The Ford Torino did a fairly brisk business in 1971, with 326,463 being sold in its last year on a unibody platform. Only 1,613 of those, however, were sporty GT convertibles such as our maroon feature car. Surprisingly, the GT was not a high-performance package in its basic form, with a two-barrel 302 being the standard engine, but it did offer more upscale trim and amenities for the extra money. Located in New York and offered for sale on eBay, this GT is surprisingly solid for a northern car, and with a claimed 71,000 miles on the clock, it’s potentially a good buy for anyone who’s into Ford intermediates.
Any of Torino’s optional engines were available in the GT, and the original owner chose the M-Code 351 Cleveland four barrel in this one. With 285 horsepower and a 10.7:1 compression ratio, this is most decidedly a premium-fuel-only engine. The Cleveland was one of Ford’s best efforts of the musclecar era, but it came a little too late in the game to show its true potential; by its third year, compression ratios fell and that was that. It only enjoyed five years of production, but it lived on under the hoods of independent Ford racers for years. There’s no comment on the car’s mechanical past, but it runs and drives well according to the seller. The air cleaner is not original; it looks like it comes from a mid-’60s Ford. That’s not a big deal, but it’s something to keep in mind if you’re looking for originality.
Any sporting pretensions are left under the hood; there are no sporty bucket seats, console, or floor shifter inside. It’s a column-shifted automatic, probably an FMX or a C6. Look at the door panel – power windows (and power locks)! The seat cover looks as if it may be original, and I’m starting to believe the low-mileage claim. In addition to the extra power of the 351, this Torino has air conditioning; the seller implies that it works but doesn’t say directly.
The eBay ad claims that the car was in dry storage for 25 years. The undercarriage looks solid, although the seller’s claim of “minor rust” is verified by a couple holes in the trunk floor; by unibody Ford standards, however, this is rust-free. If the trunk paint is original, that implies that the exterior color (if not the paint) is as well.
This isn’t a perfect Torino and the seller doesn’t assert that it is, but it’s a rare and solid Torino that could be enjoyed as-is or fixed up to be a really nice car. The first thing I’d do is find an original set of wide trim rings for those original hubcaps (I love that look). With a current high bid of $14,100, the reserve hasn’t been met. How high do you think it will go?
Interesting that your last paragraph mentioned how you like the hubcaps, because the whole time I was looking at the pictures all I could think of was how much better it would look with something else. I know that’s how they came, but I still can’t believe that Ford put out something called a GT with hubcaps and trim rings.
I agree with you mark the wheels and tires gotta go,looks like something is missing on the sides,wheel well chrome or something.plus I think it would look better with a black top!
Original paint? Not on a bet. Missing wheel opening trim is the first clue. Number one enemy here will be rust; a serious bid before a
thorough undercarriage inspection would be foolhardy.
I factory ordered a 1970 Torino GT convertible with a 429 Cobra Jet and C6 tranny. It came with argent style wheels, chrome trim rings and hub caps. But they were not anything like the ones on this car. Also the side trim was chrome with vinyl inserts and the wheel wells had chrome. One of the best rides I ever owned and wish I still did!
Interesting car, in really nice shape, with some rare options. Call me cynical, it looks too good to be true, especially the interior, unless it was all redone. I’d be afraid to drive it, knowing the way people drive, and the scarcity of body parts. I hope it goes to a good home.
I know a lot about mustangs, but relatively little about the Torino options and colors. But I can’t help but wonder about that interior. I don’t recall ever seeing another Ford from this era with three colors in the interior. There are a lot with two but this one has red carpet, white seats, and black dash and kick panels. Just seems like that’s not a factory combination, but again I am no Torino expert so maybe it is right.
Power locks weren’t available on Torino until 1972. The “LOCK” button on the driver’s window control locks out passenger power window controls.
First one of these I’ve seen.
Looks very un-Torino to me as a convertible.
C6 Toth. Nice call on the 4V351 motor by the original owner.
2.75 gear ⚙️ std. Sweet hwy machine this would be. What a rare car.
Stan, do you know if there was a system for assigning the FMX or the C6 with the 351? Was it two barrel vs. four barrel?
Not sure Aaron. If I recall both had good reputations, I believe the C6 may have been aluminum, obviously lighter.
Is it me, or does this sit a bit high on its springs?
I think so – new springs don’t always sit right. One of the first things I’d do is get it sitting close to factory height.
Being from Indiana I always had a thing for Indy 500 pace cars, this is only Torino I ever wanted.
Neat! I’ve always read that the real pace car had the 390-horsepower 427, which is the hydraulic-lifter version they used in Cougar GT-Es.
I worked for a guy back in the 90s. He had one of these in his garage. Was using it for a shelf. Probably still there.
Definitely a repaint, zero badging. But the air cleaner looks original. And the hole in the trunk looks factory, no rust that I saw in the pics. Could be a nice Torino. Check carefully!
Would help to have a larger tire and better wheels. I always loved these Torinos.
The pictures on E-bay show trim rings with the hubcaps, but I have no idea if they are “wide” or “narrow”, though. Someone posted that the Torino didn’t get power windows until 1972, but this is clearly a 1971, without the optional hideaway headlights. The 1972 Torino had a separate perimeter frame, not a unibody (think the green Gran Torino owned by Clint Eastwood in the film of the same name).
Definitely a respray (there’s some overspray on the door seals), looks to be the original color. Good looking car, I would check the lower bodysides with a magnet as those areas are prone to rust, but any repairs look to be well done. Fun car to cruise in, but yeah, I would drop the rear springs a skosh.
Midsize Fords of that era would occasionally come with three tone interiors; my Fairlane had parchment seats, a dark grey-brown dashboard, and lighter rubber flooring. I believe carpeting that matched the outside color was an opyion IIRC.