351 Cobra Jet: 1972 Ford Gran Torino Sport
As far as project cars are concerned, this 1972 Ford Gran Torino Sport has a lot in its favor. It is a solid car that is in need of cosmetic restoration but could still be driven exactly as it currently stands. The fact that it has a healthy 351 Cobra Jet under the hood is really just icing on the cake. If that sounds like a winning combination, then you will find the Ford located in Huntsville, Alabama, and listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding on the potent Torino has reached $11,000, and with the reserve now met, it is set to head to a new home very soon.
The first thing to note about this Ford is how solid it is. All of the vehicle’s lower extremities appear to be free of any rust issues, and while the original Dark Green paint is now showing its age, it remains presentable enough to be used as a daily driver until such time as finance and circumstances make a repaint a possibility. The only rust that the owner identifies is a little under the lower edge of the hood itself. He seems to be confident in the car’s overall condition because he does welcome the idea of potential buyers giving the car a personal inspection. The Gran Torino does have a couple of minor dings, but there is nothing there that can’t be repaired. In addition, the tinted glass, along with the exterior trim and chrome, all looks to be in good condition. The wheels that are fitted to the Ford are original, and they wear a new set of tires.
The Gran Torino is said to be a numbers-matching car, with the original 351ci Cobra Jet V8 filling the engine bay. With a 3-speed automatic transmission, power steering, and power brakes, it should be a comfortable and competent cruiser on the open road. The Cobra Jet produces 248hp, which is enough to allow the vehicle to punch through the ¼ mile in 16.1 seconds. The owner states that the Gran Torino runs and drives really well, and included in the sale is the original Build Sheet and Owner’s Manual.
While the photos aren’t the greatest, they tend to paint a pretty rosy picture inside the Ford. The rear seat, door trims, and the headliner are all in good condition. The carpet looks really nice, which makes sense since it is new. The dash pad is cracked, but a good replacement is included. The owner says that new armrests for the doors, new kick panels, and new covers for the front seats will have the interior presenting very nicely. It isn’t clear whether there are any aftermarket additions to the Gran Torino, or what optional equipment might be fitted, but we do know that it does come fitted with factory air conditioning.
For the classic enthusiast who has their heart set on parking a Mustang in their driveway but simply doesn’t have the budget, then a Gran Torino Sport would seem to offer a viable alternative. This one shows a lot of promise, and the 351 Cobra Jet lifts it into the desirable category for a 1972 model. They may not have quite the cachet of a Mustang, but the 16 people who have bid, along with the 183 who are watching the listing, must think that it is worth serious consideration.
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Comments
All it needs is Clint Eastwood’s signature on the glove box door.👍
Get off my lawn!
When I saw this car, I immediately thought of Clint Eastwood and Gran Torino too. As much as I love the Dirty Harry movies as well as the many others that he appeared in, Gran Torino is my favorite to this day. My favorite scene is in the lawyers office when he willed his Torino to “Toad” instead of his grand daughter! There are so many great scenes in the movie but that’s my favorite. The scene with “Toad” in the barber shop and the one where he rescues the girl (and calls his real life son a pu$$/) are great too!
To me ,the 72 Gran Torino was the best looking Torino ever produced, either as a regular coupe or sportroof model.
I’m with you don. A sportsroof with the laser stripes and Magnum 500 wheels — just like this one — looks great. It even has a console and the sports instrumentation. I’m even fine with the dark green paint. These with 4-speeds are uncommon, must not have been many built.
This one is pretty good as-is, but I hope the new owner spends the time and money to bring it to the next level.
Nice looking original. Paint looks nice but it is raining in the picture, so it may still need paint but the Torino looks very un-abused. Nice wheels and factory a/c.
The green color fits this fastback perfectly.
I always liked these Gran Torinos. I would much rather have this in my driveway than a mustang any day of the week. My buddy had a 73, but the bigger bumpers didn’t do it any justice. Put a new paint job on it, fix the few problems in the interior, and enjoy! Ol Clint would approve!
Needs a black vinyl top.
Some cars do look nice with a vinyl top, but in my own opinion, it would mess up the clean lines this car has, besides, vinyl tops are rust magnets.
Nice car, and somewhat rare. Sure looks like more than a ding on the left rear quarter…
Ford finally offered full instrument gauges in the dash of their torinos in 72. Can’t tell in the pics? Another rookie photographer. Oh and “how bout them chiefs”.
I’m hoping that the Snickers folks do a redo of the “who are the Chefs?” ad.
We da Chefs!
Great googly-moogly. . .
Nice ride, lots of potential with the Cleveland, a few were built with the four speed. Come to think of it the only way to get the 4 gear was with the 351 despite the 429 still being around.
