Muscle cars were still a healthy segment in the market when Ford introduced the Torino in 1968, which started life as a more nicely trimmed Fairlane, with a GT version available right from the get-go. The car got a complete restyling for the 1970 model which featured a sleeker and more aerodynamic body, especially those with the SportsRoof fastback rear section. This 1970 Ford Torino GT has been nestled inside a barn since ‘79, but the storage conditions must have been favorable, as this one seems quite solid overall.
A fine assortment of V8 engine options made the GT model appealing to a wide array of buyers, starting with the 302 and going all the way up to the 429. The original buyer here chose the 351 Cleveland, which the seller says is the factory component, and received a rebuild sometime before the car went into storage. While it’s a treat to find the shaker protruding through the hood, the motor seized after such a long hibernation, so a solution was applied to the cylinders which sat for about a month. It now turns over and tries to run, but not very well, according to the seller. The rings are thought to be stuck and there’s low compression, so the owner is probably correct that the 351C needs to be torn into and overhauled.
Outside, the sheet metal appears more solid than I would expect for a car that’s thought to have previously been a street racer, with one mishap causing some damage to the rear section on the passenger side. A wheel in this corner is said to have detached, wreaking havoc on the quarter panel, trunk extension, and housing. However, replacement parts to make all of the needed repairs here are stated to be included as part of the sale. It’s also important to note that the tires and rims shown in the photos do not come with the car. Instead, the buyer will receive two other sets, including Magnum 500s with white letter tires plus Cragar wheels wearing slicks.
This one’s a fairly bare-bones example, with the interior about as basic as they came. Although buckets were available, a bench seat can be found up front, though some excellent news is the shifter is original, as is the 4-speed manual transmission it’s attached to. This 1970 Ford Torino GT needs engine work, but once that’s completed, it might make a fun patina driver that could be enjoyed for a while before addressing the body issues. If you’ve got some moderate mechanical skills, this one’s up in Scottsdale, New York, and can be found here on eBay. 21 bids have taken the price up to $7,100 already, enough for a sale, but it wouldn’t surprise me if that number climbs up a bit higher. Would you repair the motor and just drive this GT for a few seasons, or go ahead and immediately take everything up to the next level?
Looks familiar
A little mystery oil poured in the cylinders might loosen that sticky motor right up.
Needs a real good Caretaker to return to service.
Not all problems transparent – engine issues/damage not known.
History and records would be a start.
Do love the ’70 model.
Rode hard, put away wet. Awful lot of scratches and dings to have been in storage for 45 years.
Get it running, clean it up, make it safe, then drive it. Not every car needs to be restored. It’s also cheaper, people like to complain about affordability, a restoration probably adds $20,000 – $30,000 to the total. Once that money is spent it’s almost a guarantee it will be relegated to garage queen status.
Steve R
$20-30,000 is a good start for a restoration. It’s hard to believe how quickly things add up when doing a good restoration. But if someone wants the car to keep, then it’s worth any amount they are willing to put into it.
Yep, i agree, I would have said higher, but someone would have hammered me for that, saying they could do it for a lot less. It’s the internet, the strongest opinions are held by those that never leave the basement.
Steve R
Sold for a high bid of $12,600.
Steve R
Agree. Sad for the hobby. I’d love this one for a realistic $5000. I remember when that money would put you in one of the best available. Now people sell a couple tons of rust to get rid of for $50k. Stupid.
Nice one though. Sold way too high for me. Congrats
The 1970 Torino Sportsroof was not more aerodynamic than the ’68-’69 version. The concave rear profile created lift at speed and made the cars unstable. Ford built three prototypes of a proposed NASCAR special called King Cobra. These had sloped noses to improve aerodynamics. Unfortunately, the increased downforce at the front only served to amplify the lift at the rear. A change in NASCAR homologation rules requiring 3000 production examples (up from 500) killed the program before engineers could solve the aerodynamic problems.
4-V 351, 4spd, basic model Torino w 3.50 Trac-lok is a nice sleeper. 💤
Shaker hood, 4 speed, pretty solid and numbers matching….what’s not to like here? I wouldn’t attempt any restarts on that engine until torn down and rebuilt. If it was raced, good chances it’s already been touched and who knows to what extent? If it remains below $15K here, it’s very worth restoring, and get the return what you put into it.
Does not look like a Cleveland. The valve covers are not correct. Looks like either 302 or 351w.
It’s a Cleveland. Sometimes aftermarket valve covers make it hard to tell, but the upper radiator hose going straight down into the block rather than horizontally into the front of the intake manifold is the giveaway.
Steve R
If this was closer, I’d be on this one for sure. Make it mechanically sound and drive for a while to enjoy. Then decide whether or not to paint it. Would be a fun car to drive for sure.
I see a lot of posts about “If it was closer…yadda yadda yadda”. If you see a car you really want and are not looking to flip it, searching for long distance shipping is just another$1-$1.5K. Open carrier of course, but that probably won’t matter for these type of cars. It should just be figured into the price of purchase. I’ve always been able to find cheap shipping if I looked long enough. If it’s the car you want, buy it! In the long run, it will be money well spent. Besides that, do you really think another car like this one is going to magically appear next door? We’re just getting older, why wait.
I concur with Azzura. When I found my 70 Charger 500, I had it shipped open carrier nearly 1k miles (open was cheaper!). It was well worth it, and the five hours that I spent on clean up after arrival was a bonding experience!
Interesting view of the grass and a tire from the engine bay where the driver’s side inner fender should be.
Just get tire’ed with all these “tires and wheels don’t come with car” so I’ll pass….
I had a 70 with a 429 and a 71 with a Boss 351 {yes, a Boss 351} that’s a Cleveland with Quencher heads. Both cars were Awesome and handled quite well at high speed, maybe not by Nascar standards but, how many of us are running these cars on the tracks ? I wish I had the money for another project, I really miss my Torino.