Hi. I am building a 1973 torino with a 514 and a 5 speed as well. i moved the engine back on my car 3" and lowered it 2". it was a piece of cake as long as you dont have air. but i have to make custom headers for it now. its only money i will get more somewere, someday. right know i am getting eady to send t off to my friends house so we can put a roll cage in it, i dont have a bender. going to replace the rear shocks with coil overs and remove the factory coils and replace the front coils with coil overs as well when i install my Bear brakes. would like to know if you have made any more progress recently? :shy:
72 Ford Torino BB
- Thread starter Ron Earp
- Start date
Time for True Confessions . . . .
There is a 1970 "Cobra" Torino in my driveway - big block/close-ratio toploader with the "drag-pack" option (oil cooler, locker) as well as the shaker hood. It would be a nice car with upgraded brakes and a gear-vendors overdrive . . .but never as nice as a good GT40!
It looks better w/ the torque-thrusts on it . . .
It could be had, maybe . . . .
There is a 1970 "Cobra" Torino in my driveway - big block/close-ratio toploader with the "drag-pack" option (oil cooler, locker) as well as the shaker hood. It would be a nice car with upgraded brakes and a gear-vendors overdrive . . .but never as nice as a good GT40!
It looks better w/ the torque-thrusts on it . . .
It could be had, maybe . . . .
Ron Earp
Admin
Cool, more Torino owners come out of the woodwork. Torinos are interesting Fords. They don't get a whole lot of interest in the muscle car market thus they've maintained a somewhat reasonable price level (there are some exceptions). And, if you have a particular affinity for a non-loved year, like I do, then you can either buy or build what you want for reasonable money.
Here are a few recent pictures:
The scale screen was shot with the car all up, that is, all fluids except gas and driver. That weight isn't too bad for a car this size. Many modern two door coupes hit this weight (M3, GTO, GT500s, ZL1).
Here are a few recent pictures:
The scale screen was shot with the car all up, that is, all fluids except gas and driver. That weight isn't too bad for a car this size. Many modern two door coupes hit this weight (M3, GTO, GT500s, ZL1).
Ron,
Truth be told, I was trying to find a "fishmouth" (72) when I stumbled on the '70 (Calypso Coral - lots of orange!)
Below is the Holman Moody '72 my friend restored for a client . . .
Looking forward to your completed project!
Truth be told, I was trying to find a "fishmouth" (72) when I stumbled on the '70 (Calypso Coral - lots of orange!)
Below is the Holman Moody '72 my friend restored for a client . . .
Looking forward to your completed project!
Jeff Young
GT40s Supporter
72 was the best year for NASCAR style in my opinion.
72 Charger
72 Torino
72 Merc
72 Monte Carlo
Even a few Pontiac GTOs thrown in.
72 Charger
72 Torino
72 Merc
72 Monte Carlo
Even a few Pontiac GTOs thrown in.
Ron Earp
Admin
I figured I should update this thread since I just posted a Torino picture answering a question in the questions subforum.
No, the Torino isn't driving yet but it is very close to being so. The engine was fired, interior installed, and now we're just sorting out a few of the smaller things while the car is finished up. Here are a bunch of pics sort of out lining progress since late November.
Got myself some aluminum welding on. And it didn't leak!
No, the Torino isn't driving yet but it is very close to being so. The engine was fired, interior installed, and now we're just sorting out a few of the smaller things while the car is finished up. Here are a bunch of pics sort of out lining progress since late November.
Got myself some aluminum welding on. And it didn't leak!
Ron Earp
Admin
Jeff G and I have been working on this car almost flat out since late November. It looks easy in pictures, but there were many snags and mini projects along the way.
