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1970 Torino Project

19K views 46 replies 7 participants last post by  chunger 
#1 ·
Years ago I owned a 63 fairlane....I sold it to my dad so I could buy a 77 trans am (decision I regretted for multiple reasons). After a few years I sold the Trans Am to put all my attention to offroading. Another decision I always regretted. But my TA wasn't the most comfortable commuter and seemed to get around 7 mpg. For last year + I have had a nagging in the back of my mind to get another older car, but this time more a cruiser. Something I could jump in and drive long distance miles for the weekend comfortably etc, something I never felt comfortable doing in my previous cars. I didn't want a "race car" but a nice classic I could cruise in, but if needed I could make it scoot.

After some searching and some long hrs in the truck looking at cars I found one last night. I ended up with a 1970 Torino. It needs some love, but I feel its a good platform to work from. I don't want a show car, or numbers matching, but a nice reliable driver that looks good from 20ft is what I'd settle for. Budget wasn't big, I ended up giving $2500. I live in Hastings and drove out to Farmington Friday to pick it up.

Rear frame rails, sheet metal work I am ok with, but didn't wanna look at rebuilding any frame work. I looked at a 65 Galaxie in Marshall (after driving 3 hrs) earlier in the week that had more frame missing then what was still underneath. Was glad to see how solid the underside of the Torino was.






Got home today from work and pumped the pedal twice and it fired up, choke is bad but sounded decent. New valve cover gaskets and ditch the points are the first priority on the motor. Previous owner pulled the valve covers and didn't put new gaskets when he did so they leak like crazy.







Interior is poop, headliner junk, rear deck lid junk, carpet junk, dash less then fair. Suppose to get newly reupholstered seats from the seller hopefully in the next week, two GT buckets and the original rear bench all redone. Really hoping the seller comes through with this, left a voice mail with him today to arrange pick up but no answer, try again on Monday.





Found some mud in the LR 1/4, already damaged the front spoiler. Apparently on the drive home last night it popped out of park (shifter really loose/sloppy) and as soon as I undid the front straps it rolled off the trailer without the ramps out. Not bad but bent it upward on the left side :(.


Plans are to go through the suspension and brakes. Convert the fronts to disc and power brakes (manual brakes right now). Maybe convert the manual steering to. Tune the motor and ditch the points. Service hoses and fluids. Fix up the interior enough for now to be comfortable and drive it through the summer.

Then when the storage season arrives fix the body and get it painted. Debating between a super dark blue (almost black) or a dark black cherry. And I need to do some research to see how possible and $ and time consuming it would be, but I would like to install a 5.4L triton and 4r100. Right now its a 302 2brl and I assume a c4. Time will tell though. For now I have cleaned the mold/mildew off the paint.

IF anybody has any experienced words of wisdom or links to swapping 5.4Ls into older rides I would love to here it. IF the 5.4L won't work then I probably settle for a 5.8L or similar with FI. Regardless whatever I do it'll be FI'd. I have been a avid rockcrawler/offroader. I currently have a 74 Early Bronco fitted with a 96 351 roller motor with all the electronics from the f250 donor. So I am familiar enough with the that set-up I could easily adapt another to the Torino. But I want something different and outside the norm.

I do need a few parts right off the bat, including a good rear trunk lid, p/s set-up, front disc brake set-up to name a few of the first things. I don't plan on keeping the rims. So if they interest you shoot me a pm.
 
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#3 ·
Little back ground...

I am an auto tech of 15 yrs, spent 14.5 yrs at a Good Year independent shop, and just moved to a Belle Tire shop. Pretty much the only job I have done. Started at GY at 17. I am kinda a converted Ford guy. Grew up with my old man always owning broncos and f150s, but found my self owning GM's. But as of the last few years I have rotated all the GM stock out for all Fords today. Built a few 4x4s including heavily modified explorers, Bronco II's, and rangers. Couple shots of old stuff.

Built this from the frame up.



First Explorer


Then I built a truggy


Another Explorer I built and dd'd for a short time


Built yet another truggy I built


Didn't care for the full bodied truggy so I built another off a 03 ranger


My current dedicated toy....74 EB
started here

Pretty much as it currently sits


Heres a project I recently finished for a customer.


That pretty much sums up the last 6 yrs lol.

My prior pavement pounders

The before mentioned 63

That was after it was sold to my dad and he painted it gold/copper (puke).

The Current Ford stable is now the Torino, the EArly Bronco,
My wife and I both own 98 5.0L explorers..

Older pic, her bumper is straight (deer hit) and I built a winch bumper for mine (green one)

And the tow pig..

