As is the fashion today, Good price or nothing The Torino offers front and rear bench seats for six passengers. Let’s see if this classic Ford is worth the price of a back seat.
People don’t usually bang on cars, but based on the comments, yesterday Infiniti M45 2003 Definitely worth it. A powerful V8, handsome presentation, and a modest $6,400 asking price all work in the M45’s favor. As a result, it earned a stunning 86 percent Nice Price win.
Like the Infiniti of yesterday, today Ford Torino 1968 was a mid-size four-door saloon powered by a V8. Unlike the well-equipped M45, however, this Ford was equipped rather sparingly—rolling windows, a manual transmission, and a dashboard that featured more indicators than dials. It also had a smaller engine than what was listed in Ford’s promotional materials at the time, which makes for an interesting story.
Ford redesigned the Torino and its platform mate, the Fairlane, for the 1968 model year. Production began in late summer 1967 but was halted by a 68-day UAW strike that took place in September and October of that year. Ford designated the 200 CID six-cylinder as the Torino’s base engine and the 302 CID V8 as the entry-level V8. However, when production resumed in the fall of 1967, Ford was faced with the need to cut costs across its entire lineup and had a large inventory of 289 CID V8s suddenly piling up at the company’s Windsor, Canada foundry, so it was decided to put those engines into the Torino instead of the larger 302.
The decal on the air cleaner under the hood of this car shows that this is one of the 289 conversions, with the two-barrel engine making 200 (gross) horsepower in this guise. Perhaps equally interesting is that this car’s transmission is a three-pedal manual with a “three-on-the-tree” shift column.
Everything else mechanically is pretty standard, with short- and long-arm coil springs up front, leaf springs at the rear, and drum brakes everywhere. There’s an aftermarket A/C system installed, but the ad doesn’t say if it works, and the engine shots don’t let us see if there’s a belt on the compressor.
Another interesting factor that made the Ford popular was its styling. This was the first year that Ford adopted the “Coke Bottle” styling that had become popular in the late 1960s and it was a huge success on the Torino.
The previous model’s flanks and stacked headlight noses have given way to a concave grille and subtle curves that rise just ahead of the rear wheel arches, giving the car the look of a tilted soda bottle. This is coupled with a semi-formal roofline over the four doors, adding to the overall long-nose/short-boot aesthetic.
This one, a striking red with a black painted roof that mimics a vinyl top, appears to be in excellent condition and doesn’t appear to need anything. The seller claims there’s only a little rust, and none of it is evident in the pictures. Steel wheels with faux wire covers add to the style, as do whitewall tires.
The cabin is pretty basic, though there is an air conditioning unit hanging below the dash. There’s also some additional gauges up top. Up higher, there’s an AM radio, a dash-mounted ignition, and then four large gauge clusters. Funnily enough, they’re mostly empty. Ford offered a tachometer and stopwatch as options in the Torino, but this car doesn’t come with either. Instead, there’s a speedometer cluster, another with a fuel gauge and temperature warning lights, a third with an oil pressure and charge indicator, and a fourth with a blank dial that seems to serve as a constant reminder of the original buyer’s stinginess.
Aside from some cracks in the steering wheel and some dents in the molded plastic of the “safety panel,” the interior appears to be in as good condition as the exterior. According to the ad and backed up by a picture of the dashboard, the car has 102,056 miles. In reality, the odometer reads 2,156 because it only has five main tubes, and we’ll just have to take the seller’s word that it’s only been rolled over once. We can also take their word that the car has proper paperwork and passing scores from state safety inspectors. The asking price is $10,950.
How much would you spend on a car like this? It’s a classic that appears to be turn-key and comes with a few cool features and some historical significance. Is it worth $10,950 to some Ford fans? Or is it a bit of a stretch for a car that’s essentially pretty mediocre?
You decide!
Harrisonburg, Virginia, Craigslistor go This if the ad disappears.
Contact RevUnlimiter to get connected!
Help me NPOND. Message me at [email protected] and send me a fixed tip. Remember to include your Kinja username.
