UPDATE 9/11/15 – The reserve has been lowered and the Torino is going to sell! There’s lots of interest though so how much do you think it’s going to go for?

FROM 9/4/15 – There’s a recently purchased car vying for garage space, so the Torino has gotta go! We have spent a lot of time detailing the car and fixing many of the things that were keeping it from being a dependable daily driver. I’m proud to say that I’ve been using the car for the past few weeks now and have not had a single problem. The car still needs a few things, but it’s solid, straight, and ready for the next owner to decide which direction to take it. Will it get a new paint job or will it just provide some cheap thrills? Find it here on eBay where bidding starts at a buck. Please comment below if you have any questions or if you would like me to take photos of a specific area.

With the MGB feeling a little under the weather, I decided to pull the Torino out and start driving it. We had gotten it all polished up, but it was still having a hard time starting and felt sluggish when you really romped on it. I assumed the carburetor needed refreshing, so I located a used Holley to get me by until I could get the original rebuilt. The new carb even came with the Ford specific linkage and new gaskets! Well, before ripping anything apart I decided to compare each carb to see how everything was setup. While doing that I pulled one of the vacuum port plugs off the old carb and noticed that the underside side was cracked. Could this little piece of disintegrated rubber be the source of all our woes?

I quickly repluged the hole and made the sure the air filter cover was securely tightened too. Sure enough! The engine started right up and had new found life. In fact, it will now squeal the tires at every stoplight if you’re not careful. The secondaries are vacuum operated, so I’m guessing that the leak was keeping the carb from opening up all the way. I feel silly for missing such a simple thing, but am glad that I found it before installing the other carb. It has been a great companion on my daily compute the past few weeks and I will be sorry to see it go.

Body

The paint may look rough, but the body on this thing is incredibly straight and rust-free. There’s some crash damage on the rear taillight housing, but there is no damage to the fender and a replacement housing and taillight are included. The vinyl roof was replaced in the last few years and look like new. The glass is all good, but the inner and outer felts need to be replaced. A piece of trim is missing on the trunk, but other than that everything is there. I just installed a new tie down to keep the battery from flopping around. You could prep and repaint the car easily, or you could just keep it polished up and drive it around as-is. It sure gets a lot of attention!

Drivetrain

The engine runs great now! This Torino is fitted with the optional four-barrel 351 V8 so it provides a nice mix of power and weight balance. The automatic transmission shifts as it should and there are no leaks underneath. The brakes are power assist with the optional front brakes so they work great. The pedal has quite a bit of travel though so I would recommend installing new hoses soon. The master cylinder looks relatively new. The steering is power assist so it is normal to get some float, but I think the front suspension could use some new bushings and possibility ball joints to tighten things up. The exhaust has a nice throaty growl!

Interior

Besides the faded carpet, the interior looks great. The bench seats are comfortable and I’m guessing that the vinyl was replaced at some point. The gauges  all work as does the radio. The dash doesn’t have any cracks, but there are a few scuffs here and there on the door panels. The steering wheel rim has a few cracks and a replacement horn ring just went in so you have a working horn. The headliner and sun visors are new. The interior is a pleasant place to be and with headrests, collapsible steering column, and seat belts, it’s a relatively safe place too.

This is one of those cars that you can drive everyday while addressing any small issues that pop up. That is exactly what I’ve done and hopefully the next owner will continue the theme. I had big plans for this one, but sometimes it’s best to leave well enough alone.

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