Description
1970 FORD TORINO GTRelisted as a buyer backed out of sale.Please have taxes, shipping, inspections, wife, dog, export, etc details resolved BEFORE BIDDING.
This is the one you've been waiting for! Two owner west coast car. This Torino started life at the San Jose plant in sunny California, and was one of the earliest cars off the line. It was sold new by Gridley Country Ford in rural Gridley, California, and spent the first 29 years of it's life in Oroville, CA. It was traded into Ed Wittmeier Ford in July of 2000 with under 100,000 original miles showing. As an employee, I had the opportunity to purchase this car for my personal use, justifying the purchase with my (then) wife that this would be my daily driver/primary vehicle. So all of the repairs, service, and upgradeswere carried out a little at a time, handlingnecessities like radiator, brakes, andchassis repairs first.
The build sheet was found under the back seat and confirms the following:
- August 1969 assembly, San Jose Plant
- 1970 Torino GT
- 302 2V V8 Engine
- C4 Transmission
- Air Conditioning
- Clock
- Bucket Seats with Console
- Hide-away Headlights
- 14" Steel Wheels with plain caps and beauty rings
- 8" 3.0 open rear axle
- Power front disc brakes
- Power steering
- California Emissions
The following list of upgrades and services have been done in the last 17 years and 40,000 miles:
BODY:
- All trim and emblems removed to bare body. Soda blasted to bare metal. NO RUST FOUND
- Painted and bodywork by Knockout Collision Center, Chico California
- Ford Sonic Blue Exterior
- Sikkens system paint products. Basecoat Clear Coat,wet sanded and buffed. Show quality finish that has aged nicely. Small nicks from driving and storage. Paint job is 12 years old.
- All weatherstripping was replaced at time of respray
- All emblems were replaced
- Side marker and front turn lenses
- NOS tail lights
- Re-chromed hide-away grills
- Re-chromed front and rear bumpers
- Re-chromed side window belt trim
- NO RUST REPAIRS NEEDED, NO PANEL REPLACEMENTS NEEDED, NO BONDO. Body repairs were limited to door dings, panelalignment, and improving on factory imperfections.
- There are now some minor nicks consistent with 12 years of age. Some subtle surface rust bubbling has started to appear behind the driver's door at the seam between the sill and quarter panel.
- There is a bullseye repair in the front windshield
- There are some small expansion and contraction cracks in the seam sealer in the rain drip rails.
CHASSIS:
- Tie rods, A-arm bushings, end links, sway bar links, ball joints, idler arm and front shocks were all replaced in 2002 and have about 35,000 miles on them
- Power steering Ram replaced with new in 2014
- Steering box replaced with rebuilt in 2007
- Power steering pump replaced when engine was rebuilt in 2004
- Rear air shocks installed 2013
- NO RUST IN ANY CHASSIS RAILS
- The rear springs are the originals and have sagged. I have added helper springs to restore ride height.
ENGINE REBUILD 2004:
- Seasoned 1996 Lincoln Town Car roller cam 5.0 block
- Bored and stroked to 347 ci.
- Tuned for mild street use with a power band from 1200-5500 rpm
- Short piston deck height (no oil ring and wrist pin intersection)
- 10.0:1 calculated compression ratio
- Balanced rotating assembly
- Standard pressure/high volume oil pump
- Hardened oil pump/distributor drive shaft
- 50 oz performance front dampener
- 5.7 liter performance profile roller cam (EFI profile for smooth idle)
- Edelbrock Performer Aluminum Heads
- Roller rockers
- New roller lifters
- ARP studs
- Edelbrock AirGap intake manifold
- Edelbrock Performer 600 CFM carburetor with automatic choke and Holly choke delay kit (better cold engine driveability)
- Long tube headers
- 3" pipe to muffler, and 2.5" from muffler to rear of car
- Cross over tube
- Flowmaster 60 series mufflers
- Davis DUI HEI custom curved distributor
- Davis low resistance plug wires
- V-belt pulleys. Crankpulley is undersized.
- High volume aluminumwater pump
- Oversized Big Block spec radiator with dual SPAL electric fan and shroud kit
- 90 Amp re-clocked internally regulated alternator
- K&N air filter
- Aluminum valve covers
- Pan gasket, timing chain gasket, and front gasket have been replaced in the last four years, however there is evidence of some oil leaking.
