This 1968 Ford Torino GT Fastback might not be perfect, but it has recently emerged from 25-years in storage and looks ripe for restoration. Barn Finder Ted B referred this Lime Gold Metallic classic to us, so thank you for that Ted. It does require some restoration work, but it is a complete car with no rust issues. It is located in Vancouver, Washington, and is listed for sale here on Craigslist. This Ford classic could be yours for $8,990.
Okay, so let’s get the bad news out of the way quickly. You can see the damage that has been inflicted on the quarter panel. The owner believes that it has been the subject of an attempted amateur repair at some point in the past, but that it actually isn’t as bad as it appears in the photo. The reality is that it would require a personal inspection to determine whether the panel could be repaired, or whether replacement is on the cards. The owner says that the rear bumper also looks like it could be repaired, and I have actually seen this done in the past with some pretty surprising results. There are a few trim pieces and light lenses missing off the Torino, but replacement parts are included. The car does have a few scratches and marks in the paint, and it would be interesting to see how some of these would respond to a polish. Having said that, it would seem fairly likely that the next owner will be treating the Torino to a repaint.
Powering the Torino is a 302ci V8, while you also get a C4 transmission and power steering. With 210hp on tap and a vehicle weight of 3,335lbs, the Torino offers respectable performance. It’s no muscle car, but it can still get up and going if it’s given a bit of a poke. The car is said to be in good mechanical health, although the owner does say that replacing the tires is essential before it hits the streets in earnest. The originality is something that is pretty astounding with the Torino, and the car even still wears its original, date-coded muffler. After its hibernation, the Torino was treated to a full service and thorough check. It is said to now drive perfectly. Replace those tires and you’re ready to go.
The owner is unable to confirm the actual mileage, but he believes that the condition of the interior makes the 68,000 miles showing on the odometer quite believable. Certainly, the only area that looks like it might need attention is the carpet on the passenger side. It is hard to tell whether it is dirty, or whether it’s stained. It would certainly be worth the effort to have it cleaned because this would be an opportunity to retain 100% originality. Essentially, there is nothing that can be faulted with the Parchment interior trim. Not only is it spotless, but it is also completely original. No one has cut this up to fit an aftermarket stereo, which is a bit of a rarity.
I think that what I really like about this Torino GT is its honesty. The owner has made no attempt to clean or detail the car, so the next owner can see exactly what they are getting. The simple fact is that it really wouldn’t have taken a lot of work to tidy the body and paint to a decent level, and then slap a price of around $20,000 on it. Nobody would’ve batted an eyelid, and most people would have been none the wiser. The owner has chosen not to do that, which indicates that this is a clean and honest project car that is just waiting for a new owner to be returned to its former glory.
I agree Adam, I like the car because of its honesty. And because it is ***not*** a fire-breathing muscle car. This is probably how most Torino GT’s were equipped, basic 302 automatic. The fastback body style with the Lime Gold paint and black stripes is period-correct and would look great (probably with a new coat) after the body repairs. After sorting out a few more items and detailing the engine, this would be a very attractive, easy-to-live-with cruiser for not a ton of money.
This is where it’s at. There could be a million Mustangs, Chevelles, Vettes. I’d ignore these cars like a blade of grass. Couldn’t care less. The Torinos? 68 and 69s? Unsung heros. Please preserve them. Beautiful conventional styling and very pleasing and easy to look at.
Always wondered why I never saw all that many of these compared to GM and Dodge/Plymouths of the same vintage. Maybe folks just stashed them away instead of crushing them as I originally thought. I’m talking early eighties here, maybe even late seventies?
Great car here for Ford fans instead of the usual barrage of Mustangs, the 302 may turn some people off but take what you can get when it come to these. The 428 powered versions have always been rare.
In high school 69/73, I was a big Ford fan(didn’t know any better,I guess) anyway one day this 69 dark green Torino Cobra drives buy in front of the school, 428 ,Cobra snakes and all, man I remember it like it was yesterday , still wish I had one
A classmate in high school had a 390 cubic inch version. It was one of the slowest cars in the parking lot. Don’t expect much from the 302 cubic inches.
this looks like a real buy…haven’t seen one this honest and this cheap around…these are rare this nice…
My neighbor bought one exactly like this when I was a kid.. Loved that car…
A neighbor of mine has a 68’ but it’s a GT convertible he bought new. Interesting thing about the car is it’s a 390 w/2bbl carb and a 3 on the tree manual trans. The car is 100% stock and numbers matchin CB g. He still drives the car and he is in his late 70’s or early 80’s.
Rear end gearing can turn a slug into a head turner. Most cars come with 2.5-2.8 rear end gears. Great for cruising, or, if you have enough engine, you can really get a lot of top end from them, but there really slow off the line. Most people won’t run much more than a 3.73 or 3.90 on the street. Occasionally someone will run a 4.11, but I wouldn’t use that for long distance cruising. A lot of people thought that I was crazy, but in the late 60’s, I ran a ’62 Fairlane with a built 289 and a manual shifting, beefed C-4, cruising Woodward Ave. My rear end was a 5.14, good off the line, and it would top out at about 135. Yes, that little 289 would do 8500 RPM, and it would pull all the way. Not great for long distances as 4000 RPM was 64 MPH. I don’t care how gentle you drove it, 12 MPG was all you’re going to get! Gas was about .20 a gallon, then, too. Ah, but I had fun!!! (;-)
Always wanted a ’69 – ’69 fastback, just never got around to it. I did have a ’69 Torino GT convertible with a 302, though. A nice cruiser, rare with only 2,552 built. Love to have this one, even with only the 302 to power it. Still, you can get a lot of hp out of it, plenty of speed parts available for them. This one needs some work but it seems a good one to start with. Price seems more than fair, too.
My what a nice car. Virtually impossible to find an unmolested car like this. I’d do a fix on the rear quarter, clean up the engine bay, interior and buff the heck out of it. If I didn’t live in Canada with the weak dollar it would be in my driveway! Someone should step up or they will regret it.
in the early 1980s a buddy of mine had a 69 Mach 1 . His brother had an identical looking Torino to this one except it had a manual trans . One night his brother came home drunk and rammed the back of the Mustang with the Torino. My buddy was so mad he took his brothers car and ran it in a local demo derby ! Of course being a small unibody car it didn’t do too well , and when the clutch linkage fell out it was all over for the Torino. I’ll bet he regrets wrecking that car now !
In the fall of 1968 and Spring of 1969 I worked for a Ford dealer in Leduc AB Canada. We had quite a number of these come in and as I was in charge of predelivery and lot maintenance I got to drive them all. We had only a few come in with the small 302 motor and as this was a Premium compact most people chose the 390 4V or the 351. A fellow employee, Clayton Brown bought one with a 390 4V 4 speed and he raced it very successfully in our nearest city Edmonton. Mind you he blew up three motors doing so, 2 on warranty, and one at his own expense. I went for a ride with him once and he wound that Big Block to 6000 rpm on each shift, valves floating and all, but that car just stood up on it’s wheels like a wild cat ready to run hooked up and wow. Sounded like a big Honda 50 at 9600 rpm just screaming. We only had one 428 come in (red) but it was called a Cobra, dog dish hubcaps, cheap interior (black) stripped of chrome except bumpers and sadly an automatic. I’d love to have this car but the 302 and green would have to go. They had a pretty aqua color with a black U shaped slash on the side that really helped, and of course an upgrade to a 290Hp 351W as a minimum.
Had a ’68 in the 70’s, Seafoam green 2 door HT with 302, AT, factory air. One of my favorite cars ever (and I had owned over 100 by the tender age of 25!)