I don’t know really, I like Fords and will always be more interested in the mid sized Fairlanes and Torinos, the Cobra version, over the Mustangs. Exceptions being all three Boss ‘stangs, but mainly the ’66 thru 71 midsized cars. It’s funny how one or two cars can leave a lasting impression both good and not so good.
Love the ’72. My first car was a ’73 Gran Torino Sport fastback. I loved that car. Best $300 I ever spent.
The seller of this car has gone through great lengths to not show the dash in the pictures. Other than the one in the trunk. I wonder whats up with that.
Mine was blue with a white vinyl roof and a Q code 351 Cleveland. Sold it to a guy who said he and his son were going to restore it, next time I saw it, the rear end was bashed in.
Really clean nice driver and the price seems decent!! This is a nice car to own and I’m sure a few little tweaks under the hood could lower that quarter mile time!!!
Funny last night I was on the internet looking at these in the same year. Best looking body style of all of the Torino’s. In 1972 I was riding my Schwinn Stingray through the local Ford dealer in Santa Cruz California. I’m not a lover of green cars but this Torino just kills it in green. Blue was my favorite back in 72′. After getting kicked out of the Ford dealer I would often ride over to the Lincoln Mercury dealer and check out the new De Tomasa Pantera. Finally I would head over to Plymouth and Dodge dealers. I rode a lot of miles on that Stingray back then. Great times. I guess I’ll dust off the Varsity and go for a ride. Lot more work at 62
I would love to own the race car version of the 72 torino, especially the #90 Truxmore stock car someone has in their collection.
Always surprised these didn’t do better in NASCAR, but the factories had walked away by then. Was thinking Bud Moore with Bobby Isaac (?) and Pepsi sponsorship would have been one of the last, but your example was probably later. Junie Dunlavey and Red Farmer?
The one I’m so enamered with is on Google images, #90 72 Gran Torino Sport, the sides are blue, roof is white, nose is red then white to blue with silver wheels, I can’t find any information on it.
Barry Newman drove a red 72 Torino Sport in Fear Is The Key. Good movie but it’s only available in a region 2 European DVD
Back in the day, I didn’t care much for these Torinos. I preferred the ’68-’69 body style and some of the ’70 and ’71s. This ’72 I now find quite an attractive car and the 351 Cleveland is a good performer. I like the green on green colors, they’re pretty close to my green on green ’72 Galaxie 500. I wouldn’t mind owning this one at all.
the 72 s are very nice BUT I LOVE THE 1970 TORINO GT CONVERT I HAD AND AM LOOKIN FOR ANOTHER
What’s nice about the ’72 Torino is you can also put the front end on a ’73 Torino! Other than a ’63-’64 Galaxie, this is one of my favorite Fords.
No picture of the dash is, um, interesting. Are the laser stripes available? Surely someone is making repro versions. But what’s with the square tubing poking out from under the rear fender?
All that said, with a modest amount of TLC, this could be brought back to a really nice driver, especially because it’s a pre-bumper car, and full emasculation hadn’t taken place yet.
I believe what you think is square tubing is actually the visible part of an exhaust clamp.
The 1972 Gran Torino brings back special memories…
In early 1972 my folks were in the market for a new family car. My dad wasn’t a car guy so he didn’t really spend much time studying models and such. My mom didn’t drive, so her input was mostly just whether the car looked okay and rode good. Meanwhile, I was the car-obsessed 15 year old.
One late afternoon I was playing basketball at the “blacktop” (the playground at the nearby grade school) when I saw my dad pull up. He motioned me over and said “let’s go down to the Ford Garage (that’s what we all called it, and what I still call the local Ford dealer) and see what they have.” I loved to play basketball but a meaningful trip to investigate new Fords was a treat. I hopped in and away we went.
I had already been dropping hints about what I thought would work for the family. I told him the Gran Torino was all new and had x, y, z and looked good and would be perfect for what the family needed. To his credit he realized his teenage son was actually a good source of information and recommendations.
The small-town dealer proceeded to tell us he had a nicely equipped Gran Torino four door due in soon. I took a look at the paperwork on how it was equipped and pronounced it acceptable. After a subsequent approval from Mom, Dad said they would take it (they of course did not let me in on the deal negotiations!). The car arrived a couple weeks later.
Gray Gold metallic, black vinyl roof, black cloth interior, 351, our first car with a/c. Sticker $4206 (I still have the window sticker). Since it was the only car in the family, I ended up learning to drive on it, used it for dates, helped drive on family vacations, etc., until I got my own car in 1974.
I want ! I want ! I want ! Absolutely everything about the car rings my bell. Yes it needs TLC in some areas and new paint wouldn’t hurt but if finances were different I’d buy and drive this baby until I was no longer able to drive anymore. At that it would go to one of my kids or hopefully a different owner as long as they loved and cherished it too like I would.
Listing removed…did anybody see how high it got before it was removed?