The 97 powerstroke
 
#4 ·
Ok got some of the interior torn apart...found a few more weak spots in the floor but not bad and simple enough to fix up. To my surprise the seat belt anchor bolts all came out with ease. Hell they came out better then my 98 explorers anchors did lol. Nice to find that the areas around the rear window are virtually rust free other then the scale or surface discoloring. On with DA pics...

Main bad spot at the drivers feet


Pass front floor..


Pass side rear




Drivers rear




I believe I found the remnants of the OE build sheet under the carpet..atleast I think I did it was pretty shredded and only a few words were readable.
 
#6 ·
I used por-15 back in the day when I did up the floor of my old trans am, but were talking 7 yrs ago. That still the stuff to use today or has something new and better come around?

Also alot of the oe seam sealer stuff is just falling and flaking off, gonna have to scrape majority of it off. Would the por-15 or similar be good enough to use when painting over the entire floor area or should I use something to reseal the area I am gonna end up exposing after scraping the old stuff off?
 
#7 ·
Picked up a early 80's f150 today for $300. Suppose to have a 69 302 in it. Has a almost new 650 cfm edelbrock and matching intake. Also has the distributor and module I wanted to get to convert the Torino from points. Pull the motor, scrap the truck and then get my $300 back. win win.

Still haven't been able to get the seller to return my phone calls on getting the seats from him :(.
 
#8 ·
Picked up a early 80's f150 today for $300. Suppose to have a 69 302 in it. Has a almost new 650 cfm edelbrock and matching intake. Also has the distributor and module I wanted to get to convert the Torino from points. Pull the motor, scrap the truck and then get my $300 back. win win.

Still haven't been able to get the seller to return my phone calls on getting the seats from him :(.
Got it pulled and check the codes, just your everyday 80's 302 smog motor and heads. Oh well, atleast I got the intake,carb,distributor, module I wanted off it
 
#9 ·
Big Thanks to Merc 4.6

I pretty much got everything I need for swapping the front drums and manual brakes out for power brakes and disc brakes.

Both spindles
Both calipers
Both brake hoses
both rotors and all bearings
Master cylinder
Booster
Booster bracket to firewall
Brake pedal and related hardware
 
#13 · (Edited)
Well just got home from driving to Fraser, MI from Middleville, MI and back to get front buckets and rear bench seat. Unfortunately not the seats I was suppose to get with the car per my arrangement at purchase. The seller refuses to answer my calls, texts, and emails. So I found some oe seats in fair condition and picked those up.

I also just ordered some floor pan sections to repair my troubled areas on the LF of the floor.
 
#15 ·
Good thing I don't plan to keep the rear axle for long. The studs aren't long enough to get more then 3-4 threads on with the nuts. Tires clear well all around. Off work tomorrow but Weds gonna mount some 245/45's and see how those look and fit Thursday. One benefit of working at a tire store lol, I can test fit stuff without paying lol.

I have a ford 8" with 2.90(?) gears. Its approx 61"s wms to wms. Gonna get a explorer disc axle with either 3.73 or 4.10's. With the intention on the drivetrain later down the road this will work out in many ways. Stronger axle, disc brakes, and a rear vss.



 
#16 ·
Years ago I owned a 63 fairlane....I sold it to my dad so I could buy a 77 trans am (decision I regretted for multiple reasons). After a few years I sold the Trans Am to put all my attention to offroading. Another decision I always regretted. But my TA wasn't the most comfortable commuter and seemed to get around 7 mpg. For last year + I have had a nagging in the back of my mind to get another older car, but this time more a cruiser. Something I could jump in and drive long distance miles for the weekend comfortably etc, something I never felt comfortable doing in my previous cars. I didn't want a "race car" but a nice classic I could cruise in, but if needed I could make it scoot.

After some searching and some long hrs in the truck looking at cars I found one last night. I ended up with a 1970 Torino. It needs some love, but I feel its a good platform to work from. I don't want a show car, or numbers matching, but a nice reliable driver that looks good from 20ft is what I'd settle for. Budget wasn't big, I ended up giving $2500. I live in Hastings and drove out to Farmington Friday to pick it up.

Rear frame rails, sheet metal work I am ok with, but didn't wanna look at rebuilding any frame work. I looked at a 65 Galaxie in Marshall (after driving 3 hrs) earlier in the week that had more frame missing then what was still underneath. Was glad to see how solid the underside of the Torino was.






Got home today from work and pumped the pedal twice and it fired up, choke is bad but sounded decent. New valve cover gaskets and ditch the points are the first priority on the motor. Previous owner pulled the valve covers and didn't put new gaskets when he did so they leak like crazy.