TRANSMISSION:
- Rebuilt 1986 Lincoln Town Car AOD 4 speed overdrive transmission
- Transgo shift kit for firmer shifts and ability to hold overdrive at full throttle
- High RPM governor for later shifts and faster downshifts
- New Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe Torque converter (1800 stall spec and heavy duty per factory specs)
- Early style AOD kick down rod
- Heavy duty "A" servo
- Lubrication modifications
- There is evidence that the pan gasket may be seeping.
DRIVE SHAFT AND REAR END 2004:
- Custom built and balanced drive shaft (designed to handle 500+hp to handle future upgrades)
- Small bearing 28 spline 9" rear end (less weight than a large bearing 9")
- New 3.79:1 final drive ratio gear set
- Rebuilt Ford TractionLoc limited slip carrier
- All new bearings
BRAKES:
- Slotted and cross drilled front stock size rotors (2013)
- New brake hoses (2006)
- New brake booster (2006)
- New master cylinder (2006)
- New proportioning valve and brake warning light switch (2006)
- New rear brake pads and slave cylinders (2006)
INTERIOR:
- Correct 1970 NOS speedometer (a 1971 speedometer is visually different and often was used as a replacement)
- NOS Temperature and Fuelgauges
- NOS clock upgraded with quarts movement
- Accessory Volt meter and mechanical oil pressuregauges
- Instrument cluster has been re-chromed and detailed but shows some small chips from use
- New instrument cluster lens
- LED instrument lighting
- New turn signal switch
- New ignition switch
- New headlight switch
- Intermittent wipers
- NOS fan switch
- All HVAC vents have been re-chromed
- Reproduction dash pad in perfect condition
- Restored and reinforced center console with new light lens and LED lights
- Kenwood AM/FM/CD with iPod control, Pandora, bluetooth, andsatellite radio ready. Rear input for iPod
- Trunk mounted dual power amplifiers and Kicker subwoofer
- New original loop style carpet
- New headliner
- Front seats were re-upholstered with NOS comfort weave fabric that is no longer available and not correctly reproduced
- Modern retractable front seat belts and shoulder harness
- Factory option convenience group has been added, includes parking brake light, lights on warning, seat belt reminder, and front floorboard courtesy lights
- New sail panels
- New parcel shelf
- Rare rear window defogger with in-dash switch
- Rear seat is original comfort weave material
- All new window cranks and knobs
- New front arm rests and bases
- Front door panels have been replaced with later 1971 style door panels (similar but not correct for the 1970 model)
- Driver's seat side bolster shows some wear in the vinyl.
OTHER ITEMS OF NOTE:
- New gas tank (2014)
- NOS dog dish hub caps
- Tires have about 8,000 miles on them
- New Battery at time of listing
- A/C converted to Sanden style compressor and R134a refrigerant
- Heater core replaced (2014)
- Heater/AC fan replaced (2014)
- Trunk is lined withDynamat sound proofing and is carpeted.
- Hide-away headlight NOS vacuum motor with modified spring assembly (no winking headlights)
- Binder with most receipts, tuning tips, transmission info, cam specs, etc.
I started this project when my daughter wasn't even one year old, and now, she has started college so it is time to sell my baby to help pay the bill.
She has been well cared for. She does well in peoples choice car shows, having won a Judges choice award twice. I easily have the starting price wrapped up just in the bodywork, chrome and paint that was done. She drives like a 1970 that has about 40,000 miles on her. In town, I get about 13 mpg and on the open road she will break 20 mpg. She was built so that I could enjoy and afford to drive her. If the buyer is in Washington State, I'll include the ultra rare "LAKE CHELAN FORD" license plate frame and YOM license plates. (I even found one with the correct "August" month sticker on it, and added a reproduction 1970 expiration tag. If the buyer is in California, I'll include the original blue plates. I also have some spare parts that will be included in the sale.
You will get looks and stares, and make new friends where ever you take her.
Cosmetically, there is wear on the sidebolster of the driver's seat. There is some very smallbubbling where the sill meets the rear quarter just behind the passenger door. The seam sealer above the doors has some age cracks. There is a bullseye in the front windshield that has been repaired. There is some oil seepage thatwould be consistent with the time and mileage since the major rebuild work was completed.
Please feel free to message me with specific questions, or for a picture of a specific spot. Ebay limits the number of pictures.