points under the hood, and he would always get the jump, and beat me to the designated “checkered flag”. I drove a 72 Grand Torino Sport, 351C, auto. He wouldn’t tweak mine. (I also had a 66 7Ltr, 4bbl, 4/floor that he couldn’t touch.)
This one, IMHO, is priced too high. But the last time I checked, the Lazer stripes were available through aftermarket.
There once was a man who lived in the mountains in western Washington state east of Everett. It was in the early 1980’s when I met the man. What I liked best about him was he owned a white 428 ci cobra jet with 4 speed manual trans. He seldom drove the car, so it remained it near perfect condition. Don’t know the rest of the story.
On the street the 351 2v heads way to go as the 4v heads valves so large only good for pedal to metal hi R, drags.
Normal everyday around town driving of 4v heads was way ineffecient, eccessive carbon build up dirty plugs and carb combo gas eater.
NICE INTERIORS AND GOOD LINES, that never, even with 429, ever lived up to or fulfilled expectations.
Certain Blue(??¿¿Crescent??¿¿) 429 and FoMOCo police motors were way better.
Still at this price, type and looks of auto, kept stock and streight are eye catchers at cruise events, no matter the motors.
NOT OUT of reason price for fix and drive, but see no real return,IMO, as a flipper, and most assuredly not as a full blown restoration.
A 351 Windsor 4brl is a drop in watch gas octane and timing though.
GOT to drive one with 429 on 3/8 dirt track, Hobby or Jr stock, and that big motor held in right rpm and auto would let you exit corners full bore, as long as brakes held up.
Larger than most and on dirt you are about out of control half the time and correcting always.
Huh?
wonder if that was bought new at the Ford dealer in Waterville which is not all that far from Ridgefield
Bud Meadows Ford, Portland Oregon according to the Marti Report shown in the eBay listing.
My dad had one in yellow, Lazer stripes, rear window louvers, and 351C with a shaker hood. Hard to keep the rear tires from spinning. Pretty thirsty, too.
At Carlsbad raceway back in the nineties the fastest all steel body car there I ever saw was one of these ’70 GT’s, a full blown quarter mile’r in burgandy with a huge big block, ran low 9’s at over 140 with a little nitrous and could have been quicker but man that thing was a real hand full for the first hundred feet or so, but once it hooked up the top end charge was insane.
Everytime I see one of these old Torino’s it reminds me of that sinister drag car, very nice.👌
In 1980-81 I was working at Clark Oldsmobile in West Palm Beach Florida, my after graduating high school job, and an old guy came in to have his oil changed. He told me that he had an older car called a “Cobra.” I wasn’t sure what he had so 3 weeks layer I went to his house and when he opened his garage door my heart almost stopped. It was a 1970 Cobra (Torino body) with a 428 cobra jet, ram air, 4-speed. It was yellow with a flat black hood and black interior. Here’s the best part-it only had 280 actual miles……on a ten year old car. He said he would sell it for what he paid for it, $2800.00. I was 19 years old and had no money. I begged my father to buy it but he was in to antique cars and wanted nothing to do with muscle cars. I will always wonder what happened to that car.
The 428 engine was not available in any body style 1970 Torino. The only big block for a 1970 Torino was the 429 engine.
My ex-mother in law had a blue one just like this, 351 auto… her son drove it thru the picture window of someone house right into their living room back around 1975. He was a bit rambunctious. My dad had a torquoise 68 Torino GT fastback he bought new. He and my mother used to run it at the local drag strip for fun. Three kids and the responsibilities of raising a family lead to him trading it in on a Ford Country Squire station wagon. I’ll never get over the sacrifices my parents made for us. These cars were fun.
This body style of Torino is “AMC” ugly to me, the next generation Torino looked much better…… Although I would still like to have it!
And yes I do know it’s a Ford not an AMC just looks like something AMC would have put out.
Dog dish hubcaps. Bench seat. Love it! Our high school used these cars in dark blue with a second steering wheel, for driver’s education class. Probably had anemic straight 6 cyl though. When the new body style came out, it was my turn for driver’s ed. I thought the 72 looked bloated with a Coke-bottle bulge in the quarters along with a very high rear window. Made it tough to maneuver three-turn parallel parking for the instructor.
Just checked e-bay. Price dropped to $7,999.00. Still too high. Pretty straight looking car, but still has a lot of work to be done. Congrats on really showing it, though. $4,500.00.
Back in ’71, my sister need a car. My dad and I went to the Ford dealers in town and checked out the deals. My dad loved Fords. The plan was to buy her something cheap and new, but there was a ’70 Torino GT on the used lot. It was red with the strobe stripe, hideaways, black vinyl bucket seat interior, shaker scoop, 429SCJ and magnum 500 wheels. Perfect!. The other choice was a ’71 Maverick in Grey/Gold, inline 6, 3 on the tree, cloth bench, rubber floor mats, no carpet, no radio, base NO options. She said no, no red, get the Maverick, which was about $100 more than the Torino GT. Sad. That goes in my one that got away category. I was 15, and was hoping it would have been a hand-me-down.
I’ve had both a 70 and 71 Cobras: ram air, hood latches, buckets, factory tach 429 Pi in one and CJ in the other one AT the other 4 speed Nice cars! had improved suspensions also so cornered Properly! Now have a 70 Ranchero with all factory Cobra stuff and 351C 4BBl 4 SPEED, It doesn’t have the tractor torque of the 429 but probably as many ponies and– yes it is necessary to carefully drive it if you don’t like smoking tyres! Yes–a totally stupid car but fun!
I have a 1970 Ford Torino GT Poppy red with the laser stripe I’ve had the car since 1983 when I graduated high school it’s in ok condition not too bad frame is in very good condition the color it was painted was poppy red not sure if that was a standard Ford color but it is a very rare car in Connecticut where I live has white interior does not have the Hideaway headlights and does not have the Shaker scoop will post pictures eventually as I’ve been a Ford guy my whole life because of my dad And as I got older worked more with the GM’s currently working on a 62 Impala for my wife once that’s complete I am starting restoration on the 70 torino can’t wait it’s going to be a fun project specially sentimental value from my dad stay good everyone and for the hay of it here is a picture of my current project
😀I HAVE A 👍 70 SCJ
429 APART NEVER BORED NO LIP & SHAKER 2 429 CJs 67 428 SCJ & C8VE 460, 2 HO CLEVELAND’S, 2 BARREL & 4 BARREL HEADS ANYBODY LOOKN & A LOT MORE ,50 yrs😎
Hi there Larry in South Carolina. Can you see any info bout the 351 Cleveland HO motors that you have available? Price and location? I have a 72 Gran Taurino Sport. Looking for engine. My email is: lks617@outlook.com