Torino Update

"RTeeJay" (ryanjohnston13) 05/25/2015 at 19:24 • Filed to: Of Happenings, Muscle Cars, Ford Torino, Possible Purchase

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As you all may or may not remember, I !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! yesterday that I was going on a car viewing journey to Vermont today, so I just want to review my findings.

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The car is 1971 Ford Torino, with a 429 non Cobra Jet engine, and a 3 speed slapstick auto(tragic) transmission. Even though this is not a Cobra Jet, the previous previous owner wanted to carry a Cobra theme onto the car. A custom copper paint job with a snake skin stripe makes the exterior much more noticeable than a standard paint job. The interior has a black over copper theme with a GOD AWFUL Cobra shifter handle and snake skin wrap on part of the dash.

As for the condition of the car, the car is about a 7.5/8 out of 10. The body is straight with no bondo anywhere, and only a slight patch of rust bubble on one fender lip (Thanks to all who suggested bringing a magnet with me, that was a great suggestion). The engine ran strong, the transmission shifted without any hard jerks, and the tires still have some good tread on them.

The cons on this car are minor and can easily fixed. I want to change the paint to a Cobra blue with a black hood. The tach is crudely mounted and doesn’t work. The oil and temp gauges are on the A pillar, so they would be moved. The snake skin wrap on part of the dash would be replaced with a wood veneer wrap (cherry/oak/knotty pine). No glove box, radio, or rear view mirror (owner has mirror). The blinkers don’t work, and the brakes could use a refresh.

Other than that, it seems like a good car, and the owner said we could talk in the middle of the week to “dicker” about the price. Plus he has a fully insured friend who has a car hauling business, so the friend would deliver the car to me instead of making another 400 mile round trip journey, which is a huge plus for me, since I have never hauled anything with a trailer before.

Here are some visuals:

The reason for the dryer sheets on the floor is to get the car “perfumy to keep the rats away.” Whatever works I guess.

Jedidiah > RTeeJay 05/25/2015 at 20:27

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How much did he want for this thing? 10k?

You can do much better in terms of classic muscle for 10k

Nearly everything back then will be a 3 speed auto, put a shift kit in it and call it done because 4 speed cars ain’t cheap.

You also need to machine the end of the crank flange on a lot of cars for a pilot bushing if you ever plan to swap to a manual.

RTeeJay > Jedidiah 05/25/2015 at 20:28

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He said he will take $7500 plus shipping

John Norris (AngryDrifter) > RTeeJay 05/25/2015 at 20:29

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Oh just a few thoughts:

“The engine ran strong”
- Short hop? Did you let it sit and idle, did you give it enough time to warm up and overheat?

“Plus he has a fully insured friend who has a car hauling business, so the friend would deliver the car to me instead of making another 400 mile round trip journey, ...”
- My scam antenna just went up. Red Flag. Just saying.

“perfumy to keep the rats away.”
- So he’s had problems with rats in his cars. I’m guessing you’ll find some evidence of that later if you buy it.

RTeeJay > John Norris (AngryDrifter) 05/25/2015 at 20:34

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I drove the car for 20 minutes, so I didn’t notice any difference in the engine during that 20 minutes.

To prevent any issues with shipping, the seller said he would send the car/bill of sale down first, and I would hand over the payment once the car is delivered by the friend.

I checked under the carpets/seats/in the truck for rat evidence, and I didn’t see anything abnormal.

Birddog > RTeeJay 05/25/2015 at 20:56

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7K doesn’t seem like a bad deal for a solid car. Have you verified the VIN and Buck Tag info?

On the tires. Just because they have tread doesn’t mean they’re good. If you get the car check the date codes. If they’re over 7 years old ditch them.

desertdog5051 > RTeeJay 05/25/2015 at 22:05

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Like a Moen. “Buy it for looks, buy it for life”. It will be your personal project for years. Price ain’t bad for the area you are in.

RTeeJay > desertdog5051 05/25/2015 at 22:10

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That’s my thinking. Plus this car is different than the Mustangs/Camaros/Firbirds/Chevelles/Mopars of the world. I’m not saying the listed cars are bad, but they are more common, and I like cars that are more unique/less loved than other well know cars.

desertdog5051 > RTeeJay 05/25/2015 at 23:21

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I would do it. Your reasons are valid. Who would not like that stripe? Not stock, but screams the era. Plus a 429? I love it. Let us know how it turns out.

John Norris (AngryDrifter) > RTeeJay 05/26/2015 at 21:45

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Okay, you have my blessing. Buy it and enjoy.

You’re right it is rather unusual. You show up to a car meet you are probably going to be the only one. The later Torino’s became bloated and they all trended toward Starsky & Hutch mobiles. The early ones looked a bit too much like Mom’s car. This generation had a nice balance of big but still sporty muscle car.

You are also going to be in the lead for the most cubic inches at the meet until a 454 Chevelle or a 440 Mopar shows up. Anything with a 429 has a certain level of muscle car panache.

I’m assuming you have a daily driver to use while this is down for work or excessive gas prices. I’m guessing 11 MPG.

RTeeJay > John Norris (AngryDrifter) 05/26/2015 at 22:38

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Yeah, I have an Acura TSX as my DD. So I’m not worried if the Torino goes down for a week at a time for maintenance/upgrades. If all goes well, I’d like to finish the car within 2-3 years.