One of the parts of the project I'm most pleased about is is the HVAC system. I rebuilt all the basic pieces of it a couple of years ago. Flapper valves, heater box, seals, vacuum canisters, etc. but getting it to work inside the car is another matter entirely. However, with a lot of work we sorted it out and testing it with vacuum it works as it should. Not that hard, but very time consuming and it seems to be the one area of a muscle car restoration that gets skipped. Anytime I see a muscle car at a car show it generally doesn't have AC even if it did from the factory, and, I also notice you never hear anything about AC on Overhauling and all these car shows on TV. Now I know why.
This week I've having a fellow install the rear glass and do the headliner, after which it should be drivable with the application of a new 2kW starter from IHI.
One of the parts of the project I'm most pleased about is is the HVAC system. I rebuilt all the basic pieces of it a couple of years ago. Flapper valves, heater box, seals, vacuum canisters, etc. but getting it to work inside the car is another matter entirely. However, with a lot of work we sorted it out and testing it with vacuum it works as it should. Not that hard, but very time consuming and it seems to be the one area of a muscle car restoration that gets skipped. Anytime I see a muscle car at a car show it generally doesn't have AC even if it did from the factory, and, I also notice you never hear anything about AC on Overhauling and all these car shows on TV. Now I know why.
This week I've having a fellow install the rear glass and do the headliner, after which it should be drivable with the application of a new 2kW starter from IHI.
Looking really good Ron.
I will say that I was never a fan of vacuum controlled HVAC until I had been forced to fight the dragons of a fully cable operated one and worse yet the new stepper motor controlled systems of todays vehicles. Great when they work right but when they go bad, they go to worse in very short order...
I love the interior look and the white shift knob in stark contrast..
What is the plan for the dark gauge on the far left in the dash? I presume that is the fuel level / idiot light part of the cluster. Any way to make that one white face like the others?
It won't be long and your daughter will be asking for the keys!!!
I will say that I was never a fan of vacuum controlled HVAC until I had been forced to fight the dragons of a fully cable operated one and worse yet the new stepper motor controlled systems of todays vehicles. Great when they work right but when they go bad, they go to worse in very short order...
I love the interior look and the white shift knob in stark contrast..
What is the plan for the dark gauge on the far left in the dash? I presume that is the fuel level / idiot light part of the cluster. Any way to make that one white face like the others?
It won't be long and your daughter will be asking for the keys!!!
Jeff Young
GT40s Supporter
Looking really good Ron.
I will say that I was never a fan of vacuum controlled HVAC until I had been forced to fight the dragons of a fully cable operated one and worse yet the new stepper motor controlled systems of todays vehicles. Great when they work right but when they go bad, they go to worse in very short order...
I love the interior look and the white shift knob in stark contrast..
What is the plan for the dark gauge on the far left in the dash? I presume that is the fuel level / idiot light part of the cluster. Any way to make that one white face like the others?
It won't be long and your daughter will be asking for the keys!!!
The dark gauge is actually the driver's vent.
It's a different type of complexity than a kit car build. It's trying to make old stuff work again, with new components rather than trying to build something from sortakinda "directions."
Ron Earp
Admin
Depends on your skill set I suppose. However, if we were to exclude paint and body work from both projects, and exclude parts hunting as well, then I'd put the muscle car restoration as far easier.
The bottom line is with the muscle car it all went together at one point in time. Your job is to put it back together more or less the way it was sold.
Our project was a bit different since I wanted to use a different engine and use different components all connected to it but that wasn't a huge problem. Just took a bit of R&D on the parts and a lot of wiring work. Ditto on all the subjobs - carpet, HVAC, suspension, etc. nothing hard, just time consuming.
On a 40 replica you're always fabricating, designing, and integrating bits together that may, or may not, fit as well as you'd like. This uses a lot of time because you typically go through a few iterations before you get right or the way you want it. The muscle car doesn't have as many of those sorts of traps built in.
Ron Earp
Admin
And a lot more work has happened over the last few weeks. In addition to Torino work, racing season is starting up and we had to build a new motor for Jeff G's Mustang so the shop has been busy non-stop. The Torino is coming along though and we're putting the finishing touches on a lot of the detail oriented jobs.