Interior is poop, headliner junk, rear deck lid junk, carpet junk, dash less then fair. Suppose to get newly reupholstered seats from the seller hopefully in the next week, two GT buckets and the original rear bench all redone. Really hoping the seller comes through with this, left a voice mail with him today to arrange pick up but no answer, try again on Monday.





Found some mud in the LR 1/4, already damaged the front spoiler. Apparently on the drive home last night it popped out of park (shifter really loose/sloppy) and as soon as I undid the front straps it rolled off the trailer without the ramps out. Not bad but bent it upward on the left side :(.


Plans are to go through the suspension and brakes. Convert the fronts to disc and power brakes (manual brakes right now). Maybe convert the manual steering to. Tune the motor and ditch the points. Service hoses and fluids. Fix up the interior enough for now to be comfortable and drive it through the summer.

Then when the storage season arrives fix the body and get it painted. Debating between a super dark blue (almost black) or a dark black cherry. And I need to do some research to see how possible and $ and time consuming it would be, but I would like to install a 5.4L triton and 4r100. Right now its a 302 2brl and I assume a c4. Time will tell though. For now I have cleaned the mold/mildew off the paint.

IF anybody has any experienced words of wisdom or links to swapping 5.4Ls into older rides I would love to here it. IF the 5.4L won't work then I probably settle for a 5.8L or similar with FI. Regardless whatever I do it'll be FI'd. I have been a avid rockcrawler/offroader. I currently have a 74 Early Bronco fitted with a 96 351 roller motor with all the electronics from the f250 donor. So I am familiar enough with the that set-up I could easily adapt another to the Torino. But I want something different and outside the norm.

I do need a few parts right off the bat, including a good rear trunk lid, p/s set-up, front disc brake set-up to name a few of the first things. I don't plan on keeping the rims. So if they interest you shoot me a pm.


Awesome ride! I have wanted one of those for a long time now, haha. And its AWESOME to see a bronco brother here :) I have a 68 I am going to be doing some major work to pretty soon. also have a 75 I am parting.

I have heard (at least on the mustangs) that the 5.4 is a MAJOR install. hot rod mag had a 'stang in one issue and they said it damn near needed to be cut in half to fit. Plus the 5.4 is almost wider than a 460. (460's are cooool though, haha).

Have you thought about propane powered? Then you can run crazy comp ratios to boot (propane has I think 112 octain rating?)

either way you go it looks like it will be a sweeeet ride when you get done with it.
 
#17 · (Edited)
The sohc 4.6 is wider than a 460 by a little bit. It will fit without any cutting. Here is a reference.

Engine Family LxWxH in inches, without carburetor. Weight in Lbs. 221-260-289-302 29 x 24 x 27.5 460 Boss 302 29 x 24.5 x 28.5 500 335 Series 351 Cleveland 29 x 25.5 x 27.5 550 351 Windsor 29 x 25 x 29 525 FE Series 352-390-406-410-427-428 32 x 27 x 29 625 Boss 429 34 x 30 x 30 635 385 Series 429-460 34 x 27 x 30 720 427 SOHC 34 x 32 x 30 680 4.6L SOHC or DOHC 36 x 36 x 44 600
 
#20 · (Edited)
Here is a better pic to show the current stance. Was hoping to get to doing some floor work today but ended up having a customer drop off a cougar for R&R transmission. Fawking stupid having the gas tank below the driveshaft. It would go so much quicker and easier without having to deal with that.


Heres the pic.
 
#21 ·
Got a little start on another aspect to the project. I got the points ditched and the 2 barrel carb and 200 lb intake. 600 or 650 cfm edelbroc and performer 289 intake along with duraspark ignition.......only cost was the fluids and gaskets. Still need to dial in timing and clean up the wiring as well as mount an air cleaner and throttle brackets. But it starts and runs, so much smoother with the decent ignition.

before


now
 
#22 ·
So I ordered a lower Radiator hose for the torino as the one on the car is a universal then attached to another hose. Major cobble job. Well after doing a minute of research I have come to the conclusion that I have the wrong water pump on the car.

I should have a drivers outlet water pump but instead have a pass side outlet, WTF? hmm, thinking I should drop the starter and inspect the block id number. 69 5.0's were a pass outlet, when I had my intake off I found 69' date codes on the heads. Thinking I may have a 69 or older motor possibly.
 
#26 ·
Thanks.






Looking through the glove box it still had the owners manual in it, along with receipts from a muffler shop in Athens, TN for susp work in 2002. Mileage was the same that day as what it says today. Crawled under and the speedo cable was broken at the trans. Guess it has more then the 108K the odometer states.
 
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