1970 Torino GT

SquareLeft

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2015
Messages
586
Location
Southern Ohio, USA
Car(s)
2019 Mazda6 Sport, 2002 Subaru WRX, 1961 Morgan
I hope this is the correct place to post this car. It belongs to my neighbor, Dave, so it's not really 'family owned'. But, some time ago, I promised that I?d take photos of this 1970 Torino GT and create a post for it. We tried to do that earlier this year, but there was a non-running car blocking it in the garage and the photos we took weren?t even close to doing justice to the Torino. Dave was cleaning it up a couple of days ago ? it was sunny and he?d just mowed the lawn, so I had a couple of nice backdrops for photos.

Dave?s car is a 1970 Torino GT with the hi-po 429 SCJ engine, 4-speed trans and a Detroit Locker rear end (I forgot to ask the ratio?). The original owner was more than a little eccentric. He purchased the Torino new with the sole intention of drag racing it and that?s how it lived for several years. The car then saw some 'street' use, but it was getting tired ? especially the front suspension, which got hammered almost every time it was launched on the drag strip and carried the front wheels. At that point, instead of selling it, he parked it in a detached garage on his rural West Virginia property and there it sat from about 1975 until 2003. That?s when Dave overheard some car-guy acquaintances talking about cars that were ?just sitting? and the Torino was mentioned, along with a 1970 Mustang that the same guy owned. The fellow who was relating the tale mentioned that the Torino might be for sale and that he knew the owner and where he lived. At that point, Dave jumped into the conversation and said that he?d like to see the Torino.

Dave bought the Torino in 2003 and trailered it home ? dusty, neglected and not running. Wife Sandy was, to say the least, not impressed, even though it only had a little over 26,000 miles on it. Dave spent the next two years rebuilding the car. I don?t want to say that he ?restored? it because there have been some small changes made out of necessity when original parts couldn?t be located. The car now has a Hurst shifter, an aftermarket Holley carburetor, Weld wheels and a set of headers. And, it also has ?exposed? headlights because the original hidden-headlight grille was damaged and Dave hasn?t been able to find one at anything approaching a reasonable price. Since the rebuild, he's added about 2,000 miles.

Its drag racing days now in the past, the Torino lives in a climate-controlled garage and gets driven to cruise-ins on nice days. Since these cars weren?t exactly plentiful when new and so few have survived, it always draws a crowd. For my two cents, I?m just glad that it?s found such a good home!

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<3 Absolute beauty there.

I find it interesting when an ex-drag car gets returned to street duty. I'm assuming that it wasn't in need of much rust repair with the low miles and at least being stored in a barn? How much burnout debris (old rubber) was still in the rear wheel wells? :lol:
 
As far as I know, the car was never driven in winter. The first time I saw it was about 2010, so I don't know if it had to have body work done, although I do know that it got a repaint. As for debris in the wheel wells, I'd have to ask Dave. He's a real neat-freak and the car is as clean underneath as it is on top!
 
I am not a huge fan of American muscle but some are just too beautiful.
Really nice. :thumbsup:
 
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